girl's name
April
AY-pril
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 255,859
the United States
#542
2025 births
April is a girl's name taken from the month, whose Latin name probably means to open — the month when buds open. It charts in all seven markets we track, and its strongest is Scotland at 256th rather than any larger country.
- April is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1980, when 11,517 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,952 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1917.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
April over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 14 |
| 1920s | 111 |
| 1930s | 196 |
| 1940s | 2,959 |
| 1950s | 10,185 |
| 1960s | 28,381 |
| 1970s | 77,186 |
| 1980s | 76,227 |
| 1990s | 25,833 |
| 2000s | 11,425 |
| 2010s | 7,554 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,521 |
What April means
April means the month of April, and the Latin behind it is generally read as to open — the season when buds and blossom open. The derivation is likely rather than proven.
Where April comes from
April is the month, from the Latin Aprilis, and its origin is not settled. The most cited proposal takes it from aperire, to open, for the opening of buds — a reading Roman writers themselves gave. Others connect it to Aphrodite, since April was sacred to Venus, which would make it a goddess-month like March for Mars and June for Juno. Its use as a given name is twentieth-century and belongs to the same fashion for month and season names that produced June, May, Summer and Autumn — of which April rose earliest and highest.
April in use
April peaked in the United States in 1980, when 11,517 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in all seven markets — 256th in Scotland on 15 births, 290th in Ireland on 15, 322nd in England and Wales on 136, 436th in France on 120, 488th in Northern Ireland, 542nd in the United States on 557 and 663rd in Canada — across 255,859 lifetime births. Every market places it inside the top 550, which is unusually even, and the four European ones all rank it above America.
How popular is April?
In 2025, April was given to 557 babies in the United States, ranking #542 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where April is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside April
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like April also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with April over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
April in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for April
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with April — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about April
What does the name April mean?
The month — from the Latin Aprilis, generally read as to open, for the opening of buds.
Is April named after a goddess?
Possibly. The month was sacred to Venus, and some derive it from Aphrodite rather than from aperire, to open.
Is Avril the same name?
Yes — Avril is the French form of the same month.
Where is April used?
All six markets we track, and every one places it inside the top 550.
How popular is the name April?
In 2025, April was given to 557 babies in the United States, ranking #542 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is April a girl's or a boy's name?
April is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in April?
April has 2 syllables.
When was April most popular?
April peaked in 1980, when 11,517 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is April a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. April currently ranks #256 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.