How to say it
a · DO · nis
/əˈdɒn.ɪs/
Masculine
Adonis
Lord, master
What it means
Greek Adōnis, from a Semitic root meaning 'lord' (related to Hebrew Adon). In Greek myth the beautiful mortal youth loved by Aphrodite, killed by a wild boar and mourned annually. 'An Adonis' became English for any beautiful young man.
Adonis comes from the Greek Adōnis, borrowed from a Semitic root meaning 'lord' (cognate with the Hebrew Adon and Adonai). In Greek myth Adonis was a beautiful mortal youth loved by Aphrodite; he was killed by a wild boar while hunting and Aphrodite mourned him annually — the Adonia was a Greek women's festival. The English noun 'an Adonis' (a beautiful young man) entered the language via the myth. As a given name Adonis is recent in the US: rare before 2010, climbing fast. Drake's son Adonis (born 2017) added celebrity anchor. It entered the US top 200 in 2021.
Popularity over time
peaked at #175 in 2023, currently #241 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
The myth (beautiful youth killed by a boar) is the deeper anchor; Drake naming his son Adonis (2017) is the modern celebrity reference.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Adonis (Greek myth) Beautiful mortal youth loved by Aphrodite, killed by a wild boar
Spelling variants
- Adoniss
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