How popular is the baby name Jedi 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 Jedi.
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As usual, the disclaimer: Some of the names below were already on the rise. Others may have been influenced by more than just the single pop culture person/event listed. I leave it up to you to judge the degree/nature of pop culture influence in each case.
Where the heck is Usain? Why is Usain not in the data yet? Sure, track and field is relatively unpopular in the United States. Still, I thought Rio might do it — with the help of that viral photo of Usain Bolt cheekily grinning at the competition in the middle of that 100 meter sprint.
Finally, as a former ’80s kid, I did have my fingers crossed for Voltron. Oh well…
How about you? Did any of these rises/falls surprise you?
Here are three Canadian baby name stories leftover from 2016:
Jedi: The first baby born in Terrace, British Columbia, in 2016 was a boy named Jedi. His other brothers are Jared and Jade.
Ahmed: In August of 2016, a baby boy born to Syrian refugees in Canada was named Ahmed in honor of Ahmed Nasir, “a physics student from Egypt who has been volunteering his time as a translator for the family.” The name was chosen by the baby’s 6-year-old brother, Moa’ath.
Kadri: In October of 2016, a baby girl born in Ontario was named Kadri after Maple Leafs hockey player Nazem Kadri, whose family came from Lebanon. Her four older siblings are also named for Maple Leafs players. (The shared names are Tucker, McCabe, Domi, and Colton Orr.)
One source reporting on baby Kadri ended with this interesting fact: “Leaf great Ron Ellis still exchanges Christmas cards with a man who was named Ron Ellis Lucas in his honour for his play during the 1960s.”
Quick disclaimer: Some of these names were already on the rise. Others were likely influenced by multiple pop culture events/people (not just the one listed). So I leave it up to you to judge the degree/nature of pop culture influence for yourself.
Pop culture influence: the Confederate flag debate.
Update, 5/12/16: The state-by-state data was just released. Of the 83 baby girls named Rebel, 12 were born in Texas, 9 in California, 8 in Arkansas and 6 in Oklahoma. Of the 45 boys, 7 were born in Texas and 5 in Tennessee.
P.S. Some of the names from the 2014 game that have started/continued to do well: Hazel, Amal, Tauriel, and Wyatt (as a girl name). Elsa and Anna, on the other hand, both saw drops in usage.
Rocky: In August of 2014, a baby boy born to a runner in Philadelphia was named Rocky after the Rocky 50K Fat Ass Run.
Maxima: In November of 2015, a baby girl named Maxima was born to Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. Will this one influence baby names nationally?
Ryker Jedi: In December of 2015, a baby boy born near Boston the day before the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was named Ryker Jedi. The first name, Ryker, is a Star Trek reference.
