Virgil

Virgil - A very unique male name

Virgil appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #110. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Virgil and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Virgil? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Virgil. The baby boy name Virgil was given to 63 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1559 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 23,274 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Virgil peaked in popularity 105 years ago in 1921 on position 98.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Virgil, 1-5?

Virgil is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Virgil is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #778 - and is the least popular in Florida at position #1,815.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Virgil is where you live.

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Virgil origin and meaning

Latin — origin uncertain

Uncertain — from Latin Vergilius, a Roman clan name whose own meaning is unknown; the popular 'staff-bearer' explanation is a folk etymology

Virgil is the English form of the name of Rome's great poet, author of the Aeneid. The clan name Vergilius has no known meaning, and the neat derivations offered for it are guesses. The name peaked in the U.S. in 1921 and is now rising again with other vintage revivals.

Origin uncertain

Virgil is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Virgil, pop culture references for the name Virgil and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Virgil

We've found the following names that sound similar to Virgil, sorted by popularity.

Virgle / Virgilio / Vergil / Virgel /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Virgil

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Virgil a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Virgil?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

VUR-jil · /ˈvɜːr.dʒəl/

Around the world

• Vergilius (Latin) — The original Latin form

Spellings and nicknames

• Vergil — The direct Latin spelling

Famous bearers

• Virgil — Roman poet, author of the Aeneid (70–19 BC) Historical
• Virgil Abloh — American fashion designer, founder of Off-White (1980–2021) Contemporary

Style

ClassicLiteraryVintage revival

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Virgil for a weighty, literary vintage name that has been out of fashion long enough to feel fresh.

Worth knowing

• The 'staff-bearer' meaning often quoted online is a folk etymology, not the name's real root