How popular is the baby name Jillian 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 Jillian.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Jillian


Posts that Mention the Name Jillian

Numerology & baby names: Number 4

Baby names with a numerological value of 4

Here are hundreds of baby names that have a numerological value of “4.”

I’ve sub-categorized them by overall totals, because I think that some of the intermediate numbers could have special significance to people as well.

Within each group, I’ve listed up to ten of the most popular “4” names per gender (according to the current U.S. rankings).

Beneath all the names are some ways you could interpret the numerological value of “4,” including descriptions from two different numerological systems.

4 via 13

The following baby names add up to 13, which reduces to four (1+3=4).

  • “13” girl names: Cai, Eh, Ece, Gea
  • “13” boy names: Cade, Cai, Al, Eh, Cj, Jc, Dace, La

4 via 22

The following baby names add up to 22, which reduces to four (2+2=4).

  • “22” girl names: Lia, Kaia, Ila, Giada, Ali, Hala, Aicha, Bibi, Lee, Adel
  • “22” boy names: Ali, Lee, Dale, Hadi, Bane, Mace, Akai, Adel, Boe, Agam

4 via 31

The following baby names add up to 31, which reduces to four (3+1=4).

  • “31” girl names: Blake, Demi, Kara, Macie, Miah, Aliah, Janae, Delia, Haddie, Gina
  • “31” boy names: Jacob, Blake, Kaleb, Cash, Kane, Ahmed, Koda, Taj, Gian, Cedar

4 via 40

The following baby names add up to 40, which reduces to four (4+0=4).

  • “40” girl names: Maya, Lola, Angela, Kiara, Megan, Alaya, Linda, Maleah, Kenia, Hailee
  • “40” boy names: David, Diego, Camden, Jude, Zaid, Neil, Lucca, Allan, Boden, Abner

4 via 49

The following baby names add up to 49, which reduces to four (4+9=13; 1+3=4).

  • “49” girl names: Emilia, Athena, Jayla, Logan, Kyla, Harlee, Karen, Dallas, Aliza, Milan
  • “49” boy names: Logan, Luke, Aaron, Jose, Ayden, Milo, Adriel, Dallas, Milan, Bruce

4 via 58

The following baby names add up to 58, which reduces to four (5+8=13; 1+3=4).

  • “58” girl names: Lily, Arianna, Liliana, Natalia, Daisy, Josie, Nicole, Ariella, Aniyah, Ryan
  • “58” boy names: Ryan, Nathan, Miles, Jesse, Holden, Hayes, Pedro, Albert, Kieran, Isaias

4 via 67

The following baby names add up to 67, which reduces to four (6+7=13; 1+3=4).

  • “67” girl names: Gabriella, Michelle, Ruth, Lyric, Paislee, Kaliyah, Aurelia, Jessie, Brylee, Jillian
  • “67” boy names: Julian, Dominic, Miguel, Bradley, Jensen, Jaylen, Brycen, Julio, Cullen, Marcelo

4 via 76

The following baby names add up to 76, which reduces to four (7+6=13; 1+3=4).

  • “76” girl names: Kinley, Emory, Lorelei, Rory, Hayley, Addisyn, Emmeline, Ansley, Kathleen, Kataleya
  • “76” boy names: Thomas, Emmett, Dawson, Jeremy, Louis, Rory, Dexter, Nixon, Jerry, Sylas

4 via 85

The following baby names add up to 85, which reduces to four (8+5=13; 1+3=4).

  • “85” girl names: Anastasia, Gracelyn, Brinley, Ainsley, Madisyn, Aubrielle, Tinley, Paityn, Sevyn, Finnley
  • “85” boy names: Steven, Donovan, Kayson, Franklin, Finnley, Boston, Ulises, Korbyn, Zackary, Jovanni

4 via 94

The following baby names add up to 94, which reduces to four (9+4=13; 1+3=4).

  • “94” girl names: Willow, Genevieve, Harmony, Evangeline, Alessandra, Antonella, Bernadette, Kinsleigh, Emberlyn, Aislynn
  • “94” boy names: Braxton, Jaxtyn, Brayson, Everest, Reynaldo, Trevon, Jiovanni, Sebastien, Alexandro, Gregorio

4 via 103

The following baby names add up to 103, which reduces to four (1+0+3=13).

  • “103” girl names: Princess, Scarlette, Roslyn, Merritt, Nicolette, Rosemarie, Justyce, Valkyrie, Violett, Xitlaly
  • “103” boy names: Greyson, Solomon, Yisroel, Zeppelin, Marquise, Merritt, Perseus, Tiberius, Jaxston, Tyrus

4 via 112

The following baby names add up to 112, which reduces to four (1+1+2=4).

  • “112” girl names: Brooklyn, Emmersyn, Victory, Weslynn, Divinity, Odyssey, Reighlynn, Zeplynn, Kopelynn, Houston
  • “112” boy names: Stetson, Valentino, Guillermo, Houston, Zayvion, Brooklyn, Augustin, Hawthorne, Ollivander, Trayson

4 via 121

The following baby names add up to 121, which reduces to four (1+2+1=4).

  • “121” girl names: Persephone, Courtney, Tiaraoluwa, Kierstyn, Zonnique, Amarachukwu, Morrison, Cortlynn, Estrellita, Ivylynn
  • “121” boy names: Courtney, Morrison, Kristofer, Christofer, Quintus, Aloysius, Trysten, Christophe, Trustin, Zymarion

4 via 130

The following baby names add up to 130, which reduces to four (1+3+0=4).

  • “130” girl names: Oluwatoni, Mariaguadalupe, Monzerrat, Viktoriya, Christionna, Constantina
  • “130” boy names: Wynston, Prynceton, Xzayvier, Souleymane, Washington, Oluwaseyi, Oluwatoni, Juventino, Ugochukwu, Oluwakorede

4 via 139

The following baby names add up to 139, which reduces to four (1+3+9=13; 1+3=4).

  • “139” girl names: Gwyndolyn, Oluwadamilola, Anuoluwapo, Christopher, Quetzally, Mariavictoria, Kymberlynn
  • “139” boy names: Christopher, Kristopher, Martavious, Fitzpatrick, Oluwadamilola

4 via 148

The following baby names add up to 148, which reduces to four (1+4+8=13; 1+3=4).

  • “148” girl names: Oluwateniola, Marykatherine, Moyinoluwa, Oluwatobiloba
  • “148” boy names: Oluwatobiloba, Michaelanthony

4 via 157

The boy name Marquavious adds up to 157, which reduces to four (1+5+7=13; 1+3=4).

4 via 166

The boy name Muhammadyusuf adds up to 166, which reduces to four (1+6+6=13; 1+3=4).

4 via 175

The unisex names Kosisochukwu adds up to 175, which reduces to four (1+7+5=13; 1+3=4).

What Does “4” Mean?

First, we’ll look at the significance assigned to “4” by two different numerological sources. Second, and more importantly, ask yourself if “4” or any of the intermediate numbers above have any special significance to you.

Numerological Attributes

“4” (the tetrad) according to the Pythagoreans:

  • “Anatolius reports that it is called ‘justice,’ since the square (i.e., the area) […] is equal to the perimeter”
  • “It is the prerequisite of the general orderliness of the universe, so they everywhere called it a ‘custodian of Nature.'”
  • “Everything in the universe turns out to be completed in the natural progression up to the tetrad”
  • “The tetrad is the first to display the nature of solidity: the sequence is point, line, plane, solid (i.e. body).”
  • Examples of things that are divided into four parts:
    • “four traditional seasons of the year — spring, summer, autumn and winter.”
    • “four elements (fire, air, water and earth)”
    • “four cardinal points”
    • “four distinguishing points – ascendant, descendant, mid-heaven and nadir”
    • “Some say that all things are organized by four aspects – substance, shape, form and principle.”

“4” according to Edgar Cayce:

  • “In four, it makes for the greater weaknesses in the divisions…four being more of a division and weakness” (reading 261-15).
  • “In four, we find that of a division – and while a beauty in strength, in the divisions also makes for the greater weakness” (reading 5751-1).
Personal/Cultural Significance

Does “4” — or do any of the other numbers above (e.g., 22, 49, 76, 103) — have any special significance to you?

