| Aster | Phoenix | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Star | Firebird reborn from flame |
| Origin | greek | greek |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | AS-ter | FEE-niks |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1968 |
| Peak year | 2022 (73) | 2020 (1,534) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,027 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aster | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 359 | 7,843 |
| 2010s | 267 | 10,623 |
| 2000s | 41 | 5,086 |
| 1990s | 15 | 972 |
| 1980s | 11 | 32 |
| 1970s | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0 | 5 |
| 1940s | 6 | 0 |
| 1930s | 18 | 0 |
| 1920s | 29 | 0 |
| 1910s | 6 | 0 |
From Greek 'aster' ('star'). It is also the name of the star-shaped daisy-family flower, which was itself named for the Greek word, giving the name a botanical as well as celestial sense.
From Greek 'phoinix', the mythical bird that is consumed by fire and reborn from its own ashes. The fire link is through the rebirth-by-fire myth rather than a literal word for fire.
Phoenix is more popular than Aster today: about 1,027 US babies were given the name Phoenix in 2025, compared with 0 named Aster.
Aster means Star (greek origin), while Phoenix means Firebird reborn from flame (greek origin).
In US records, Aster first appears in 0 and Phoenix in 1968, so Aster has the longer recorded history.