Chris Daughtry, American Idol alum and Daughtry vocalist, welcomed fraternal twins yesterday. He and his wife chose the names Adalynn (girl) and Noah (boy).
But that’s not really what I want to talk about. The birth of the twins just reminded me of an interesting baby name I spotted not long ago in the data. And what name would that be? Daughtry itself, of course.
Chris Daughtry competed on the fifth season of American Idol, which aired during the first half of 2006. His rock band’s self-titled debut album was released in late November that same year. The album became “the fastest-selling rock debut in the 16-year history of the Billboard album chart’s sales tracking system,” according to Hollywood.com.
In 2007, not only was Daughtry’s album Daughtry the “biggest-selling record in America,” but the name Daughtry appeared for the first time in the U.S. baby name list:
- 2009: 6 baby boys named Daughtry
- 2008: 11 baby boys named Daughtry
- 2007: 6 baby boys named Daughtry [debut]
- 2006: unlisted
- 2005: unlisted
At least 23 33 baby Daughtrys have been born in the U.S. so far.
How many more do you think will be born in 2010? Turns out the name appeared on the list for one more year, but hasn’t been back since.
The English surname Daughtry is of Norman French origin and originally referred to someone from Hauterive, a town in in northwestern France. The town name is derived from the Old French phrase haute rive, meaning “high bank.”
Sources:
- Chris Daughtry Scores Big with Debut Album
- Chris Daughtry’s Twins Arrive
- Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Well, there’s a good, solid, unusual masculine name for you. I wonder how many Daltrey’s are out there, after Roger?
Any word on the origins of Adalynn for this couple? Just popularity or some other connection?
No female Daughtrys? A daughter named Daughtry seems like a natural.
@Julie – I wondered about that as well. The name is really close to the word “daughter,” after all. I’d bet there are at least a few female Daughtrys out there.
@C in DC – I don’t believe they’ve talked about the stories behind the names just yet, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled. I’m sure an interviewer will ask about it at some point.
Thanks, Nancy. It really seems out of place with Griffin, Hannah, and Noah.
My sons name is Daughtry Brant