Righteous
Conforming to an established standard of moral righteousness and virtuous behavior.
Name Census estimates that about 291 living Americans carry the first name Righteous. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 83.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Righteous today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Righteous births was 2020 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Righteous. 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 Righteous with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
291
~ 1 in 1,177,850 Americans
Peak year
2020
31 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,390
Tracked since 2001
Gender
Gender distribution for Righteous
Righteous leans heavily male at 83.3% of total registrations, but 49 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Righteous as a male name
- Ranked #4,390 in 2024
- 24 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (24 births)
Righteous as a female name
- Ranked #14,869 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (7 births)
Popularity
Righteous: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Righteous 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 128 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
Righteous 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 Righteous during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Righteous' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Righteous
The name Righteous has its roots in ancient English language, derived from the Old English word "rihtwis," which means "just" or "upright." This name gained popularity during the medieval period, particularly among devout Christians who sought to embody the virtues of righteousness and moral uprightness.
Historically, the name Righteous was often bestowed upon individuals who were known for their pious and virtuous lives. In the Bible, the term "righteous" is used to describe those who follow God's commandments and live according to His will. As such, the name Righteous carried a strong religious connotation and was seen as a symbol of faith and moral integrity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Righteous can be found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of annals chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. In this text, a man named Righteous is mentioned as a prominent figure in the year 798 AD, though details about his life and deeds are scarce.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Righteous. One such figure was Righteous Tyndale (c. 1494-1536), an English scholar and Bible translator who played a pivotal role in the Protestant Reformation. His translation of the Bible into English was a landmark achievement and paved the way for future translations.
Another prominent figure with the name Righteous was Righteous Anger (1705-1785), an English clergyman and author known for his fiery sermons and passionate writings on religious and moral topics. His works, including "The Necessity of Righteousness" and "The Virtues of the Righteous," were widely read and influenced many of his contemporaries.
In the 19th century, Righteous Truth (1812-1887) was a renowned abolitionist and civil rights activist who dedicated his life to the cause of abolishing slavery and promoting racial equality. His powerful speeches and writings inspired many to join the fight against injustice, and he is remembered as a pivotal figure in the abolitionist movement.
Righteous Justice (1920-1998) was a jurist and human rights advocate who played a significant role in the civil rights movement of the 20th century. As a judge, he made landmark decisions that helped to dismantle segregation and promote equal rights for all citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity.
While the name Righteous may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a powerful and meaningful name that carries a rich history and symbolizes the virtues of moral integrity, justice, and unwavering faith.
People
Righteous + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Righteous as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Righteous: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Righteous?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 291 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Righteous 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 1,177,850 US residents.
Is Righteous a common name?
We classify Righteous as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 293 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Righteous most popular?
The single biggest year for Righteous was 2020, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Righteous is about 9 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 Righteous in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Righteous a male name?
Yes, 83.3% of people registered as Righteous 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 Righteous still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Righteous 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 Righteous 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 share the name Righteous?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.