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

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Popularity of the Baby Name Edwin


Posts that Mention the Name Edwin

Rare Girl Names from Early Cinema: Letter D

derry thomas, movies, 1920s
Madge Bellamy as Derry Thomas in the movie Summer Bachelors (1926).

Looking for an uncommon D-name for your baby girl? Here’s the next installment of rare female names collected from very old films (1910s to 1940s)…

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Dabby
Dabby was a character played by actress Ruby Dandridge in the film Tap Roots (1948).

Dacia
Dacia was a character played by actress Vivian Tobin in the film The Sign of the Cross (1932).

  • Usage of the baby name Dacia.

Dado
Dado Scholl was a character played by actress Gretchen Lederer in the short film The Temptation of Edwin Swayne (1915).

Dagmar
Dagmar was a character name in multiple films, including A Million A Minute (1916) and The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Dagmar.

Daire
Daire Vincent was a character played by actress Gladys Brockwell in the film Up from the Depths (1915).

  • Usage of the baby name Daire.

Dale
Dale Fuller was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in California in 1885. Her birth name was Marie Dale Phillipps. Dale was also a character name in multiple films, including Top Hat (1935) and King of Alcatraz (1938).

  • Usage of the baby name Dale.

Dalla
Dalla was a character played by actress Betty Compson in the film The Female (1924).

Dalle
Dalle Aldis was a character played by actress Ruth Clifford in the film The Lure of Luxury (1918).

Danila
Danila was a character played by actress Kay Sutton in the film Flying Blind (1941).

  • Usage of the baby name Danila.

Dany
Dany Robin was an actress who appeared in films from the 1940s to the 1960s. She was born in France in 1927. Her birth name was Danielle Robin.

  • Usage of the baby name Dany.

Daphnia
Daphnia was a character played by actress Winifred Greenwood in the short film Daphnia (1914).

Darya
Darya Orlinsky was a character played by actress Viola Dana in the film The Cossack Whip (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Darya.

Davidina
Davidina was a character played by actress Grace Gordon in the film Spangles (1926).

Dazil
Dazil Mellows was a character played by actress Alice Brady in the film The Redhead (1919).

Dea
Dea was a character name in multiple films, including The Man Who Laughs (1928) and Typhoon (1940).

  • Usage of the baby name Dea.

Deanie
Deanie Consadine was a character played by actress Madge Evans in the film The Power and the Glory (1918).

  • Usage of the baby name Deanie.

Decima
Decima Duress was a character played by actress Lois Meredith in the film An Enemy to Society (1915).

  • Usage of the baby name Decima.

Dede
Dede Mason was a character played by actress Myrtle Stedman in the film Burning Daylight (1914).

  • Usage of the baby name Dede.

Dee
Dee Foster was a character played by actress Alice White in the film Broadway Babies (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Dee.

Dee Dee
Dee Dee Dillwood was a character played by actress Joan Fontaine in the film You Gotta Stay Happy (1948).

Deedee
Deedee Doree was a character played by actress Mona Barrie in the film Love, Honor and Oh-Baby! (1940).

  • Usage of the baby name Deedee.

Deirdre
Deirdre Drake was a character played by actress Dolores Moran in the film Old Acquaintance (1943).

Delaphine
Delaphine was a character played by actress Gene Gauntier in the short film The Belle of New Orleans (1912).

Delarai
Delarai was a character played by actress Merle Oberon in the film Night in Paradise (1946).

Delatorre
Princess Delatorre was a character played by actress Julia Swayne Gordon in the film Misbehaving Ladies (1931).

Delfina
Delfina Acuña was a character played by actress Barbara Brown in the film You Were Never Lovelier (1942).

Delice
Delice Brixton was a character played by actress Dorothy Phillips in the film The Flashlight (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Delice.

Delicia
Delicia was a character name in multiple films, including The Human Investment (1915) and The Ladder of Fortune (1915).