Think about your own preferences and personal experiences: lucky numbers, birth dates, music, sports, and so on. Maybe your favorite football team is the San Francisco 49ers, for example.

Also think about associations you may have picked up from your culture, your religion, or society in general.

If you have any interesting insights about the number 4, or any of the other numbers above, please leave a comment!

Source: Theologumena Arithmeticae, attributed to Iamblichus (c.250-c.330).

Name quotes #41: Gaenor, Ransom, O’Shea

quotation marks

Here’s the latest batch…

From the novel The Notorious Miss Lisle (1911) by Mrs. Baillie Reynolds:

“The notorious Miss Lisle had the most weird Christian name you ever heard of — let’s see now, what was it? Not Guinevere, nor Gwendolen — Oh, yes, I have it. Gaenor! G, a, e, n, o, r! Did you ever hear such a name as that?”

From “Do Weird Baby Names Indicate Selfishness Or Love? Yes” by Joy Pullmann of The Federalist:

Our first child has a rather weird name. Ransom is a genuine, old name, but the effects of choosing it actually made me determined not to make such an ethereal pick again. I’ve finally joined my husband on the plain-vanilla baby names bandwagon, just as everyone.s getting off it.

[…]

Our son’s name means a great deal to us because it in fact does signal our family’s ties to something greater than even each other. It’s an enduring mark of gratitude for a faith that kept me from killing a child I didn’t want. That faith and that child ransomed me from selfishness (or at least some selfishness). So it may be and is indeed likely that other people’s children, whatever their names, can and have performed similar acts of mercy even just by existing. And how would an onlooker know whether an unusual name signifies parental self-absorption or self-sacrifice?

They wouldn’t. But, all the same, our next baby will have a meaningful name that other people have heard before.

From “Why Google’s smart assistant doesn’t have a name like Siri, Alexa, or Cortana” by Jillian D’Onfro of Business Insider:

Assistant’s lack of personality was quite intentional, according to Jonathan Jarvis, a former creative director on Google’s Labs team.

[…]

“We always wanted to make it feel like you were the agent, and it was more like a superpower that you had and a tool that you used,” he tells Business Insider. “If you create this personified assistant, that feels like a different relationship.”

For that reason, Assistant likely won’t be telling you jokes or serving up sassy responses, either.

We also heard while at I/O that Google didn’t want to give its assistant a gender or make it seem too American.

From “The Difficulty of Names” by Mami Suzuki of the blog Tofugu:

My name “Mami” (pronounced mommy) is a good example of this. Mami is quite a common name in Japan and mostly means “true beauty” or “true”, but in English, it just sounds like mother. Therefore, I always feel embarrassed when I introduce myself, because I have to say, “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Mami.” It’s pretty strange, isn’t it? “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Mother. Say my name.” Even my teachers and my bosses have to call me Mommy!

From “Bye-bye Berlin: Wheels for name change set in motion 100 years ago” about the Ontario town of Kitchener (formerly Berlin):

Meanwhile, 100 years after it was nixed, the Berlin name is enjoying a bit of a minor renaissance in Kitchener.

Two businesses prominently featuring the name have opened in recent months: The Berlin restaurant and the Berlin Bicycle Café.

Andrea Hennige, the restaurant manager at The Berlin, says the name was chosen with an eye toward the area’s history.

“It’s a nod to the people who settled the area, who probably laid the bricks in this building,” she said in an interview.

Town residents voted to drop the name Berlin in 1916, during WWI. The name change ballot included the following options: Adanac (Canada spelled backwards), Benton, Brock, Corona, Keowana, and Kitchener. Speaking of ballots…

From “Maine”s GOP governor, veto record-holder, names new dog Veto” in The Seattle Times:

Republican Gov. Paul LePage, the state’s all-time veto champion, has named his new dog Veto.

LePage, who has earned renown for exercising his veto pen on bills he didn’t like, adopted a Jack Russell terrier mix from a shelter.

[…]

LePage chose the name Veto because his pet “is the mascot of good public policy, defender of the Maine people and protector of hardworking taxpayers from bad legislation,” his spokesman Peter Steele said.

Steele joked that the governor is going to train the dog to deliver vetoes from his office to legislative leaders.

From “Why There Are So Many More Names for Baby Girls” by Chris Wilson in TIME:

“The culture is much more accepting of out-there girls’ names,” says Matthew Hahn, a professor of biology and informatics at the University of Indiana who co-authored a 2003 study comparing baby name trends to evolutionary models. “The same goes for inventing new names.” For example, some formerly male-dominated names become predominantly female names, like Lindsey and Mckenzie, but it rarely goes the other way.

“The inventiveness in girl names has always led the boys,” says Alex Bentley, a professor in comparative cultural studies at the University of Houston and a co-author of the 2003 study, though he notes that, in the past decade, the rate at which people invent new boy names has caught up with the rate for girls.

From “Ever Wonder How Ice Cube Got His Name? Here’s Your Answer” by Angela Watercutter in Wired:

“My brother, he’s about nine years older than me, he used to have all kind of women calling the house and I would try to get at them,” the man known to the IRS as O’Shea Jackson says in this Google Autocomplete interview. “He got mad at that and said he was going to slam me in the freezer one day, and turn me into an ice cube. I said, ‘You know what? That’s a badge of honor.'”

Popular twin names in the U.S., 2005 to 2011

twins

Once upon a time, the U.S. Social Security Administration put out annual twin name rankings (that is, rankings of the pairs of baby names given most frequently to sets of U.S. twins).

It all started in 2005 with simple, single-list rankings. Things got more interesting in 2009, when the SSA began splitting the rankings into gender-specific sub-rankings. Then in 2012, nothing. The updates stopped coming.

Now we have seven years’ worth of official twin name data from the U.S. government…and that’s it.

I used to keep these rankings in my directory, but they are so out-of-date now that I think it’s best to archive them in a single blog post, for easy reference. So, without further ado, here are the top baby names for twins born in the United States from 2005 to 2011 (inclusive):

