Aurelian
A boy's name of Latin origin with 105 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A male given name from Latin, of mostly historical use in English.
Aurelian is a boy's baby name of Latin origin, meaning 'golden' or 'gilded,' from aureus (gold). The Emperor Aurelian (270–275 AD) reunited a fracturing Roman Empire and built the great Aurelian Wall that still stands in Rome today.
Aurelian occupies a niche alongside Aurelius and Aurelio — Roman imperial names with a golden sheen. As names like Julian, Maximilian, and Sebastian have surged, Aurelian offers the same classical gravitas with a historical specificity that history enthusiasts will immediately recognize.
EtymologyShow more
Aurelian is built from 8 letters and three syllables — a longer structure that creates presence and allows for natural nickname formation. Within the Latin naming tradition, this length is typical of names that preserve their full historical form, carrying their etymology on the surface.
The interplay of consonants and vowels in Aurelian creates its characteristic clean, contemporary quality. Multi-syllable names often carry remnants of compound constructions — two or more meaningful elements fused together — even when the original components are no longer transparent to modern speakers.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Aurelian has 8+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 2017.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 86 | ▲ |
| 2010s | 19 | — |
The Story of Aurelian
A Gen Alpha name
Peaking in 2024, Aurelian is a fresh, modern favorite. Boys named Aurelian are most likely born between 2017 and 2024.
How rare is Aurelian?
Only about 1 in every 120,000 babies born in 2024 was named Aurelian — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 2017, peaked in the 2020s with 86 births that decade.
Aurelian by the numbers
- Would fill 2 school buses
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(8 years, 2017–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 30 | #3690 |
| 2023 | 14 | #6256 |
| 2022 | 19 | #5038 |
| 2021 | 13 | #6364 |
| 2020 | 10 | #7564 |
| 2019 | 6 | #10924 |
| 2018 | 6 | #10897 |
| 2017 | 7 | #9783 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 2017–2024