How popular is the baby name Bluejay in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Bluejay.
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A few days ago, I stumbled upon a set of baby name data for Austin, Texas, for the year 2017. While it isn’t current, it does seem to be complete — so it includes hundreds of rare and single-use names (which are always fascinating!).
The data accounts for nearly 19,900 births (9,733 girls and 10,163 boys), and features nearly 6,100 names (3,431 given to girls, 2,656 given to boys).
According to this data, which comes from the City of Austin’s Open Data Portal, the top baby names in the capital of Texas five years ago were Emma and James.
Here are Austin’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2017:
Girl Names
Emma, 98 baby girls
Isabella, 88
Olivia, 84
Mia, 81
Evelyn, 77
Sophia, 75
Ava, 73
Abigail, 59 (tie)
Charlotte, 59 (tie)
Emily, 58
Camila, 56 (tie)
Elizabeth, 56 (tie)
Harper, 53
Amelia, 52
Penelope, 51 (tie)
Sofia, 51 (tie)
Scarlett, 46
Ella, 45
Avery, 43 (tie)
Zoe, 43 (tie)
Lillian, 41
Layla, 40 (tie)
Madison, 40 (tie)
Eleanor, 39
Victoria, 38
Allison, 37
Claire, 36 (3-way tie)
Elena, 36 (3-way tie)
Luna, 36 (3-way tie)
Aria, 35 (tie)
Chloe, 35 (tie)
Ellie, 34 (tie)
Katherine, 34 (tie)
Samantha, 33
Hannah, 30 (4-way tie)
Hazel, 30 (4-way tie)
Mila, 30 (4-way tie)
Stella, 30 (4-way tie)
Leah, 29
Cora, 28 (5-way tie)
Genesis, 28 (5-way tie)
Grace, 28 (5-way tie)
Natalie, 28 (5-way tie)
Ximena, 28 (5-way tie)
Clara, 27 (3-way tie)
Eliana, 27 (3-way tie)
Ruby, 27 (3-way tie)
Audrey, 26 (tie)
Sarah, 26 (tie)
Alexa, 25 (3-way tie)
Everly, 25 (3-way tie)
Lily, 25 (3-way tie)
Boy Names
James, 104 baby boys
Noah, 85
Daniel, 83
Benjamin, 82
William, 80
Oliver, 75
Liam, 74
Alexander, 73
Sebastian, 70
Henry, 67
Elijah, 66 (tie)
Mateo, 66 (tie)
Ethan, 65
Jackson, 63
Anthony, 61
Jacob, 60
Aiden, 59 (tie)
Luke, 59 (tie)
David, 58 (tie)
Samuel, 58 (tie)
John, 56
Isaac, 55 (tie)
Julian, 55 (tie)
Michael, 54
Charles, 53 (3-way tie)
Jack, 53 (3-way tie)
Matthew, 53 (3-way tie)
Jose, 52 (tie)
Joshua, 52 (tie)
Wyatt, 50
Aaron, 49 (4-way tie)
Grayson, 49 (4-way tie)
Joseph, 49 (4-way tie)
Levi, 49 (4-way tie)
Dylan, 48
Hudson, 47
Josiah, 46 (3-way tie)
Logan, 46 (3-way tie)
Santiago, 46 (3-way tie)
Jayden, 45
Nathan, 44
Christopher, 43 (tie)
Thomas, 43 (tie)
Andrew, 42 (4-way tie)
Gabriel, 42 (4-way tie)
Luis, 42 (4-way tie)
Owen, 42 (4-way tie)
Lucas, 41
Adrian, 40 (3-way tie)
Axel, 40 (3-way tie)
Christian, 40 (3-way tie)
On the girls’ list, Allison caught my eye. It ranked 26th in Austin in 2017, but 61st nationally the same year. Interesting.
Further down on the boys’ list was Austin itself, in 95th place — vs. 75th nationally — with 21 baby boys. Much further down was Texas, with 2 baby boys.
And now it’s time for the unique names!
