| Phoenix | Lotus | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Firebird reborn from flame | The lotus flower |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex |
| Pronunciation | FEE-niks | LOH-tus |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1968 | 1896 |
| Peak year | 2020 (1,534) | 2023 (140) |
| In 2025 | 1,027 | 110 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Phoenix | Lotus |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7,843 | 717 |
| 2010s | 10,623 | 834 |
| 2000s | 5,086 | 314 |
| 1990s | 972 | 56 |
| 1980s | 32 | 34 |
| 1970s | 10 | 46 |
| 1960s | 5 | 23 |
| 1950s | 0 | 77 |
| 1940s | 0 | 89 |
| 1930s | 0 | 161 |
| 1920s | 0 | 213 |
| 1910s | 0 | 160 |
| 1900s | 0 | 26 |
| 1890s | 0 | 16 |
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.
Lotus names the sacred water flower, a symbol of purity and rebirth.
Phoenix is more popular than Lotus today: about 1,027 US babies were given the name Phoenix in 2025, compared with 110 named Lotus.
Phoenix means Firebird reborn from flame (greek origin), while Lotus means The lotus flower (Greek origin).
In US records, Phoenix first appears in 1968 and Lotus in 1896, so Lotus has the longer recorded history.