boy's name
Horace
HOR-us
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 55,183
Horace has no reliable meaning — the Roman family name Horatius resists derivation, and France ranks it 2765th against the United States at 6218th, so the poet's name is now used more readily in French than in English.
- Horace is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1921, when 1,313 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 236,855 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Horace over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,650 |
| 1890s | 1,814 |
| 1900s | 2,125 |
| 1910s | 8,512 |
| 1920s | 11,841 |
| 1930s | 8,172 |
| 1940s | 6,902 |
| 1950s | 5,746 |
| 1960s | 3,154 |
| 1970s | 1,816 |
| 1980s | 1,118 |
| 1990s | 753 |
| 2000s | 384 |
| 2010s | 262 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 107 |
What Horace means
Horace has no established meaning. The Roman gens name behind it has never been securely derived, and readings such as timekeeper are guesses rather than findings.
Where Horace comes from
Horace is the Roman Horatius, a gens name of unknown origin — a connection to hora, an hour, is sometimes offered but is not supported. The Horatii of legend fought the Alban Curiatii to settle a war by combat, and Horatius Cocles held the bridge against Lars Porsena. Quintus Horatius Flaccus, the poet, gave us carpe diem and the phrase about a purple patch. Horatio Nelson carried the Latin form directly.
Horace in use
Horace peaked in the United States in 1921, when 1,313 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 2765th in France on 10 births and 6218th in the United States on 14, across 55,183 lifetime births in two of the seven markets we track. France now ranks it more than twice as highly as the United States does.
How popular is Horace?
In 2025, Horace was given to 14 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Horace 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 Horace
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Horace also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Horace over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Horace 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 Horace
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Horace — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Horace
What does the name Horace mean?
Nothing established. The Roman Horatius has no secure derivation.
Does it mean timekeeper?
That reading is sometimes offered from hora, an hour, but it is not supported.
Who was Horace the poet?
Quintus Horatius Flaccus, who gave us carpe diem and the purple patch.
Where is Horace used?
France at 2765th, which now ranks it above the United States.
How popular is the name Horace?
In 2025, Horace was given to 14 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is Horace a girl's or a boy's name?
Horace is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Horace?
Horace has 2 syllables.
When was Horace most popular?
Horace peaked in 1921, when 1,313 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Horace a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Horace currently ranks #2,765 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.