Delight
Delight was a character name in multiple films, including The Unafraid (short, 1915) and Dangerous Days (1920).

Delima
Delima Turcott was a character played by actress Rosa Rosanova in the film A Woman’s Faith (1925).

  • Usage of the baby name Delima.

Deloryce
Deloryce was a character played by actress Betty Compson in the film Woman to Woman (1929).

Delphinie
Delphinie was a character played by actress Lillian Yarbo in the film Boy Friend (1939).

Delsie
Delsie O’Dell was a character played by actress Dorothy Gish in the film The Ghost in the Garret (1921).

  • Usage of the baby name Delsie.

Demetra
Demetra was a character played by actress Maud Allan in the film The Rug Maker’s Daughter (1915).

Demetria
Demetria Riffle was a character played by actress Eily Malyon in the film On Borrowed Time (1939).

Dena
Dena Maxwellton was a character played by actress Iris Adrian in the film Swing It Soldier (1941).

  • Usage of the baby name Dena.

Dennie
Dennie Moore was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1950s. She was born in New York in 1902. Her birth name was Florence Moore.

  • Usage of the baby name Dennie.

Derelys
Derelys Perdue was an actress who appeared in films in the 1920s. She was born in Missouri in 1902. Her birth name was Geraldine Perdue. Derelys was also a character played by actress Lilyan Tashman in the film Take Me Home (1928).

  • Usage of the baby name Derelys (which debuted in the data in 1924).

Deria
Deria was a character played by actress Julia Dean in the film Experiment Perilous (1944).

  • Usage of the baby name Deria.

Derith
Derith was a character played by actress Claire Windsor in the film The Strangers’ Banquet (1922).

  • Usage of the baby name Derith (which debuted in the data the year after The Strangers’ Banquet came out).

Derry
Derry Thomas was a character played by actress Madge Bellamy in the film Summer Bachelors (1926).

  • Usage of the baby name Derry.

Desdemona
Desdemona was a character played by actress Julia Swayne Gordon in the film Othello (1908).

Despina
Despina was the 114-year-old woman featured in the short documentary The Weavers (1905), believed to be the first motion picture shot in the Balkans. (There’s no proof of Despina’s year of birth, but if she really was 114 years old, then she’s the earliest-born person ever filmed.)

Dessie
Dessie Arnhalt was a character played by actress Zasu Pitts in the film West of the Water Tower (1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Dessie.

Dete
Dete was a character played by actress Mady Christians in the film Heidi (1937).

Devoria
Devoria was a character played by actress Ruby Dandridge in the film Home in Oklahoma (1946).

Dey
Dey Shevlin was a character played by actress Winifred Westover in the film The Fighter (1921).

Diantha
Diantha was a character name in multiple films, including Daughter of Mine (1919) and Cass Timberlane (1947).

Didi
Didi Bonfee was a character played by actress Alice White in the film Secret of the Chateau (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Didi.

Dierdre
Dierdre Saurin was a character played by actress Claire Windsor in the film The Claw (1927).

Dilys
Dilys was a character played by actress Patricia Roc in the film Jassy (1947).

  • Usage of the baby name Dilys.

Dione
Princess Dione was a character played by actress Claire Du Brey in the film The Reward of the Faithless (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Dione.

Diony
Diony Hall was a character played by actress Eleanor Boardman in the film The Great Meadow (1931).

  • Usage of the baby name Diony.

Dita
Dita Parlo was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1960s. She was born in Germany (now Poland) in 1906. Her birth name was Grethe Gerda Kornstädt.

  • Usage of the baby name Dita.

Dixiana
Dixiana Caldwell was a character played by actress Bebe Daniels in the film Dixiana (1930).

  • Usage of the baby name Dixiana (which debuted in the data in 1930).

Dodie
Dodie was a character name in multiple films, including Help Yourself (1932) and And Sudden Death (1936).