Top Twin Names, 2011

Girl-Girl Twins, 2011Boy-Boy Twins, 2011Girl-Boy Twins, 2011
1. Olivia, Sophia (50 sets)
2. Gabriella, Isabella (39)
3. Ella, Emma (33)
4. Faith, Hope (33)
5. Makayla, Makenzie (31)
6. Heaven, Nevaeh (29)
7. Isabella, Sophia (29)
8. Mackenzie, Madison (24)
9. Hailey, Hannah (18)
10. Abigail, Olivia (17)
11. Ava, Emma (17)
12. Ava, Olivia (17)
13. Ava, Mia (16)
14. Emma, Olivia (16)
15. Addison, Avery (15)
16. Ava, Ella (15)
17. Arianna, Brianna (14)
18. Isabella, Olivia (14)
19. London, Paris (14)
20. Madison, Makenzie (14)
21. Faith, Grace (13)
22. Haylee, Kaylee (13)
23. Samantha, Sophia (13)
24. Abigail, Emily (12)
25. Anna, Emma (12)
26. Chloe, Zoey (12)
27. Elizabeth, Emma (12)
28. Emily, Evelyn (12)
29. Reagan, Riley (12)
30. Abigail, Emma (11)
31. Abigail, Sophia (11)
32. Sarah, Sophia (11)
33. Elizabeth, Katherine (10)
34. Emily, Olivia (10)
35. Emma, Sophia (10)
36. Jayla, Kayla (10)
37. Madison, Mckenzie (10)
38. Madison, Morgan (10)
39. Mia, Mya (10)
40. Natalie, Nicole (10)
41. Serenity, Trinity (10)
42. Abigail, Isabella (9)
43. Addison, Olivia (9)
44. Autumn, Summer (9)
45. Ava, Sophia (9)
46. Ella, Olivia (9)
47. Emma, Sophie (9)
48. Gabriella, Sophia (9)
49. Mackenzie, Makayla (9)
50. Valentina, Valeria (9)		1. Daniel, David (58 sets)
2. Jacob, Joshua (55)
3. Isaac, Isaiah (47)
4. Jayden, Jordan (41)
5. Ethan, Evan (39)
6. Elijah, Isaiah (38)
7. Matthew, Michael (33)
8. Jayden, Jaylen (26)
9. Ethan, Nathan (25)
10. Jayden, Kayden (25)
11. Landon, Logan (25)
12. Logan, Lucas (24)
13. Caleb, Joshua (23)
14. James, John (23)
15. Jeremiah, Josiah (21)
16. Logan, Luke (21)
17. Alexander, Benjamin (20)
18. Andrew, Matthew (20)
19. Chance, Chase (20)
20. Hayden, Hunter (20)
21. Alexander, Nicholas (19)
22. Gabriel, Michael (19)
23. Jacob, Joseph (19)
24. Andrew, Benjamin (18)
25. Andrew, Anthony (17)
26. Benjamin, Samuel (17)
27. Ayden, Jayden (16)
28. Christian, Christopher (16)
29. Brandon, Bryan (15)
30. Jacob, Lucas (15)
31. Liam, Logan (15)
32. Nathan, Noah (15)
33. Alexander, Andrew (14)
34. Alexander, Anthony (14)
35. Elijah, Ethan (14)
36. Nathan, Nicholas (14)
37. Aiden, Ethan (13)
38. Aiden, Noah (13)
39. Jason, Justin (13)
40. Logan, Mason (13)
41. Maddox, Mason (13)
42. Nicholas, Noah (13)
43. Benjamin, William (12)
44. Garrett, Gavin (12)
45. Henry, William (12)
46. Jayden, Joshua (12)
47. Jeremiah, Jeremy (12)
48. Jonah, Noah (12)
49. Jordan, Justin (12)
50. Matthew, Nathan (12)		1. Madison, Mason (50 sets)
2. Olivia, Owen (18)
3. Jayda, Jayden (17)
4. Emma, Ethan (14)
5. Isabella, Isaiah (14)
6. Addison, Aiden (13)
7. Emily, Ethan (13)
8. Ava, Aiden (12)
9. Ella, Ethan (12)
10. Jada, Jaden (12)
11. Taylor, Tyler (12)
12. Abigail, Andrew (11)
13. Landon, London (11)
14. Mason, Morgan (11)
15. Olivia, Oliver (11)
16. Zoey, Zachary (11)
17. Isabella, Alexander (10)
18. Olivia, Ethan (10)
19. Madison, Michael (10)
20. Abigail, Benjamin (9)
21. Sophia, Alexander (9)
22. Emily, Matthew (9)
23. Emma, John (9)
24. Mackenzie, Mason (9)
25. Michelle, Michael (9)
26. Adriana, Adrian (8)
27. Charlotte, Henry (8)
28. Elizabeth, William (8)
29. Isabella, Isaac (8)
30. Jayla, Jayden (8)
31. Sophia, Samuel (8)
32. Addison, Jackson (7)
33. Emma, Andrew (7)
34. Ava, Jackson (7)
35. Brooklyn, Blake (7)
36. Chloe, Caleb (7)
37. Chloe, Colton (7)
38. Chloe, Connor (7)
39. Emma, Jack (7)
40. Emma, Jacob (7)
41. Isabella, Jacob (7)
42. Jada, Jordan (7)
43. Natalie, Nathan (7)
44. Sophia, Robert (7)
45. Trinity, Tristan (7)
46. Zoey, Zane (7)
47. Abigail, Alexander (6)
48. Abigail, Jacob (6)
49. Abigail, Zachary (6)
50. Addison, Austin (6)

Similarities in the 2011 rankings:

  • #5 and #49 on the girl-girl list are “Makayla, Makenzie” and “Mackenzie, Makayla.”
  • #8, #20 and #37 on the girl-girl list are “Mackenzie, Madison,” “Madison, Makenzie” and “Madison, Mckenzie.”
  • #3 and #10 on the girl-boy list are “Jayda, Jayden” and “Jada, Jaden.”

Top Twin Names, 2010

Girl-Girl Twins, 2010Boy-Boy Twins, 2010Girl-Boy Twins, 2010
1. Ella, Emma (44 sets)
2. Olivia, Sophia (42)
3. Gabriella, Isabella (34)
4. Faith, Hope (32)
5. Ava, Emma (28)
6. Isabella, Sophia (25)
7. Madison, Morgan (24)
8. Ava, Ella (21)
9. Ava, Olivia (21)
10. Mackenzie, Madison (21)
11. Abigail, Isabella (20)
12. Abigail, Emma (19)
13. Hailey, Hannah (19)
14. Makayla, Makenzie (19)
15. Addison, Avery (17)
16. Elizabeth, Emily (17)
17. Ava, Mia (16)
18. Heaven, Nevaeh (16)
19. Abigail, Emily (14)
20. Emma, Olivia (14)
21. London, Paris (14)
22. Chloe, Claire (13)
23. Mia, Mya (13)
24. Anna, Emma (12)
25. Arianna, Brianna (12)
26. Isabella, Olivia (12)
27. Abigail, Lillian (11)
28. Addison, Ava (11)
29. Emma, Isabella (11)
30. Samantha, Sophia (11)
31. Ella, Olivia (10)
32. Emma, Hannah (10)
33. Emma, Mia (10)
34. Faith, Grace (10)
35. Madison, Makenzie (10)
36. Madison, Olivia (10)
37. Abigail, Olivia (9)
38. Anabella, Isabella (9)
39. Chloe, Zoe (9)
40. Elizabeth, Isabella (9)
41. Elizabeth, Victoria (9)
42. Jada, Jade (9)
43. Julia, Sophia (9)
44. Kayla, Kylie (9)
45. Madison, Megan (9)
46. Mia, Sophia (9)
47. Natalie, Olivia (9)
48. Paige, Payton (9)
49. Serenity, Trinity (9)
50. Valentina, Valeria (9)		1. Jacob, Joshua (69 sets)
2. Ethan, Evan (54)
3. Jayden, Jordan (52)
4. Daniel, David (50)
5. Matthew, Michael (35)
6. Landon, Logan (32)
7. Elijah, Isaiah (31)
8. Jacob, Joseph (30)
9. Jayden, Jaylen (27)
10. Isaac, Isaiah (26)
11. Caleb, Joshua (25)
12. Andrew, Matthew (22)
13. James, John (22)
14. Alexander, Nicholas (21)
15. Jeremiah, Josiah (21)
16. Joseph, Joshua (21)
17. Nathan, Nicholas (21)
18. Jonathan, Joshua (20)
19. Logan, Lucas (20)
20. Ethan, Nathan (19)
21. Aiden, Ethan (18)
22. Jeremiah, Joshua (18)
23. Alexander, Andrew (17)
24. Alexander, Benjamin (17)
25. Logan, Luke (17)
26. Jacob, Lucas (16)
27. Jonathan, Joseph (16)
28. Nathan, Noah (16)
29. Andrew, Anthony (15)
30. Brandon, Bryan (15)
31. Daniel, Michael (15)
32. Daniel, Samuel (15)
33. Isaiah, Jeremiah (15)
34. Jaden, Jordan (15)
35. Jayden, Kayden (15)
36. John, Joseph (15)
37. Matthew, Ryan (15)
38. Aiden, Austin (14)
39. Benjamin, Samuel (14)
40. Christopher, Nicholas (14)
41. Taylor, Tyler (14)
42. Benjamin, William (13)
43. Hayden, Hunter (13)
44. Santiago, Sebastian (13)
45. Alexander, Anthony (12)
46. Alexander, William (12)
47. Brandon, Brian (12)
48. Carter, Cooper (12)
49. Evan, Owen (12)
50. Evan, Ryan (12)		1. Madison, Mason (32 sets)
2. Emma, Ethan (28)
3. Taylor, Tyler (26)
4. Madison, Michael (19)
5. Jayda, Jayden (17)
6. Madison, Matthew (17)
7. Sophia, Samuel (17)
8. Addison, Aiden (14)
9. Olivia, Owen (13)
10. Zoe, Zachary (13)
11. Addison, Jackson (12)
12. Ava, Aiden (12)
13. Emily, Ethan (12)
14. Emma, Ryan (12)
15. Isabella, Isaac (12)
16. Natalie, Nathan (12)
17. Abigail, Benjamin (11)
18. Emma, Andrew (11)
19. Isabella, Isaiah (11)
20. Jada, Jaden (11)
21. Brianna, Brian (10)
22. Emma, Jack (10)
23. Emma, Aiden (9)
24. Ella, Eli (9)
25. Olivia, Jacob (9)
26. Lily, Logan (9)
27. Michelle, Michael (9)
28. Naomi, Noah (9)
29. Abigail, Alexander (8)
30. Abigail, Andrew (8)
31. Brianna, Brandon (8)
32. Chloe, Christian (8)
33. Elizabeth, William (8)
34. Emily, Matthew (8)
35. Emma, Jacob (8)
36. Emma, William (8)
37. Sarah, Jacob (8)
38. Lilly, Logan (8)
39. Sophia, Nicholas (8)
40. Sophia, Noah (8)
41. Olivia, Oliver (8)
42. Sophia, William (8)
43. Abigail, Jacob (7)
44. Addison, Austin (7)
45. Sophia, Alexander (7)
46. Ella, Jackson (7)
47. Emma, Evan (7)
48. Emma, James (7)
49. Jayla, Jaylen (7)
50. Zoey, Zachary (7)

