Faithful
A feminine or masculine name derived from the word "faith" meaning loyal, devoted.
Name Census estimates that about 70 living Americans carry the first name Faithful. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Faithful today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Faithful births was 2015 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Faithful. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Faithful. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
70
~ 1 in 4,896,491 Americans
Peak year
2015
10 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,974
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Faithful: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Faithful from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 34 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Faithful remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Faithful 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 Faithful during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Faithful
The given name Faithful has its origins in Middle English, deriving from the word "feithful," which itself stems from the Old English "fæstfull." The name's etymology can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word "faistuz," meaning "firm" or "steadfast." This root is also shared with the German word "fest" and the Dutch word "vast," both conveying a sense of solidity and constancy.
In the early medieval period, the name Faithful was primarily used as a descriptive term to indicate an individual's unwavering loyalty, reliability, and adherence to moral principles. It was not uncommon for individuals to adopt such virtuous names as a reflection of their character or as an aspiration for their conduct.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Faithful can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which mentions a certain "Faithful the Thane" who accompanied King Alfred the Great in his battles against the Vikings in the late 9th century. This historical reference illustrates the name's association with trustworthiness and allegiance during that era.
The name Faithful also bears religious connotations, particularly in the Christian tradition. The concept of faithfulness is a central tenet in many religious texts, and the name may have been bestowed upon individuals as a reminder of their commitment to their faith or as a testament to their unwavering devotion.
In the 16th century, during the Protestant Reformation, the name Faithful gained prominence among Puritans and other religious reformers who sought to reflect their steadfast adherence to their beliefs through their names. One notable figure from this period was Faithful Teate (c. 1525-1617), an English Puritan minister known for his unwavering commitment to his faith and his opposition to the Church of England's practices.
Another historical figure bearing the name Faithful was Faithful Fortescue (1619-1686), an English soldier and politician who served as a Parliamentarian during the English Civil War. His name is believed to have been a reflection of his unwavering loyalty to the Parliamentary cause.
In the 18th century, the name Faithful found resonance among the Quakers, a religious group known for their commitment to simplicity and integrity. One prominent Quaker with this name was Faithful Trist (1713-1786), an American merchant and philanthropist who played a significant role in the founding of Philadelphia's Free Quaker movement.
The name Faithful has also been borne by notable figures in literature and the arts. Faithful Teate (1668-1718), an English playwright and poet, was a contemporary of John Dryden and Alexander Pope. His works often explored themes of loyalty and constancy, reflecting the meaning of his given name.
People
Faithful + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Faithful as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with F
Other first names starting with F with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Faithful: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Faithful?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 70 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Faithful 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 4,896,491 US residents.
Is Faithful a common name?
We classify Faithful as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 71 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Faithful most popular?
The single biggest year for Faithful was 2015, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Faithful is about 12 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 Faithful in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Faithful a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Faithful in the SSA data are female. 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 Faithful still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Faithful 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 Faithful 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 common is the name Faithful?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Faithful, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.