  • Usage of the baby name Dodie.

Dodo
Dodo was a character name in multiple films, including Our Little Wife (1918) and Rouge and Riches (1920).

Dolce
Dolce was a character played by actress Bessie Learn in the short film Poisoned by Jealousy (1915).

  • Usage of the baby name Dolce.

Dollie
Dollie was a character name in multiple films, including The Adventures of Dollie (1908) and Hero by Proxy (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Dollie.

Dolly
Dolly Larkin was an actress who appeared in films in the 1910s. She was born in New York in 1889. Her birth name was Margaret Larkin. Dolly was also a character played by actress Cleo Madison in the short film The Ring of Destiny (1915).

  • Usage of the baby name Dolly.

Dolores
Dolores del Rio was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1970s. She was born in Mexico in 1904. Dolores Moran was an actress who appeared in films from the 1940s to the 1950s. She was born in California in 1926. Dolores was also a character played by actress Hedy Lamarr in the film Tortilla Flat (1942).

Dolorita
Dolorita was a dancer who appeared in films in the 1890s and 1900s. Her first film, The Dolorita Passion Dance (1897), was the first motion picture to be banned in the United States. (It was banned in Atlantic City specifically.)

Dolorosa
Dolorosa was a character name in multiple films, including Mockery (1912) and Strangling Threads (1923).

Dominga
Dominga was a character played by actress Armida in the film Border Cafe (1937).

Domini
Domini was a character played by various actresses (such as Helen Ware and Marlene Dietrich) in various movies called The Garden of Allah, all based on the 1904 novel of the same name by Robert Smythe Hichens.

  • Usage of the baby name Domini.

Dominica
Dominica was a character played by actress Nell Craig in multiple short films in 1915, such as The Rajah’s Tunic (1915).

Donia
Donia Bussey was an actress who appeared in films from the 1940s to the 1950s. She was born in Ohio in 1899. Donia was also a character played by actress Edith Storey in the short film The Chains of an Oath (1913).

  • Usage of the baby name Donia.

Donivee
Donivee Purkey was an actress who appeared in films in the 1940s. She was born in Oklahoma in 1922.

  • Usage of the baby name Donivee (which debuted in the data in 1942).

Doraldina
Doraldina was a mononymous dancer/actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in California in 1888. Her birth name was Dora Saunders.

Dorcas
Dorcas was a character name in multiple films, including Brought Home (1915) and Straight Is the Way (1921).

  • Usage of the baby name Dorcas.

Doree
Doree Macy was a character played by actress Bebe Daniels in the film My Past (1931).

  • Usage of the baby name Doree.

Doreen
Doreen Stockwell was a character played by actress Julie London in the film Nabonga (1944).

  • Usage of the baby name Doreen.

Doric
Doric Blint was a character played by actress Julia Faye in the film Venus in the East (1919).

Dorina
Dorina was a character played by actress Pina Menichelli in the Italian film La trilogia di Dorina (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Dorina.

Dorinda
Dorinda Clifton was an actress who appeared in films in the 1940s and 1950s. She was born in California in 1928. Dorinda was also a character name in multiple films, including Rosemary, That’s for Remembrance (1914) and The Farmer’s Daughter (1940).

Dorinea
Dorinea Shirley was an actress who appeared in films in the 1920s. She was born in England in 1902.

Dorinne
Dorinne Adams was a character played by actress Wanda Hawley in the film Fires of Fate (1923).

Dorita
Dorita was a character played by actress Carmen Miranda in the film The Gang’s All Here (1943).

  • Usage of the baby name Dorita.

Dorothea
Dorothea Kent was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1940s. She was born in Missouri in 1916. Dorothea was also a character name in multiple films, including The Heart of a Child (1915) and Broken in the Wars (1919).

Dorris
Dorris Dare was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in 1899.

  • Usage of the baby name Dorris.

Dorrit
Dorrit Weixler was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in Germany in 1892.