Similarities in the 2010 rankings:

  • #10 and #35 on the girl-girl list are “Mackenzie, Madison” and “Madison, Makenzie.”
  • #3 and #34 on the boy-boy list are “Jayden, Jordan” and “Jaden, Jordan.”
  • #30 and #47 on the boy-boy list are “Brandon, Bryan” and “Brandon, Brian.”
  • #5 and #20 on the girl-boy list are “Jayda, Jayden” and “Jada, Jaden.”
  • #10 and #50 on the girl-boy list are “Zoe, Zachary” and “Zoey, Zachary.”
  • #26 and #38 on the girl-boy list are “Lily, Logan” and “Lilly, Logan.”

Top Twin Names, 2009

Girl-Girl Twins, 2009Boy-Boy Twins, 2009Girl-Boy Twins, 2009
1. Isabella, Sophia (41 sets)
2. Faith, Hope (40)
3. Olivia, Sophia (29)
4. Ella, Emma (28)
5. Hailey, Hannah (27)
6. Ava, Emma (25)
7. Heaven, Nevaeh (25)
8. Madison, Morgan (24)
9. Mackenzie, Madison (23)
10. Ava, Olivia (21)
11. Isabella, Olivia (20)
12. Makayla, Makenzie (20)
13. Ava, Ella (19)
14. Faith, Grace (17)
15. Gabriella, Isabella (16)
16. Abigail, Olivia (15)
17. Emma, Sophia (15)
18. London, Paris (15)
19. Elizabeth, Emily (14)
20. Valeria, Vanessa (14)
21. Emily, Emma (12)
22. Emma, Grace (12)
23. Gabriella, Isabella (12)
24. Abigail, Allison (11)
25. Abigail, Emma (11)
26. Addison, Ava (11)
27. Anna, Emma (11)
28. Ava, Mia (11)
29. Ava, Sophia (11)
30. Abigail, Emily (10)
31. Addison, Emma (10)
32. Chloe, Sophie (10)
33. Grace, Hope (10)
34. Natalie, Nicole (10)
35. Savannah, Sierra (10)
36. Allison, Ashley (9)
37. Ella, Lily (9)
38. Emily, Natalie (9)
39. Emily, Olivia (9)
40. Emma, Hannah (9)
41. Emma, Lily (9)
42. Haylee, Kaylee (9)
43. Jennifer, Jessica (9)
44. Madison, Mckenzie (9)
45. Abigail, Elizabeth (8)
46. Addison, Avery (8)
47. Adriana, Andrea (8)
48. Alexandra, Elizabeth (8)
49. Ashley, Emily (8)
50. Ava, Grace (8)		1. Jacob, Joshua (55 sets)
2. Matthew, Michael (52)
3. Daniel, David (50)
4. Jayden, Jordan (41)
5. Jayden, Jaylen (38)
6. Elijah, Isaiah (36)
7. Isaac, Isaiah (36)
8. Ethan, Evan (31)
9. Logan, Lucas (31)
10. Logan, Luke (27)
11. Caleb, Joshua (24)
12. Landon, Logan (24)
13. Andrew, Matthew (23)
14. Nathan, Nicholas (23)
15. Brandon, Bryan (22)
16. Alexander, Benjamin (21)
17. Hayden, Hunter (21)
18. Alexander, Nicholas (20)
19. Gabriel, Michael (20)
20. Christian, Christopher (19)
21. Jordan, Justin (19)
22. Benjamin, Samuel (18)
23. James, John (18)
24. Jeremiah, Joshua (18)
25. John, Joseph (18)
26. Joseph, Joshua (18)
27. Jeremiah, Josiah (17)
28. Aiden, Ethan (16)
29. Jacob, Noah (16)
30. Alexander, Anthony (15)
31. Caleb, Jacob (15)
32. Ethan, Noah (15)
33. Jacob, Joseph (15)
34. James, William (15)
35. Andrew, Anthony (14)
36. Jacob, Zachary (14)
37. Nathan, Noah (14)
38. Aiden, Ashton (13)
39. Alexander, Michael (13)
40. Andrew, William (13)
41. Christopher, Nicholas (13)
42. Dylan, Logan (13)
43. Michael, Nicholas (13)
44. Thomas, William (13)
45. Aidan, Ethan (12)
46. Aiden, Jayden (12)
47. Alexander, Alexis (12)
48. Benjamin, Jacob (12)
49. Chance, Chase (12)
50. Jayden, Kayden (12)		1. Madison, Mason (34 sets)
2. Taylor, Tyler (30)
3. Addison, Aiden (18)
4. Emily, Ethan (16)
5. Emma, Evan (16)
6. Ella, Ethan (15)
7. Emma, Ethan (14)
8. Jayda, Jayden (13)
9. Jada, Jaden (12)
10. Aidan, Nadia (11)
11. Aiden, Ava (11)
12. Emma, William (11)
13. Madison, Matthew (11)
14. Anna, William (10)
15. Emily, Evan (10)
16. Emma, Jacob (10)
17. Emma, Noah (10)
18. Isabella, Isaiah (10)
19. Madison, Michael (10)
20. Addison, Andrew (9)
21. Chloe, Connor (9)
22. Emma, Jack (9)
23. Nicholas, Sophia (9)
24. Noah, Sophia (9)
25. Olivia, Owen (9)
26. Zachary, Zoe (9)
27. Zachary, Zoey (9)
28. Brian, Brianna (8)
29. Caleb, Chloe (8)
30. Ethan, Isabella (8)
31. Grace, John (8)
32. Isabella, Michael (8)
33. Jacob, Jillian (8)
34. Jada, Jayden (8)
35. James, Julia (8)
36. Landon, London (8)
37. Lily, Luke (8)
38. Olivia, William (8)
39. Samuel, Sophia (8)
40. Sophia, William (8)
41. Abigail, Alexander (7)
42. Abigail, Benjamin (7)
43. Alexander, Ava (7)
44. Andrea, Andrew (7)
45. Andrew, Emily (7)
46. Ava, John (7)
47. Ava, Noah (7)
48. Emily, Ryan (7)
49. Emma, James (7)
50. Hannah, Noah (7)

Observations on the 2009 rankings:

  • #9 and #44 on the girl-girl list are “Mackenzie, Madison” and “Madison, Mckenzie.”
  • #15 and #23 on the girl-girl list are both “Gabriella, Isabella.” There was probably supposed to be a spelling difference somewhere, but the SSA had the pairings listed identically.
  • #8, #9 and #34 on the girl-boy list are “Jayda, Jayden,” “Jada, Jaden” and “Jada, Jayden.”
  • #10 on the girl-boy list is “Aidan, Nadia” — the only pair of anagram names I’ve spotted on these twin lists (besides Heaven/Nevaeh, of course).
  • #26 and #27 on the girl-boy list are “Zachary, Zoe” and “Zachary, Zoey.”

