How popular is the baby name Dave 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 Dave.

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Popularity of the baby name Dave


Posts that mention the name Dave

Baby born in England, named after entire soccer team (1973)

soccer game

In November of 1973, the Oatway family of London welcomed a baby boy.

The Oatways were big fans of Queens Park Rangers Football Club, so they decided to name the baby “Anthony Philip David Terry Frank Donald Stanley Gerry Gordon Stephen James” after QPR’s entire first team squad.

I wasn’t able to find any QPR players from 1973 named Stephen or James, but I did find players with the other names:

NamePlayer(s)
Anthony
Philip
David
Terry
Frank
Donald
Stanley
Gerry
Gordon
Stephen
James
Tony Hazell
Phil Parkes
Dave Clement or Dave Thomas
Terry Venables or Terry Mancini
Frank McLintock
Don Givens
Stan Bowles
Gerry Francis
Gordon Jago (manager)
?
?

Ironically, the baby was never known by any of those 11 given names. He simply went by “Charlie.” As he later explained,

Charlie is just a nickname. An aunt told my parents they couldn’t name me after the QPR team because I’d look a right Charlie — and the name just stuck.

Charlie Oatway — unlike the other people I know of who were named after soccer teams (Liverpool F.C., Leeds United F.C., Burnley F.C.) — grew up to become a professional footballer. He played on various teams during the 1990s and 2000s, though, unfortunately, he never played for Queens Park Rangers.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Portugal 2-3 Denmark, Football by José Goulão under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Where did the baby name Dwala come from in 1942?

Illustration of piano player Dwala Graves
Dwala Graves

The curious name Dwala first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1942:

  • 1944: unlisted
  • 1943: 11 baby girls named Dwala
  • 1942: 15 baby girls named Dwala [debut]
  • 1941: unlisted
  • 1940: unlisted

Despite the fact that it one of the highest-debuting baby names of the year, Dwala only remained in the data for one more year before dropping out again.

Where did it come from?

A pint-sized piano player named Dwala Jeaniene Graves from Norfolk, Nebraska.

In January of 1942, as a nine-year-old, her unique skills were highlighted in the nationally syndicated Ripley’s Believe It or Not newspaper panel. The panel said that Dwala “plays the piano and tap dances at the same time while blindfolded and wearing mittens.”

Illustration of piano player Dwala Graves
Dwala Graves

In September of 1942, she was a guest on the popular Hobby Lobby radio show hosted by Dave Elman. She did the blindfolded/mitten-wearing/tap-dancing thing again, plus this time she also performed “while sitting on the floor with her head under the keyboard.”

Though the name Dwala didn’t stay in the data long, Dwala Graves herself continued to perform, both on radio and in concert, throughout the ’40s and at least halfway into the ’50s.

After that, she married and had three daughters named Cala, Jeaniene, and Darla.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Dwala?

P.S. Dwala had younger twin siblings named Doy Royce (boy) and Devon Renee (girl).

Sources:

Name needed: Baby girl, initially named Lumi, needs to be renamed

I was contacted recently by a reader who needs to find a new name for a baby girl. The baby was formerly called Lumi.

The reader sent me a lot of helpful information about the situation, so I’m simply going to quote the bulk of what was written below. I’ve boldfaced all the first names mentioned, for easier scanning.

Here’s the request:

Basically, without getting into too much detail, we are going to be renaming our child. What happened is that we chose the name Lumi, which I have loved since the moment I heard it, since I think the sound is beautiful and uplifting, it’s unique, but not so out there as to be hard to understand, and we also thought of it as short for luminescent or luminous–something that brings light, which I love. Also, we often call her Lulu, and liked that Lumi seemed a bit more interesting and maybe even more formal (at least to us!) for when she is in school or at a job. But, after choosing that name, we were informed that the word lumi actually is slang for prostitute in Spanish. If Spanish were a very uncommon language, we might have just accepted it, but seeing as we have some Spanish speaking family and both of us already speak some Spanish and live in a place with a lot of Spanish speakers, it seemed impossible to keep the name. So we changed it. The change was awful for me, since I was not happy with the new name, but couldn’t think of another and thought I would grow to like it. But I haven’t. I will not tell you the “new” name or how long it has been, since I don’t think it matters as we will be changing it no matter what. What matters most to me is that we find another name that suits her, doesn’t mean prostitute (or anything like it) in any language, and isn’t tied to so much negativity and stress. And, just to say, we do currently still call her Lulu, so variations on that (so long as they fit other criteria) are welcome! 