  • Usage of the baby name Dorrit.

Dot
Dot was a character name in multiple films, including Kid Millions (1934) and The Law in Her Hands (1936).

  • Usage of the baby name Dot.

Dottie
Dottie was a character name in multiple films, including Victorine (1915) and Telephone Operator (1937).

  • Usage of the baby name Dottie.

Dotty
Dotty Donald was a character played by actress Velma Whitman in the film Some Boy (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Dotty.

Douglamana
Douglamana was a character played by actress Laska Winter in the film Frozen Justice (1929).

Draguisha
Draguisha was a character played by actress Valerie Hobson in the film Continental Express (1939).

Dreena
Dreena was a character played by actress Nell Shipman in the films White Water (1926) and The Light on Lookout Mountain (1926).

  • Usage of the baby name Dreena.

Dreka
Dreka Langley was a character played by actress Rosemary Theby in the film Pagan Passions (1924).

Dria
Dria Paola was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1940s. She was born in Italy in 1909. Her birth name was Etra Pitteo.

Drina
Drina was a character name in multiple films, including Marie, Ltd. (1919) and Dead End (1937).

  • Usage of the baby name Drina.

Drowzina
Drowzina was a character played by actress Gwen Lee in the short film Candid Cameramaniacs (1937).

Drucilla
Drucilla was a character name in multiple films, including Pretty Mrs. Smith (1915) and Grim Justice (1916).

Drusilla
Drusilla was a character name in multiple films, including The Forest on the Hill (1919) and Reap the Wild Wind (1942).

Duane
Duane Thompson was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1930s. She was born in Iowa in 1903.

  • Usage of the baby name Duane.

Duenna
Duenna was a character played by actress Carrie Clark Ward in the film Thundering Hoofs (1924).

Dulcey
Dulcey Lee was a character played by actress Zasu Pitts in the film The Lady’s from Kentucky (1939).

  • Usage of the baby name Dulcey.

Dulcie
Dulcie was a character name in multiple films, including The Masqueraders (1915) and Miss Dulcie from Dixie (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Dulcie.

Dulcinea
Dulcinea was a character played by actress Fay Tincher in the film Don Quixote (1915).

Dulcy
Dulcy was a character name in multiple films, including Not So Dumb (1930) and Dulcy (1940).

  • Usage of the baby name Dulcy.

Duna
Duna was a character played by actress Sarah Padden in the film Rasputin and the Empress (1932).

  • Usage of the baby name Duna.

Durgan
Durgan was a character played by Bodil Rosing in the film Broadway Babies (1929).

Dusa
Dusa was a character played by actress Helen Gardner in the short film A Daughter of Pan (1913).

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Which of the above D-names do you like best?

Source: IMDb

Would You Name Your Baby “Weena”?

weena, 1960, movie, time machine,
Weena from The Time Machine (1960)

The peculiar name Weena popped up in the data a few times in the 1960s and 1970s, starting in ’62:

  • 1966: unlisted
  • 1965: 5 baby girls named Weena
  • 1964: unlisted
  • 1963: unlisted
  • 1962: 6 baby girls named Weena [debut]
  • 1961: unlisted

Why?

My best guess is the movie The Time Machine, an adaptation of H. G. Wells’ classic sci-fi story The Time Machine (1895). The movie was released mid-1960, so this is a slightly late debut, but the baby name matches up perfectly with the name of the primary female character, Weena (played by Yvette Mimieux).

The protagonist is an English time traveler who jumps hundreds of thousands of years into the future and discovers that humans have split into two species: the childlike Eloi, who live above ground, and the barbaric Morlocks, who live below ground.

name weena, time machine

He befriends a female Eloi, and eventually learns that her name is “Weena.”

Here’s the quote from the book:

Then I tried talk, and found that her name was Weena, which, though I don’t know what it meant, somehow seemed appropriate enough.

