Why Has August Emerged as a Popular Baby Name in 2021? We Take a Deep Dive Into the Name and Others Like It

Mandy Moore and Princess Eugenie both recently gave birth to baby boys and both chose the name August for their sons. The princess chose August Philip Hawke Brooksbank while Moore styled it lighter with August Harrison Goldsmith. The name is getting the celebrity treatment which highlights the strides August has made in the past decade. According to baby-naming data from the Social Security Administration, August went from being number 673 in 2004 to number 167 in 2019 (the latest release-year of data for baby names).

That’s a huge boost in favor in recent years and it’s creeping into girl-name territory as well. In 2018, August landed in the top 1000 most popular baby names for girls for the first time. While the name has not historically been unisex, we can see the appeal the name would have to those expecting a girl. According to Pamela Redmond Satran, a co-founder of Nameberry, parents typically do not pick names from their generation and instead will look four generations prior for baby name inspiration. We’ll discuss August further as well as offer you dozens of other baby names like it as alternatives!

August

Knowing that parents tend to look deep into the past is a clue as to why August has emerged as a popular baby name. In addition to its majestic Latin origins, the name also belongs to the month.

January, May, April, June, and August have all exploded in popularity as baby names in recent years. People are attracted to seasonal, natural, and secular options which these appellations check the boxes for.

August means “great.” Who could argue with that winning meaning? The baby name also has a great sound to it curiously appearing both old and new at the same time. A further draw for parents is the charming nickname, Gus.

Dave Matthews, Mariska Hargitay, June Diane Raphael, Lena Olin, Jeanne Tripplehorn, and Ralphie May all named their sons August (Auguste in Olin’s case). Garth Brooks’ daughter is named August, as well as The Office actor Oscar Nunez. So, it’s clear other celebrities are also helping to repopularize the appellation. Let’s take a look at some other similar baby names to August.

Atticus

Atticus debuted on the US top 1000 most popular baby names in 1881. Like August, the name Atticus fell from favor for decades, and in Atticus’s case, a whole century. Atticus finally returned to the top 1000 in 2004 and it subsequently skyrocketed up the charts. It’s now a top 500 name today and more popular than ever before. Like August, Atticus has Latin origins. The name means “from Attica” (the Athens region of Greece).

Jasper

While it never dipped as low as August did in the 1980s, Jasper also has also enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. Long considered a posh pick in the UK, parents finally returned to Jasper beginning in the 1990s. Today, the name sits just outside the top 100. Jasper has Persian origins that mean “bringer of treasure.”

Arthur

Arthur was a most distinguished baby name as the name was borne by the leader of the Knights of the Round Table. After slowly falling out of the top 100, Arthur reached its lowest point ever in the US in 2009 before new parents began using it once more. It’s now trending up! Arthur has Celtic origins that mean “bear.”

Julius

Julius has been a top 500 name for most of the years since records begin in 1880. However, this name has been trending down again since 2010. Julius has the same attractive double-U structure as August. Julius has ancient Latin origins as a royal name belonging to Caesar. It’s distinguished and stylish and one of our favorite baby names for boys. It means “youthful.”

Cesar

Cesar is a sleek form of Caesar, primarily used by Hispanic families today. Cesar is pronounced seh-ZAR, which is delightful. Cesar has been on the top 1000 list of popular baby names since the 1950s and enjoyed its peak in 2008. Since then, it has been falling but we think Roman names like this one have a lot of hearts left to win. Cesar means “head of hair.”

Marcus

All of the -US ending baby names with Latinate form are trending today. Like August, Marcus has made a comeback following the fall of Mark. Marcus belonged to the emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius (Marc Antony) who still gives this name a distinguished appeal. Marcus comes from the root as the war god Mars. Thus, this baby name means “warlike.”

Felix

Felix has been on the upward trend since 2005 and it’s on track to enjoy its most popular year ever in the US in the coming years. Felix is a Latin name without the Latinate ending so if you are looking for options that do not end in -US, Felix might be perfect for you. One of our favorite baby names with a lucky meaning, Felix means “fortunate.”

Sebastian

Like August, Sebastian offers up some excellent nickname possibilities with Seb, Baz, and Bas as possibilities. Sebastian was once seen as too frilly and complicated a name for boys but that changed beginning in the 1960s. Today, the baby name is more popular than ever before. Sebastian comes from Greek origins and means “man from Sebastia.”

Hugo

Far more popular in Europe, Hugo is a remarkable baby name for boys that has German and Latin origins, an alternative form of Hugh. Hugo is trending in Spain, Sweden, France, and the UK today. However, parents in the US have not caught the bug yet. This name enjoyed its most popular year here in the 1880s. Hugo means “mind, intellect.” We think this one is a no-brainer!