Ideally, we would like the name to be unique, but also easy to relate to an existing word so that we can easily anchor people when we introduce her, since we know how complicated having a “unique” name can be for introductions, spellings, pronunciation, etc. So, for example, one name I also really liked was Deli, since I like that someone could say, “Deli, like delight.” Or even “Deli, like delicatessen.” The problem there, of course, is that when you say “Deli,” people will hear the city in India, so that was off the list, since neither of us have any connection to that place. We also liked the name Euphie, as in euphoria, but I found out that that’s the name of a vacuum, so I wasn’t sure if that might be a mistake to choose that one. We also like Jovie (for jovial?), but this is also a bit too popular at the moment. But, if this makes sense, we’d like something unique that can even sound like a nickname, but it would be a short version of an existing word that is easy to understand and helps people quickly make the connection and has a positive meaning–or relates in some way to food (for example, Romy, for rosemary). I hope this is clear, isn’t too much to ask, and also gives you some ideas of the kind of thing we are after.
 
We really want a name that has a positive meaning or is related to food or cooking in some way. The best name in terms of meanings that I can think of is Beatrice, which, as you know, means brings joy, since that’s how we feel about our sweet girl. She is an absolute ray of sunshine, always smiling, and brings us all joy. Of course, Beatrice itself is too popular for our tastes, but if you can think of another name that means brings joy (or peace or some such) but that is much less common or a “made up” name that seems to fit this, we’d love to hear it! Otherwise, names that mean things that are positive, uplifting, or peaceful are all great. Also, we are a food-loving family, so something that has a relationship to food or cooking would also be great, especially something like an edible plant or something on the healthier or more natural side. Another name that was at the top of our lists at some point was Romy (which, again, works as short for rosemary and easy to say/spell, but it is currently much too popular for our liking).

And, finally, the name must not translate to something negative or offensive in another language (especially Spanish!). 

As for last names, to protect our privacy, I will just say her last name is Rose, which is almost exactly her actual last name and will help with those looking to create alliterations, which are fine with us. We actually considered Rosie and, as I mentioned, Romy, but they’re both a bit too popular.

I’ll start with a few quick thoughts, then move on to the names.

First, I can’t imagine the stress of trying to re-name a baby a second time. I’m so sorry that the first two names didn’t work out.

Second, regarding baby names that happen to be brand names (like Euphie/Eufy): I think this is just the new norm. So many start-ups are being given human names (e.g., Casper, Cora, Oscar, Clio, Albert, Roman, Dave) that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a name that is not also a brand. So this doesn’t necessarily have to be a deal-breaker.

Third, for those who want to comment with name suggestions, here are the names that were mentioned as being “too popular” above and where they currently sit in the girls’ rankings, just for reference:

  • Jovie ranks 763rd
  • Beatrice ranks 565th
  • Romy ranks 1,452nd (given to 147 baby girls in 2021)
  • Rosie ranks 461st

Name Ideas

Saffy

  • Saffy is a nickname for Saffron, a noun-name inspired by the name of the spice (which is made from crocus flowers).
  • Recent usage: Saffy has never appeared in the data.

Tashi (tah-shee)

  • Tashi is a Tibetan word (and personal name) meaning “auspicious.” Tashi delek, often translated as “blessings and good luck,” is a common greeting in Tibet. Tashi could also be a nickname for Natasha.
  • Recent usage: Tashi is given to a handful of babies (both genders) per year.

Meli (meh-lee)

  • Meli corresponds to the ancient Greek word méli, meaning “honey” — and, by extension, anything sweet. It could also be a nickname for the related name Melissa (“honeybee”).
  • Recent usage: Meli is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Revi

  • Revi is reminiscent of the words revelry (“merrymaking”) and reverie (“daydream”). It also corresponds to the Esperanto verb revi, which similarly means “to daydream.”
  • Recent usage: Revi has appeared in the data just twice so far.

Ceres (see-reez)

  • Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture and grain crops (e.g., wheat, barley). Her name is the root of the word cereal. Ceres is a homophone of series, and also sounds similar to Siri (which could be a pro or a con, depending).
  • Recent usage: Ceres has appeared in the data five times so far.

Hebe (hee-bee)

  • Hebe was the Greek goddess of youth (hebe meant “youth” in ancient Greek). More importantly, she was the cup-bearer for the gods of Mount Olympus. She served them both nectar and ambrosia — so, food as well as drink. Hebe rhymes with Phoebe.
  • Recent usage: Hebe is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Minta

  • Minta is a nickname for Araminta, an English name of obscure origin. Minta sounds similar to the word mint (which refers to edible plants in the genus Mentha).
  • Recent usage: Minta hasn’t appeared in the data since the 1990s.