And here’s the scene from the film:

TT: “Well, what’s your name?”
W: “Wee-nah.”
TT: “Weena?”
W: (nods)
TT: “How do you spell it?”
W: “…Spell?”
TT: “Spell. Write. Can’t you write?”
W: (blank stare)
TT: (writes WEENA in the dirt)

I don’t think Wells left a record of how he came up with the name Weena for his Eloi character, but he may have been inspired by the name Edwina, which was more common in Victorian England than it is in modern America. (It’s the feminine form of the Old English name Edwin, meaning “wealth” + “friend.”)

Speaking of Edwina…the baby name Edwina happened to see a usage spike in in 1962, and the short form Wina appeared in the data in 1961 and 1962 (only). But I don’t think Weena from Time Machine had much to do with it — I think these spellings point to the character Edwina Brown from the TV show National Velvet (1960-1962), which also boosted the name Velvet to peak usage in 1961.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Weena? How about Edwina?

Sources: The Time Machine – Wikipedia, The Time Machine (1960) – TCM.com

Baby Names & Numerology: Number 1

baby names that add up to 1, numerologically

Here are hundreds of baby names that have a numerological value of “1.”

I’ve sub-categorized them by overall totals, because I think that some of the intermediate numbers could have special significance to people as well.

Within each group, I’ve listed up to ten of the most popular “1” names per gender (according to the current U.S. rankings).

Beneath all the names are some ways you could interpret the numerological value of “1,” including descriptions from two different numerological systems.

1 via 10

The following baby names add up to 10, which reduces to one (1+0=1).

  • “10” girl names: Eda, Dea, Ebba, Ade
  • “10” boy names: Ade

1 via 19

The following baby names add up to 19, which reduces to one (1+9=10; 1+0=1).

  • “19” girl names: Mae, Ema, Abbie, Alea, Acadia, Aela, Mea, Jace, Aide, Gabi
  • “19” boy names: Adam, Jace, Dan, Jed, Fahd, Bob, Ra, Beka, Amad, Addai

1 via 28

The following baby names add up to 28, which reduces to one (2+8=10; 1+0=1).

  • “28” girl names: Eva, Eden, Lana, Ari, Nala, Andi, Adalee, Dani, Vada, Jael
  • “28” boy names: Alan, Ari, Eden, Case, Mack, Ira, Jael, Ash, Om, Adin

1 via 37

The following baby names add up to 37, which reduces to one (3+7=10; 1+0=1).

  • “37” girl names: Elena, Cora, Alina, Rebecca, Kate, Ariah, Alani, Liana, Amalia, Mina
  • “37” boy names: Luca, Baker, Axl, Jamal, Coen, Van, Brice, Niam, Nick, Ajay

1 via 46

The following baby names add up to 46, which reduces to one (4+6=10; 1+0=1).

  • “46” girl names: Hannah, Zoe, Gianna, Reagan, Lucia, Daniela, Adaline, Zara, Vera, Raegan
  • “46” boy names: Elias, Ivan, Juan, Zane, Leon, Damien, Arlo, Erick, Cesar, Malik

1 via 55

The following baby names add up to 55, which reduces to one (5+5=10; 1+0=1).

  • “55” girl names: Nevaeh, Hadley, Iris, Joanna, Camille, Freya, Aspen, Gabriela, Heaven, Mariam
  • “55” boy names: Edward, Jorge, Jett, Edwin, Grady, Davis, Conrad, Kellan, Vihaan, Grey

1 via 64

The following baby names add up to 64, which reduces to one (6+4=10; 1+0=1).

  • “64” girl names: Emily, Piper, Makayla, Tessa, Sabrina, Mercy, Miley, Frankie, Natasha, Azariah
  • “64” boy names: Jaxon, Brody, Zion, Peter, Knox, Lukas, Israel, Arjun, Ronald, Roland

1 via 73

The following baby names add up to 73, which reduces to one (7+3=10; 1+0=1).

