Felix
Meaning
happy, fortunate
Famously borne by Felix Baumgartner, who broke the sound barrier falling from the stratosphere.
The story
Felix is a small Latin wish: happy, fortunate. Romans used the word as a name and title, Christians carried it through saints and popes, and many languages kept it recognizable without sanding away its ending. Its good luck has also worn whiskers. Felix the Cat appeared on film in 1919 and became one of animation's earliest stars, turning the old Roman word into a black grin and a bottomless bag of tricks. The cartoon never made the name childish; it simply added mischief to the blessing. Catholic, Latino, German, and Jewish families have all found room for Felix, which helps explain why it can sound at home in several places at once. The American record supplies only a supporting detail: it has never disappeared since national counts began. That steadiness suits the name. Felix does not need to shout its promise or chase a fashion. It walks in already carrying happiness, then leaves the bearer to decide what fortunate will look like.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Felix peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
16,740 people · the #1,192 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 12,195 · median age 46
Among people named Felix living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1990s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 216 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
The Felix deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Felix truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Felix fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Felix travels
Chinese American · a rising modern pick that sounds sharp alongside Chinese surnames
Global crossover · a top-20 name in Germany and Austria and a fast-rising vintage revival in the US
Keep exploring
Names like Felix · Middle names for Felix · German baby names · Global crossover names · Chinese American baby names
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