Aristides is a Greek masculine given name, derived from the Greek word "aristos" which means "best". The name also has a noble connotation as it can be translated to mean "excellent" or "most beautiful".
The name Aristides was borne by several prominent figures in ancient Greece, such as Aristides the Just, who lived in the 5th century BCE. He earned his epithet due to his honest and upright character, and he served as a general for Athens during the Peloponnesian War.
The name Aristides has been used throughout history, with notable bearers including Aristides de Sousa Mendes (1885-1959), a Portuguese diplomat who saved thousands of lives by issuing visas to Jewish people fleeing Nazi persecution during World War II.
In literature, Aristides is also the name of one of the characters in "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas. The character is a Greek sailor who becomes a faithful servant and friend to the protagonist, Edmond Dantès.
Today, Aristides remains a relatively uncommon but distinguished given name, often chosen for its historical significance and noble connotations. It is typically used in countries with strong Greek influences or where names of ancient Greek origin are popular.
Based on the statistical data provided for the given name Aristides in the United States, we can observe a varied pattern of popularity over time.
In the early years recorded (from 1917 to 1932), Aristides consistently had fewer than ten births per year. The highest number within this period was seven births in both 1922 and 1923. There was a slight increase starting from 1960, with the number of births ranging between five and eleven each year until 1979.
There is a notable spike in popularity during the early 1980s, with seventeen births recorded in 1982. This period also marks the beginning of a trend where Aristides sees more than ten births per year consistently until 1994. The highest number of births within this period was sixteen in 1992.
After 1995, the popularity of the name starts to decrease again, with fewer than ten births recorded each year until 2007. There is another spike in 2008, with sixteen births recorded that year. From 2009 onwards, Aristides sees a consistent number of births ranging between eight and twelve per year.
In total, there were 695 births for the name Aristides in the United States from 1917 to 2023, indicating a steady but not overwhelming presence among newborns over time.