Horace

Horace: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “uncertain”
Origin: Latin
Say it: HOR-iss · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

English form of the Roman family name Horatius. Its original meaning is unclear. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

English names Classic names Vintage names Literary names

How popular is Horace?

20245.4 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Horace in 202418

Peak year1880

Total US babies since 188054,343

Horace is steady now but far below its 1880 peak.

Names like Horace

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Lucasfrom Lucania · Latin
Leolion · Latin
Julianyouthful, downy-bearded · Latin
Anthonyof the Antonius family · Latin
RomanRoman, from Rome · Latin
Bennettblessed · Latin
Adrianfrom Hadria · Latin
Christianfollower of Christ · Latin

Horace questions

What does the name Horace mean?

Horace means "uncertain". It comes from Latin. English form of the Roman family name Horatius. Its original meaning is unclear.

Is Horace a boy or girl name?

Horace is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Horace?

18 US babies were named Horace in 2024. Its peak year was 1880.

How do you pronounce Horace?

Horace is usually pronounced HOR-iss.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.