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

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Popularity of the Baby Name Ethel

Number of Babies Named Ethel

Born in the U.S. Since 1880

Posts that Mention the Name Ethel

Rare Girl Names from Early Cinema: Letter R

romola, name, cinema
Lillian Gish as Romola (1924)
Want an uncommon R-name for your baby girl? Here’s the next installment of rare female names collected from very old films (1910s to 1940s)…

Radha
Radha was a character played by actress Mary Pickford in the film Less Than the Dust (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Radha.

Rafaela
Rafaela Ottiano was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1940s. She was born in Italy in 1888. Rafaela was also a character played by actress Alice Joyce in the short film The Bag of Gold (1912).

Raimunda
Raimunda was a character played by actress Eulalie Jensen in the film Passion Flower (1921).

Rainbow
Rainbow Halliday was a character played by actress Alice Calhoun in the film Rainbow (1921).

Rallah
Rallah was a character played by actress Leatrice Joy Gilbert in the film Kismet (1944).

Ramsay
Ramsay Ames was an actress who appeared in films from the 1940s to the 1960s. She was born in New York in 1919.

  • Usage of the baby name Ramsay.

Raquella
Raquella was a character played by actress Raquel Torres in the film Under a Texas Moon (1930).

Rascha
Rascha was a character played by actress Dolores del Rio in the film Revenge (1928).

Rathia
Rathia was a character played by actress Clyne Dacia in the film A Romance of Old Baghdad (1922).

Rawnie
Margaret Adams, called “Rawnie,” was a character played by actress Rochelle Hudson in the film Rascals (1938).

  • Usage of the baby name Rawnie (which debuted in the data the year Rascals came out).

Ray
Ray was a (female) character name in multiple films, including The Careless Age (1929) and Back Street (1941).

  • Usage of the baby name Ray.

Rayma
Rayma was a character played by actress Rosemary Theby in the film A Son of the Sahara (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Rayma.

Reba
Reba was a character played by actress Louise Fazenda in the film Millionaires (1926).

  • Usage of the baby name Reba.

Redora
Redora Bump was a character played by actress Ethel Wales in the film The Country Doctor (1927).

Reggie
Regina “Reggie” Van Maaster was a character played by actress Marsha Hunt in the film Seven Sweethearts (1942).

  • Usage of the baby name Reggie.

Regi
Regi Allen was a character played by actress Carole Lombard in the film Hands Across the Table (1935).

Regine
Regine was a character played by actress Juliette Compton in the film The Wine of Life (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Regine.

Reine
Reine Davies was an actress who appeared in films in the 1910s. She was born in New York in 1883. Her birth name was Irene Douras.

  • Usage of the baby name Reine.

Reni
Reni Vonich was a character played by actress Dorothy Tree in the film Television Spy (1939).

  • Usage of the baby name Reni.

Renie
Renie Mathis was a character played by actress Mabel Taliaferro in the film A Magdalene of the Hills (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Renie.

Reno
Reno Browne was an actress who appeared in films from the 1940s to the 1950s. She was born in (Reno) Nevada in 1921. Her birth name Josephine Ruth Clarke. Reno was also a character played by actress Ethel Merman in the film Anything Goes (1936).

  • Usage of the baby name Reno.

Resha
Resha was a character played by actress Ethel Ritchie in the film The Virgin of Stamboul (1920).

  • Usage of the baby name Resha.

Ressel
Ressel Orla was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in Austria-Hungary (now Italy) in 1889.

Rethna
Rethna was a character played by actress Cleo Madison in the film Her Bitter Cup (1916).

Retta
Retta Barr was a character played by actress Rafaela Ottiano in the film The Last Gentleman (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Retta.

Rexy
Regina “Rexy” Gordon was a character played by actress Bebe Daniels in the film Counsellor at Law (1933).

Rheba
Rheba was a character name in multiple films, including You Can’t Take It with You (1938) and Junior Miss (1945).

  • Usage of the baby name Rheba.

Rhoda
Rhoda was a character name in multiple films, including The Red, Red Heart (1918) and Death Takes a Holiday (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Rhoda.

Rhona
Rhona was a character played by actress Gladys Brockwell in the film The Sneak (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Rhona.

Ricca
Ricca Allen was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1940s. She was born in Canada in 1863.

  • Usage of the baby name Ricca.

Richmiel
Richmiel Crumb was a character played by actress Seena Owen in the film Faint Perfume (1925).

Ricki
Ricki Woodner was a character played by actress Lucille Ball in the film Two Smart People (1946).

  • Usage of the baby name Ricki.

Riette
Riette Van Orman was a character played by actress Leona Maricle in the film My Reputation (1946).

Rika
Countess Rika was a character played by actress Julia Faye in the Cecil B. DeMille film Triumph (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Rika.

Ril
Ril Lambeth was a character played by actress Martha Sleeper in the film West of the Pecos (1934).

Rilla
Rilla was a character played by actress Laura Oakley in the film The Dumb Girl of Portici (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Rilla.

Risa
Risa Bartlett was a character played by actress Gladys Hulette in the film Combat (1927).

  • Usage of the baby name Risa.

