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At a Glance: Name: Sirius – Meaning: the scorching one – Origin: Greek (via Latin) – Gender: used for both boys and girls – Pronunciation: SEER-ee-uhs
Sirius comes from Greek, by way of Latin, and its meaning is "the scorching one." You've probably heard it means "dog" — it's a popular idea, reinforced by the Dog Star nickname and the Harry Potter character who turns into one — but that's not accurate. Sirius only picked up the "Dog Star" nickname because of its position in the constellation Canis Major ("Greater Dog"), not because the word itself means dog.
Meaning & Origin of Sirius
Meaning: The scorching one.
Origin: Greek (via Latin).
A common claim: Sirius is popularly thought to mean 'dog,' from its nickname 'the Dog Star' (reinforced by the Harry Potter character Sirius Black, who transforms into a dog) Actually: Sirius doesn't actually mean 'dog' — it comes from Greek σείριος ('scorching'); it's called the 'Dog Star' only because of its position in the constellation Canis Major ('Greater Dog'), not because of the word's own meaning.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Sirius
Phonetic: SEER-ee-uhs IPA: /ˈsɪriəs/
Popularity of Sirius
In Social Security data spanning 1999 to 2024, Sirius peaked at #2344 in 2022 with 61 babies given the name, then eased to #2657 in 2024 with 50.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1999–2024.
Make Sirius Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Sirius, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Sirius mean?
The scorching one. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Sirius)
How do you pronounce Sirius?
Sirius is pronounced SEER-ee-uhs (IPA: /ˈsɪriəs/).
Is Sirius a popular name right now?
Sirius is near its all-time peak (#2344 in 2022), ranked #2657 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1999–2024.)
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