October
Feminine · “the eighth month”
October is given to both — 1,246 girls and 96 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
October is the tenth month and the Latin word for the eighth — the Roman year began in March, and the last four month names never caught up when it changed.
How old is the name October?
October first appears in US birth records in 1969 — 56 years ago. The typical October is a kid of about 12 — this name's wave is very recent. About 1,200 people named October are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name October most popular?
October peaked in 2008, reaching #2584 nationally. Today it ranks #3712, 1,128 places below that high. See the whole 2008 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From octo to October
The story of October
The Roman year originally ran from March, which is why Quintilis, Sextilis, September, October, November and December were the fifth to tenth months. Two of those were later renamed for Julius and Augustus; the other four kept numbers that are now two out. As a given name October is recent, English-speaking and rare, and it belongs with the other month names — June, May and April — that have been used for girls.
Meaning
the eighth month
From Latin octo, eight, with the month ending; the Roman calendar began in March, so October was the eighth. When January and February were added at the start, September through December kept names that no longer matched their positions.
How the name formed
- octo
- October
Related forms: Octubre · Octobre · Ottobre
Pronouncing October
ok-TOH-ber
Three syllables with the stress in the middle. There is no variation in English.
Nicknames for October
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1969
- Most girls named
- 200872 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #2584reached in 2008
- Change vs 2024
- −7.0%40 in 2025, from 43
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
October in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Octubre in Spanish — related form
- Octobre in French — related form
- Ottobre in Italian — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Texas, California, Missouri.
Octobers among us
people named October are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 40,182 born in 2025 was named October
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Deona test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. October's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Deona climbed just as high around 1969, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Deona's path sketches the road October is walking now.
October sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where October is headed
October should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
October beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to October in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- An ordinary English word, so nobody has to be taught to say or spell it.
- A settled meaning with a genuinely good calendar mishap behind it.
- Toby and Obie are both usable short forms.
- The month is a specific claim, and a child born in April will be asked about it.
- Seven letters and three syllables is a fair amount for early handwriting.
- It is used for both sexes in small numbers, so forms may guess wrong.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put October to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on October? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
October
Feminine · #3712 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Octobers are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,200 people named October are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name October in 2025?
- October ranks #3712 among US girl names in 2025, with 40 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name October?
- About 1 in every 40,182 US girls born in 2025 was named October — 40 in all.
- Will my child share the name October with classmates?
- October will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside October
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Monet#3712 · Barrett#3712 · Aubrianna#3712 · Mishka#3712 · Berkleigh#3712 · Zailey#3712 · Zaiya#3712 · Ora#3712
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles October? See the current top 100.
Choosing between October and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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