How popular is the baby name Heather 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 Heather.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Heather


Posts that Mention the Name Heather

“Real World” Baby Names: Amaya, Baya, Brynn…

“This is the true story…of seven strangers…picked to live in a loft…and have their lives taped…”

Several months ago, the cast of the inaugural season of MTV’s The Real World held a 6-day reunion in the very same NYC loft they shared back in 1992. The reunion — which was filmed, of course — is now airing as a series on the Paramount+ platform. (Here’s the trailer.)

When I was a teenager, I loved watching The Real World. (And I appreciated that the names of the cast members were always prominently displayed in the opening credits!) So I think now would be a great time to go back and see if any Real World cast member names had an influence on U.S. baby names.

First, let’s start with a comprehensive list of all the cast member names from each of RW‘s 33 (!) seasons…

  1. The Real World: New York (1992): Andre, Becky, Eric, Heather, Julie, Kevin, Norman
  2. The Real World: California (1993): Aaron, Beth (x2), David, Dominic, Glen, Irene, Jon, Tami
  3. The Real World: San Francisco (1994): Cory, Jo, Judd, Mohammed, Pam, Pedro, Puck, Rachel
  4. The Real World: London (1995): Jacinda, Jay, Kat, Lars, Mike, Neil, Sharon
  5. The Real World: Miami (1996): Cynthia, Dan, Flora, Joe, Melissa, Mike, Sarah
  6. The Real World: Boston (1997): Elka, Genesis, Jason, Kameelah, Montana, Sean, Syrus
  7. The Real World: Seattle (1998): David, Irene, Janet, Lindsay, Nathan, Rebecca, Stephen
  8. The Real World: Hawaii (1999): Amaya, Colin, Justin, Kaia, Matt, Ruthie, Teck
  9. The Real World: New Orleans (2000): Danny, David, Jamie, Julie, Kelley, Matt, Melissa
  10. The Real World: Back to New York (2001): Coral, Kevin, Lori, Malik, Mike, Nicole, Rachel
  11. The Real World: Chicago (2002): Aneesa, Cara, Chris, Keri, Kyle, Theo, Tonya
  12. The Real World: Las Vegas (2002-2003): Alton, Arissa, Brynn, Frank, Irulan, Steven, Trishelle
  13. The Real World: Paris (2003): Ace, Adam, Chris, Christina, Leah, Mallory, Simon
  14. The Real World: San Diego (2004): Brad, Cameran, Charlie, Frankie, Jacquese, Jamie, Randy, Robin
  15. The Real World: Philadelphia (2004-2005): Karamo, Landon, Melanie, M.J., Sarah, Shavonda, Willie
  16. The Real World: Austin (2005): Danny, Johanna, Lacey, Melinda, Nehemiah, Rachel, Wes
  17. The Real World: Key West (2006): Janelle, John, Jose, Paula, Svetlana, Tyler, Zach
  18. The Real World: Denver (2006-2007): Alex, Brooke, Colie, Davis, Jenn, Stephen, Tyrie
  19. The Real World: Sydney (2007-2008): Ashli, Cohutta, Dunbar, Isaac, KellyAnne, Parisa, Shauvon, Trisha
  20. The Real World: Hollywood (2008): Brianna, Brittini, Dave, Greg, Joey, Kimberly, Nick, Sarah, Will
  21. The Real World: Brooklyn (2009): Baya, Chet, Devyn, J.D., Katelynn, Ryan, Sarah, Scott
  22. The Real World: Cancun (2009): Ayiiia, Bronne, CJ, Derek, Emilee, Jasmine, Joey, Jonna
  23. The Real World: D.C. (2009-2010): Andrew, Ashley, Callie, Emily, Erika, Josh, Mike, Ty
  24. The Real World: New Orleans (2010): Ashlee, Eric, Jemmye, McKenzie, Preston, Ryan (x2), Sahar
  25. The Real World: Las Vegas (2011): Adam, Dustin, Heather (x2), Leroy, Michael, Nany, Naomi
  26. The Real World: San Diego (2011): Alexandra, Ashley, Frank, Nate, Priscilla, Sam, Zach
  27. The Real World: St. Thomas (2012): Brandon (x2), LaToya, Laura, Marie, Robb, Trey
  28. The Real World: Portland (2013): Anastasia, Averey, Jessica, Johnny, Joi, Jordan, Marlon, Nia
  29. Real World: Ex-Plosion (2014): Arielle, Ashley (x2), Brian, Cory, Hailey, Jamie, Jay, Jenna, Jenny, Lauren, Thomas
  30. Real World: Skeletons (2014-2015): Bruno, Jason, Madison, Nicole, Sylvia, Tony, Violetta
  31. Real World: Go Big or Go Home (2016): CeeJai, Chris, Dean, Dione, Dylan, Jenna, Kailah, Sabrina
  32. Real World Seattle: Bad Blood (2016-2017): Anika, Anna, Jennifer, Jordan, Kassius, Katrina, Kimberly, Mike, Orlana, Peter, Robbie, Theo, Tyara, Will
  33. The Real World: Atlanta (2019): Arely, Clint, Dondre, Justin, Meagan, Tovah, Yasmin

