Felix is a name of Latin origin, meaning "happy" or "lucky". It was derived from the Latin word 'felix', which itself comes from 'felare' meaning "to make prosperous". The name Felix has been used throughout history and has had several notable figures associated with it.
The earliest known use of the name Felix can be traced back to ancient Rome. There were two Roman emperors named Felix: Lucius Septimius Felix (reigned 206-211 AD) and Gaius Vettulenus Verres Felix (died after 57 BC). Additionally, Saint Felix was a Christian martyr who lived during the 3rd century AD.
In medieval times, the name Felix became popular among Europeans due to its association with various saints. One of these saints was Saint Felix of Nola, an Italian bishop whose fame led to many churches being dedicated in his honor across Europe.
During the Middle Ages, it was also customary for children born during periods of happiness or prosperity to be named Felix as a way to ensure continued good fortune.
The name Felix has remained popular throughout history and continues to be used today. Some famous people who share this name include Felix Mendelssohn (a German composer), Felix Frankfurter (an American jurist), and Felix Baumgartner (an Austrian skydiver). Despite its long history, the name Felix remains fresh and appealing due to its simple yet meaningful origin.
The name Felix has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past few decades in the United States. From 1880 to around 1960, the number of births per year for the name Felix fluctuated between a low of 40 births in some years to a high of about 300 births in others.
However, starting from the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, there was a noticeable decline in the popularity of the name Felix. The number of births per year for this name dropped to around 500 or fewer during this period.
Interestingly, from the early 1980s onwards, the trend reversed again. The popularity of the name Felix began to rise steadily, with the number of annual births increasing from around 500 in the mid-1980s to over 1,000 births per year by the late 2010s.
In fact, according to the latest data available, there were 1,973 births for the name Felix in 2022 alone. This marks a significant increase from the approximately 40 births recorded for this name in 1880. Overall, since 1880, there have been a total of 79,333 births for the name Felix in the United States.
This trend suggests that the name Felix has experienced a resurgence in popularity over recent decades and continues to be a favored choice among parents today. It is also noteworthy that this increase in popularity is not unique to the United States; similar trends have been observed in other countries as well.