Rissa
Clarissa “Rissa” Fortune was a character played by actress Ella Raines in the film Time Out of Mind (1947).

  • Usage of the baby name Rissa (which debuted in the data the year Time Out of Mind came out).

Ritta
Ritta was a character played by actress Bessie Eyton in the short film The Great Experiment (1915).

  • Usage of the baby name Ritta.

Ritzy
Ritzy was a character name in multiple films, including Ritzy (1927) and Thunderbolt (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Ritzy.

Riza
Riza was a character name in multiple films, including The Cat’s Pajamas (1926) and Prisoners (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Riza.

Robar
Robar was a character played by actress Anna Q. Nilsson in the short film The Gypsy’s Brand (1913).

Robina
Robina Teele was a character played by actress Mae Busch in the film Souls for Sale (1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Robina.

Robinetta
Robinetta Gale was a character played by actress Mary Fuller in the short film The Contents of a Suitcase (1913).

Robinette
Robinette was a character played by actress Claire Windsor in the film The White Desert (1925).

Roby
Roby was a character played by actress Charlotte Burton in the film The Craving (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Roby.

Roma
Roma was a character name in multiple films, including Miss Nobody (1917) and Set Free (1918).

  • Usage of the baby name Roma.

Romany
Romany was a character played by actress Marion Davies in the film Runaway Romany (1917).

Romo
Romo was a character played by actress Elizabeth Allan in the film Michael and Mary (1931).

Romola
Romola Remus was an actress who appeared in one film in 1908. She was born in Illinois in 1900. Romola was also a character played by actress Lillian Gish in the film Romola (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Romola.

Rona
Lady Rona was a character played by actress Nora Swinburne in the film Hornet’s Nest (1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Rona.

Ronnie
Ronnie was a character name in multiple films, including The Exciters (1923) and That’s My Man (1947).

  • Usage of the baby name Ronnie.

Rosabelle
Rosabelle Milford was a character played by actress Etta McDaniel in the film The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936).

Rosaleen
Rosaleen was a character played by actress Valia Venitshaya in the film A Gamble with Hearts (1923).

Rosamond
Rosamond was a character name in multiple films, including Rose of the World (1918) and The Great Impersonation (1921).

Rosamund
Lady Rosamund Godolphin was a character played by actress Enid Bennett in the film The Sea Hawk (1924).

Rosarita
Rosarita was a character name in multiple films, including Beauty in Chains (1918) and Bells of Rosarita (1945).

Roseanna
Roseanna McCoy was a character played by actress Joan Evans in the film Roseanna McCoy (1949).

Rosebud
Rosebud Doble was a character played by actress Bessie Eyton in the short film Budd Doble Comes Back (1913).

Rosetta
Rosetta was a character name in multiple films, including The Ordeal of Rosetta (1918) and Divorce in the Family (1932).

Rosette
Rosette was a character name in multiple films, including The Victory of Conscience (1916) and The Secret of Rosette Lambert (1920).

Rosina
Rosina Galli was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1950s. She was born in Italy in 1906. Rosina was also a character played by actress Jose Collins in the film The Last Stake (short, 1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Rosina.

Rosine
Rosine was a character name in multiple films, including The Man in the Moonlight (1919) and Fanatisme (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Rosine.

Rosita
Rosita Marstini was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1940s. She was born in France in 1887. Rosita was also a character name in multiple films, including Hell’s Valley (1931) and Zoo in Budapest (1933).

  • Usage of the baby name Rosita.

Rosny
Rosny Edwards was a character played by actress Doris Eaton in the film Tell Your Children (1922).

Roszika
Roszika “Rosie” Dolly was a character played by actress June Haver in the film The Dolly Sisters (1945).

Rowena
Rowena was a character name in multiple films, including The Romance of Rowena (short, 1913) and When Knights Were Bold (1936).

  • Usage of the baby name Rowena.

Roxalanne
Roxalanne de Lavedan was a character played by actress Eleanor Boardman in the film Bardelys the Magnificent (1926).

Roxey
Roxey Moore was a character played by actress Betty Compson in the film God’s Country and the Man (1937).

  • Usage of the baby name Roxey.

Royce
Dr. Royce Lee Stockman was a character played by actress Elissa Landi in the film Corregidor (1943).

  • Usage of the baby name Royce.

Rozelia
Rozelia was a character played by actress Nina Mae McKinney in the film Pinky (1949).

Rozika
Rozika was a character played by actress Mary Nash in the film Arms and the Woman (1916).

Rubye
Rubye De Remer was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in Colorado in 1892. Her birth name was Ruby Burkhardt.

  • Usage of the baby name Rubye.

Rue
Rue Carew was a character played by actress Marion Davies in the film The Dark Star (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Rue.

Ruthelma
Ruthelma Stevens was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1950s. She was born in Kansas in 1903.

Ruva
Ruva was a character played by actress Madame Sul-Te-Wan in the film Black Moon (1934).

*

…Which of the above names do you like best?

Source: IMDb

Initials that Spell Names

initials that spell names, gus, zoe, eli, seb

In June of 1982, the Toledo Blade ran a short article about two local brothers who “enjoy the distinction of having initials which spell their names.” One was Thomas Owen Matzinger (T.O.M.), the other was James Irvin Matzinger (J.I.M.). Their dad Mike said it was “just as well” that he didn’t have any more kids, because he couldn’t think of any other sets of names to fit the pattern.

