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A name. A world of connections.
“a dove”
01 / Meaning & origin
Columbus is a masculine given name documented in English, Danish and Finnish. English Wiktionary traces it to Latin columbus, with the stated meaning “a dove”.
Meaning: “a dove”
From Latin columbus (“a dove”). Doublet of Colombo. The common noun and verb are references to the Italian explorer.
02 / Across borders
Explore published naming statistics and documented language connections around the world.
The name atlas
12
countries in our sources
Select a country to follow Columbus’s connections around the world.
1 countries with published statistics. Language records show cultural connections; they do not measure how common a name is.
Selected country
Statistics + language records
United States, 2023: 5 boys (rank 12239). Documented as a given name in English.
Explore United States4 of 12 countries
03 / By the numbers
Follow the spelling through the years, one published dataset at a time.
1880–2025 Spelling: Columbus
Recorded category boys
Hover to explore a year. Use arrow keys when a chart point has focus.
Source: US Social Security Administration; redistributed by nkrishnaswami · SSA national baby names, 1880–2025 (CC0 redistribution)
Integer application counts retained without rounding.
Per million is unavailable: this source has no matching published total.
| Year | Applications | Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 64 | 192 | observed |
| 1881 | 51 | 215 | observed |
| 1882 | 62 | 205 | observed |
| 1883 | 49 | 221 | observed |
| 1884 | 50 | 240 | observed |
| 1885 | 41 | 258 | observed |
| 1886 | 56 | 226 | observed |
| 1887 | 40 | 250 | observed |
| 1888 | 60 | 226 | observed |
| 1889 | 40 | 263 | observed |
| 1890 | 43 | 259 | observed |
| 1891 | 39 | 257 | observed |
| 1892 | 47 | 261 | observed |
| 1893 | 43 | 266 | observed |
| 1894 | 41 | 275 | observed |
| 1895 | 42 | 274 | observed |
| 1896 | 38 | 301 | observed |
| 1897 | 34 | 316 | observed |
| 1898 | 44 | 268 | observed |
| 1899 | 40 | 274 | observed |
| 1900 | 45 | 312 | observed |
| 1901 | 28 | 347 | observed |
| 1902 | 47 | 274 | observed |
| 1903 | 31 | 346 | observed |
| 1904 | 37 | 328 | observed |
| 1905 | 37 | 329 | observed |
| 1906 | 35 | 350 | observed |
| 1907 | 39 | 351 | observed |
| 1908 | 48 | 316 | observed |
| 1909 | 50 | 325 | observed |
| 1910 | 41 | 421 | observed |
| 1911 | 53 | 389 | observed |
| 1912 | 65 | 491 | observed |
| 1913 | 103 | 423 | observed |
| 1914 | 110 | 459 | observed |
| 1915 | 135 | 475 | observed |
| 1916 | 134 | 491 | observed |
| 1917 | 145 | 477 | observed |
| 1918 | 152 | 483 | observed |
| 1919 | 163 | 464 | observed |
| 1920 | 144 | 502 | observed |
| 1921 | 151 | 502 | observed |
| 1922 | 187 | 446 | observed |
| 1923 | 178 | 457 | observed |
| 1924 | 151 | 508 | observed |
| 1925 | 154 | 490 | observed |
| 1926 | 148 | 494 | observed |
| 1927 | 139 | 518 | observed |
| 1928 | 145 | 500 | observed |
| 1929 | 129 | 516 | observed |
| 1930 | 116 | 558 | observed |
| 1931 | 112 | 554 | observed |
| 1932 | 107 | 574 | observed |
| 1933 | 104 | 563 | observed |
| 1934 | 108 | 568 | observed |
| 1935 | 94 | 598 | observed |
| 1936 | 90 | 614 | observed |
| 1937 | 109 | 556 | observed |
| 1938 | 99 | 590 | observed |
| 1939 | 92 | 605 | observed |
| 1940 | 84 | 659 | observed |
| 1941 | 98 | 603 | observed |
| 1942 | 92 | 673 | observed |
| 1943 | 95 | 655 | observed |
| 1944 | 96 | 626 | observed |
| 1945 | 73 | 709 | observed |
| 1946 | 73 | 777 | observed |
| 1947 | 90 | 723 | observed |
| 1948 | 82 | 744 | observed |
| 1949 | 83 | 754 | observed |
| 1950 | 86 | 741 | observed |