Top Twin Names, 2008

(Gender combinations not specified.)

1. Jacob, Joshua (69 sets born in 2008)
2. Daniel, David (59)
3. Jayden, Jordan (56)
4. Ethan, Evan (50)
5. Taylor, Tyler (43)
6. Gabriella, Isabella (42)
7. Isaac, Isaiah (40)
8. Madison, Morgan (38)
9. Elijah, Isaiah (36)
10. Ella, Emma (35)
11. Landon, Logan (34)
12. Logan, Lucas (34)
13. Matthew, Michael (33)
14. Faith, Hope (29)
15. Isabella, Sophia (28)
16. Olivia, Sophia (28)
17. James, John (27)
18. Madison, Mason (27)
19. Brandon, Bryan (25)
20. Hailey, Hannah (25)
21. Mackenzie, Madison (25)
22. Nathan, Nicholas (25)
23. Addison, Aiden (24)
24. Caleb, Joshua (24)
25. Christian, Christopher (24)
26. Emma, Ethan (24)
27. Jayden, Jaylen (24)
28. Ava, Emma (23)
29. Ava, Olivia (23)
30. Joseph, Joshua (23)
31. Andrew, Matthew (22)
32. Makayla, Makenzie (22)
33. Benjamin, Samuel (21)
34. Brandon, Brian (21)
35. Abigail, Emma (20)
36. Jacob, Matthew (20)
37. Jordan, Justin (20)
38. Nathan, Noah (20)
39. Alexander, Andrew (19)
40. Emily, Ethan (19)
41. Ethan, Nathan (19)
42. Gabriel, Michael (19)
43. Hayden, Hunter (19)
44. Jacob, Joseph (19)
45. Addison, Avery (17)
46. Faith, Grace (17)
47. Jayda, Jayden (17)
48. Joshua, Justin (17)
49. Joshua, Matthew (17)
50. Alexander, Nicholas (16)
51. Emma, Sophie (16)
52. Jada, Jaden (16)
53. Logan, Luke (16)
54. Aaron, Andrew (15)
55. Andrew, Anthony (15)
56. Anna, Emma (15)
57. Autumn, Summer (15)
58. Isabella, Olivia (15)
59. Jacob, Jordan (15)
60. Jacob, Lucas (15)
61. Kyle, Ryan (15)
62. Nicholas, Noah (15)
63. Valeria, Vanessa (15)
64. Abigail, Benjamin (14)
65. Aiden, Ava (14)
66. Alexander, Benjamin (14)
67. Alexander, Christopher (14)
68. Ashley, Emily (14)
69. Benjamin, William (14)
70. Christopher, Matthew (14)
71. Daniel, Michael (14)
72. Dylan, Tyler (14)
73. Emma, Sophia (14)
74. Hannah, Sarah (14)
75. Heaven, Nevaeh (14)
76. Jake, Luke (14)
77. Jennifer, Jessica (14)
78. Mackenzie, Makayla (14)
79. Matthew, William (14)
80. Natalie, Nathan (14)
81. Ryan, Tyler (14)
82. Samuel, Sophia (14)
83. Samuel, William (14)
84. Addison, Emma (13)
85. Adrian, Adriana (13)
86. Aiden, Austin (13)
87. Alexander, Alexis (13)
88. Ava, Mia (13)
89. Benjamin, Jacob (13)
90. Benjamin, Matthew (13)
91. Caleb, Christian (13)
92. Caleb, Jacob (13)
93. Elijah, Ethan (13)
94. Jada, Jayden (13)
95. James, William (13)
96. John, William (13)
97. Lily, Logan (13)
98. Mark, Matthew (13)
99. Matthew, Nicholas (13)
100. Maxwell, Samuel (13)

Similarities in the 2008 rankings:

  • #19 and #34 are “Brandon, Bryan,” and “Brandon, Brian.”
  • #32 and #78 are “Makayla, Makenzie” and “Mackenzie, Makayla.”
  • #47, #52 and #94 are “Jayda, Jayden,” “Jada, Jaden” and “Jada, Jayden.”

Top Twin Names, 2007

(Gender combinations not specified.)

1. Jacob, Joshua (69 sets born in 2007)
2. Matthew, Michael (55)
3. Daniel, David (52)
4. Isaac, Isaiah (39)
5. Ella, Emma (38)
6. Madison, Morgan (36)
7. Taylor, Tyler (36)
8. Landon, Logan (35)
9. Brandon, Bryan (34)
10. Christian, Christopher (33)
11. Gabriella, Isabella (33)
12. Andrew, Matthew (32)
13. Faith, Hope (32)
14. Joseph, Joshua (31)
15. Ethan, Evan (30)
16. Jacob, Joseph (30)
17. Mackenzie, Madison (29)
18. Alexander, Benjamin (27)
19. Caleb, Joshua (26)
20. Hailey, Hannah (26)
21. Isabella, Sophia (26)
22. Madison, Matthew (26)
23. Emily, Ethan (25)
24. Joshua, Matthew (25)
25. Nathan, Nicholas (25)
26. Andrew, Anthony (24)
27. Jayden, Jordan (24)
28. Madison, Mason (24)
29. Elijah, Isaiah (23)
30. Alexander, Nicholas (22)
31. Jeremiah, Joshua (22)
32. Emma, Ethan (21)
33. Olivia, Sophia (21)
34. Ava, Emma (20)
35. Haley, Hannah (20)
36. Hayden, Hunter (20)
37. Jacob, Zachary (20)
38. Logan, Luke (20)
39. Natalie, Nathan (20)
40. Benjamin, Samuel (19)
41. Christopher, Nicholas (19)
42. Nathan, Noah (19)
43. Alexander, Christopher (18)
44. James, John (18)
45. John, William (18)
46. Jordan, Justin (18)
47. Megan, Morgan (18)
48. Alexander, Anthony (17)
49. Andrew, William (17)
50. Christopher, Matthew (17)
51. Isabella, Olivia (17)
52. Jacob, Jordan (17)
53. Joseph, Michael (17)
54. Alexander, Andrew (16)
55. Andrew, Jacob (16)
56. Elijah, Ethan (16)
57. Jacob, Matthew (16)
58. Jacob, Samuel (16)
59. James, Joseph (16)
60. Jordan, Joshua (16)
61. Matthew, Ryan (16)
62. Nicholas, Noah (16)
63. Ava, Olivia (15)
64. Emma, Grace (15)
65. Emma, Hannah (15)
66. Jason, Justin (15)
67. Jennifer, Jessica (15)
68. Makayla, Makenzie (15)
69. Natalie, Nicole (15)
70. Zachary, Zoe (15)
71. Ava, Sophia (14)
72. Benjamin, Jacob (14)
73. Emma, Olivia (14)
74. Ethan, Nathan (14)
75. Gabriel, Michael (14)
76. Grace, Olivia (14)
77. Jacob, Justin (14)
78. Jacob, Tyler (14)
79. Jaden, Jordan (14)
80. Jonathan, Joshua (14)
81. Jose, Juan (14)
82. Logan, Lucas (14)
83. Mark, Matthew (14)
84. Robert, William (14)
85. Samuel, Sophia (14)
86. Abigail, Emily (13)
87. Abigail, Emma (13)
88. Alexander, William (13)
89. Anna, Emma (13)
90. Ashley, Emily (13)
91. Ava, Ella (13)
92. Cameron, Christian (13)
93. Emily, Sarah (13)
94. Emma, Jacob (13)
95. Emma, William (13)
96. Grace, Hannah (13)
97. Hannah, Sarah (13)
98. Jayden, Jaylen (13)
99. Joseph, Nicholas (13)
100. Joshua, Zachary (13)
101. Madison, Megan (13)
102. Parker, Preston (13)

Similarities in the 2007 rankings:

  • #20 and #35 are “Hailey, Hannah” and “Haley, Hannah.”
  • #27 and #79 are “Jayden, Jordan” and “Jaden, Jordan.”

Top Twin Names, 2006

(Gender combinations not specified.)

