The first name August
A boy’s name meaning “month of august”, “venerable”, “increase”.
Pronounced /ˈɔ.ɡəst/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
August means “month of august”, “venerable”, “increase”.
Early Middle English August(us), re-Latinized from Old English Agustus, from Late Latin Agustus, from Latin augustus (“month of August”), from the agnomen Augustus (“venerable”) of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, possibly from either Old Latin *augos (“increase”), from Proto-Italic *augos, from Proto-Indo-European base *h₂ewg- (“to increase”); or Latin avis (“bird”), referring to divination by observing bird flights, singing, feeding or entrails + garrīre (“to chatter”). Doublet of august and Augustus.
More names that mean bird.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 145 boys were named August, making it the 310th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare August with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named August at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 3,958 boys born in the United States were named August, the 81st most popular boys’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Aug
- Aguste
- Augost
Famous people named August
344 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- August KekuléGerman organic chemist (1829–1896)
- August KroghDanish physiologist (1874–1949)
- August Ferdinand MöbiusGerman mathematician and astronomer (1790–1868)
- August WeismannGerman evolutionary biologist (1834-1914)
- August von MackensenGerman field marshal (1849–1945)
- August von KotzebueGerman dramatist and writer (1761–1819)
- August AmesCanadian pornographic actress (1994-2017)
- August Wilhelm von HofmannGerman chemist (1818–1892)
- Clemens August von GalenGerman count, Bishop of Münster, and cardinal, important figure in Catholic resistance to , 1878–1946
- August HorchGerman automobile engineer (1868–1951)
- August DiehlGerman actor, born 1976
- August KopffGerman astronomer (1882-1960)
Questions
- What does the name August mean?
- August means “month of august”, “venerable”, “increase”.
- How popular is the name August?
- In 2025, 145 boys born in England and Wales were named August, ranking 310th.
- Is August a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 74,452 US babies named August since 1880, 8% were girls and 92% boys.
- When was August most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 3,958 babies were named August, its highest rank at 81st.
- How do you pronounce August?
- August is /ˈɔ.ɡəst/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of August?
- Aug, Aguste and Augost.
- Is August also a surname?
- Yes. August is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.