Atreus
A name from Greek mythology, derived from "atreus" meaning "fearless".
Name Census estimates that about 3,004 living Americans carry the first name Atreus. It sits at #494 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Atreus today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Atreus births was 2023 (673 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Atreus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Atreus with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Atreus is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 4 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
3.0K
~ 1 in 114,099 Americans
Peak year
2023
673 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#494
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Atreus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Atreus from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 2,548 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Atreus by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Atreus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Atreus' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 42 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Atreus, while North Dakota, Montana, Oregon recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 64 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Atreus
The name Atreus originates from Greek mythology and is derived from the Greek word 'atrestos', meaning 'fearless' or 'untiring'. It was the name of a prominent figure in ancient Greek legend, a king of Mycenae and the son of Pelops and Hippodamia.
Atreus is best known from the ancient Greek epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey, written by Homer around the 8th century BCE. In these works, Atreus is portrayed as the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus, two of the most renowned leaders of the Trojan War. The story of Atreus and his family is deeply rooted in Greek mythology, with tales of betrayal, revenge, and tragic consequences.
One of the earliest recorded individuals named Atreus was a king of Mycenae, who ruled in the late Bronze Age, around the 13th century BCE. This Atreus was the grandson of the mythological figure of the same name and is mentioned in several ancient Greek texts, including the works of the Greek historian Herodotus.
Throughout history, the name Atreus has been borne by several notable figures. In the 5th century BCE, Atreus of Trachis was a Greek tragic poet and playwright, known for his works that explored themes of family conflict and revenge, much like the mythological tales associated with the name.
During the Renaissance period, Atreus Philologus (1492-1562) was a German humanist scholar and professor of Greek, who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature and language.
In the 19th century, Atreus Gottlob Friederich (1807-1887) was a German classical philologist and scholar of ancient Greek and Roman literature, known for his translations and commentaries on works by authors like Homer and Sophocles.
A more recent figure was Atreus Papadopoulos (1920-2000), a Greek-American chemist and inventor, who received several patents for his work in the field of polymer chemistry and materials science.
These examples illustrate the enduring legacy of the name Atreus, which has been carried by individuals across various fields and eras, each contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture.
People
Atreus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Atreus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Atreus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Atreus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,004 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Atreus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,099 US residents.
Is Atreus a common name?
We classify Atreus as "Rare". It ranks above 95.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,024 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Atreus most popular?
The single biggest year for Atreus was 2023, when 673 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Atreus is about 4 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Atreus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Atreus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Atreus in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Atreus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Atreus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Atreus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Atreus as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.