My guess is that Mike was joking, because there are several other sets of initials that could work with an M-surname like Matzinger, one of which, T.I.M., is just a letter away from T.O.M.

In fact, there are at least a couple of combinations that would work with every type of surname.

So today, in honor of the Matzingers of Toledo, I’ve come up with a long list of name-spelling initials. They’re sorted by third initial (that is, the first letter of the last name) so you can scroll straight to the set that matches up with your own surname.

Enjoy!

Initials that Spell Names & Nicknames

Surname starts with: Potential full initials (& example combo):
A A.D.A. (Adelaide Diane A.)
A.N.A. (Anastasia Nadine A.)
A.S.A. (Asa Scott A.)
A.V.A. (Ava Virginia A.)
B.E.A. (Beatrix Elaine A.)
E.V.A. (Eva Veronica A.)
G.I.A. (Gia Idonea A.)
I.D.A. (Idabelle Daria A.)
I.N.A. (Ina Nigella A.)
I.R.A. (Ira Ralph A.)
I.S.A. (Isabel Simone A.)
K.I.A. (Kia Ianthe A.)
L.E.A. (Leah Elizabeth A.)
M.I.A. (Mia Imelda A.)
N.I.A. (Nia Ilona A.)
O.D.A. (Odalys Delfina A.)
O.R.A. (Ora Ruth A.)
U.M.A. (Uma Magnolia A.)
U.N.A. (Una Normina A.)
B D.E.B. (Deborah Ethel B.)
J.E.B. (Jeb Evan B.)
L.I.B. (Libbie Ione B.)
R.O.B. (Robert Orville B.)
S.E.B. (Sebastian Everly B.)
S.Y.B. (Sybil Yvette B.)
T.A.B. (Tabitha Araminta B.)
Z.E.B. (Zebulon Ezekiel B.)
C B.E.C. (Becky Eowyn C.)
M.A.C. (Mackenzie Anne C.)
N.I.C. (Nicole Isabelle C.)
V.I.C. (Victor Ivan C.)
Z.A.C. (Zackary Arlo C.)
D J.E.D. (Jedidiah Easton D.)
R.O.D. (Rodney Orrin D.)
T.E.D. (Theodora Eugenia D.)
Z.E.D. (Zedekiah Ezra D.)
E A.B.E. (Abraham Benjamin E.)
A.C.E. (Ace Corbin E.)
E.V.E. (Eve Violet E.)
F.A.E. (Fae Adina E.)
I.K.E. (Isaac Keith E.)
J.O.E. (Joseph Owen E.)
L.E.E. (Lee Ethan E.)
M.A.E. (Maebelle Alice E.)
M.O.E. (Morris Oscar E.)
R.A.E. (Raelene Alicia E.)
S.U.E. (Susan Ursula E.)
Z.O.E. (Zoe Ocean E.)
F A.L.F. (Alfred Leonard F.)
D.U.F. (Duffy Ultan F.)
J.E.F. (Jeffrey Elliott F.)
G M.E.G. (Megan Emiliana G.)
P.E.G. (Peggy Elise G.)
R.E.G. (Reggie Elmo G.)
R.O.G. (Roger Olav G.)
H A.S.H. (Ashton Samuel H.)
I A.B.I. (Abigail Bailey I.)
A.L.I. (Alison Layla I.)
A.M.I. (Ami May I.)
A.R.I. (Ariana Rafaela I.)
A.V.I. (Avi Vincent I.)
E.D.I. (Edith Daisy I.)
E.L.I. (Elijah Logan I.)
E.V.I. (Evie Venetia I.)
J.O.I. (Joi Olivia I.)
K.A.I. (Kai Alexander I.)
O.L.I. (Oliver Lennox I.)
J R.A.J. (Rajesh Ajay J.)
K M.A.K. (Makayla Ashley K.)
O.A.K. (Oakley Atlas K.)
L C.A.L. (Callum Audley L.)
D.E.L. (Delaney Estelle L.)
G.I.L. (Gilbert Ishmael L.)
H.A.L. (Harry Archibald L.)
L.I.L. (Lillian Iva L.)
M.A.L. (Malcolm Angus L.)
M.E.L. (Melanie Eloisa L.)
M.O.L. (Molly Odette L.)
S.A.L. (Sally Angelica L.)
S.O.L. (Solomon Osborn L.)
V.A.L. (Valerie Annette L.)
W.I.L. (Willy Ingo L.)
Z.E.L. (Zelda Erin L.)
M C.A.M. (Cameron Aidan M.)
D.O.M. (Dominic Orson M.)
J.E.M. (Jemima Eleanor M.)
J.I.M. (James Irvin M.)
K.I.M. (Kimberly Imogene M.)
L.E.M. (Lemuel Emerson M.)
P.A.M. (Pamela Alys M.)
R.A.M. (Ramsey Archer M.)
S.A.M. (Samuel Aaron M.)
S.I.M. (Simon Isidore M.)
T.A.M. (Tammy Anita M.)
T.I.M. (Timothy Isaac M.)
T.O.M. (Thomas Owen M.)
N A.N.N. (Annie Nuala N.)
B.E.N. (Benjamin Ellis N.)
C.Y.N. (Cynthia Yelena N.)
D.A.N. (Daniel Avery N.)
D.O.N. (Donovan Oliver N.)
F.I.N. (Finley Ivor N.)
J.A.N. (Janice Andrina N.)
J.O.N. (Jonathan Octavian N.)
K.E.N. (Kenneth Eric N.)
L.E.N. (Leonard Earl N.)
L.Y.N. (Lynnette Yasmin N.)
N.A.N. (Nancy Azalea N.)
R.E.N. (Renato Elian N.)
R.O.N. (Ronald Ormond N.)
V.A.N. (Vanessa Athena N.)
W.I.N. (Winifred Inez N.)
Z.E.N. (Zenobia Evelyn N.)
O F.L.O. (Florence Lily O.)
L.E.O. (Leo Elton O.)
P C.A.P. (Caprice Amity P.)
K.I.P. (Kip Indigo P.)
Q J.A.Q. (Jaquan Anthony Q.)
R.A.Q. (Raquel Alaiah Q.)
R G.A.R. (Gareth Alfie R.)
S C.A.S. (Caspian Atticus S.)
G.U.S. (Gustavo Ulises S.)
J.E.S. (Jessica Esther S.)
L.E.S. (Lester Edward S.)
R.U.S. (Russell Upton S.)
W.E.S. (Wesley Elwood S.)
T A.R.T. (Arthur Roland T.)
C.A.T. (Catherine Aveline T.)
D.O.T. (Dorothy Olive T.)
M.A.T. (Matthew Alastair T.)
N.A.T. (Nathan Arnold T.)
P.A.T. (Patricia Ainsley T.)
U L.O.U. (Louisa Ophelia U.)
P.R.U. (Prudence Rhoda U.)
S.T.U. (Stuart Tucker U.)
T.R.U. (Trudie Rose U.)
V B.E.V. (Beverly Evangeline V.)
L.I.V. (Livia Indiana V.)
N.E.V. (Neville Eldon V.)
V.I.V. (Vivian Ingrid V.)
W L.A.W. (Lawson Amos W.)
L.E.W. (Lewis Edgar W.)
X B.A.X. (Baxter Andrew X.)
D.A.X. (Dax Alec X.)
D.E.X. (Dexter Edison X.)
J.A.X. (Jaxon Antony X.)
L.E.X. (Lexie Eliza X.)
M.A.X. (Maximus Alvin X.)
P.A.X. (Pax Amelia X.)
R.E.X. (Rex Elias X.)
R.O.X. (Roxanna Opal X.)
T.E.X. (Tex Emmanuel X.)
Y A.M.Y. (Amy Michelle Y.)
G.U.Y. (Guy Urban Y.)
I.V.Y. (Ivy Verity Y.)
J.A.Y. (Jay Adam Y.)
J.O.Y. (Joyce Ondina Y.)
K.A.Y. (Katherine Addison Y.)
M.A.Y. (May Augusta Y.)
R.A.Y. (Raymond Adrian Y.)
R.O.Y. (Royce Oberon Y.)
S.K.Y. (Skylar Kerry Y.)
Z H.E.Z. (Hezekiah Ellery Z.)
J.E.Z. (Jezebel Eulalia Z.)
L.I.Z. (Lizzie Iris Z.)
K.I.Z. (Kizzy Isla Z.)
R.O.Z. (Rosalind Olga Z.)