One-of-a-kind names were given to 24% of the baby girls and 17% of the baby boys born in Austin in 2017. Here’s a sampling of the names that were bestowed just once:
Some possible explanations/associations for a few of the above:
Cadeau is the French word for “present, gift.”
Ceiba is a type of tree.
Tsumugi Shirogane is a character from the 2017 video game Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony.
Ynafets is “Stefany” spelled backwards.
Bruges is the capital of West Flanders (a province of Belgium).
Mistral is a strong late-winter wind in southern France.
The Rigveda is a sacred Hindu text.
I’ve never posted rankings for Austin before, but I have posted rankings recently for two nearby Texas cities: Houston (which is more than twice the size of Austin, population-wise) and College Station (which is about an eighth of the size of Austin).
Looking for baby names that are associated with the color blue — including baby names that mean “blue”?
If so, you’re in the right place! I’ve collected dozens of ideas for you in this post.
Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what blue represents…
Symbolism of blue
What does the color blue signify?
In Western cultures in particular, blue can be symbolic of:
Trust
Calm
Sadness
Peace
Loyalty
Depth
Authenticity
It can also be associated with melancholy. “To have the blues,” for instance, is an expression meaning “to feel sad.”
Baby names associated with blue
All of the names below have an association with the color blue. The names range from traditional to unusual, and their associations range from strong to slight.
Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.
Aciano Aciano is the Spanish word for cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), a species of plant with flowers that are usually blue. Here’s the popularity graph for Aciano.
Afina Afina is a Romanian feminine name meaning “blueberry.” Here’s the popularity graph for Afina.
Alice Alice is part of “Alice blue” — a shade of blue named after Alice Roosevelt (the oldest daughter of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt) in the mid-1910s. It was inspired by either the blue of Alice’s eyes or the blue of one of her dresses, sources disagree. The name Alice ultimately derives from the Germanic name Adalheidis, meaning “noble character” or “nobleness.” Here’s the popularity graph for Alice.
(The web color aliceblue is a lot lighter than the original “Alice blue.”)
Ao Ao is a Japanese name that can mean “blue,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Ao.
Aomi Aomi is a Japanese name that can include the element Ao.
Aori Aori is another Japanese name that can include the element Ao.
Aqua Aqua is a greenish-blue color. The name of the shade comes from the Latin word aqua, meaning “water.” Here’s the popularity graph for Aqua.
Asuman Asuman is a Turkish feminine name meaning “sky.”
Azul Azul is the Spanish word for Azure. Here’s the popularity graph for Azul.
Azur Azur is the French word for Azure. Here’s the popularity graph for Azur.
Azure Azure is a sky-blue color. The name of the shade ultimately derives from the Arabic word lazuward, which refers to lapis lazuli. Here’s the popularity graph for Azure.
Azzurra and Azzurro Azzurra (feminine) and Azzurro (masculine) are the Italian words for Azure. Here’s the popularity graph for Azzurra.
Beryl Beryl is a mineral that can be blue. (Blue beryl is often called “aquamarine.”) The name of the mineral ultimately comes from the Ancient Greek word beryllos. Here’s the popularity graph for Beryl.
Blue Blue, of course, refers to the color blue. :) Here’s the popularity graph for Blue.
Bluebell Bluebell flowers are blue. “Bluebell” is the common name of plants of various genera (including Hyacinthoides).
Bluebird Bluebird is a type of bird with predominantly blue plumage. “Bluebird” is the common name of birds in the North American genus Sialia.
Bluejay Bluejay is another type of bird with predominantly blue plumage. “Bluejay” is the common name of the bird species Cyanocitta cristata.
Caelum Caelum is the Latin word for “sky, heaven.” (Though it’s used as a name in modern-day America, it was simply a vocabulary word in Ancient Rome.) Here’s the popularity graph for Caelum.
Cielo Cielo is a modern Spanish feminine name based on caelum. Here’s the popularity graph for Cielo.
Cerulean Cerulean is a sky-blue color. The word may ultimately be derived from caelum. Here’s the popularity graph for Cerulean.
