The first name Temple
A unisex name from Latin.
2 syllables Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
A male given name from Latin.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Temple at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 9 girls born in the United States were named Temple, the 10,836th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1971, when 88 were.
GirlsBoys
2,396
babies named Temple since 1880
#10,836
rank in 2025
1971
peak 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.
Famous people named Temple
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Temple GrandinAmerican doctor of animal science, author, and autism activist, born 1947
- Temple ChevallierBritish astronomer (1794–1873)
- William Temple HornadayAmerican conservationist and zoologist (1854–1937)
More Latin unisex names
Questions
- What is the origin of the name Temple?
- Temple comes from Latin.
- Is Temple a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 2,396 US babies named Temple since 1880, 65% were girls and 35% boys.
- When was Temple most popular?
- 1971 in the United States, when 88 babies were named Temple, its highest rank at 1,264th.
- Is Temple also a surname?
- Yes. Temple is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.