Virgil: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “staff bearer”
- Origin
- Latin
- Say it
- VUR-jil · 2 syllables
- Used for
- Boys (98% of all uses)
English form of the Roman name Vergilius, as in the poet Virgil. The etymology is uncertain; a traditional explanation connects it with Latin virga 'staff, rod'. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.
How popular is Virgil?
Babies named Virgil in 2024114
2024 rank#1,536 boys
Peak year1918
Total US babies since 188073,325
Virgil is rising: use over the last five years is 1.6× what it was a decade earlier.
Names like Virgil
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Virgil questions
What does the name Virgil mean?
Virgil means "staff bearer". It comes from Latin. English form of the Roman name Vergilius, as in the poet Virgil. The etymology is uncertain; a traditional explanation connects it with Latin virga 'staff, rod'.
Is Virgil a boy or girl name?
Virgil is mainly a boy's name in US records (98% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Virgil?
114 US babies were named Virgil in 2024. Its peak year was 1918.
How do you pronounce Virgil?
Virgil is usually pronounced VUR-jil.
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.