Metro

♂ Boy

Pronounced MEH-troh /ˈmɛ.troʊ/Medium

Meaning: Metro's use as a given name has two plausible sources and no settled answer: the everyday word 'metro' (from Greek metropolis, 'mother city'), or a clipped form of the Slavic Dmytro/Metro, itself from the Greek Demetrios ('devoted to Demeter'). Its early-1900s immigrant record leans toward the Slavic reading.Low

In 30 seconds: Metro is an early-twentieth-century boy's name of uncertain origin, likely the word 'metro' or a Slavic short form of Dmytro, said MEH-troh.

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowUncertain, Slavic

MeaningMetro's use as a given name has two plausible sources and no settled answer: the everyday word 'metro' (from Greek metropolis, 'mother city'), or a clipped form of the Slavic Dmytro/Metro, itself from the Greek Demetrios ('devoted to Demeter'). Its early-1900s immigrant record leans toward the Slavic reading.

U.S. rank (1958)#3797 ↘ Falling

1958 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1919

Total births (all-time)≈ 522

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

Metro is a puzzle with two good answers. It may simply be the modern word metro, from Greek metropolis ('mother city'), or - more likely given who bore it - a phonetic writing of the Slavic Metro, a short form of Dmytro (Demetrius, 'devoted to Demeter'). Immigrant clerks often recorded such nicknames as heard.

Metro's record clusters in the early twentieth century, cresting around the nineteen-teens and fading by mid-century, always rare at only a few dozen boys in its best year. Honestly read, it is most likely a Slavic nickname caught in the records rather than the transit word.

Did you know? Metro's small run peaks around the nineteen-teens among immigrant families, when short forms of Slavic names like Dmytro were often written down just as they were heard.

Overall data confidence 35%

SSA national given-name data — arc 1908-1958, peak 1919Behind the Name - Demetrius/Dmytro — Slavic short-form background

Variations

DmytroDemetrius

Nicknames

Met

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Metro…

Demetrius— the fuller classical name behind the Slavic form

Milo— a same-era short immigrant boy name

Dmitri— the Russian cousin of Dmytro

Otto— another compact early-1900s immigrant name

Explore names like Metro

By themeuncertain slavic immigrant

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Metro mean?

Metro's origin is uncertain; it is likely the word 'metro' (from Greek for 'mother city') or a Slavic short form of Dmytro (Demetrius).

How do you pronounce Metro?

It's said MEH-troh /ˈmɛ.troʊ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Metro a boy or girl name?

Metro has been used as a boy's name.

How popular is Metro?

Metro was always rare, given to only a few dozen boys a year around its early-twentieth-century peak, mainly in immigrant families.