How to say it
ON · yx
/ˈɑː.nɪks/
Unisex
Onyx
The black gemstone
What it means
From the Greek onyx, 'claw' or 'fingernail,' which became the name of the banded black stone.
Onyx comes from the Greek onyx, literally 'claw' or 'fingernail,' a word that attached to the smooth banded stone, most familiar in its glossy black form. As a name it is bold, sleek, and gender-neutral, part of the wave of gemstone and mineral names. The sharp -x ending lands it among Knox, Jax, and Phoenix. It reads dark and striking, and it is rising fast.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #1228 in 2023, currently #1410 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #307 in 2023, currently #365 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
- Worth knowing
Unisex; a gemstone name with a glossy-black image.
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.
- Onyx the banded black gemstone the name is taken from
Spelling variants
- Onix
- Onyxx