Can you come up with other good ones? If so, please leave a comment!

Source: “So Named.” Toledo Blade 29 Jun. 1982: P-1.

Rare Girl Names from Early Cinema: Letter S

soava
Soava Gallone
On the hunt for a rare girl name with a retro feel?

Here’s a big batch of uncommon female S-names that are associated in some way with early cinema (i.e., each is either a character name or an actress name).

For those that have had enough usage to appear in the national data, I’ve included links to popularity graphs.

*

Saba
Saba Raleigh was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in England in 1867. Her birth name was Isabel Pauline Ellissen. Saba was also a character played by actress Myrta Bonillas in the film The Claw (1927).

  • Usage of the baby name Saba.

Sabel
Sabel Jackson was a character played by actress Wynne Gibson in the film Nothing But the Truth (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Sabel.

Sabra
Sabra de Shon was an actress who appeared in one film in 1915. She was born in Massachusetts in 1850. Sabra was also a character name in multiple films, including Cimarron (1931) and A Man Betrayed (1941).

  • Usage of the baby name Sabra.

Sada
Sada was a character played by actress Anna May Wong in the film The Devil Dancer (1927).

  • Usage of the baby name Sada.

Sadi
Sadi Bronson was a character played by actress Julia Faye in the film The Great Moment (1921).

  • Usage of the baby name Sadi.

Sagrario
Sagrario was a character played by actress Nydia Westman in the film Cradle Song (1933).

Sahande
Sahande was a character played by actress Dorothy Dalton in the film Law of the Lawless (1923).

Sahki
Sahki was a character played by actress Verna Mersereau in the short film The Dance of Death (1914).