| 1951 | 75 | 813 | observed |
| 1952 | 73 | 821 | observed |
| 1953 | 64 | 895 | observed |
| 1954 | 73 | 851 | observed |
| 1955 | 71 | 874 | observed |
| 1956 | 61 | 954 | observed |
| 1957 | 61 | 971 | observed |
| 1958 | 59 | 994 | observed |
| 1959 | 56 | 1,026 | observed |
| 1960 | 52 | 1,072 | observed |
| 1961 | 59 | 1,013 | observed |
| 1962 | 30 | 1,423 | observed |
| 1963 | 32 | 1,375 | observed |
| 1964 | 31 | 1,408 | observed |
| 1965 | 38 | 1,233 | observed |
| 1966 | 28 | 1,450 | observed |
| 1967 | 32 | 1,340 | observed |
| 1968 | 30 | 1,428 | observed |
| 1969 | 28 | 1,526 | observed |
| 1970 | 27 | 1,658 | observed |
| 1971 | 33 | 1,494 | observed |
| 1972 | 29 | 1,603 | observed |
| 1973 | 30 | 1,586 | observed |
| 1974 | 20 | 2,129 | observed |
| 1975 | 17 | 2,450 | observed |
| 1976 | 25 | 1,932 | observed |
| 1977 | 22 | 2,131 | observed |
| 1978 | 29 | 1,794 | observed |
| 1979 | 16 | 2,777 | observed |
| 1980 | 25 | 2,110 | observed |
| 1981 | 18 | 2,569 | observed |
| 1982 | 22 | 2,269 | observed |
| 1983 | 17 | 2,676 | observed |
| 1984 | 14 | 3,107 | observed |
| 1985 | 12 | 3,599 | observed |
| 1986 | 13 | 3,440 | observed |
| 1987 | 12 | 3,731 | observed |
| 1988 | 10 | 4,450 | observed |
| 1989 | 16 | 3,446 | observed |
| 1990 | 13 | 4,167 | observed |
| 1991 | 12 | 4,476 | observed |
| 1992 | 14 | 4,114 | observed |
| 1993 | 13 | 4,447 | observed |
| 1994 | 9 | 5,868 | observed |
| 1995 | 9 | 5,928 | observed |
| 1996 | 5 | 9,015 | observed |
| 1997 | 13 | 4,668 | observed |
| 1998 | 5 | 9,631 | observed |
| 1999 | 10 | 6,042 | observed |
| 2000 | 12 | 5,588 | observed |
| 2001 | 6 | 9,243 | observed |
| 2002 | 7 | 8,456 | observed |
| 2003 | 6 | 9,581 | observed |
| 2004 | 13 | 5,813 | observed |
| 2005 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2006 | 7 | 9,585 | observed |
| 2007 | 8 | 8,915 | observed |
| 2008 | 5 | 12,553 | observed |
| 2009 | 5 | 12,491 | observed |
| 2010 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2011 | 9 | 8,079 | observed |
| 2012 | 6 | 10,770 | observed |
| 2013 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2014 | 9 | 8,130 | observed |
| 2015 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2016 | 7 | 9,664 | observed |
| 2017 | 5 | 12,246 | observed |
| 2018 | 6 | 10,760 | observed |
| 2019 | 7 | 9,756 | observed |
| 2020 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2021 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2022 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2023 | 5 | 12,239 | observed |
| 2024 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 2025 | no value | no value | not covered |
Statistics count the spelling “Columbus” as recorded by the publisher. When a spelling has several independent origins, the counts are not split between them. Counts measure applications. Gaps are years without a published value, not zeros.
Rates per million are unavailable for this series because no compatible denominator has been imported.
Retrieved 2026-10-15 · CC0-1.0
Read our methodology04 / Through time
People recorded with this given name in Wikidata. Their names may use a different spelling, or include it as a middle or baptismal name.
American choreographer
American aerospace engineer (1924–2019)
Recorded as a middle or baptismal name
A little story to keep
Take the story of Columbus with you. Create a personal name passport with its meaning, roots and connections.
06 / Behind the facts
Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-15.
SSA national baby names, 1880–2025 (CC0 redistribution)
US Social Security Administration; redistributed by nkrishnaswami · CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.
