August
August was the 81st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,958 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 74th; the most babies were born in 2025 (3,958). Over the last ten years it has moved up 114 places. More babies were named August in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning venerable, majestic · Latin
Say it AW-guhst /ˈɔɡəst/
- Rank in 2025
- #81 boys, up 74 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 3,958boys
- Girls and boys
- 8% girls, 92% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20253,958 babies
- Total since 1880
- 74,452babies recorded
What does the name August mean?
August comes from Latin augustus, 'venerable, majestic', the title borne by the first Roman emperor, after whom the month of August is named. DMNES lists August as a medieval form of the name, and Wiktionary notes that as a man's name it is often inspired by the common German name August. In English the month name has also been given to girls. Austin and Augustine come from the related Latin name Augustinus.
augustus (Latin, “venerable, majestic”)augēre (Latin, “to increase (probable root)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Augustus, Augustine, Austin, Gus, Augusto, Augusta.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'August', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'August', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for August
The usual nicknames for August are Gus and Augie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named August in the last five years, 5 were named Gus, against 24 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gus · also for Augustus, Augustine, Gustavo | Traditional | #1,331 | 851 |
| Augie · also for Augustus, Augustine | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Augusts go by each one.
August popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #962 | #81 | 268 | 3,958 |
| 2020 | #856 | #155 | 316 | 2,432 |
| 2010 | #1,821 | #427 | 112 | 647 |
| 2000 | #1,761 | #613 | 99 | 310 |
| 1990 | #4,250 | #845 | 23 | 146 |
| 1980 | #2,345 | #851 | 41 | 108 |
| 1970 | #4,255 | #783 | 13 | 110 |
| 1960 | #4,794 | #640 | 8 | 148 |
| 1950 | — | #469 | — | 203 |
| 1940 | — | #354 | — | 258 |
| 1930 | — | #271 | — | 432 |
| 1920 | #3,115 | #211 | 10 | 610 |
| 1910 | — | #188 | — | 144 |
| 1900 | — | #144 | — | 148 |
| 1890 | — | #84 | — | 206 |
| 1880 | — | #74 | — | 210 |
How popular is August, counting every spelling?
August is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #88 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #81 for August on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,986 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | 3,958 | #81 | 17,891 |
| Auguste | 28 | #3,853 | 123 |
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 August?
3,958 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named August (1.10 per 1,000 births). For a boy named August born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 48. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 2 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named August.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named August?
About 47,400 people born in the US named August are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 4 and 16. That makes August a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
August by state
How common August was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.9×), District of Columbia (3.1×), Missouri (2.4×), Alaska (2.2×), Minnesota (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Florida, Texas, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with August: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like August, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for August · Sibling names for August
Questions about the name August
What does August mean?
August means “venerable, majestic” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name August?
August was the 81st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 3,958 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 74th; the most babies were born in 2025 (3,958). Over the last ten years it has moved up 114 places. More babies were named August in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is August a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 8% girls, 92% boys given the name August in the US.
Where is August most popular?
In 2021–2025, August was most common in Vermont (8.12 per 1,000 boys), followed by District of Columbia and Missouri.