Saidee
Saidee McCall was a character played by actress Carmel Myers in the film The Last Hour (1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Saidee.

Saina
Saina was a character played by actress Olive Borden in the film Yellow Fingers (1926).

Sairy
Sairy Ann was a character played by actress Dorothy Gish in the film Children of the Feud (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Sairy.

Salita
Salita was a character played by actress Velma Whitman in the film Turning the Table (1913).

  • Usage of the baby name Salita.

Salka
Salka Steuermann was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) in 1889. Her birth name was Salomea Steuermann.

Sallie
Sallie McPherson was a character played by actress Wanda Hawley in the film Double Speed (1920).

  • Usage of the baby name Sallie.

Sallyann
Sallyann Weatharby was a character played by actress Arlene Dahl in the film A Southern Yankee (1948).

Salomy
Salomy was a character name in multiple films, including Salomy Jane (1914) and Wild Girl (1932).

Salti
Salti was a character played by actress Beatie Olna Travers in the film A Romance of Old Baghdad (1922).

Samanthy
Samanthy was a character name in multiple films, including The Uneven Balance (short, 1914) and The Lonesome Heart (1915).

Samaran
Samaran was a character played by actress Julia Faye in the film Fool’s Paradise (1921).

Sanchia
Sanchia Percival was a character played by actress Dorinea Shirley in the film Open Country (1922).

Sari
Sari Maritza (SHA-ree MAR-ee-tsa) was an actress who appeared in films in the 1930s. She was born in China in 1910. Her birth name was Patricia Detering-Nathan. Sari was also a character name in multiple films, including The Virgin of Stamboul (1920) and The Stolen Bride (1927).

  • Usage of the baby name Sari.

Sarie
Sarie McCoy was a character played by actress Aline MacMahon in the film Roseanna McCoy (1949).

  • Usage of the baby name Sarie.

Sarissa
Sarissa was a character played by actress Eugenia Gilbert in the film The Man from Downing Street (1922).

Sarita
Sarita was a character played by actress Teddy Sampson in the film The Pretty Sister of Jose (1915).

  • Usage of the baby name Sarita.

Saturnia
Madame Saturnia was a character played by actress Ethel Griffies in the film Castle in the Desert (1942).

Savina
Savina Grove was a character played by actress Alma Rubens in the film Cytherea (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Savina.

Saxon
Saxon Roberts was a character played by actress Myrtle Stedman in the film The Valley of the Moon (1914).

  • Usage of the baby name Saxon (which debuted in the data the year The Valley of the Moon came out).

Schatzi
Schatzi Sutro was a character played by actress Joan Blondell in the film The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932).

Scheherazade
Scheherazade was a character played by actress Maria Montez in the film Arabian Nights (1942).

Scylla
Scylla was a character played by actress Fritzi Ridgeway in the short film Where Glory Waits (1917).

Scholastica
Sister Scholastica was a character played by actress Celeste Holm in the film Come to the Stable (1949).

Seena
Seena Owen was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in Washington in 1894. Her birth name was Signe Auen.

  • Usage of the baby name Seena.

Seessel
Seessel Anne Johnson was a child actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1930s. She was born in California in 1920.

Semadar
Semadar was a character played by actress Angela Lansbury in the film Samson and Delilah (1949).

Semphronia
Semphronia Benson was a character played by actress Justine Cutting in the film A Self-Made Widow (1917).

Sephora
Sephora was a character played by actress Helena D’Algy in the film Confessions of a Queen (1925).

September
September was a character name in multiple films, including A Bum Mistake (1914) and Good Sport (1931).

Sequin
Sequin was a character played by actress Yvonne De Carlo in the film River Lady (1948).

Serama
Serama was a character played by actress Gladys Brockwell in the film Conscience (1917).

Shalmar
Princess Shalmar was a character played by actress Dorothy Lamour in the film Road to Morocco (1942).

Shamrock
Shamrock O’Day was a character played by actress Edith Roberts in the film Saturday Night (1922).

Sharlee
Sharlee Evans was a character played by actress Winifred Greenwood in the short film In the Shuffle (1916).

Sheba
Sheba Miller was a character played by actress Alice White in the film Playing Around (1930).

  • Usage of the baby name Sheba.

Sheelah
Sheelah Delayne was a character played by actress Sally Crute in the film A House Divided (1919).

Shelah
Shelah Fane was a character played by actress Dorothy Revier in the film The Black Camel (1931).

  • Usage of the baby name Shelah.

Sherida
Sherida was a character played by actress Phyllis Thaxter in the film The Sign of the Ram (1948).

Sherin
Sherin was a character played by actress Kathleen Key in the film A Lover’s Oath (1925).

  • Usage of the baby name Sherin.

Shireen
Shireen was a character played by actress Virginia Brown Faire in the film Omar the Tentmaker (1922).

  • Usage of the baby name Shireen (which debuted in the data the year after Omar the Tentmaker came out).

Shirlene
Shirlene May was a character played by actress Gale Robbins in the film The Barkleys of Broadway (1949).

Shona
Shona Royale was a character played by actress Annette Kellerman in the film Venus of the South Seas (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Shona.

Shosho
Shosho was a character played by actress Anna May Wong in the film Piccadilly (1929).

