Earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins retired the jersey of former star player Jaromír Jágr (pronounced YAH-roh-meer YAH-gur).
Jágr, who was born in 1972 and grew up in Communist-controlled Czechoslovakia, was selected fifth overall by the Penguins in the 1990 NHL Draft.
During the 11 years he played in Pittsburgh, Jágr led the league in points for 5 seasons (1995, 1998-2001), led the league in assists for 3 seasons (1998-1999, 2001), and won the Stanley Cup twice (in 1991 and 1992).
So did Jaromír Jágr have an influence U.S. baby names?
Yes — both his first name and his last name debuted in the U.S. baby name data in the 1990s:
| Boys named Jagr | Boys named Jaromir | |
| 2003 | . | |
| 2002 | 6 | . |
| 2001 | 7 | . |
| 2000 | . | . |
| 1999 | 6 | . |
| 1998 | . | 6* |
| 1997 | . | . |
| 1996 | 6* | . |
| 1995 | . | . |
The name Jagr has appeared in the data a total of four times, while the name Jaromir remains a one-hit wonder to this day.
The Czech surname Jágr is derived from the German surname Jäger, which means “hunter.”
The first name Jaromír — which was also the name of Jaromír Jágr’s father, and grandfather — can be traced back to proto-Slavic elements meaning “furious” and “peace.”
(And Jaromír Jágr’s now-retired jersey number, 68, was symbolic of 1968 — the year of the Prague Spring, and also the year that his grandfather died.)
Jágr went on to have a long and successful career in the NHL. He’s currently ranked 4th on the league’s list of most career goals and 5th on the list of most career assists. He finally left the NHL in 2017, but he didn’t retire — he still plays professional hockey in Czechia at the age of 52 (!).
What are your thoughts on the baby names Jaromir and Jagr?
P.S. The cash-strapped Penguins ended up trading Jaromír Jágr to the Washington Capitals in 2001 — several years before drafting future star Sidney Crosby.
Sources:
- Jaromír Jágr – Wikipedia
- Jagr’s Magnetism (and Mullet) Huge Part of His Legend – Pittsburgh Penguins – NHL
- Swift, E. M. “The Kid From Kladno.” Sports Illustrated 12 Oct. 1992: 40-45.
- Jaromír – Behind the Name
- Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/jar – Wiktionary
- Jágr – Wiktionary
- SSA
Image: Jaromír Jágr trading card
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