How popular is the baby name Echo in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, see baby names similar to Echo and check out all the blog posts that mention the name Echo.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Echo

Number of Babies Named Echo

Born in the U.S. Since 1880

Posts that Mention the Name Echo

Babies of Silverites Named “Silver” in 1896

free silver
“Silver Lunatics”

The baby name Silver is now a regular on the SSA’s annual baby name list. But it wasn’t quite as common back in the 1890s when it suddenly debuted with an impressive 10 baby boys:

  • 1898: unlisted
  • 1897: unlisted
  • 1896: 10 baby boys named Silver [debut]
  • 1895: unlisted
  • 1894: unlisted

If we look at SSDI data we see a similar spike in the number of people named Silver in 1896:

  • 1898: 8 people named Silver
  • 1897: 6 people named Silver
  • 1896: 18 people named Silver
  • 1895: 6 people named Silver
  • 1894: 8 people named Silver

Can you guess the cause?

I’ll give you two hints. First, look what happens to the name Bryan that year:

  • 1898: 57 baby boys named Bryan
  • 1897: 97 baby boys named Bryan
  • 1896: 157 baby boys named Bryan
  • 1895: 27 baby boys named Bryan
  • 1894: 9 baby boys named Bryan

Now check out how the name Jennings peaks a year later:

  • 1898: 28 baby boys named Jennings
  • 1897: 50 baby boys named Jennings
  • 1896: 40 baby boys named Jennings
  • 1895: 9 baby boys named Jennings
  • 1894: 5 baby boys named Jennings

No doubt you’ve pieced it together: 1896 was the year William Jennings Bryan ran for president, and the central issue for Democrats that year was Free Silver.

The U.S. was in the middle of a depression, and Free Silver supporters (the “Silverites”) thought the depression could be alleviated via the coinage of silver.

“For true believers,” the Encyclopedia Britannica states, “silver became the symbol of economic justice for the mass of the American people.”

And those “true believers” were very likely the ones naming their kids Silver back in 1896.

But Bryan’s opponent, William McKinley, was able to convince voters that Free Silver was a bad thing — that the resultant inflation would harm the economy — and won the election.

What do you think of the baby name Silver?

Sources: William Jennings Bryan – Wikipedia, Free Silver – Wikipedia, Free Silver Movement | United States history | Britannica.com
Image: A down-hill movement – LOC

P.S. Want to see other money-inspired monikers? Try Legal Tender, Depression, Cash Money, Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar, Millionaire, Billionaire, Trillionaire, Free Silver, Gold Standard.


The Story of Mister Splashy Pants

mister-splashy-pantsIn late 2007, Greenpeace held a competition to name some endangered humpback whales in the South Pacific Ocean.

After gathering over 11,000 suggestions from people across the globe, the organization narrowed it down to just 30 contenders:

Aiko
Amal
Anahi
Atticus
Aurora
Babu
Bumi
Cian
Echo
Gana 		Humphrey
Jacques
Kaimana
Kigai
Libertad
Madiba
Malaya
Manami
Mira
Mister Splashy Pants 		Moya
Nurani
Paikea
Paz
Sedna
Shanti
Suzuki
Talei
Veikko
Yarrindi

When the polls opened, the rule was one vote per person. But things didn’t go quite as planned.

An anonymous voter in Arizona disabled cookies on his/her computer and was able to cast thousands of votes for Mister Splashy Pants early on.

This attracted the attention of various websites (Digg, Reddit, BoingBoing, Fark, etc.) which led to even more votes for Mister Splashy Pants.

Mister Splashy Pants ended up winning by a landslide, with over 78% of the vote. In 2nd place was Humphrey, with less than 3%.

…Though I love the name “Mister Splashy Pants” (reminds me of Sparklemuffin!), let’s pretend Greenpeace had disqualified MSP mid-competition. Out of the 29 remaining names, which one would you have voted for?