Sibby
Sibby was a character played by actress Zasu Pitts in the film Aggie Appleby Maker of Men (1933).

Sibley
Sibley was a character played by actress Patricia Roc in the film The Farmer’s Wife (1941).

  • Usage of the baby name Sibley.

Sibyle
Sibyle Fane was a character played by actress Rosemary Theby in the film Hicksville to Broadway (1921).

  • Usage of the baby name Sibyle.

Sidonie
Sidonie Du Val was a character played by actress Marie Doro in the film The Lash (1916).

Sieglinde
Sieglinde Lessing was a character played by actress June Lang in the film Music in the Air (1934).

Signa
Signa Herrick was a character played by actress Peggy Hyland in the film The Girl with No Regrets (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Signa.

Signe
Signe Hasso was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1970s. She was born in Sweden in 1910.

  • Usage of the baby name Signe.

Sigrid
Sigrid Holmquist was an actress who appeared in films in the 1920s. She was born in Sweden in 1899. Sigrid was also a character name in multiple films, including Transatlantic (1931) and I Remember Mama (1948).

  • Usage of the baby name Sigrid.

Silda
Silda was a character played by actress Renée Adorée in the film The Exquisite Sinner (1926).

Silk
Silk Cantrell was a character played by actress Adele Mara in the film Traffic in Crime (1946).

  • Usage of the baby name Silk.

Silver
Silver was a character played by actress Wynne Gibson in the film The Devil is Driving (1932).

  • Usage of the baby name Silver.

Silvery
Silvery was a character played by actress Helen Gardner in the film The Strange Story of Sylvia Gray (1914).

Simonetta
Simonetta was a character played by actress Loretta Young in the film Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928).

Simplicity
Simplicity was a character played by actress Maxine Elliott Hicks in the film Lovers’ Lane (1924).

Sinfi
Sinfi Lovell was a character played by actress Mary Dibley in the film Aylwin (1920).

Singoalla
Singoalla was a character played by actress Viveca Lindfors in the film The Wind Is My Lover (1949).

Sisseretta
Sisseretta Simpkin was a character played by actress Louise Fazenda in the film The Gay Old Bird (1927).

Sissie
Sissie Flynn was an actress who appeared in one film in 1932.

  • Usage of the baby name Sissie.

Sitahbai
Sitahbai was a character played by actress Doraldina in the film The Naulahka (1918).

Slade
Slade Kinnicott was a character played by actress Una Merkel in the film Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935).

Smyrna
Smyrna was a character played by actress Martha Sleeper in the film Should Sailors Marry? (short, 1925).

  • Usage of the baby name Smyrna.

Soava
Soava Gallone was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in Poland in 1880. Her birth name was Stanislawa Winawerowna.

Sofonisba
Sofonisba was a character played by actress Italia Almirante-Manzini in the film Cabiria (1914).

Soledad
Soledad Jiménez was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1950s. She was born in Spain in 1874.

Solveig
Solveig was a character played by actress Myrtle Stedman in the film Peer Gynt (1915).

Sombra
Sombra was a character played by actress Carol Forman in the film serial The Black Widow (1947).

Sonora
Sonora Cassidy was a character played by actress Marjorie Main in the film The Harvey Girls (1946).

  • Usage of the baby name Sonora.

Sookey
Sookey was a character played by actress Heather Angel in the film Self Made Lady (1932).

Sophronia
Sophronia was a character played by actress Bessie Eyton in the film Lend Me Your Name (1918). It was also a character (nicknamed Phronsie) in the Little Peppers films of the early ’40s.

Sophy
Sophy was a character name in multiple films, including Old Wives for New (1918) and The Peace of Roaring River (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Sophy.

Sophya
Aunt Sophya was a character played by actress Lucy Beaumont in the film Resurrection (1927).

  • Usage of the baby name Sophya.

Sourna
Sourna was a character played by actress Manora Thew in the film A Romance of Old Baghdad (1922).

Soya
Soya was a character played by actress Laska Winter in the film Rocking Moon (1926).

Spangles
Spangles was a character played by actress Fern Andra in the film Spangles (1928).

Spring
Spring Byington was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1960s. She was born in Colorado in 1886.

  • Usage of the baby name Spring.

Squabina
Squabina was a character played by actress Louise Fazenda in the short film The Mystery of a Taxicab (1914).

St. Clair
St. Clair Van Tassel was a character played by actress Gloria Swanson in the film The Untamed Lady (1926).

Stacia
Stacia de Napierkowska was an actress who appeared in films from the 1900s to the 1920s. She was born in France in 1886. Her birth name was Renée Claire Angèle Élisabeth Napierkowski.

  • Usage of the baby name Stacia.

Stacie
Stacie Kanares was a character played by actress Ella Raines in the film Enter Arsene Lupin (1944).

  • Usage of the baby name Stacie.

Stancia
Stancia was a character played by actress Mary Doran in the film Their Mad Moment (1931).

Starlight
Starlight was a character name in multiple films, including In the Long Ago (short, 1913) and The Iron Trail (short, 1913).

Starlina
Starlina was a character played by actress Raquel Torres in the film Red Wagon (1933).