  • “73” girl names: Brynn, Carolina, Kaylani, Jazmin, Elliot, Calliope, Karter, Jurnee, Bexley, Nataly
  • “73” boy names: Jackson, Joseph, Ezekiel, Elliot, Karter, Nicolas, Jayceon, Sergio, Sincere, Alberto

1 via 82

The following baby names add up to 82, which reduces to one (8+2=10; 1+0=1).

  • “82” girl names: Allison, Julianna, Kamryn, Meredith, Addyson, Clarissa, Kaisley, Lizbeth, Kaelynn, Charlize
  • “82” boy names: Maverick, Zachary, Hendrix, Phillip, Mitchell, Crosby, Thaddeus, Kamryn, Alfonso, Dimitri

1 via 91

The following baby names add up to 91, which reduces to one (9+1=10; 1+0=1).

  • “91” girl names: Katherine, Taylor, Everleigh, Sawyer, Payton, Phoenix, Braelynn, Kensley, Liberty, Lauryn
  • “91” boy names: Sawyer, Giovanni, Phoenix, Johnathan, Matthias, Taylor, Cassius, Yousef, Payton, Agustin

1 via 100

The following baby names add up to 100, which reduces to one (1+0+0=1).

  • “100” girl names: Presley, Vivienne, Clementine, Brynleigh, Joselyn, Austyn, Yaritza, Jordynn, Temperance, Lillyanna
  • “100” boy names: Maximus, Ezequiel, Quentin, Quinten, Presley, Everette, Shivansh, Austyn, Ignatius, Yunus

1 via 109

The following baby names add up to 109, which reduces to one (1+0+9=10; 1+0=1).

  • “109” girl names: Sutton, Brittany, Raylynn, Joslynn, Zipporah, Hennessy, Sunshine, Kimberlyn, Rowynn, Faithlynn
  • “109” boy names: Kingston, Sutton, Westley, Tristin, Khristian, Rigoberto, Montrell, Rayshawn, Justyn, Stryder

1 via 118

The following baby names add up to 118, which reduces to one (1+1+8=10; 1+0=1).

  • “118” girl names: Rosalynn, Westlyn, Shaylynn, Jesslynn, Kynzley, Sharlotte, Krystiana, Christyana, Isabellarose, Timberlyn
  • “118” boy names: Demitrius, Oluwatobi, Braxxton, Anastasios, Barrington, Stanislaw, Bryxton, Braxtynn, Youness, Jatavious

1 via 127

The following baby names add up to 127, which reduces to one (1+2+7=10; 1+0=1).

  • “127” girl names: Quetzaly, Karrington, Rosselyn, Roselynne, Lillyrose, Onyinyechi, Terralynn, Annavictoria, Torilynn
  • “127” boy names: Stratton, Odysseus, Kristoffer, Maksymilian, Augustino, Ozymandias, Theophilos, Chukwuebuka, Jaxxston, Kingarthur

1 via 136

The following baby names add up to 136, which reduces to one (1+3+6=10; 1+0=1).

  • “136” girl names: Kourtlyn, Oyinkansola, Brookelynne, Rosslynn, Tanitoluwa
  • “136” boy names: Jaquavious, Xzayvion, Oreofeoluwa

1 via 145

The following baby names add up to 145, which reduces to one (1+4+5=10; 1+0=1).

  • “145” girl names: Montgomery, Maryelizabeth, Elizabethrose, Peneloperose
  • “145” boy names: Montgomery, Sylvester, Quantavius, Constantinos

1 via 154

The girl name Summerlynn adds up to 154, which reduces to one (1+5+4=10; 1+0=1).

1 via 163

The boy name Constantinos adds up to 163, which reduces to one (1+6+3=10; 1+0=1).

1 via 172

The girl name Trinityrose adds up to 172, which reduces to one (1+7+2=10; 1+0=1).