Rilla

  • Speaking of mint…Rilla could be short for Perilla, a genus of edible plants also in the mint family (Lamiaceae).
  • Recent usage: Rilla is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Liati

  • Liati is a vaguely Italian-sounding acronym that stands for the phrase: “Love is all there is.” (I discovered Liati in a news article several years ago.)
  • Recent usage: Liati has never appeared in the data.

Ovi

  • Ovi is reminiscent of two food-related Latin words: ovum, meaning “egg,” and ovis, meaning “sheep.”
  • Recent usage: Ovi is given to a handful of babies, mostly girls, per year.

Ridi (ree-dee)

  • Ridi corresponds to the Esperanto verb ridi, meaning “to laugh.” (The idea of the baby “always smiling” made me want to include at least one option linked to smiling/laughing.) Ridi rhymes with reedy.
  • Recent usage: Ridi has never appeared in the data.

Pomi

  • Pomi is a form of the Latin word pomus, meaning “fruit” or “fruit tree.” Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruit trees.
  • Recent usage: Pomi has never appeared in the data.

Suvi (soo-vee)

  • Suvi is a Finnish word (and personal name) meaning “summer.” It sounds a lot like the French term sous vide (“under vacuum”), which refers to a cooking technique. That said, a start-up with a similar name (Suvie) does exist.
  • Recent usage: Suvi is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Kezi

  • Kezi is a short form of the Hebrew name Keziah, meaning “cassia tree.” The bark of the cassia tree (Cinnamomum cassia) is one of the sources of cinnamon.
  • Recent usage: Kezi has never appeared in the data.

Ravi

  • Ravi corresponds to both the Esperanto verb ravi, meaning “to delight,” and the French adjective ravi, meaning “thrilled, ravished.” It’s also a Hindi male name meaning “sun” (which reminded me of the baby being a “ray of sunshine”).
  • Recent usage: Ravi is given to a moderate number of baby boys per year, but has appeared in the data as a girl name just once so far.

Rava

  • Rava corresponds to the Esperanto word rava, meaning “delightful, ravishing.” It’s the adjectival form of ravi.
  • Recent usage: Rava has appeared in the data just twice so far.

Libi (lee-bee)

  • Libi is a modern Hebrew name based on the word libbi, meaning “my heart.” It also happens to be a form of the Latin word libum, which referred to a type of cake in ancient Rome.
  • Recent usage: Libi is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Pemma

  • Pemma corresponds to the ancient Greek word pemma, which referred to a type of cake in ancient Greece. It’s similar to both Emma and Pema (the Tibetan form of Padma, meaning “lotus”).
  • Recent usage: Pemma has never appeared in the data.

(Just wanted to note: Ancient cakes were made with ingredients like fruits, nuts, eggs, cheese, honey, flour, and olive oil. They were often prepared as offerings to the gods.)

Juni

  • Juni is a nickname for Juniper, a noun-name inspired by the coniferous plant, which produces “berries” (actually seed cones) that are used as a spice. It also means “June” in several European languages, and corresponds to the Esperanto verb juni (yoo-nee), meaning “to be young.”
  • Recent usage: Juni is given to a couple dozen babies, mostly girls, per year.

Rafi (rah-fee)

  • Rafi corresponds to the Sámi word ráfi, meaning “peace.” It’s also a nickname for the Spanish name Rafaela.
  • Recent usage: Rafi is given to a couple dozen baby boys per year, but has appeared in the data as a girl name just once so far.

Baya (bay-uh)

  • Baya is reminiscent of the word bay, as in the bay leaf (which comes from the bay laurel and is used in cooking). It also happens to correspond to the Spanish noun baya (pronounced bah-yah), meaning “berry.”
  • Recent usage: Baya is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Tilia (til-ee-uh)

  • Tilia corresponds to the Latin word tilia, meaning “linden tree.” Most linden trees (genus Tilia) have multiple edible parts (e.g., leaves, flowers). Tilia is also a short form of Ottilia.
  • Recent usage: Tilia is given to a handful of baby girls per year.

Yumi (yoo-mee)

  • Yumi is a Japanese name that rhymes with Lumi and happens to contain the word yum. :) It has various potential definitions, including “archery bow.”
  • Recent usage: Yumi is given to a moderate number of baby girls per year.