Stascha
Stascha was a character played by actress Marlene Dietrich in the film Three Loves (1929).

Steena
Steena Iverson was a character played by actress Dot Farley in the short film Mrs. Gay Life’s Visitors (1911).

Steenie
Steenie was a character played by actress Dorothy Kelly in the short film Rip Van Winkle (1912).

Steffi
Steffi Duna was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1940s. She was born in Hungary in 1910. Her birth name was Stephanie Berindy.

  • Usage of the baby name Steffi.

Stephana
Stephana Martin was a character played by actress Ruth Stonehouse in the short film The Romance of an American Duchess (1915).

Sterlita
Sterlita Peluffo was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1940s.

Sucal
Sucal Hurrin was a character played by actress Belle Chrystall in the film Poison Pen (1939).

Sudan
Sudan Ainger was a character played by actress Stephanie Bachelor in the film Secrets of Scotland Yard (1944).

  • Usage of the baby name Sudan.

Suellen
Suellen O’Hara was a character played by Evelyn Keyes in the film Gone with the Wind (1939).

Sugar
Sugar was a character name in multiple films, including Sleepytime Gal (1942) and The Magnificent Rogue (1946).

  • Usage of the baby name Sugar.

Sultana
Sultana was a character played by actress Gypsy Rose Lee in the film Ali Baba Goes to Town (1937).

Sul-Te-Wan
Madame Sul-Te-Wan was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1950s. She was born in Kentucky in 1873. Her birth name was Nellie Conley.

Sumurun
Sumurun was a character played by actress Jenny Hasselquist in the film Sumurun (1920).

Sunbeam
Sunbeam was a character played in multiple films, including The Sunbeam (short, 1912) and The Coming of Sunbeam (short, 1913).

Sunday
Sunday Wilshin was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1930s. She was born in England in 1905. Her birth name was Sundae Mary Aline Horne-Wilshin.

  • Usage of the baby name Sunday.

Sunnie
Sunnie O’Dea was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1940s. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1918. Her birth name was Martha Bonini.

  • Usage of the baby name Sunnie.

Sunya
Sunya Ashling was a character played by actress Gloria Swanson in the film The Love of Sunya (1927).

  • Usage of the baby name Sunya.

Suretta
Suretta Brenton was a character played by actress Patricia Dane in the film I Dood It (1943).

Suzel
Suzel was a character played by actress Simone Bourday in the film In Old Alsace (1933).

Suzette
Suzette was a character name in multiple films, including as Daring Hearts (1919) and Man and Maid (1925).

Svea
Svea Nord was a character played by actress Ann Little in the film The Source (1918).

  • Usage of the baby name Svea.

Swana
Grand Duchess Swana was a character played by actress Ina Claire in the film Ninotchka (1939).

Swifty
Swifty Forbes was a character played by actress Gloria Swanson in the film Prodigal Daughters (1923).

Sydell
Sydell Dowling was an actress who appeared in films in the 1910s.

  • Usage of the baby name Sydell.

Sylvaine
Sylvaine was a character played by actress Lilyan Tashman in the film The Matrimonial Bed (1930).

Sylvina
Sylvina was a character played by actress Elisabeth Bergner in the film Stolen Life (1939).

Symphorosa
Princess Symphorosa was a character played by actress Billie Bennett in the film One Romantic Night (1930).

*

So which of the above names do you like best?

Most Common Names of D.C. Voters, by Party

capitol building DC

A couple of weeks ago, reader Becca sent me a link to a Washington Post graphic showing the 10 most common names of registered voters within each of Washington D.C.’s four main political parties — Statehood Green, Democratic, Republican and Libertarian.

Here’s the info from the graphic:

Statehood Green Democratic Republican Libertarian
1. Jon
2. Jesse
3. Barry
4. Darnell
5. Ian
6. Juan
7. Jordan
8. Jerry
9. Corey
10. Tyrone 		1. Lillie
2. Laverne
3. Ella
4. Bernice
5. Mildred
6. Peggy
7. Betty
8. Ethel
9. Toni
10. Geraldine 		1. Tyler
2. Bradley
3. Kelsey
4. Lindsey
5. Kristina
6. Meredith
7. Caroline
8. Kyle
9. Kelly
10. Taylor 		1. Jared
2. Jon
3. Brendan
4. Derek
5. Joy
6. Kyle
7. Brooke
8. Julian
9. Nicholas
10. Chelsea

The graphic didn’t mention the disparity between the sizes of these groups, though, so let’s throw that in too. The lists were based on data from mid-June, 2015, so here are the D.C. voter registration statistics from June 30th:

  • Statehood Green: 3,820 registered voters (0.82% of all registered voters in D.C.)
  • Democrats: 350,684 (75.58%)
  • Republicans: 28,560 (6.16%)
  • Libertarians: 779 (0.17%)

The Democrats outnumber the Libertarians by more than 450 to 1, in other words.

Here are the lists individually. After each name is the gender it’s most closely associated with and the year of peak usage as a baby name (in terms of percentage of births) since 1900.

