How to say it
FE · lix
/ˈfi.lɪks/
Masculine
Felix
Lucky, fortunate
What it means
Latin felix, 'lucky, fortunate, prosperous.' A standard Roman cognomen, and the name of four popes and dozens of saints. Felix the Cat made it the cartoon name of the early 20th century.
Felix is the Latin word for 'lucky, fortunate, prosperous,' used as a Roman cognomen (Sulla Felix, Antoninus Felix). Four popes took the name; Felix of Nola and Felix of Cantalice are among many saints. Felix the Cat (the silent-film and early-sound cartoon character from 1919) gave the name 20th-century pop-culture anchor. Felix Mendelssohn (composer), Felix Frankfurter (Supreme Court justice), and Felix Baumgartner (the 2012 Red Bull stratosphere jump) are the modern historical anchors. The name has surged in the US since 2015, particularly in families looking for one-word European names with built-in optimism. Rarely shortens.
Popularity over time
peaked at #137 in 1884, currently #175 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
Felix the Cat (1919) is the strongest cartoon association; The Odd Couple's Felix Unger is the comedy one. Both flatter the name.
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.
- Felix Mendelssohn German Romantic composer, A Midsummer Night's Dream wedding march
- Felix the Cat Animated character from the silent-film era, 1919
- Felix Frankfurter US Supreme Court Justice 1939-1962
Spelling variants
- Felipe
- Felice
Names with the same feeling
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