The names in boldface line up with a discernible increase in baby name usage. (Other Real World names may have affected baby names as well, but it can be hard to tell when, say, a name is already common, or already on the rise.)

Here are details on all the boldfaced names, plus two more influential RW names (from seasons 6 and 18) that didn’t even belong to primary cast members.

  • The name Jacinda (from season 4; 1995) saw peak usage in 1996.
  • The name Flora (5; 1996) saw increased usage in 1997.
  • The name Kameelah (6; 1997) saw increased usage in 1998.
  • The name Syrus (6; 1997) saw increased usage in 1997.
  • The name Jason (6; 1997) was probably not affected, but the name of Jason’s girlfriend, Timber, saw increased usage in 1998.
  • The name Amaya (8; 1999) saw sharply increased usage in 1999 and 2000.
  • The name Kaia (8; 1999) saw increased usage in 1999.
  • The name Ruthie (8; 1999) saw increased usage in 1999.
  • The name Aneesa (11; 2002) saw peak usage in 2002.
  • The name Arissa (12; 2002-3) saw peak usage in 2003.
  • The name Brynn (12; 2002-3) saw sharply increased usage in 2003.
  • The name Irulan (12; 2002-3) debuted in the data in 2003.
    • It looks like she was named after the fictional character Princess Irulan from Frank Herbert’s Dune books…?
  • The name Trishelle (12; 2002-3) saw peak usage in 2004.
  • The name Mallory (13; 2003) saw increased usage in 2003 and 2004.
  • The name Cameran (14; 2004) saw peak usage in 2004.
  • The name Jacquese (14; 2004) both returned to the data and saw peak usage in 2004.
  • The name Johanna (16; 2005) saw increased usage in 2005.
  • The name Nehemiah (16; 2005) saw increased usage in 2005 and 2006.
  • The name Janelle (17; 2006) saw increased usage in 2006.
  • The name Svetlana (17; 2006) saw peak usage in 2007.
  • The name Colie (18; 2006-7) both returned to the data and saw peak usage in 2007.
  • The name Tyrie (18; 2006-7) saw peak usage in 2007.
  • The name of Tyrie’s girlfriend, Jazalle, debuted in 2007 and is a one-hit wonder so far.
  • The name Kellyanne (19; 2007-8) returned to the data in 2008.
  • The name Baya (21; 2009) saw sharply increased usage in 2009. In fact, Baya was one of the fastest-rising baby names of 2009.
  • The name Averey (28; 2013) saw peak usage in 2013.
  • The name Kassius (32; 2016-17) saw increased usage in 2017.

Of all the names above, which one(s) do you like most?

And, for all the Real World fans out there: which season(s) do you like most? :)

Source: The Real World (TV series) – Wikipedia

Rare Girl Names from Early Cinema: A (part 2)

auriol

Looking for an uncommon A-name for your baby girl? Here’s half of the final installment of names from the early cinema series. The other half of the A-list will go up in a few weeks.

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Amabel
Amabel was a character played by actress Andree Tourneur in the film The Gilded Highway (1926).

  • Usage of the baby name Amabel.

Amanata
Amanata was a character played by actress Josephine West in the short film The Curse of the Great Southwest (1913).

Amarilly
Amarilly Jenkins was a character played by actress Mary Pickford in the film Amarilly of Clothes-Line Alley (1918).

Ambrosia
Ambrosia was a character played by actress Ella Hall in the films The Love Girl (1916) and The Charmer (1917).

