Vice is a name of Latin origin that means "sixth" in English. It comes from the Latin word "vicis," which refers to the numeral six. The name Vice has been used throughout history, often as a title or rank rather than a personal name.
In ancient Rome, vice was one of the five ranks of the Roman army, along with centurion, tesserarius, optio, and princeps. A vice was the commander of a band of soldiers called a contubernium, which consisted of eight to ten men who shared a tent and mess together.
The name Vice has also been used as a title in other contexts throughout history. For example, in medieval Europe, a vice-admiral was the second-in-command to an admiral in the navy. In the British Royal Navy, the position of vice-admiral still exists today.
In addition to its historical uses, the name Vice has also been popularized by various forms of media and culture. For instance, the musician Tom Vek performs under the stage name "Vice," and there is a famous American fashion magazine called "V Magazine" that was founded in 1999.
Statistics on the given name Vice show that it is a rare choice among parents in the United States. Between 2000 and 2019, there were only five babies named Vice born each year on average. This means that out of every thousand births, fewer than one was given the name Vice.
In fact, the popularity of the name Vice has been steadily decreasing over time. In its peak year, which was 2003, there were seven babies named Vice born in the United States. However, by 2019, this number had fallen to just four.
It's interesting to note that while Vice is not a popular choice among American parents overall, it does seem to have some regional popularity. In particular, the name was given to five boys and one girl in California in 2013 alone. This may suggest that Vice is seen as a unique and distinctive choice by some parents who live in this state.
Overall, though, the statistics show that Vice remains a relatively uncommon name in the United States. Despite its rarity, it's clear that there are still some parents out there who choose to give their children this unusual name, perhaps for its symbolic meaning or simply because they like its sound.