Cyrus
Cyrus was the 268th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,284 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 216th; the most babies were born in 2024 (1,389). Over the last ten years it has moved up 201 places. More babies were named Cyrus in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Old Persian, Greek, Latin
Say it SY-rus /ˈsaɪrəs/
- Rank in 2025
- #268 boys, up 101 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,284boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20241,389 babies
- Total since 1880
- 29,286babies recorded
What does the name Cyrus mean?
Cyrus is the Latin and Greek form of Kuruš, the Old Persian name of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire in the 6th century BC. In the Hebrew Bible he appears as Koresh, the king who allowed the exiles to return (for example Isaiah 45:1). The meaning of the Old Persian name is not known for certain: the Random House dictionary glosses it "throne", while Wiktionary gives no meaning and notes that its association with Greek kyrios, "lord", is a folk etymology.
𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (Old Persian, “Kuruš, name of the king”)Κῦρος (Ancient Greek, “Kyros”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Old Persian name's meaning is not established.
Other explanations you may read: from Greek kyrios 'lord'; means 'sun'.
Related names: Ciro, Koresh, Cy.
See also: Persian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Cyrus', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Hebrew Bible / Tanakh, Isaiah 45.1, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Cyrus', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Nicknames for Cyrus
The usual nicknames for Cyrus are Cy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Cyrus in the last five years, 5 were named Cy, against 16 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cy | Traditional | #2,540 | 290 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Cyruss go by each one.
Cyrus popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 78 since 2014, 12 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #268 | 1,284 |
| 2020 | #369 | 843 |
| 2010 | #486 | 535 |
| 2000 | #541 | 397 |
| 1990 | #829 | 152 |
| 1980 | #684 | 160 |
| 1970 | #810 | 100 |
| 1960 | #867 | 77 |
| 1950 | #768 | 80 |
| 1940 | #719 | 72 |
| 1930 | #633 | 94 |
| 1920 | #576 | 117 |
| 1910 | #547 | 27 |
| 1900 | #366 | 36 |
| 1890 | #312 | 31 |
| 1880 | #216 | 54 |
How popular is Cyrus, counting every spelling?
Cyrus is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #264 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #268 for Cyrus on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,395 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrus | 1,284 | #268 | 5,775 |
| Syrus | 88 | #1,820 | 531 |
| Sirus | 18 | #5,362 | 80 |
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 Cyrus?
1,284 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cyrus (0.36 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Cyrus 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 7 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cyrus.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cyrus?
About 24,200 people born in the US named Cyrus are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 6 and 27. That makes Cyrus mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Cyrus by state
How common Cyrus was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (3.2×), Maine (2.7×), West Virginia (2.3×), Idaho (2.1×), Oregon (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Mississippi.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cyrus: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cyrus, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Cyrus · Sibling names for Cyrus
Questions about the name Cyrus
What does Cyrus mean?
The origin of Cyrus is uncertain: the Old Persian name's meaning is not established.
How popular is the name Cyrus?
Cyrus was the 268th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,284 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 216th; the most babies were born in 2024 (1,389). Over the last ten years it has moved up 201 places. More babies were named Cyrus in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Cyrus a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Cyrus in the US.
Where is Cyrus most popular?
In 2021–2025, Cyrus was most common in Hawaii (2.13 per 1,000 boys), followed by Maine and West Virginia.