boy's name
Baptiste
bap-TEEST
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 108,549
France
#147
2025 births
Baptiste is a boy's name of Greek origin meaning "one who immerses," taken from the title of John the Baptist rather than from a name. It ranks 147th in France and appears in no other market we hold.
- Baptiste is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 2000, when 4,010 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 1,456 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Baptiste over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 2,850 |
| 1910s | 1,795 |
| 1920s | 1,350 |
| 1930s | 680 |
| 1940s | 245 |
| 1950s | 130 |
| 1960s | 120 |
| 1970s | 2,330 |
| 1980s | 11,765 |
| 1990s | 26,105 |
| 2000s | 34,970 |
| 2010s | 21,205 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,545 |
What Baptiste means
Baptiste means one who baptizes, or one who dips — from the Greek baptizein, to immerse. It began as a description of what John did in the Jordan rather than as a name, which makes it a job title that became a given name.
Where Baptiste comes from
Baptiste comes from the Greek baptistes, one who immerses, from baptein, to dip — the title given to John, who baptized in the Jordan and identified Jesus there. The word is ordinary Greek for dipping cloth in dye before Christianity gives it a religious sense. In France the name has almost always been used in the compound Jean-Baptiste, which was among the most common French male names for three centuries; Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is Molière, Jean-Baptiste Lully wrote the music for his plays, and Jean-Baptiste Colbert ran Louis XIV's finances. Baptiste standing alone is a twentieth-century development, the compound shedding its first half. The English Baptist exists as a surname and a denomination rather than as a given name.
Baptiste in use
Baptiste ranks 147th in France with about 405 births in 2025 and is falling in our data from a peak in 2000. Our records carry it from 1900. It appears in no other market we hold at all — the concept is universal in Christian Europe but the name is not, and English, Spanish and Italian all use forms of the name John where French uses this title.
How popular is Baptiste?
In 2025, Baptiste was given to 405 babies in France, ranking #147 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Baptiste is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Baptiste
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Baptiste also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Baptiste over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Baptiste 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.
- French
- Jean-Baptiste Baptistin
- Italian
- Battista
Sibling names for Baptiste
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Baptiste — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Baptiste
What does the name Baptiste mean?
Baptiste means "one who baptizes" or "one who dips," from the Greek baptizein. It began as John's title, not as a name.
Is Baptiste short for Jean-Baptiste?
Historically the compound came first. Baptiste standing alone is a twentieth-century development.
Is Baptiste used outside France?
It appears in no other market in our data. Italian and Spanish have Battista and Bautista.
How do you pronounce Baptiste?
bap-TEEST, with the p barely sounded and no final e.
How popular is the name Baptiste?
In 2025, Baptiste was given to 405 babies in France, ranking #147 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Baptiste a girl's or a boy's name?
Baptiste is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Baptiste?
Baptiste has 2 syllables.
When was Baptiste most popular?
Baptiste peaked in 2000, when 4,010 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Baptiste a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Baptiste currently ranks #147 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.