Aristotle

The great philosopher's name is commonly used in Greek families, and is one that could work for daring, philosophical American ones. With user friendly nicknames such as Ari, Aris, Artie, and Ris, Aristotle is a ambitious choice, associated with morality, ethics, literature, and psychology.

Derived from the longer Greek name, Aristoteles, it is made up of the elements aristos meaning "best" and telos meaning "purpose, completion". Borne by a Greek tyrant (Aristotle of Athens), a 19th poet (Aristotelis Valaoritis), and a shipping magnate (Aristotle Onassis), it was given to just 19 boys in the US in a recent year.

More contemporary bearers include comedian and actor Aristotle Athari and rapper Aristotle Pollisco, also known as Gloc-9. It is also the (ironic) full name of a character in the long-running British comic strip, The Bash Street Kids who feature in The Beano. Known as Smiffy, his actual name is Aristotle John Smith.

Other forms of the name include the Greek Aris and Aristotelis and the Persian Arastoo, while Aristotelia is a rare feminine variant.

Pronounced ar-is-TAH-tul.

As of October 2026, Aristotle ranked #5223 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #2409 in 1973.