Chicory Chicory flowers are typically blue. “Chicory” is the common name of the plant species Cichorium intybus.
Chóro Chóro is a Hopi name meaning “blue-bird.”
Chórzhoya Chórzhoya is a Hopi name meaning “little blue-bird.”
Cobalt Cobalt is a vivid shade of blue. Cobalt pigment was originally made from the metallic element cobalt. Here’s the popularity graph for Cobalt.
Cyan Cyan is the greenish-blue color halfway between blue and green on the visible spectrum. The name of the shade comes from the Ancient Greek word kyanos, meaning “dark blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Cyan.
Darya Darya (pronounced dar-YOH) is a Persian feminine name meaning “sea, ocean.” Here’s the popularity graph for Darya.
Denim Denim fabric is traditionally blue, as it was originally dyed with indigo. The name of the textile is derived from the French phrase serge de Nîmes, which referred to fabric produced in Nîmes, a town in southern France. Here’s the popularity graph for Denim.
Deniz Deniz (pronounced deh-neez) is a Turkish gender-neutral name meaning “ocean.” Here’s the popularity graph for Deniz.
Fayruz Fayruz is an Arabic feminine name meaning “turquoise (the stone).”
Gentian Gentian (pronounced jen-shun) flowers are often blue. According to Pliny, the genus Gentiana was named in honor of Illyrian king Gentius, who is said to have discovered the plant’s medicinal properties. The name Gentian is traditional in Albania, the territory of which was inhabited by Illyrian tribes during ancient times.
Gentiana Gentiana is the modern Albanian feminine form of Gentian. Here’s the popularity graph for Gentiana.
Glory Glory (besides being a vocabulary word) is part of “morning glory” — the common name of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae. Morning glory flowers are sometimes blue. Here’s the popularity graph for Glory.
Gökçe Gökçe (pronounced gok-cheh) is a Turkish gender-neutral name meaning “sky blue.”
Haneul Haneul is a Korean gender-neutral name meaning “sky.”
Hyacinth Hyacinth flowers are sometimes blue. The genus Hyacinthus was named for the plant’s association with the myth of Hyacinthus (who was one of the lovers of Apollo in Greek mythology). Here’s the popularity graph for Hyacinth.
Indigo The word indigo refers to flowering plants of the genus Indigofera — particularly the species Indigofera tinctoria — or to the dye made from the leaves of these plants. By extension, it also refers to the purplish-blue color of this dye. The name of the plant can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word Indikón, meaning “Indian,” as the plant is native to India. (It’s no coincidence that the British Royal Navy began using indigo dye extensively during the years that the British East India Company was gaining control over the Indian subcontinent.) Here’s the popularity graph for Indigo.
Jurate Jurate (pronounced YOO-rah-teh) is a Lithuanian feminine name based on the word jura, meaning “sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Jurate.
Kai Kai is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Kai.
Kekai Kekai is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “the sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Kekai.
Kallfu Kallfu is a Mapuche feminine name based on the word kallfü, meaning “blue.”
Kallfuray Kallfuray is a Mapuche feminine name meaning “blue flower.”
Kyanite Kyanite is a mineral that is usually blue. The name of the mineral is based on the Ancient Greek word kyanos, meaning “dark blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Kyanite.
Lafken Lafken is a Mapuche name meaning “sea, ocean.”
Lake Lake water sometimes appears blue. Here’s the popularity graph for Lake.
Lani Lani is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “sky.” Here’s the popularity graph for Lani.
Larimar Larimar is a light blue variety of the mineral pectolite. Its name, coined in the 1970s, is a combination of Larissa (the name of the daughter of one of the stone’s discoverers) and mar, the Spanish word for “sea.” Here’s the popularity graph for Larimar.
Lazuli Lazuli is part of “lapis lazuli” (pronounced LA-piss LA-zuh-lee) — the name of a deep-blue gemstone. The word lazuli can be traced back (via Latin lazulum and Arabic lazuward) to the place-name Lajward — a region in central Asia where the stone was mined. (The Latin word lapis simply means “stone.”) Here’s the popularity graph for Lazuli.
