April
April was the 542nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 557 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 23rd; the most babies were born in 1980 (11,472). Over the last ten years it has moved down 139 places. More babies were named April in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning April (the month) · English, Latin
Say it AY-prul /ˈeɪprəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #542 girls, down 25 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 557girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198011,472 babies
- Total since 1880
- 243,592babies recorded
What does the name April mean?
April is the name of the month, used as a girl's name since the early 20th century, as Wiktionary notes. The month name comes from Latin Aprilis, whose origin is debated: Wiktionary suggests an Etruscan form of the name of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, while the Roman link with aperire, "to open", as of buds, is traditional but doubtful. It was popular in the US in the 1970s and 1980s.
Aprīlis (Latin, “April (origin debated)”)
How sure is this? Well established. The name is the month; the month's own etymology is uncertain.
Other explanations you may read: from Latin aperire 'to open'.
Related names: Avril, Abril, May, June.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'April', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'April', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
April popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 667 since 1959.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #542 | 557 |
| 2020 | #517 | 585 |
| 2010 | #375 | 842 |
| 2000 | #214 | 1,451 |
| 1990 | #73 | 4,572 |
| 1980 | #26 | 11,472 |
| 1970 | #82 | 4,603 |
| 1960 | #191 | 1,934 |
| 1950 | #402 | 394 |
| 1940 | #675 | 105 |
| 1930 | #1,939 | 18 |
| 1920 | #3,105 | 10 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is April, counting every spelling?
April is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #537 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #542 for April on its own. Together these spellings went to 566 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | 557 | #542 | 2,936 |
| Apryl | 9 | #10,186 | 73 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name April?
557 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named April (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a girl named April born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 15 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named April.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named April?
About 228,200 people born in the US named April are alive today, with a median age of 46; half are between 39 and 53. That makes April mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
April by state
How common April was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (1.7×), Maryland (1.7×), California (1.7×), New Jersey (1.6×), Nevada (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with April: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like April, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for April · Sibling names for April
Questions about the name April
What does April mean?
April means “April (the month)” (English, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name April?
April was the 542nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 557 babies. Its best year was 1979, when it ranked 23rd; the most babies were born in 1980 (11,472). Over the last ten years it has moved down 139 places. More babies were named April in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is April a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name April in the US.
Where is April most popular?
In 2021–2025, April was most common in Massachusetts (0.62 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maryland and California.