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The short answer
Memphis is a masculine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning ‘enduring beauty’." It ranked #640 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it. It is derived from a Greek form of Egyptian mn-nfr meaning ‘enduring beauty’. The entry lists its usage as English (Modern).
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Memphis ranked #640 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #640 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Memphis in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Memphis mean?
Behind the Name does not give Memphis a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from the name of an important city of ancient Egypt, or the city in Tennessee that was named after it.
Is Memphis a popular name?
Memphis ranked #640 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Memphis a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Memphis appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine & feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Memphis — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