Livia and Livio Livia (feminine) and Livio (masculine) are the modern Italian forms of the Roman family name Livius, which is thought to derive from the Latin word lividus, meaning “bluish.” Here are the popularity graphs for Livia and Livio.
Lobelia Lobelia (pronounced loh-BEEL-ee-uh) flowers are often blue. The genus Lobelia was named in honor of Flemish botanist Matthias de l’Obel.
Lupine Lupine flowers are sometimes blue. The genus name Lupinus is derived from the Latin word lupinus, meaning “wolfish” (from lupus, “wolf”). Here’s the popularity graph for Lupine.
Mayim Mayim is the Hebrew word for “water.” (Though it’s used as a name among English speakers, it’s simply a vocabulary word among Hebrew speakers.) Here’s the popularity graph for Mayim.
Maya Maya is a Hebrew feminine name based on mayim. It also happens to be a Zuni word meaning “crested blue-jay.” Here’s the popularity graph for Maya.
Mira and Meera Mira, also spelled Meera, is a Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word mira, meaning “sea, ocean.” Here are the popularity graphs for Mira and Meera.
Moana Moana is a gender-neutral name meaning “ocean” in Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, Tongan, and other Polynesian languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Moana.
Miosotis Miosotis is the Spanish form of Myosotis. Here’s the popularity graph for Miosotis.
Myosotis Myosotis (pronounced my-oh-SOH-tiss) flowers, also known as forget-me-nots, are frequently blue. The genus name Myosotis, meaning “mouse’s ear” in Latin, refers to the shape of the petals.
Navy In the mid-18th century, officers in Britain’s Royal Navy began wearing uniforms that were dyed blue with indigo. The pigment was particularly colorfast (i.e., able to withstand exposure to sun and salt water), so, over time, other countries began to use it for naval dress as well. The dark shade of blue eventually came to be known as “navy blue.” The word navy refers to a country’s collective sea force. It comes (via French) from the Latin word navigia, meaning “vessels, ships, boats.” Here’s the popularity graph for Navy.
Nila and Neela Nila, also spelled Neela, is a Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word nila, meaning “dark blue” or “blue.” Here are the popularity graphs for Nila and Neela.
Nilam and Neelam Nilam, also spelled Neelam, is another Hindi feminine name based on the Sanskrit word nila. Here are the popularity graphs for Nilam and Neelam.
Nilgün Nilgün is a Turkish feminine given name based on the Persian word nilgun, meaning “indigo (the color).”
Ocean The word ocean refers to the vast body of salt water that covers over 70% of the earth’s surface — or to any of the five large bodies of water (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic, or Arctic) into which it is divided. Here’s the popularity graph for Ocean.
Rayleigh Rayleigh scattering explains why the sky is blue. The process — which involves electromagnetic radiation (such as visible light) being scattered by particles much smaller in size than the wavelength of that radiation — was named after British physicist John William Strutt, third Baron Rayleigh, who first described it in 1871. Here’s the popularity graph for Rayleigh.
Safira Safira is the Portuguese word for “sapphire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Safira.
Sagar Sagar is a Hindi masculine name meaning “sea, ocean.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sagar.
Sama and Samaa Sama, also spelled Samaa, is a an Arabic feminine name meaning “sky.” Here are the popularity graphs for Sama and Samaa.
Sapphire The word sapphire refers to the blue variety of the mineral corundum. By extension, it also refers to the blue color of these crystals. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Ancient Greek word sappheiros, which is thought to have referred to lapis lazuli originally (not to sapphire as we know it today). Here’s the popularity graph for Sapphire.
Shyam Shyam is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word shyama, meaning “dark blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Shyam.
Sky The word sky refers to the upper atmosphere, which is bright blue on clear days. It’s based on the Old Norse word ský, which meant “cloud” (ironically). Here’s the popularity graph for Sky.