Because so many of these are informal/invented, the spellings aren’t set in stone. Saffy could be Saffi, Juni could be Junie, Revi could be Revy, etc. Likewise, the names themselves are malleable: Pomi could be changed to Poma, Tilia could be shortened to Tili, Ovi could be lengthened Ovia (almost like a condensed Olivia?).

(Also, in case anyone was wondering: Esperanto is a man-made language that dates back to the 1880s.)

Now it’s your turn. Do you like any of the above suggestions? What other baby names would you suggest to this reader?

Name quotes #113: Oscar, Mackenzie, Miro

double quotation mark

It’s time for another batch of name quotes!

From a recent Daily Mirror article about schoolteachers Lainey Clarke and Ben Hubbard, who live in Buckinghamshire with their newborn…plus two spirits named Dave and Andy:

Dave even helped them when it came to deciding baby names.

“Every name we liked we’d then remember a naughty school kid we’d taught — it was a nightmare,” laughs Ben.

“We did a spirit box session [one person asks questions and another sits blindfolded with headphones on and relays messages from the spirit world] and the word Apollo was spoken. We listened back after he was born and were stunned to find that Dave had named our baby.”

From a Today.com article published earlier this year about like-named twins who married like-named twins:

Identical twins Briana and Brittany, 35, married identical twins Josh [Joshua] and Jeremy Salyers, 37, and now they’re introducing the world to their babies, who are so genetically similar that the cousins are more like brothers.

[…]

The Salyers are parents to Jett, who turned 1 in January, and Jax, who will turn 1 in April, and the cousins share more than the same first initial. Their unique situation makes them genetic brothers.

(Many U.S twins born in the early 2000s were also given similar names.)

From a recent Morley Kert woodworking video, part of a discussion between Morley and a male client named Mackenzie who he’d just met in-person:

Morley: “So I have something I need to tell you.”

Mackenzie: “Oh?”

Morley: “I fully assumed from your name that you were female.”

Mackenzie: “I think a lot of people do. Technically, technically, 52% of Mackenzies are female now. Which is — we’re losing the battle.”

(I’m curious where Mackenzie found that number, because the balance between male and female babies named Mackenzie hasn’t been close to 50% since the mid-1970s.)

Graph of the usage of the baby name Mackenzie in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Mackenzie

From a 2008 Jezebel post about about celebrity baby names:

To try to find out if celebrity kids can outrun their ridiculous names, MSNBC turns to Peaches Geldof, the celebutante who, in 2006, claimed, “I hate ridiculous names, My weird name has haunted me all my life.” Apparently, Peaches has made peace with her wacky moniker over the past few years, recently telling a reporter “It haunted me in my youth, but now I like it. I always got teased about it at primary school, being named after a fruit. Now people find it appealing. I like my name. I think it’s sexy and unusual.”

From the 2004 article “A Real Gem: Pop artist Ruby Mazur leads charmed life in LV” in the Las Vegas Sun:

Classic rock is pouring through Mazur’s spacious home, his 250-pound Newfoundland, Zeus, is circling the commotion and the artist’s 16-year-old twin sons, Cezanne and Miro, visiting from Vienna, are glancing over with a smile.

[…]

Now living in the golfing community of Rhodes Ranch, Mazur can sit back and scan his past and future. Two of his children — 18-year-old son Matisse and his daughter, actress and model Monet Mazur — are grown.

[Mazur, whose children are named after four famous artists — just like the Ninja Turtles, coincidentally — designed the cover art for thousands of albums during the 1970s.]

From a 2015 article about Anglo-Saxon personal names in History Today:

In the century before the Conquest, Scandinavian names had become so common in some areas that, not only had names such as Toki and Gyða been incorporated into the naming stock, but hybrid names had developed, creating truly Anglo-Scandinavian names, like Ælfcytel (combining Old English Ælf-, ‘elf’, and Old Norse -kettill, ‘cauldron’).

[This source also made an appearance in quotes #110.]

A name-change story (contributed by a Texas woman named Melanie) from a recent Washington Post article about changing babies’ names:

We named our second daughter Francisca. We called to tell my parents. My mother, who sounded disappointed, asked, “What was your second choice?” We told her Amelia. Mom told us that Amelia was her mother’s sister’s name. We said that was nice and moved on to calling other relatives. When we called my sister in law and told her we named our daughter Francisca, she said, “That’s funny, I had a dream you named the baby Amelia.” So right then the baby’s name was changed to Amelia.

For more quotes about names, check out the name quotes category.