Source: Mister Splashy Pants – Wikipedia

Edmonton’s First Baby of 2015: Echo Frejya Grey

Echo Frejya Grey Adams
© Ian Kucerak/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency
I haven’t seen many New Year’s baby announcements yet (fewer hospitals are participating in the tradition these days) but one of the announcements I have seen featured a rather distinctive name: Echo Frejya Grey.

Echo Frejya Grey Adams was the first baby of 2015 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She was born to Kayla McEvoy and Jared Adams at 12:02 am on New Year’s Day.

Where did her three given names come from?

  • Echo came from the character Echo of the short-lived sci-fi TV series Dollhouse, created by Joss Whedon. “The couple agreed on the name Echo before she was even conceived, admiring the TV character’s strong personality and “take no prisoners” attitude.”
  • Frejya commemorates Iceland, which is where Kayla and Jared got married.
  • Grey came from the character Jean Grey of the X-Men comic series.

Frejya has never been on the SSA’s list, but Echo and Grey have.

Which of these three names do you like best?

Sources: Edmonton’s 2015 New Year’s baby named for Dollhouse character Echo

Unique Name – Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar

rose mary echo silver dollar taborRose Mary Echo Silver Dollar Tabor is another name I discovered while wandering around a Colorado mountain town.

Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar Tabor, known simply as “Silver,” was born in 1889.

She was the second daughter of “Silver King” Horace Tabor — whose silver mines had made him one of the wealthiest men in Colorado — and Elizabeth “Baby Doe” McCourt, his second wife.

On the back of the photo at right, a friend of Silver’s wrote this about Silver’s name:

‘Rosemary’ given by her mother after the saint and ‘Echo’ given by her mother because she loved the echoes in the mts around Leadville. ‘Silver Dollar’ given by her father because it was the Silver ore that made him his millions. This picture was given to me in Leadville, Colo. 1903 by Silver.

Other sources say the “Silver Dollar” part was suggested by none other than William Jennings Bryan, a family friend.

Unfortunately the Tabors lost their fortune in the early 1890s, thanks in large part to the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.

The family’s riches-to-rags story was made into both a film (Silver Dollar, 1932) and an opera (The Ballad of Baby Doe, 1956). Sadly, Silver didn’t live to see either; she died in 1925 at just 36 years old.

Image: Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar Tabor, Denver Library

Soap Opera Names as Baby Names

Below are over 25 baby names that have been given a boost by various soap operas — All My Children, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and more.

soap opera baby names (luke laura general hospital)

Alanmichael
The character Alan-Michael Spaulding debuted on Guiding Light in 1981 as a baby, then was re-introduced in 1987 as a teenager (impossibly). The baby name Alanmichael debuted on the baby name charts the following year, as did variants Allanmichael and Allenmichael.

  • 1990: 29 baby boys named Alanmichael
  • 1989: 16 baby boys named Alanmichael
  • 1988: 13 baby boys named Alanmichael [debut]
  • 1987: unlisted
  • 1986: unlisted

Ashley
The character Ashley Abbott debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1982. The baby name Ashley saw a significant usage increase that year. (I’ve even interviewed one of the Ashleys named for the character.)

  • 1984: 38,757 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 3rd)
  • 1983: 33,280 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 4th)
  • 1982: 14,844 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 17th)
  • 1981: 8,874 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 34th)
  • 1980: 7,291 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 40th)

Bianca
The character Bianca Montgomery — daughter of Erica Kane — debuted on All My Children in 1988. The baby name Bianca saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1990: 3,826 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 84th)
  • 1989: 3,593 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 91st)
  • 1988: 2,636 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 108th)
  • 1987: 919 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 268th)
  • 1986: 830 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 294th)

Ciji
The character Ciji Dunne debuted on Knot’s Landing in 1982. The baby name Ciji saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1985: 60 baby girls named Ciji
  • 1984: 150 baby girls named Ciji (rank: 963rd)
  • 1983: 244 baby girls named Ciji (rank: 698th)
  • 1982: 8 baby girls named Ciji
  • 1981: unlisted

Cordero
The character Cordero “Cord” Roberts debuted on One Life to Live in 1986. The baby name Cordero debuted on the baby name charts the same year. Cordero was the most impressive newbie name of 1986, in fact. Related names like Corderro, Cordaro, Cordarro, Cordaryl, Cordario and Codero also debuted.