Sini Sini is a Finnish feminine name meaning “blue.”
Sora Sora is a Japanese gender-neutral name meaning “sky.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sora.
Sunil Sunil is a Hindi masculine name derived from the Sanskrit word sunila, meaning “very blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sunil.
Tchelet Tchelet is a Hebrew feminine name meaning “sky blue.”
True True (besides being a vocabulary word) is part of “true blue” — an expression that means “loyal, faithful.” The association between the color blue and the idea of loyalty or constancy may been inspired by the unchanging blue of the sky. Here’s the popularity graph for True.
Turquoise Turquoise (pronounced TUR-koyz) is a mineral that is typically greenish-blue. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Old French term pierre tourques, meaning “Turkish stone.” Though it was mined in Persia, the stone was introduced to Europe in the 13th century by Turkish traders. Here’s the popularity graph for Turquoise.
Umi Umi is a Japanese feminine name that can mean “sea,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Umi.
Umiko Umiko is a Japanese name that can include the element Umi.
Zafiro Zafiro is the Spanish word for “sapphire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Zafiro.
Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color blue?
P.S. Want to see more color-related baby names? Here are lists of red, orange, yellow, green, and purple names.
Sources:
Ammer, Christine. The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013
Last year, the Canadian province of Alberta welcomed roughly 50,000 babies — almost 26,000 boys and over 24,000 girls.
What were the most popular names among these 2021 babies? Olivia and Noah.
Here are the top-10 lists by gender:
Girl Names
Olivia, 210 baby girls
Charlotte, 166
Ava, 165
Emma, 163
Amelia, 160
Sophia, 137
Isla, 135
Abigail, 120
Evelyn and Chloe, 119 each (tie)
Aria, 112
Boy Names
Noah, 274 baby boys
Jack, 219
Oliver, 208
Liam, 197
Theodore, 191
William, 174
Ethan, 162
Levi, 148
Benjamin, 147
Henry, 146
In the girls’ top 10, Evelyn, Chloe and Aria replaced Emily and Lily. (Three replace two because of the tie for 9th place.)
In the boys’ top 10, Ethan and Henry replaced Lucas and Owen. (Maverick, which has been rising steadily over the last few years, reached 13th in 2021 and could potentially enter the top 10 in 2022.)
Rare baby names that were bestowed just once in Alberta last year include…
Some explanations and/or potential influences for a few of the above:
Anangokaa means “there are (many) stars” in Ojibwe.
Arendelle is the name of a kingdom in the movie Frozen.
Brome refers to various types of grass in the genus Bromus.
Eberle — given to one girl and one boy last year — could refer to hockey player Jordan Eberle, who played with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2010s.
Fidel Castro was the revolutionary/statesman who led the island nation of Cuba for nearly five decades.
Gambit (besides being a word) is an X-Men character.
Heimdallr (besides being a Norse god) is a Marvel character.
Kikinaw means “our house/home” in Cree.
Kihêw means “eagle” in Cree.
Lunafreya is a character from the video game Final Fantasy XV.
Makisig means “elegant” or “gallant” in Tagalog.
Malësor means “highlander” in Albanian.
Nicêhis means “my little heart” or “my dear heart” in Cree.
Raistlin is a Dragonlance character.
Skadi (besides being a giantess in Norse mythology) is a character in the TV series Vikings.
Te Ahumairangi is the name of a hill in Wellington, New Zealand.
Valvatorez is a character from the video game Disgaea 4.
Waseskwan means “the sky is clearing (after a storm)” in Cree.
One other name that stood out to me is Bauer, given to 7 baby boys and 1 baby girl in 2021. I was paying close attention to the hockey playoffs this year, and I couldn’t help but notice “Bauer” everywhere — on sticks, on gloves, on helmets, etc. It makes me wonder how many of the baby Bauers out there (both in Canada and in the U.S.) have been named — either intentionally or inadvertently — after the ice hockey equipment brand.
Finally, here are the 2020 rankings for Alberta, if you’d like to compare.
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