unisex name · in the US
Memphis
MEM-fis (English)
- Origin Egyptian, Greek
- Gender Unisex (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 14,413
the United States
#639
2025 births
Memphis is a unisex name from the ancient Egyptian capital, the Greek form of Men-nefer, "enduring and beautiful." The American city in Tennessee, named after it in 1819, gives the name its modern sense of music and soul.
- Memphis is a name of Egyptian, Greek origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 986 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,716 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Memphis Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 21 |
| 1920s | 47 |
| 1930s | 12 |
| 1940s | 17 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 17 |
| 2000s | 2,385 |
| 2010s | 5,452 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,784 |
What Memphis Means
Memphis means enduring and beautiful, the sense of its Egyptian original. For American parents it mainly suggests the city in Tennessee, Elvis Presley and the sound of the blues.
Where Memphis Comes From
Men-nefer was the name of the pyramid of Pharaoh Pepi I, and it came to stand for the nearby city, Egypt's capital in the Old Kingdom. Greek speakers turned that into Memphis. The city on the Nile was the home of the god Ptah, and its ruins lie south of Cairo. In 1819 founders of a town on the Mississippi, including Andrew Jackson, chose the name for its river setting. Memphis became a center of American music, with Beale Street and Sun Records. Use as a first name is modern, and it's among the American place names used for both sexes.
Memphis in Use
Footballer Memphis Depay and rapper Memphis Bleek are well-known bearers. Memphis, Tennessee, also appears in songs by Chuck Berry and Marc Cohn.
How Popular Is Memphis?
In 2025, Memphis was given to 580 babies in the United States, ranking #639 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Memphis 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 Memphis
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Memphis Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Memphis over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Memphis is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Both 21% girls · 7,558 babies
- Canada Both 17% girls · 534 babies
- England & Wales Both 20% girls · 207 babies
- France Boys' 0% girls · 100 babies
How to Say Memphis
- English MEM-fis
Sibling Names for Memphis
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Memphis — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Memphis
What does the name Memphis mean?
Enduring and beautiful, from Egyptian Men-nefer.
Is Memphis a boy's or a girl's name?
It's used for both.
Why is Memphis, Tennessee, named that?
Its founders took the name from the ancient city on the Nile.
How popular is the name Memphis?
In 2025, Memphis was given to 580 babies in the United States, ranking #639 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Memphis?
Memphis has 2 syllables.
When was Memphis most popular?
Memphis peaked in 2021, when 986 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Memphis a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Memphis currently ranks #639 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.