  • 1988: 236 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 615th)
  • 1987: 340 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 481st)
  • 1986: 173 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 689th) [debut]
  • 1985: unlisted
  • 1984: unlisted

Corvina
The character Corvina Lang appeared occasionally on All My Children in the mid-1990s. The baby name Corvina was a one-hit wonder in 1995.

  • 1996: unlisted
  • 1995: 5 baby girls named Corvina [debut]
  • 1994: unlisted

Decker
The character Decker Moss debuted on General Hospital in 1989. The baby name Decker debuted on the baby name charts the following year.

  • 1992: 13 baby boys named Decker
  • 1991: 14 baby boys named Decker
  • 1990: 14 baby boys named Decker [debut]
  • 1989: unlisted
  • 1988: unlisted

Echo
The character Echo DiSavoy debuted on One Life to Live in 1983. The baby name Echo saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1985: 115 baby girls named Echo
  • 1984: 182 baby girls named Echo (rank: 846th)
  • 1983: 181 baby girls named Echo (rank: 844th)
  • 1982: 60 baby girls named Echo
  • 1981: 61 baby girls named Echo

Felicia
The character Felicia Cummings debuted on General Hospital in 1984. The baby name Felicia saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1986: 3,079 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 90th)
  • 1985: 2,739 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 101st)
  • 1984: 1,482 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 185th)
  • 1983: 1,501 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 181st)
  • 1982: 1,425 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 194th)

Frisco
The character Andrew “Frisco” Jones debuted on General Hospital in 1984. The baby name Frisco debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1986: 25 baby boys named Frisco
  • 1985: 16 baby boys named Frisco
  • 1984: 7 baby boys named Frisco [debut]
  • 1983: unlisted
  • 1982: unlisted

Holden
The character Holden Snyder debuted on As the World Turns in 1986. The baby name Holden saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1988: 143 baby boys named Holden (rank: 794th)
  • 1987: 107 baby boys named Holden (rank: 910th)
  • 1986: 58 baby boys named Holden
  • 1985: 15 baby boys named Holden
  • 1984: 17 baby boys named Holden

Jimmylee
The character Jimmy Lee Holt debuted on General Hospital in 1983. The baby name Jimmylee debuted on the baby name charts the following year.

  • 1985: 11 baby boys named Jimmylee
  • 1984: 19 baby boys named Jimmylee
  • 1983: 12 baby boys named Jimmylee [debut]
  • 1982: unlisted
  • 1981: unlisted

Joyelle
The character Joyelle was “born” on How To Survive A Marriage in 1975. The baby names Joyelle, Joyel and Joyell all debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1977: 15/9/10 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell
  • 1976: 31/23/20 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell
  • 1975: 88/79/51 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell [debuts]
  • 1974: unlisted
  • 1973: unlisted

Katina
The character Katina was “born” on Where the Heart Is in 1972. The baby name Katina saw a significant usage increase that year, and related names like Cotina, Katena, Kateena, Cantina and Catena debuted. Cotina was the most impressive newbie name of 1972, in fact. Here’s more on the name Katina.

  • 1974: 765 baby girls named Katina (rank: 307th)
  • 1973: 2,469 baby girls named Katina (rank: 120th)
  • 1972: 2,747 baby girls named Katina (rank: 117th)
  • 1971: 96 baby girls named Katina
  • 1970: 60 baby girls named Katina

Kayla
The character Kayla Brady debuted on Days of Our Lives in 1982. The baby name Kayla saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1984: 2,681 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 100th)
  • 1983: 3,527 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 81st)
  • 1982: 2,275 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 133rd)
  • 1981: 318 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 581st)
  • 1980: 313 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 594th)

Keemo
The character Keemo Volien Abbott debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1994. The baby name Keemo was a one-hit wonder in 1994.

