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Icarus
How to Pronounce Icarus
Pronounced IK-ə-rəs /ˈɪk.ə.rəs/High
Meaning: From Greek Ikaros — the youth who flew on wax wings (the origin of the name itself is uncertain); a cautionary mythLow
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Icarus comes from Greek Ikaros — the youth who escaped Crete on wings of wax and feathers made by his father Daedalus, but flew too close to the sun, melting the wax and falling into the sea (the Icarian Sea bears his name). A bold, mythic, poignant name and a byword for soaring ambition (its own etymology is uncertain, which we note).
It registers thinly in records. Rare, the-youth-of-the-wax-wings at the root, and mythic.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Icarus mean?
Icarus is the Greek youth who flew too close to the sun on wax wings; the name's own origin is uncertain.
How do you pronounce Icarus?
It's said IK-ə-rəs /ˈɪk.ə.rəs/ — three syllables, stress on the first.
Is Icarus a boy or girl name?
Icarus is a boy's name.
How popular is Icarus?
Icarus is a rare name in the U.S.