Oliver

One of the world’s most beloved baby names, Oliver, has always been a popular choice in the US but it was not until the last decade that it really, really caught fire here. Oliver was the third most popular baby name for boys last year. This storied and romantic appellation means “olive tree.”

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Theodore

Timeless Theodore has always been a popular baby name in the US, even before the rise of President Theodore Roosevelt. A top 50 pick today, followed by the diminutive Theo in the top 200, Theodore is a favored choice among parents. Theodore has Latin origins meaning “gift of God.”

Silvanus

In Roman mythology, Silvanus is the god of forests, crops, farmers, and fields. Silvanus shares the same root with the female version of the name, Sylvia. Silvanus is the Latin form of the Hebrew name Silas. Silvanus has never been widely chosen as a baby name in the US but we think that could change with the way names in this genre are trending. Silvanus means “forest.”

Titus

Once considered too domineering in sound for American parents, Titus did not gain solid footing in popularity until the 1990s. It’s been trending upward ever since. Titus is a distinguished Roman family name with Latin origins meaning “title of honor.” August and Titus sound like they could be brothers.

Darius

Darius has been falling in popularity since it hit its peak in 1990. It’s time to turn things around for good old Darius, new parents! Darius is yet another Latin baby name. It means “wealth” or “kingly.” The name is Latin but it comes from Persian, an appellation of Emperor Darius the Great. The name is currently much more popular in England and Germany.

Cato

Cato was last popular in the 1890s in the US. That name meets the same criteria as August as having come from a few generations back. Like Hugo, Cato has a wise meaning in “all-knowing.” The name of a skilled Roman politician, Cato could be ripe for revival today.

Otto

Otto was once an extremely popular choice for American boys, but it began to fade in the early twentieth century before falling completely out of the top 1000 most popular baby names from 1974 until 2011. Parents propelled them to new heights landing it in the 500 last year for the first time in 72 years! Otto has German origins that mean “wealthy.” Cha-ching!

Octavius

Octavius is a stately Latin baby name that means “eighth.” In Ancient Rome, this name would have been appropriate for an eighth child in a family. Because family’s are much smaller today, this name has fallen from favor. We think its wonderful sound is reason enough to consider it. Octavius was mildly popular in the 1980s and 1990s but it has not been in the top 1000 for 30 years.

Justus

Justus comes from German, Latin, and Dutch origins as a baby name meaning “just.” Justus has had middling success in the US and it spent 90 years out of the top 1000 before returning to it in 1991. It did not make the list last year! We think this stunning virtue name should be picked by more parents as it sounds excellent, an alternative to Justice.

Septimus

When we were thinking of alternatives for August, our first logical conclusion was Septimus. September follows August after all! Septimus like Octavius is used to connote birth order. Septimus’s Latin origins mean “seventh son.” Although the name belonged to a few Roman Emperors, it has never appealed to many American parents. The time could be now to give this appellation a shot.

Cyprian

Cyprian has been used as name since the Middle Ages. The name comes from Greek and means “from Cyprus.” Although this name has a storied history belonging to several saints and artists, it has never been a big deal in the US. Cyprian sounds both familiar and exotic working similarly to Ryan, Cicero, or Aurelian. Introduce this name to America, new parents!

Urban

Urban was not an uncommon name through the 1930s in the US. Due to its association with several saints and popes including a character mentioned in the New Testament who was an active member of the Christian church in Rome, the name saw widespread usage before falling from fashion in the 1940s and 1950s. This ripe for revival Latin name means “of the city.”

Roman

Like August, Roman has been rediscovered in recent years by new parents and even celebrities. Cate Blanchett and Debra Messing chose the name for their sons who were born around the same time. The name is popular throughout Europe today as well. The name is more popular today than ever before in the US. Roman is a Latin baby name that means “citizen of Roman.” A tidbit of trivia: roman is a word for “book” in French.

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Atlas

Atlas was plucked from oblivion in 2012 by a number of parents who helped bring this name back into the top 1000 for the first time in over 122 years. Atlas, then continued its meteoric rise to the top 500 just three years after reappearing on the list. There’s tons of momentum behind this name for boys today. Atlas has Greek origins that mean “bearer of the heavens.” Anne Heche was one of the first celebrity parents to make this bold choice, but she’s been followed by several other famous parents. A perfect name that evokes adventure, Atlas is just as cool and colorful as August.

There you go! We hope you enjoyed our look at August along with other baby names that also fit into its mold. Choosing a name for your baby boy can be tough and we hope this list has inspired you and given you some options worth considering. Each one of these appellations is established, making them perfect for parents looking for distinguished baby names! Happy baby name hunting!