What Does “1” Mean?

First, we’ll look at the significance assigned to “1” by two different numerological sources. Second, and more importantly, ask yourself if “1” or any of the intermediate numbers above have any special significance to you.

Numerological Attributes

“1” (the monad) according to the Pythagoreans:

  • “The Pythagoreans called the monad ‘intellect’ because they thought that intellect was akin to the One; for among the virtues, they likened the monad to moral wisdom; for what is correct is one. And they called it ‘being,’ ’cause of truth,’ ‘simple,’ ‘paradigm,’ ‘order,’ ‘concord,’ ‘what is equal among greater and lesser,’ ‘the mean between intensity and slackness,’ ‘moderation in plurality,’ ‘the instant now in time,’ and moreover they called it ‘ship,’ ‘chariot,’ ‘friend,’ ‘life,’ ‘happiness.'”
  • “They say that the monad is not only God, but also ‘intellect’ and ‘androgyne.’ It is called ‘intellect’ because of that aspect of God which is the most authoritative both in the creation of the universe and in general in all skill and reason”
  • “They consider it to be the seed of all, and both male and female at once”
  • “They call it ‘Chaos’ which is Hesiod’s first generator, because Chaos gives rise to everything else, as the monad does. It is also thought to be both ‘mixture’ and ‘blending,’ ‘obscurity’ and ‘darkness,’ thanks to the lack of articulation and distinction of everything which ensues from it.”
  • “They call it ‘Prometheus,’ the artificer of life, because, uniquely, it in no way outruns or departs from its own principle, nor allows anything else to do so, since it shares out its own properties.”

“1” according to Edgar Cayce:

  • “One indicates strength, power, influence” (reading 261-15).
  • “All activities emanate from the one” (reading 5751-1).
  • “As in numbers…all are formations or divisions or multiples of units of one, so the universe and the expressions of all natures within same are the manifestations of that one force, one power, one spirit, one energy known as or called a Universal Force, Creative Energy, or God.” (reading 1462-1).
Personal/Cultural Significance

Does “1” — or do any of the other numbers above (e.g., 19, 55, 64, 109) — have any special significance to you?

Think about your own preferences and personal experiences: lucky numbers, birth dates, music, sports, and so on. Maybe your favorite song is “When I’m Sixty-Four” by the Beatles, for example.

Also think about associations you may have picked up from your culture, your religion, or society in general.

If you have any interesting insights about the number 1, or any of the other numbers above, please leave a comment!

Source: Theologumena Arithmeticae, attributed to Iamblichus (c.250-c.330).

Name Spotting: Malancthon

sign, colorado, names
Sign inside Garden of the Gods

My dad came out to visit us in Colorado recently. He loves geology, so we made sure to take him to several different places with impressive rocks/terrain.

One place we visited was Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. In this park we spotted the above sign, which described how the park got its name back in the 1850s:

As they looked over this area of cathedral-like rock spires, one man, Malancthon Beach, commented that the spot would be a great place for a beer garden someday. His friend, a poetic young man named Rufous Cable, replied that it was a place “fit for the Gods.”

It’s a cool story, but, to me, that first name “Malancthon” is way more interesting than the origin of the park name. Where did it come from?

My best guess is that Malancthon is a tribute to 16th-century German theologian Philipp Melanchthon, one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname at birth was Schwartzerd (“black earth” in German), but as a young man he Latinized his name to the classical equivalent Melanchthon (“black earth” in Greek).

Civilian Conservation Corps, new deal
CCC Company 1848

We also saw some names at Red Rocks, which is both a park and a famous amphitheater.