1. Jacob, Joshua (67 sets born in 2006)
2. Matthew, Michael (54)
3. Daniel, David (52)
4. Ella, Emma (38)
5. Isaac, Isaiah (38)
6. Madison, Morgan (36)
7. Landon, Logan (35)
8. Taylor, Tyler (35)
9. Brandon, Bryan (34)
10. Christian, Christopher (33)
11. Gabriella, Isabella (33)
12. Andrew, Matthew (32)
13. Faith, Hope (31)
14. Ethan, Evan (30)
15. Jacob, Joseph (30)
16. Joseph, Joshua (29)
17. Mackenzie, Madison (29)
18. Alexander, Benjamin (27)
19. Hailey, Hannah (27)
20. Madison, Matthew (26)
21. Caleb, Joshua (25)
22. Emily, Ethan (25)
23. Isabella, Sophia (25)
24. Joshua, Matthew (25)
25. Nathan, Nicholas (25)
26. Andrew, Anthony (24)
27. Jayden, Jordan (24)
28. Madison, Mason (24)
29. Elijah, Isaiah (22)
30. Jeremiah, Joshua (22)
31. Alexander, Nicholas (21)
32. Emma, Ethan (21)
33. Olivia, Sophia (21)
34. Ava, Emma (20)
35. Hayden, Hunter (20)
36. Logan, Luke (20)
37. Natalie, Nathan (20)
38. Christopher, Nicholas (19)
39. Haley, Hannah (19)
40. Jacob, Zachary (19)
41. John, William (19)
42. Nathan, Noah (19)
43. Benjamin, Samuel (18)
44. James, John (18)
45. Jordan, Justin (18)
46. Megan, Morgan (18)
47. Alexander, Anthony (17)
48. Isabella, Olivia (17)
49. Jacob, Jordan (17)
50. Joseph, Michael (17)
51. Nicholas, Noah (17)
52. Alexander, Andrew (16)
53. Alexander, Christopher (16)
54. Andrew, Jacob (16)
55. Christopher, Matthew (16)
56. Elijah, Ethan (16)
57. Jacob, Samuel (16)
58. James, Joseph (16)
59. Matthew, Ryan (16)
60. Ava, Olivia (15)
61. Emma, Grace (15)
62. Emma, Hannah (15)
63. Jacob, Matthew (15)
64. Jaden, Jordan (15)
65. Jason, Justin (15)
66. Jordan, Joshua (15)
67. Makayla, Makenzie (15)
68. Zachary, Zoe (15)
69. Abigail, Emily (14)
70. Andrew, William (14)
71. Benjamin, Jacob (14)
72. Emma, Olivia (14)
73. Ethan, Nathan (14)
74. Gabriel, Michael (14)
75. Hannah, Sarah (14)
76. Jacob, Justin (14)
77. Jacob, Tyler (14)
78. Jennifer, Jessica (14)
79. Jonathan, Joshua (14)
80. Jose, Juan (14)
81. Mark, Matthew (14)
82. Natalie, Nicole (14)
83. Samuel, Sophia (14)
84. Abigail, Emma (13)
85. Alexander, William (13)
86. Anna, Emma (13)
87. Ashley, Emily (13)
88. Ava, Sophia (13)
89. Cameron, Christian (13)
90. Emily, Sarah (13)
91. Emma, Jacob (13)
92. Grace, Hannah (13)
93. Grace, Olivia (13)
94. Jayden, Jaylen (13)
95. Joseph, Nicholas (13)
96. Joshua, Zachary (13)
97. Logan, Lucas (13)
98. Madison, Megan (13)
99. Parker, Preston (13)
100. Robert, William (13)

Similarities in the 2006 rankings:

  • #19 and #39 are “Hailey, Hannah” and “Haley, Hannah.”
  • #27 and #64 are “Jayden, Jordan” and “Jaden, Jordan.”

Top Twin Names, 2005

(Gender combinations not specified.)

1. Jacob, Joshua (78 sets born in 2005)
2. Matthew, Michael (70)
3. Daniel, David (63)
4. Faith, Hope (49)
5. Ethan, Evan (43)
6. Taylor, Tyler (42)
7. Isaac, Isaiah (37)
8. Joseph, Joshua (37)
9. Nathan, Nicholas (37)
10. Madison, Mason (33)
11. Hailey, Hannah (32)
12. Madison, Morgan (32)
13. Alexander, Andrew (29)
14. Elijah, Isaiah (28)
15. Jordan, Justin (28)
16. Mackenzie, Madison (27)
17. Alexander, Nicholas (25)
18. Caleb, Joshua (25)
19. Emma, Ethan (25)
20. Jonathan, Joshua (25)
21. Emily, Ethan (24)
22. Alexander, Benjamin (23)
23. Andrew, Matthew (23)
24. Benjamin, Samuel (23)
25. James, John (23)
26. Matthew, Nicholas (23)
27. Brandon, Brian (22)
28. Ella, Emma (22)
29. Alexander, Zachary (21)
30. Dylan, Tyler (21)
31. Hannah, Sarah (21)
32. Madison, Matthew (21)
33. Christian, Christopher (20)
34. Faith, Grace (20)
35. Jacob, Jordan (20)
36. Jacob, Matthew (20)
37. Jaden, Jordan (20)
38. Alexander, Anthony (19)
39. Brandon, Bryan (19)
40. Emily, Sarah (19)
41. Ethan, Nathan (19)
42. Jacob, Joseph (19)
43. Jordan, Joshua (19)
44. Landon, Logan (19)
45. Olivia, Sophia (19)
46. Ashley, Emily (18)
47. Elizabeth, Emily (18)
48. Elizabeth, Katherine (18)
49. Jeremy, Joshua (18)
50. John, Joseph (18)
51. Nathan, Noah (18)
52. Nicholas, Noah (18)
53. Nicholas, Zachary (18)
54. Alexander, Christopher (17)
55. Christopher, Michael (17)
56. Jacob, Zachary (17)
57. Jason, Justin (17)
58. Abigail, Allison (16)
59. Amy, Emily (16)
60. Andrew, Nicholas (16)
61. Benjamin, William (16)
62. Christopher, Nicholas (16)
63. Ella, Ethan (16)
64. Gabriella, Isabella (16)
65. Isabella, Sophia (16)
66. Jeremiah, Joshua (16)
67. Megan, Morgan (16)
68. Samuel, Sophia (16)
69. Aidan, Ava (15)
70. Alexander, Alexis (15)
71. Andrew, Anthony (15)
72. Andrew, Ethan (15)
73. Andrew, William (15)
74. Ava, Olivia (15)
75. Caleb, Jacob (15)
76. Jacob, Nicholas (15)
77. Jacob, Ryan (15)
78. Jake, Luke (15)
79. Jayden, Jordan (15)
80. John, William (15)
81. Mark, Matthew (15)
82. Natalie, Nathan (15)
83. Nathaniel, Nicholas (15)
84. Ryan, Tyler (15)
85. Abigail, Emily (14)
86. Anna, Emma (14)
87. Anthony, Michael (14)
88. Anthony, Nicholas (14)
89. Austin, Justin (14)
90. Benjamin, Jacob (14)
91. Brian, Brianna (14)
92. Christopher, Matthew (14)
93. Daniel, Samuel (14)
94. Gabriel, Michael (14)
95. Haley, Hannah (14)
96. Jada, Jaden (14)
97. Jayden, Jaylen (14)
98. Jonathan, Joseph (14)
99. Kyle, Ryan (14)
100. Logan, Lucas (14)
101. Logan, Luke (14)
102. Matthew, Ryan (14)
103. Parker, Payton (14)
104. Parker, Peyton (14)
105. Reagan, Riley (14)
106. Tanner, Tyler (14)

Similarities in the 2005 rankings:

  • #11 and #95 are “Hailey, Hannah” and “Haley, Hannah.”
  • #27 and #39 are “Brandon, Brian” and “Brandon, Bryan.”
  • #37 and #79 are “Jaden, Jordan” and “Jayden, Jordan.”
  • #103 and #104 are “Parker, Payton” and “Parker, Peyton.”