Ameia
Ameia was a character played by actress Viola Dana in the film God’s Law and Man’s (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Ameia.

Amenset
Amenset was a character played by actress Edith Storey in the film The Dust of Egypt (1915).

Amo
Amo Ingraham was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1940s. She was born in New York in 1909.

  • Usage of the baby name Amo.

Amphirosa
Amphirosa was a character played by actress Helen Lindroth in the film The Swan (1925).

Amrah
Amrah was a character played by actress Dale Fuller in the film Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925).

  • Usage of the baby name Amrah.

Amzie
Amzie Strickland was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to 2000s. She was born in 1919 in Oklahoma.

  • Usage of the baby name Amzie.

Anaioe
Anaioe was a character played by actress Mary Fuller in the short film A Daughter of the Nile (1915).

Anastasie
Anastasie Goriot was a character played by actress Jocelyn Lee in the film Paris at Midnight (1926).

Anbella
Anbella was a character played by actress Maria Montez in the film The Exile (1947).

Ancaria
Ancaria was a character played by actress Joyzelle Joyner in the film The Sign of the Cross (1932).

Andra
Andra West was a character played by actress Heather Angel in the film Cry ‘Havoc’ (1943).

  • Usage of the baby name Andra.

Andree
Andree was a character name in multiple films, including The Eternal Struggle (1923) and Human Desires (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Andree.

Anemone
Anemone Breckenridge was a character played by actress Mary Pickford in the film The Eagle’s Mate (1914).

Aneth
Aneth Consinor was a character played by actress Vivian Reed in the film The Last Egyptian (1914).

  • Usage of the baby name Aneth.

Angella
Angella was a character played by actress Marian Swayne in the short film The Heavenly Widow (1913).

Angharad
Angharad was a character played by actress Maureen O’Hara in the film How Green Was My Valley (1941).

  • Usage of the baby name Angharad (which debuted in the data in 1943).

Angine
Angine Sprunt was a character played by actress Charlotte Merriam in the film The Nth Commandment (1923).

Angy
Angy was a character name in multiple films, including The Famous Mrs. Fair (1923) and Here Comes the Groom (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Angy.

Anice
Anice was a character name in multiple films, including The Wrong Man (1917) and The Railroader (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Anice.

Anielka
Anielka Elter was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1930s. She was born in 1901.

Anitah
Anitah was a character played by actress Zena Keefe in the film Out of the Snows (1920).

Anitia
Anitia was a character played by actress Annette Kellerman in the film A Daughter of the Gods (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Anitia.

Anitra
Anitra was a character name in multiple films, including Runaway, Romany (1917) and The Amazing Woman (1920).

  • Usage of the baby name Anitra.

Aniuta
Aniuta was a character played by actress Bernice Claire in the film Song of the Flame (1930).

Annana
Annana was a character played by actress Movita in the film Captain Calamity (1936).

Annetta
Annetta von Tollen was a character played by actress Beverly Bayne in the short film The Ambition of the Baron (1915).

Anni
Anni Pavlovitch was a character played by actress Joan Crawford in the film The Bride Wore Red (1937).

  • Usage of the baby name Anni.

Annice
Annice Van Dorn was a character played by actress Grace Darmond in the film Where the Worst Begins (1925).

  • Usage of the baby name Annice.

Annis
Annis Grand was a character played by actress Kathleen Kirkham in the film The Foolish Matrons (1921).

  • Usage of the baby name Annis.

Annushka
Annushka was a character played by actress Amy Veness in the film Black Roses (1936).

Anola
Anola was a character played by actress Caroline Frances Cooke in the short film Metamorphosis (1914).

  • Usage of the baby name Anola.

Anthea
Anthea Dane was a character played by actress Elissa Landi in the film The Price of Things (1930).

  • Usage of the baby name Anthea.

Antinea
Antinea was a character name in multiple films, including Missing Husbands (1921) and Siren of Atlantis (1949).

Antiope
Antiope was a character played by actress Elissa Landi in the film The Warrior’s Husband (1933).

Antonita
Antonita was a character played by actress Merle Oberon in the film The Private Life of Don Juan (1934).

Anyana
Anyana was a character played by actress Movita in the film El Capitan Tormenta (1936).

Apricottia
Apricottia was a character played by actress Ethel Teare in the short film The Knaves and the Knight (1915).

Arabel
Arabel Barrett was a character played by actress Katharine Alexander in the film The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Arabel.

