Cassius
Cassius was the 583rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 504 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 430th; the most babies were born in 2021 (607). Over the last ten years it has moved up 61 places. More babies were named Cassius in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Roman family name (gens Cassia) · Latin
Say it KASH-us /ˈkæʃəs/
- Rank in 2025
- #583 boys, down 95 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 504boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2021607 babies
- Total since 1880
- 9,766babies recorded
What does the name Cassius mean?
Cassius is a Latin name, the name of the Roman family (gens) Cassia. Wiktionary gives no meaning for the family name, and our sources do not settle one. In the US the name is also tied to the boxer Muhammad Ali, who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. Wiktionary records two English pronunciations, KASH-us and KASS-ee-us, and US records show the name in use since the 19th century.
Cassius (Latin, “member of the gens Cassia”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Roman family name is certain; its meaning is not given by our sources. A popular link with Latin cassus ('empty') is unconfirmed.
Related names: Cassio, Cash, Cass.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cassius' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cassius' (Latin section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., biographical entry 'Ali, Muhammad', HarperCollins / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Cassius
The usual nicknames for Cassius are Cash and Cass. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Cassius in the last five years, 229 were named Cash, against 219 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | Modern | #287 | 6,135 |
| Cass · also for Cassidy, Cassandra, Cassian | Traditional | #5,068 | 110 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Cassiuss go by each one.
Cassius popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 30 since 2017.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #583 | 504 |
| 2020 | #488 | 602 |
| 2010 | #1,006 | 195 |
| 2000 | #1,801 | 60 |
| 1990 | #1,842 | 42 |
| 1980 | #3,650 | 11 |
| 1970 | #1,661 | 27 |
| 1960 | #3,128 | 8 |
| 1950 | #3,372 | 6 |
| 1940 | #2,699 | 8 |
| 1930 | #2,319 | 12 |
| 1920 | #2,062 | 16 |
| 1910 | #1,631 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | #820 | 7 |
| 1880 | #430 | 17 |
How popular is Cassius, counting every spelling?
Cassius is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #526 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #583 for Cassius on its own. Together these spellings went to 573 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cassius | 504 | #583 | 2,677 |
| Kassius | 63 | #2,243 | 494 |
| Kasius | 6 | #11,345 | 32 |
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 Cassius?
504 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cassius (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cassius 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 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cassius.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cassius?
About 9,100 people born in the US named Cassius are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 16. That makes Cassius 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.
Cassius by state
How common Cassius was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (2.5×), Washington (2.2×), Colorado (2.0×), Oregon (1.8×), Indiana (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Nebraska, West Virginia, Alabama.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cassius: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cassius, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Cassius · Sibling names for Cassius
Questions about the name Cassius
What does Cassius mean?
Cassius is usually explained as “Roman family name (gens Cassia)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Cassius?
Cassius was the 583rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 504 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 430th; the most babies were born in 2021 (607). Over the last ten years it has moved up 61 places. More babies were named Cassius in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Cassius a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cassius in the US.
Where is Cassius most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cassius was most common in New Mexico (0.76 per 1,000 boys), followed by Washington and Colorado.