  • 1995: unlisted
  • 1994: 7 baby boys named Keemo [debut]
  • 1993: unlisted

Lahoma
The character Lahoma Vane debuted on Another World in 1967. The baby name Lahoma saw a usage increase the following year. Here’s more on the name Lahoma.

  • 1969: 44 baby girls named Lahoma
  • 1968: 109 baby girls named Lahoma
  • 1967: 24 baby girls named Lahoma
  • 1966: unlisted
  • 1965: 6 baby girls named Lahoma

Laken
The character Laken Lockridge debuted on Santa Barbara in 1984. The baby name Laken debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1986: 94 baby girls named Laken
  • 1985: 109 baby girls named Laken
  • 1984: 19 baby girls named Laken [debut]
  • 1983: unlisted
  • 1982: unlisted

Mergeron
The character Dina Mergeron debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1983. The baby name Mergeron was a one-hit wonder in 1984.

  • 1985: unlisted
  • 1984: 5 baby boys named Mergeron [debut]
  • 1983: unlisted

Mikkos
The character Mikkos Cassadine debuted on General Hospital in 1981. The baby name Mikkos debuted on the baby name charts the same year. Variant name Mikos also debuted that year.

  • 1983: unlisted
  • 1982: 6 baby boys named Mikkos
  • 1981: 15 baby boys named Mikkos [debut]
  • 1980: unlisted
  • 1979: unlisted

Penny
The character Penny Hughes debuted on As the World Turns in 1956. The baby name Penny saw a usage increase the following year.

  • 1958: 3,557 baby girls named Penny
  • 1957: 3,042 baby girls named Penny
  • 1956: 2,345 baby girls named Penny
  • 1955: 2,211 baby girls named Penny
  • 1954: 2,135 baby girls named Penny

Reva
The character Reva Shayne debuted on Guiding Light in 1983. The baby name Reva saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1986: 134 baby girls named Reva
  • 1985: 115 baby girls named Reva
  • 1984: 92 baby girls named Reva
  • 1983: 43 baby girls named Reva
  • 1982: 37 baby girls named Reva

Ridge
The character Ridge Forrester debuted on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1987. The baby name Ridge re-entered the baby name charts after a long absence the same year.

  • 1989: 105 baby boys named Ridge (rank: 1,000th)
  • 1988: 99 baby boys named Ridge (rank: 975th)
  • 1987: 26 baby boys named Ridge
  • 1986: unlisted
  • 1985: unlisted

Sierra
The character Sierra Esteban debuted on As the World Turns in 1985. The baby name Sierra saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1987: 1,620 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 173rd)
  • 1986: 1,610 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 169th)
  • 1985: 1,199 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 215th)
  • 1984: 230 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 720th)
  • 1983: 193 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 807th)

Snapper
The character William “Snapper” Foster debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1973. The baby name Snapper debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1975: 6 baby boys names Snapper
  • 1974: 8 baby boys names Snapper
  • 1973: 5 baby boys names Snapper [debut]
  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: unlisted

Tara
The character Tara Martin debuted on All My Children in 1970. The baby name Tara saw a significant usage increase that year. Here’s more on the name Tara.

  • 1972: 7,230 baby girls named Tara (rank: 38th)
  • 1971: 6,327 baby girls named Tara (rank: 50th)
  • 1970: 5,334 baby girls named Tara (rank: 69th)
  • 1969: 3,519 baby girls named Tara (rank: 107th)
  • 1968: 2,184 baby girls named Tara (rank: 147th)

Do you know anyone named for a soap opera character?

Update, 4/2017: Here’s another: Tyger!