Arai
Arai was a character played by actress Movita in the film The Hurricane (1937).

  • Usage of the baby name Arai.

Araminta
Araminta was a character name in multiple films, including David Garrick (1912) and Love Birds (1934).

Arathea
Arathea Manning was a character played by actress Mae Murray in the film Big Little Person (1919).

Arbutus
Arbutus Quilty was a character played by actress Louise Fazenda in the film Listen Lester (1924).

Ardis
Ardis Delafield was a character played by Nora Lane in the film Careless Lady (1932).

  • Usage of the baby name Ardis.

Ardita
Ardita was a character name in multiple films, including The Off-Shore Pirate (1921) and The Siren of Seville (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Ardita.

Argyl
Argyl Crawford was a character played by actress Ann Little in the film Under Handicap (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Argyl.

Aritana
Aritana was a character played by actress Adele Mara in the film Call of the South Seas (1944).

Arla
Arla Dean was a character played by actress Dorothy Lamour in the film Moon Over Burma (1940).

  • Usage of the baby name Arla.

Arleta
Arleta Vance was a character played by actress Marie Prevost in the film Call of the Rockies (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Arleta.

Arline
Arline Pretty was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1950s. She was born in Washington, D.C., in 1885. Arline was also a character name in multiple films, including Only Thing (1925) and Back in Circulation (1937).

  • Usage of the baby name Arline.

Arly
Arleta “Arly” Harolday was a character played by actress Ella Raines in the film Tall in the Saddle (1944).

  • Usage of the baby name Arly.

Armida
Armida Vendrell, often credited simply as Armida, was an actress who appeared in films films from the 1920s to the 1950s. She was born in Mexico in 1911.

  • Usage of the baby name Armida.

Arna
Arna was a character played by actress Rose Tapley in the short film War (1911).

  • Usage of the baby name Arna.

Arnice
Arnice was a character played by actress Ella Hall in the film Secret Love (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Arnice.

Arrah
Arrah Meelish was a character played by actress Gene Gauntier in the film Arrah-Na-Pogue (1911).

  • Usage of the baby name Arrah.

Arria

Arria was a character played by actress Helen Wright in the film Damon and Pythias (1914).

  • Usage of the baby name Arria.

Arrita
Arrita was a character played by actress Reina Valdez in the short film Italian Love (1914).

Arte
Arte O’Neill was a character played by actress Helen Lindroth in the short film The Shaughraun (1912).

Artemisia
Artemisia Stebbins was a character played by actress Mabel Stoughton in the short film Balked at the Alter (1908).

Arvia
Arvia was a character played by actress Carmel Myers in the film The Dancer of the Nile (1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Arvia.

Arvilla
Arvilla Howe was a character played by actress Ruth Roland in the short film The Egyptian Mummy (1913).

Ashubetis
Ashubetis was a character played by actress Valda Valkyrien in the film The Image Maker (1917).

Aspasia
Aspasia Conti was a character played by actress Agnes Moorehead in the film Mrs. Parkington (1944).

Assina
Assina was a character played by actress Mrs. George O. Nichols in the short film Women of the Desert (1913).

Asta
Asta Nielsen was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in Denmark in 1881. Asta was also a character played by actress Esther Ralston in the film Rome Express (1932).

  • Usage of the baby name Asta.

Ata
Ata was a character played by actress Elena Verdugo in the film The Moon and Sixpence (1942).

  • Usage of the baby name Ata.

Atala
Atala was a character played by actress Bessie Eyton in the short film Atala (1912).

Athene
Athene Seyler was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1960s. She was born in England in 1889.

  • Usage of the baby name Athene.

Athole
Athole Shearer was an actress who appeared in films in the 1920s. She was born in Canada in 1900.

Atoline
Atoline France was a character played by actress Carol Dempster in the film The Girl Who Stayed Home (1919).

Attarea
Attarea was a character played by actress Seena Owen in the film The Fall of Babylon (1919).

Attosa
Attosa was a character played by actress Gale Sondergaard in the film Night in Paradise (1946).

Auber
Auber was a character played by actress Lana Turner in the film The Great Garrick (1937).

Audelle
Audelle Higgins was an actress who appeared in films in the 1910s.

Augusta
Augusta was a character played by actress Emily Fitzroy in the film Timbuctoo (1933).