The amphitheater was constructed from 1936 to 1941 by men in the Civilian Conservation Corps, a work relief program that existed during the Great Depression. One display included a photo of 124 of the men in the local CCC. Here are their first names, sorted by frequency:

  • 5: Joe, Raymond
  • 4: Charles
  • 3: Arthur, Clarence, Edward
  • 2: Bill, Byron, Carl, David, Earnest, Edwin, Everett, Jack, James, Leo, Maurice, William
  • 1: Aaron, Albert, Aldine, Alfonso, Allen, Alva, Amos, Ancelmo, Arleigh, Aubrey, Audrey, Barnett, Blaine, Calvin, Celestino, Charley, Claud, Claude, Clayton, Cleston, Dale, Damas, Dan, Darold, Dick, Don, Donald, Ed, Elden, Elias, Elipio, Emerson, Emilio, Eric, Ernest, Eston, Fares, Frank, Fred, Glenn, Grant, Gust, Guy, Horace, Hubert, Irvin, Jake, Jasper, Jesse, Jim, John, Jose, Kenneth, Lawrence, Leland, Leonard, Lester, Louis, Lyman, Manual, Marvin, Max, Merce, Noah, Norman, Orval, Pasqual, Paul, Pete, Richard, Rowland, Rudolfo, Russel, Russell, Sandeford, Trenton, Willard

…What interesting names have you spotted while out and about recently?

Classics on the Decline: Paul, Jesse, Frank

boy names falling out of fashion

A few weeks back, a reader named Caitlin emailed me a cool list of well-known names that were decreasing in usage. Her list included:

  • Andrew, now ranked 40th — lowest ranking since 1963
  • Michael, now ranked 12th — lowest ranking since 1942
  • David, now ranked 23rd — lowest ranking since 1924

She also generously told me that I could share her findings (thank you Caitlin!).

The names that intrigued me most were the “lowest ever” names: names that had been in the data since 1880, but that saw their lowest usage ever (in terms of rankings) in 2017. Three of the boy names on her list — Paul, Richard, Robert — were “lowest ever” names, so I decided start with these and search for others.

I checked hundreds of potential candidates. Many (like Andrew, Michael, and David) hit a low in 2017, but it wasn’t their all-time low. Many others (like Stanley, Alvin, and Clarence) hit a low recently, but not as recently as 2017.

In the end, I was able to add 15 names to the list:

  • Allen. Ranked 401st in 2017; peak was 71st in the 1940s/1950s.
  • Dennis. Ranked 544th in 2017; peak was 16th in the 1940s.
  • Edgar. Ranked 353rd in 2017; peak was 51st in the 1880s.
  • Edwin. Ranked 332nd in 2017; peak was 52nd in the 1910s/1920s.
  • Frank. Ranked 373rd in 2017; peak was 6th in the 1880s/1890s.
  • Gerald. Ranked 824th in 2017; peak was 19th in the 1930s.
  • Glenn. Ranked 1,288th in 2017; peak was 55th in the 1960s.
  • Herman. Ranked 2,347th in 2017; peak was 44th in the 1880s/1890s.
  • Jerome. Ranked 857th in 2017; peak was 93rd in the 1930s.
  • Jesse. Ranked 186th in 2017; peak was 37th in the 1980s.
  • Lloyd. Ranked 1,570th in 2017; peak was 51st in the 1910s.
  • Martin. Ranked 281st in 2017; peak was 62nd in the 1960s.
  • Marvin. Ranked 559th in 2017; peak was 44th in the 1930s.
  • Paul. Ranked 225th in 2017; peak was 12th in the 1910s/1930s.
  • Raymond. Ranked 293rd in 2017; peak was 14th in the 1910s.
  • Richard. Ranked 175th in 2017; peak was 5th in the 1930s/1940s.
  • Robert. Ranked 65th in 2017; peak was 1st in the 1920s/1930s/1950s.
  • Wayne. Ranked 816th in 2017; peak was 29th in the 1940s.

Interestingly, all 18 have spent time in the top 100. And one, Robert, is still in the top 100. (How long before Robert is out of the top 100, do you think?)

A handful of girl names also saw their lowest-ever rankings in 2017. I’ll post that list next week…