Pius - Name Meaning and Popularity -

Meaning of Pius

The name Pius is a masculine appellation of unequivocally Latin provenance, derived from the adjective pius, which conveys notions of dutifulness, devotion and moral rectitude; its phonetic form in classical and ecclesiastical contexts is rendered PYE-uhs (IPA: /ˈpaɪəs/). Historically, the cognomen achieved particular prominence through its adoption by a succession of pontiffs—most notably Pope Pius I in the second century and Pope Pius X in the early twentieth century—thereby cementing its association with steadfast religious leadership and theological conservatism. In contemporary Anglo-American usage the name persists as an uncommon choice for newborn males, registering six occurrences and a national rank of 918 in the United States in 2024, a position that reflects modest fluctuation within the low-to-mid nine-hundreds across the past decade. Its enduring albeit limited prevalence underscores both its classical pedigree and its appeal to those who seek a designation imbued with historical gravitas and a precise semantic linkage to ideals of piety and obligation.