Augustina
Augustina was a character played by actress Mary Alden in the film The Beloved Brute (1924).

Aurelie
Aurelie Lindstrom was a character played by actress Bessie Love in the film The Midlanders (1920).

Auriol
Auriol Lee was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1940s. She was born in England in 1880. Auriol was also a character played by actress Anna Q. Nilsson in the film The Side Show of Life (1924).

Auriole
Auriole Praed was a character played by actress Marjorie Rambeau in the film The Greater Woman (1917).

Aurore
Princess Aurore was a character played by actress Elissa Landi in the film Crimson Dynasty (1935).

  • Usage of the baby name Aurore.

Australia
Australia was a character name in multiple films, including Lovey Mary (1926) and Children of Chance (1949).

Australy
Australy was a character played by actress May McAvoy in the film Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1919).

Averil
Averil Rochester was a character played by actress Benita Hume in the film A South Sea Bubble (1928).

  • Usage of the baby name Averil.

Avesa
Avesa Pomeroy was a character played by actress Elisabeth Risdon in the film The Mother of Dartmoor (1917).

Avice
Avice Bereton was a character played by actress Enid Markey in the film The Phantom (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Avice.

Avis
Avis was a character name in multiple films, including The Roughneck (short, 1915) and Beyond (1921).

  • Usage of the baby name Avis.

Avonia
Avonia was a character played by actress Gwen Lee in the film The Actress (1928).

Avonne
Avonne Taylor was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1930s. She was born in Ohio in 1899.

  • Usage of the baby name Avonne.

Awaneta
Awaneta was a character played by actress Teddy Sampson in the short film The Boundary Line (1915).

Awretha
Awretha Pickering was an actress who appeared in 1 film in 1919.

Axelle
Axelle von Meirbach was a character played by actress Leila Hyams in the film Surrender (1931).

  • Usage of the baby name Axelle.

Azaline
Azaline was a character played by actress Emily Barrye in the film Volcano! (1926).

Azamora
Azamora was a character played by actress Lila Leslie in the short film A Clean Slate (1915).

Azella
Azella was a character played by actress Gloria Jetter in the film Dixie Jamboree (1944).

  • Usage of the baby name Azella.

Azuri
Azuri was a character played by actress Myrna Loy in the film The Desert Song (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Azuri.

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…Which of the above names do you like best?

Source: IMDb

More Top Baby Name Rises

Having déjà vu?

A couple of months ago, we looked at a long, year-by-year list of the top baby name rises. A month after that, we saw the corresponding list of top drops.

On that second post, Frank B. left a comment in which he asked about absolute rises and drops — because the lists only covered relative movement within the data. So I thought two more posts were in order: top raw-number rises, and top raw-number drops.

We’ll start with the rises again. Just keep in mind that the SSA numbers don’t become very accurate until the mid-to-late 20th century, so many of the numbers below don’t quite reflect reality.

Here’s the format: Girl names are on the left, boy names are on the right, and the numbers represent single-year rises in usage. From 1880 to 1881, for instance, the usage of the girl name Ethel increased by 155 babies and the usage of the boy name Chester increased by 106 babies.