[Latest update: June 2021]

Soap opera names as baby names

Actress Eileen Davidson (who played character Ashley Abbott on "The Young and the Restless") on the cover of "Soap Opera Digest" in February of 1983.
Ashley Abbott from “Y&R“

Below are nearly 40 baby names that have been given a boost by various soap operas — All My Children, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and more.

Adriana
The character Adriana Castillo debuted on Santa Barbara on the first day of 1989 as a baby. The baby name Adriana saw a significant usage increase the same year.

  • 1991: 2,241 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 139th)
  • 1990: 2,150 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 144th)
  • 1989: 2,259 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 135th)
  • 1988: 1,447 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 189th)
  • 1987: 1,210 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 218th)

Alanmichael
The character Alan-Michael Spaulding debuted on Guiding Light in 1981 as a baby, then was re-introduced in 1987 as a teenager (impossibly). The baby name Alanmichael debuted on the baby name charts the following year, as did variants Allanmichael and Allenmichael.

  • 1990: 29 baby boys named Alanmichael
  • 1989: 16 baby boys named Alanmichael
  • 1988: 13 baby boys named Alanmichael [debut]
  • 1987: unlisted
  • 1986: unlisted

Alexis
The character Alexis Colby debuted on Dynasty in 1981. The baby name Alexis saw a significant usage increase the next year.

  • 1983: 3,463 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 83rd)
  • 1982: 3,122 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 93rd)
  • 1981: 1,585 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 172nd)
  • 1980: 1,268 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 204th)
  • 1979: 1,010 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 248th)

Ashley
The character Ashley Abbott debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1982. The baby name Ashley saw a significant usage increase that year. (I’ve even interviewed one of the Ashleys named for the character.)

  • 1984: 38,757 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 3rd)
  • 1983: 33,280 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 4th)
  • 1982: 14,844 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 17th)
  • 1981: 8,874 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 34th)
  • 1980: 7,291 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 40th)

Bianca
The character Bianca Montgomery — daughter of Erica Kane — was born during a February 1988 episode of All My Children. The baby name Bianca saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1990: 3,826 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 84th)
  • 1989: 3,593 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 91st)
  • 1988: 2,636 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 108th)
  • 1987: 919 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 268th)
  • 1986: 830 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 294th)

Britta
The character Britta Englund both debuted and died on Days of Our Lives during 1986. The baby name Britta saw peak usage the same year.

  • 1988: 117 baby girls named Britta
  • 1987: 151 baby girls named Britta
  • 1986: 191 baby girls named Britta (rank: 867th)
  • 1985: 77 baby girls named Britta
  • 1984: 66 baby girls named Britta

Ciji
The character Ciji Dunne debuted on Knot’s Landing in 1982. The baby name Ciji saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1985: 60 baby girls named Ciji
  • 1984: 150 baby girls named Ciji (rank: 963rd)
  • 1983: 244 baby girls named Ciji (rank: 698th)
  • 1982: 8 baby girls named Ciji
  • 1981: unlisted

Cordero
The character Cordero “Cord” Roberts debuted on One Life to Live in 1986. The baby name Cordero debuted on the baby name charts the same year. Cordero was the most impressive newbie name of 1986, in fact. Related names like Corderro, Cordaro, Cordarro, Cordaryl, Cordario and Codero also debuted.

  • 1988: 236 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 615th)
  • 1987: 340 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 481st)
  • 1986: 173 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 689th) [debut]
  • 1985: unlisted
  • 1984: unlisted

Corvina
The character Corvina Lang appeared occasionally on All My Children in the mid-1990s. The baby name Corvina was a one-hit wonder in 1995.

  • 1996: unlisted
  • 1995: 5 baby girls named Corvina [debut]
  • 1994: unlisted

Decker
The character Decker Moss debuted on General Hospital in 1989. The baby name Decker debuted on the baby name charts the following year.

  • 1992: 13 baby boys named Decker
  • 1991: 14 baby boys named Decker
  • 1990: 14 baby boys named Decker [debut]
  • 1989: unlisted
  • 1988: unlisted

Drucilla
The character Drucilla Winters debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1990. The baby name Drucilla saw a moderate rise in usage over the following years.

  • 1992: 42 baby girls named Drucilla
  • 1991: 22 baby girls named Drucilla
  • 1990: 13 baby girls named Drucilla
  • 1989: 6 baby girls named Drucilla
  • 1988: unlisted

Echo
The character Echo DiSavoy debuted on One Life to Live in 1983. The baby name Echo saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1985: 115 baby girls named Echo
  • 1984: 182 baby girls named Echo (rank: 846th)
  • 1983: 181 baby girls named Echo (rank: 844th)
  • 1982: 60 baby girls named Echo
  • 1981: 61 baby girls named Echo

Egypt
The character Egypt Jones Masters debuted on Loving in 1988. The baby name Egypt returned to the data the same year.

  • 1990: 37 baby girls named Egypt
  • 1989: 30 baby girls named Egypt
  • 1988: 22 baby girls named Egypt
  • 1987: unlisted
  • 1986: unlisted

Felicia
The character Felicia Cummings debuted on General Hospital in 1984. The baby name Felicia saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1987: 2911 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 96th)
  • 1986: 3,081 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 90th)
  • 1985: 2,738 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 101st)
  • 1984: 1,485 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 185th)
  • 1983: 1,502 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 181st)

Frisco
The character Andrew “Frisco” Jones debuted on General Hospital in 1984. The baby name Frisco debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1986: 25 baby boys named Frisco
  • 1985: 16 baby boys named Frisco
  • 1984: 7 baby boys named Frisco [debut]
  • 1983: unlisted
  • 1982: unlisted

Holden
The character Holden Snyder debuted on As the World Turns in 1986. The baby name Holden saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1988: 143 baby boys named Holden (rank: 794th)
  • 1987: 107 baby boys named Holden (rank: 910th)
  • 1986: 58 baby boys named Holden
  • 1985: 15 baby boys named Holden
  • 1984: 17 baby boys named Holden

India
The character India von Halkein debuted on Guiding Light in 1984. The baby name India saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1986: 603 baby girls named India (rank: 385th)
  • 1985: 754 baby girls named India (rank: 318th)
  • 1984: 329 baby girls named India (rank: 561st)
  • 1983: 178 baby girls named India (rank: 858th)
  • 1982: 141 baby girls named India

Jagger
The character Jagger Cates debuted on General Hospital in 1992. The baby name Jagger saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1994: 91 baby boys named Jagger
  • 1993: 105 baby boys named Jagger
  • 1992: 19 baby boys named Jagger
  • 1991: 6 baby boys named Jagger
  • 1990: unlisted

Jillian (added 3/22/20, thanks Marilyn!)
The character Jillian Coleridge debuted on Ryan’s Hope in 1975. The baby name Jillian saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1977: 1055 baby girls named Jillian (rank: 246th)
  • 1976: 252 baby girls named Jillian (rank: 620th)
  • 1975: 89 baby girls named Jillian
  • 1974: 85 baby girls named Jillian
  • 1973: 93 baby girls named Jillian

Jimmylee
The character Jimmy Lee Holt debuted on General Hospital in 1983. The baby name Jimmylee debuted on the baby name charts the following year.

  • 1985: 11 baby boys named Jimmylee
  • 1984: 19 baby boys named Jimmylee
  • 1983: 12 baby boys named Jimmylee [debut]
  • 1982: unlisted
  • 1981: unlisted

Joyelle
The character Joyelle was “born” on How To Survive A Marriage in 1975. The baby names Joyelle, Joyel and Joyell all debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1977: 15/9/10 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell
  • 1976: 31/23/20 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell
  • 1975: 88/79/51 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell [debuts]
  • 1974: unlisted
  • 1973: unlisted

Katina
The character Katina was “born” on Where the Heart Is in 1972. The baby name Katina saw a significant usage increase that year, and related names like Cotina, Katena, Kateena, Cantina and Catena debuted. Cotina was the most impressive newbie name of 1972, in fact. Here’s more on the name Katina.

