How popular is the baby name Jeanluc in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Jeanluc.

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Popularity of the baby name Jeanluc


Posts that mention the name Jeanluc

Shahna, Philana, Kelinda: More “Star Trek” baby names

We’ve already looked at Uhura, and Jeanluc…so are you ready for the next three Star Trek baby names?

Today we’ve got Shahna, Kelinda, and Philana — each of which came from single episodes of the original TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1969.

shahna, star trek, television, 1960s
Shahna (not Lady Gaga)

The baby name Shahna debuted in 1968:

  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: 9 baby girls named Shahna
  • 1968: 15 baby girls named Shahna [debut]
  • 1967: unlisted

The character Shahna (played by Angelique Pettyjohn) was in the season 2 episode “The Gamesters of Triskelion,” which first aired on January 5, 1968. The setting of the episode was the planet Triskelion, where the rulers — disembodied entities called the “Providers” — forced their captives to fight against one another, gladiator-style, for their own entertainment.

kelinda, star trek, television, 1960s
Kelinda

The baby name Kelinda debuted in 1968:

  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: unlisted
  • 1968: 7 baby girls named Kelinda [debut]
  • 1967: unlisted

The character Kelinda (played by Barbara Bouchet) was in the season 2 episode “By Any Other Name,” which first aired on February 23, 1968. The episode starts with the U.S.S. Enterprise responding to fake distress call from a small planet on which encounter a strand group of Kelvans, who plan to hijack their ship in order to find planets to colonize.

philana, star trek, television, 1960s
Philana

The baby name Philana debuted in 1969:

  • 1972: 12 baby girls named Philana
  • 1971: 20 baby girls named Philana
  • 1970: 19 baby girls named Philana
  • 1969: 10 baby girls named Philana [debut]
  • 1968: unlisted
  • 1967: unlisted

The character Philana (played by Barbara Babcock) was in the season 3 episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” which first aired on November 22, 1968. The setting of the episode was the planet Platonius, where they encounter the sadistic leader of a psychokinetic society modeled after ancient Greece. (This also happens to be the infamous “interracial kiss” episode.)

No doubt Philana’s name was based on the ancient Greek word philos, meaning “friend” or “lover.”

So, which of these three single-episode Star Trek names do you like more: Shahna, Kelinda, or Philana?

Where did the baby name Jeanluc come from in 1987?

The character Jean-Luc Picard from the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994).
Jean-Luc Picard from “Star Trek

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