  • 1881: Ethel, +155; Chester, +106
  • 1882: Mary, +1,229; John, +788
  • 1883: Bertha, +173; Grover, +71
  • 1884: Mary, +1,205; Grover, +675
  • 1885: Helen, +148; Willie, +36
  • 1886: Mary, +762; John, +270
  • 1887: Ethel, +208; Harold, +55
  • 1888: Mary, +1,866; William, +1,235
  • 1889: Ruth, +223; Russell, +52
  • 1890: Mary, +430; Charlie, +112
  • 1891: Ruth, +662; Theodore & Herbert, +34 (tie)
  • 1892: Mary, +1,471; John, +1,358
  • 1893: Esther, +558; Claude, +41
  • 1894: Marie, +437; John, +189
  • 1895: Anna, +385; James, +225
  • 1896: Helen, +369; William, +470
  • 1897: Thelma, +159; Dewey, +95
  • 1898: Mary, +994; Dewey, +957
  • 1899: Mildred, +188; Kenneth, +24
  • 1900: Mary, +3536; John, +2,840
  • 1901: Retha, +25; Theodore, +21
  • 1902: Mary, +1,350; John, +1,009
  • 1903: Dorothy, +371; Jack, +88
  • 1904: Mary, +687; John, +499
  • 1905: Mary, +1,105; Charles, +201
  • 1906: Alice, +581; Robert, +225
  • 1907: Mary, +1,211; James, +799
  • 1908: Mary, +1,085; William, +622
  • 1909: Helen, +813; James, +582
  • 1910: Mary, +3,589; John, +1,860
  • 1911: Dorothy, +1,551; John, +1,995
  • 1912: Mary, +7,910; John, +11,140
  • 1913: Mary, +4,342; John, +4,738
  • 1914: Mary, +8,705; John, +8,621
  • 1915: Mary, +12,842; John, +9,634
  • 1916: Mary, +3,246; Robert, +3,004
  • 1917: Mary, +2,847; Robert, +3,474
  • 1918: Dorothy, +3,179; Robert, +5,409
  • 1919: Betty, +1,304; Willie, +409
  • 1920: Mary, +5,141; Robert, +7,656
  • 1921: Betty, +3,618; Robert, +4,096
  • 1922: Betty, +3,259; Richard, +1,165
  • 1923: Betty, +5,097; Robert, +2,300
  • 1924: Betty, +4,605; Robert, +4,685
  • 1925: Gloria, +2,835; Richard, +2,034
  • 1926: Barbara, +1,917; Richard, +1,864
  • 1927: Mary, +2,787; Donald, +2,935
  • 1928: Dolores, +2,843; Herbert, +3,049
  • 1929: Joan, +3,806; Donald, +1,456
  • 1930: Joan, +3,812; Richard, +2,602
  • 1931: Joan, +3,633; Ronald, +1,086
  • 1932: Barbara, +4,514; Ronald, +4,411
  • 1933: Carol, +1,650; Franklin, +2,603
  • 1934: Shirley, +8,523; James, +3,124
  • 1935: Shirley, +19,514; David, +1,664
  • 1936: Carol, +2,785; Robert, +1,968

(From the SSA: “Note that many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security card, so their names are not included in our data.”)