  • 1974: 765 baby girls named Katina (rank: 307th)
  • 1973: 2,469 baby girls named Katina (rank: 120th)
  • 1972: 2,747 baby girls named Katina (rank: 117th)
  • 1971: 96 baby girls named Katina
  • 1970: 60 baby girls named Katina

Kayla
The character Kayla Brady debuted on Days of Our Lives in 1982. The baby name Kayla saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1984: 2,681 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 100th)
  • 1983: 3,527 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 81st)
  • 1982: 2,275 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 133rd)
  • 1981: 318 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 581st)
  • 1980: 313 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 594th)

…and when Kayla Brady returned to Days in 1986 (after leaving in 1983), the name Kayla became the fastest-rising girl name of 1987:

  • 1989: 14,902 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 20th)
  • 1988: 13,431 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 20th)
  • 1987: 10,576 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 27th)
  • 1986: 4,657 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 64th)
  • 1985: 2,607 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 108th)

Keemo
The character Keemo Volien Abbott debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1994. The baby name Keemo was a one-hit wonder in 1994.

  • 1995: unlisted
  • 1994: 7 baby boys named Keemo [debut]
  • 1993: unlisted

Krystle
The character Krystle Carrington debuted on Dynasty in 1981. The baby name Krystle saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1983: 1,067 baby girls named Krystle (rank: 232nd)
  • 1982: 916 baby girls named Krystle (rank: 269th)
  • 1981: 448 baby girls named Krystle (rank: 473rd)
  • 1980: 26 baby girls named Krystle
  • 1979: 14 baby girls named Krystle

Lahoma
The character Lahoma Vane debuted on Another World in 1967. The baby name Lahoma saw a usage increase the following year. Here’s more on the name Lahoma.

  • 1969: 44 baby girls named Lahoma
  • 1968: 109 baby girls named Lahoma
  • 1967: 24 baby girls named Lahoma
  • 1966: unlisted
  • 1965: 6 baby girls named Lahoma

Laken
The character Laken Lockridge debuted on Santa Barbara in 1984. The baby name Laken debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1986: 94 baby girls named Laken
  • 1985: 109 baby girls named Laken
  • 1984: 19 baby girls named Laken [debut]
  • 1983: unlisted
  • 1982: unlisted

Mergeron
The character Dina Mergeron debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1983. The baby name Mergeron was a one-hit wonder in 1984.

  • 1985: unlisted
  • 1984: 5 baby boys named Mergeron [debut]
  • 1983: unlisted

Mikkos
The character Mikkos Cassadine debuted on General Hospital in 1981. The baby name Mikkos debuted on the baby name charts the same year. Variant name Mikos also debuted that year.

  • 1983: unlisted
  • 1982: 6 baby boys named Mikkos
  • 1981: 15 baby boys named Mikkos [debut]
  • 1980: unlisted
  • 1979: unlisted

Penny
The character Penny Hughes debuted on As the World Turns in 1956. The baby name Penny saw a usage increase the following year.

  • 1958: 3,557 baby girls named Penny
  • 1957: 3,042 baby girls named Penny
  • 1956: 2,345 baby girls named Penny
  • 1955: 2,211 baby girls named Penny
  • 1954: 2,135 baby girls named Penny

Reva
The character Reva Shayne debuted on Guiding Light in 1983. The baby name Reva saw a significant usage increase the following year.

  • 1986: 134 baby girls named Reva
  • 1985: 115 baby girls named Reva
  • 1984: 92 baby girls named Reva
  • 1983: 43 baby girls named Reva
  • 1982: 37 baby girls named Reva

Ridge
The character Ridge Forrester debuted on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1987. The baby name Ridge re-entered the baby name charts after a long absence the same year.

  • 1989: 105 baby boys named Ridge (rank: 1,000th)
  • 1988: 99 baby boys named Ridge (rank: 975th)
  • 1987: 26 baby boys named Ridge
  • 1986: unlisted
  • 1985: unlisted

Scorpio
The character Robert Scorpio debuted on General Hospital in late 1980. The baby name Scorpio debuted in the baby name data the next year.

  • 1983: 13 baby boys named Scorpio
  • 1982: 5 baby boys named Scorpio
  • 1981: 9 baby boys named Scorpio [debut]
  • 1980: unlisted
  • 1979: unlisted

Sierra
The character Sierra Esteban debuted on As the World Turns in 1985. The baby name Sierra saw a significant usage increase that year.

  • 1987: 1,620 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 173rd)
  • 1986: 1,610 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 169th)
  • 1985: 1,199 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 215th)
  • 1984: 230 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 720th)
  • 1983: 193 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 807th)

Skye
The character Skye Chandler debuted on All My Children in 1986. The baby name Skye saw a significant increase in usage as a girl name the next year.

  • 1989: 241 baby girls named Skye (rank: 793rd)
  • 1988: 240 baby girls named Skye (rank: 788th)
  • 1987: 240 baby girls named Skye (rank: 748th)
  • 1986: 116 baby girls named Skye
  • 1985: 100 baby girls named Skye

Snapper
The character William “Snapper” Foster (played by pre-Knight Rider David Hasselhoff) debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1973. The baby name Snapper debuted on the baby name charts the same year.

  • 1975: 6 baby boys names Snapper
  • 1974: 8 baby boys names Snapper
  • 1973: 5 baby boys names Snapper [debut]
  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: unlisted

Tara
The character Tara Martin debuted on All My Children in 1970. The baby name Tara saw a significant usage increase that year. Here’s more on the name Tara.

  • 1972: 7,230 baby girls named Tara (rank: 38th)
  • 1971: 6,327 baby girls named Tara (rank: 50th)
  • 1970: 5,334 baby girls named Tara (rank: 69th)
  • 1969: 3,519 baby girls named Tara (rank: 107th)
  • 1968: 2,184 baby girls named Tara (rank: 147th)

Do you know anyone named for a soap opera character?

Update, 4/2017: Here’s another: Tyger!

Update, 3/2020: Here’s a post about Grayling, Althea, Spring and Babby from The Brighter Day.

Update, 5/2021: Here’s a post that mentions Nico and Cecily from All My Children.

Baby names needed: Boy and girl names for Beatrix’s twin siblings

light bulbs

A reader named Marissa, who has a daughter named Beatrix Penelope (nn Bea), is expecting twins–one boy, one girl. She’s got their middle names narrowed down (Anthony or Alexander for the baby boy, Daphne or Jillian for the baby girl) but she’d like some help with their first names.

Here’s what she’s looking for in a boy name:

For the boy I’d like names that are two syllables long and start and end in a consonant. So far I like Robert, Patrick, Daniel and Fabian. The only one he likes is Fabian, but we’re still not sure.

And here’s what she’s looking for in a girl name:

For the girl I’d like names that are three or four syllables long, and start and end in a vowel. So far I like Anastasia, Ophelia, Elena and Ursula, but he likes none of them.

The babies’ last name will sound something like Thisbe.

Here are some of the boy names I came up with:

Calvin
Clement
Chester
Conrad
Curtis
David
Declan
Dexter
Duncan
Felix		Franklin
Holden
Howard
Jasper
Kenneth
Lincoln
Linus
Lucas
Malcolm
Martin		Maxwell
Miles
Mitchell
Nathan
Nelson
Nigel
Nolan
Philip
Raymond
Reuben		Roland
Roman
Silas
Simon
Stuart
Thomas
Victor
Vincent
William
Winston

And here are some ideas for the girl name:

Acantha
Adela
Adelina
Adriana
Agatha
Alexandra
Alexina
Alicia
Allegra
Althea		Amelia
Annabella
Andrea
Angela
Antonia
Arabella
Araminta
Athena
Augusta
Aurelia		Aurora
Azalea
Eleanora
Eliana
Elisa
Eloisa
Estella
Eugenia
Eulalia
Imelda		Iona
Irena/Irina
Isabella
Isidora
Octavia
Odelia
Odessa
Olivia
Olympia
Ottilia

Which of the above do you like best with Beatrix? (And which ones make the best boy/girl pairings, do you think?)

What other names would you suggest to Marissa?