Statehood Green (0.82% of registered voters):

  1. Jon, male, peak usage in 1968
  2. Jesse, male, 1981
  3. Barry, male, 1962
  4. Darnell, male, 1984
  5. Ian, male, 2003
  6. Juan, male, 1999
  7. Jordan, male, 1997
  8. Jerry, male, 1941
  9. Corey, male, 1977
  10. Tyrone, male, 1970

The top Statehood Green names are 100% male, and most saw peak usage during the last four decades of the 20th century.

Democrat (75.58% of registered voters):

  1. Lillie, female, peak usage in 1900
  2. Laverne, female, 1928
  3. Ella, female, 2012
  4. Bernice, female, 1921
  5. Mildred, female, 1920
  6. Peggy, female, 1937
  7. Betty, female, 1934
  8. Ethel, female, 1900
  9. Toni, female, 1968
  10. Geraldine, female, 1931

The top Democrat names are 100% female, and most saw peak usage in the first half of the 20th century, especially the ’20s and ’30s.

Republican (6.16% of registered voters):

  1. Tyler, male, peak usage in 1994
  2. Bradley, male, 1979
  3. Kelsey, female, 1992
  4. Lindsey, female, 1984
  5. Kristina, female, 1985
  6. Meredith, female, 1981
  7. Caroline, female, 2014
  8. Kyle, male, 1990
  9. Kelly, female, 1977
  10. Taylor, female, 1996

The top Republican names are 70% female and 30% male, and most saw peak usage during the last three decades of the 20th century, especially the ’90s.

Libertarian (0.17% of registered voters):

  1. Jared, male, peak usage in 1998
  2. Jon, male, 1968
  3. Brendan, male, 1999
  4. Derek, male, 1982
  5. Joy, female, 1974
  6. Kyle, male, 1990
  7. Brooke, female, 2003
  8. Julian, male, 2014
  9. Nicholas, male, 1999
  10. Chelsea, female, 1992

The top Libertarian names are 70% male and 30% female, and most saw peak usage during the last few decades of the 20th century, especially the ’90s.

*

It was interesting to see just how feminine and old-fashioned the top Democrat names are. But the thing that most surprised was that the Green party’s list included zero female names. I would have guessed that, if any list here was going to be 100% male, it’d be the Libertarian party — definitely not the Green party.

What are your thoughts on these lists?

Sources: Identity Politics, Washington Post, December 2015; Voter Registration Statistics – DC Board of Elections; Popular Baby Names – SSA
Image: NPS

P.S. Thank you, Becca!

Leneve: A Baby Name Inspired by a Fugitive

Ethel Le Never
Ethel Le Neve on a Wanted Poster
© The National Archives (UK)
The curious name Leneve debuted on the SSA’s baby name list 105 years ago…then disappeared.

  • 1912: unlisted
  • 1911: unlisted
  • 1910: 7 baby girls named Leneve
  • 1909: unlisted
  • 1908: unlisted

A similar spike can be seen in the SSDI data:

  • 1912: none
  • 1911: 6 people named Leneve
  • 1910: 16 people named Leneve
  • 1909: none
  • 1908: none

Where did the name Leneve come from all of a sudden in 1910?

We’ll get to that in a second. First, let’s start with the murder.

On July 13, 1910, the remains of a body thought to belong to music hall singer Belle Elmore (legal name Cora Crippen) were found in the basement of her home in London. Belle had been missing since February.

The main suspect was her husband, Hawley Crippen, a homeopathic doctor who had fled to Belgium several days earlier with his young lover, Ethel Le Neve.

A warrant for the arrest of Crippen and Le Neve was issued on July 16.

The pair — disguised as father and son, and using the surname Robinson — boarded a Canada-bound steamship in Antwerp on July 20.

The captain of the ship was suspicious of the pair, so he telegraphed the boat’s owners, who in turn telegraphed Scotland Yard.

A London police officer boarded an even faster steamship headed for Canada on July 23.

Fascinatingly, Crippen and Le Neve were not only unaware that they were being trailed by the London police on another boat, but they also didn’t know that newspapers around the world had picked up their story and that millions of people were reading about the dramatic transatlantic race, day by day, as it occurred.

The faster ship reached Quebec first, and the officer was able to intercept and arrest the fugitives on July 31. (This makes Crippen and Le Neve the first criminals to be apprehended with the assistance of wireless communication.)

The next month, the pair sailed back to England. They were tried separately.

Crippen was found guilty. He was executed by hanging on November 23.

Ethel Le Neve was acquitted. She promptly left for New York.

To this day, no one knows exactly whose remains were in that basement in London, how they got there, and who was to blame for it all.

But we do know that Ethel Le Neve (often written “Leneve” in U.S. newspapers) was a fixture in the news in mid-1910. This is no doubt what boosted the rare name Leneve onto the baby name charts for the first and only time. Leneve was the top one-hit wonder name of 1910, in fact.

Ethel was back in London by 1915. She eventually got married and had two children. She died in 1967, never having revealed to her children that she was once a world-famous runaway. (They found out in the 1980s, after being contacted by a crime historian.)

What are your thoughts on the baby name Leneve?

Sources: Local history: Transatlantic murder mystery plays out in 1910 Scranton, London, Marconi Catches a Murderer, The Execution of Dr Crippen, Inside story: last refuge for a killer’s mistress