  • 1937: Barbara, +3,230; David, +3,493
  • 1938: Judith, +4,729; James, +2,526
  • 1939: Judith, +5,748; David, +2,366
  • 1940: Linda, +7,657; John, +3,739
  • 1941: Linda, +5,355; James, +4,262
  • 1942: Linda, +7,882; James, +10,450
  • 1943: Linda, +6,831; James, +3,072
  • 1944: Cheryl, +5,092; Gary, +2,192
  • 1945: Linda, +3,065; Michael, +3,179
  • 1946: Linda, +11,239; Robert, +14,194
  • 1947: Linda, +46,978; David, +11,381
  • 1948: Deborah, +5,409; Mark, +2,503
  • 1949: Deborah, +7,953; Michael, +7,417
  • 1950: Deborah, +9,877; Michael, +5,220
  • 1951: Deborah, +12,954; Michael, +7,531
  • 1952: Debra, +9,782; David, +7,043
  • 1953: Debra, +10,015; Michael, +5,172
  • 1954: Debra, +9,029; Mark, +6,899
  • 1955: Debra, +4,653; David, +6,653
  • 1956: Karen, +6,843; Mark, +6,596
  • 1957: Cindy, +10,268; Mark, +4,020
  • 1958: Tammy, +5,618; Timothy, +4,011
  • 1959: Donna, +9,517; Mark, +4,260
  • 1960: Lisa, +8,013; Jeffrey, +2,564
  • 1961: Lisa, +8,983; Todd, +4,005
  • 1962: Lisa, +3,394; Scott, +6,790
  • 1963: Lisa, +9,951; Paul, +2,884
  • 1964: Dawn, +4,196; John, +3,900
  • 1965: Lisa, +5,990; Rodney, +5,013
  • 1966: Michelle, +10,937; Christopher, +3,228
  • 1967: Melissa, +4,114; Matthew, +2,778
  • 1968: Jennifer, +8,612; Matthew, +2,253
  • 1969: Jennifer, +6,858; Jason, +9,346
  • 1970: Jennifer, +12,455; Jason, +10,788
  • 1971: Jennifer, +10,626; Jason, +6,897
  • 1972: Jennifer, +6,820; Christopher, +3,954
  • 1973: Heather, +3,032; Jason, +9,236
  • 1974: Heather, +3,836; Jason, +8,082
  • 1975: Amanda, +5,177; Joshua, +2,968
  • 1976: Jamie, +8,306; Jeremy, +4,940
  • 1977: Jessica, +6,467; Joshua, +5,205
  • 1978: Crystal, +2,865; Nicholas, +10,274
  • 1979: Amanda, +11,406; Joshua, +5,921
  • 1980: Tiffany, +6,614; Justin, +9,355
  • 1981: Jessica, +8,602; Brandon, +6,048
  • 1982: Ashley, +5,971; Christopher, +8,995
  • 1983: Ashley, +18,435; Kyle, +4,161
  • 1984: Ashley, +5,478; Joshua, +3,551
  • 1985: Ashley, +8,242; Andrew, +4,252
  • 1986: Whitney, +5,699; Andrew, +3,682
  • 1987: Kayla, +5,917; Justin, +4,874
  • 1988: Brittany, +4,594; Justin, +3,545
  • 1989: Brittany, +10,969; Ethan, +3,162
  • 1990: Taylor, +3,188; Jordan, +5,257
  • 1991: Shelby, +6,703; Dylan, +5,349
  • 1992: Taylor, +4,696; Dylan, +5,298
  • 1993: Taylor, +6,318; Austin, +6,125
  • 1994: Alexis, +2,208; Austin, +5,616
  • 1995: Madison, +3,516; Austin, +2,714
  • 1996: Madison, +3,632; Noah, +3,360
  • 1997: Hannah, +1,993; Jacob, +2,237
  • 1998: Emma, +2,700; Noah, +4,137
  • 1999: Grace, +3,460; Seth, +1,718
  • 2000: Trinity, +2,803; Ethan, +3,783
  • 2001: Isabella, +2,587; Logan, +2,973
  • 2002: Isabella, +3,334; Ethan, +4,143
  • 2003: Emma, +6,170; Aidan, +3,108
  • 2004: Ava, +2,364; Aiden, +1,472
  • 2005: Ava, +4,959; Landon, +2,070
  • 2006: Addison, +4,595; Aiden, +2,492
  • 2007: Addison, +4,328; Jayden, +5,596
  • 2008: Peyton, +1,954; Aiden, +2,472
  • 2009: Isabella, +3,667; Liam, +2,582
  • 2010: Sophia, +3,680; Mason, +4,139
  • 2011: Harper, +2,032; Mason, +4,650
  • 2012: Harper, +2,496; Liam, +3,286
  • 2013: Sadie, +2,031; Jase, +3,410
  • 2014: Olivia, +1,308; Oliver, +2,116
  • 2015: Alexa, +1,786; Oliver, +2,181
  • 2016: Adeline, +1,700; Mateo, +1,516
  • 2017: Luna, +1,657; Logan, +2,748
  • 2018: Mila, +2,162; Theodore, +1,070
  • 2019: Alaia, +1,072; Brooks, +1,114
  • 2020: Gianna, +4,414; Kobe, +998

Some of these names I’ve written about already, and others I plan to write about in the future. If you can give explanations for any of those others right now, though, feel free! Just leave a comment…

Update, 4/22: Here are the corresponding drops…

Distinctively Canadian First Names

Here are the most distinctively Canadian first names by decade, according to Canadian website The 10 and 3:

  • 2010s: Zainab and Linden
  • 2000s: Gurleen and Callum
  • 1990s: Simran and Mathieu
  • 1980s: Chantelle and Darcy
  • 1970s: Josee and Stephane
  • 1960s: Giuseppina and Luc
  • 1950s: Heather and Giuseppe
  • 1940s: Heather and Lorne
  • 1930s: Isobel and Lorne
  • 1920s: Gwendoline and Lorne

Did you know that Canada’s love of “Lorne” comes from the Marquess of Lorne, the British nobleman who served as Governor General of Canada from 1878 to 1883? To see more explanations, and also more names per decade, check out the source article.

The name I’m most curious about is Josée from the 1970s. It had a “Canadian factor” of 634.6 — larger than any other name in the study — but also had no explanation, and I can’t figure out the influence. Does anyone have a guess?

Source: Gord, Sheila, Graham and Beverley? The Most Distinctively Canadian Names Are Not What You’d Expect

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.

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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 the name two characters — a mother and a daughter played by actresses Virginia Brown Faire and Patsy Ruth Miller, respectively — 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).

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So which of the above names do you like best?