The compound French name Jeanluc first appeared in the U.S baby name data in 1987:
- 1993: 63 baby boys named Jean-Luc
- 1992: 65 baby boys named Jean-Luc [peak usage]
- 1991: 46 baby boys named Jean-Luc
- 1990: 26 baby boys named Jean-Luc
- 1989: 21 baby boys named Jean-Luc
- 1988: 14 baby boys named Jean-Luc
- 1987: 8 baby boys named Jean-Luc [debut]
- 1986: unlisted
- 1985: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Captain Jean-Luc (pronounced zhon look) Picard of the starship Enterprise.
Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, was the central character of the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, which premiered in late 1987 and ran until mid-1994.
The character, though born and raised in 24th-century France, was a native English speaker. How? According to the show, French had become an obscure language by the 2300s. And yet, interestingly, the people of English-speaking future-France were still getting very traditional French names. Picard’s parents were named Maurice and Yvette, for instance. (Do you think this is a believable scenario?)
The names Geordi and Riker also debuted during the years TNG was on the air. They were likely influence by the characters Will Riker (the first officer) and Geordi La Forge (the chief engineer, played by LeVar Burton).
The only other Star Trek name I’ve blogged about so far is Uhura, but there are more on the way…
In the meanwhile, what do you think of the name Jean-Luc?
Sources: Picard – Star Trek, SSA
Image: Screenshot of Star Trek