How popular is the baby name Joy in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, see baby names similar to Joy and check out all the blog posts that mention the name Joy.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Joy

Number of Babies Named Joy

Born in the U.S. Since 1880

Posts that Mention the Name Joy

Rare Girl Names from Early Cinema: Letter R

romola, name, cinema
Lillian Gish as Romola (1924)
Want an uncommon R-name for your baby girl? Here’s the next installment of rare female names collected from very old films (1910s to 1940s)…

Radha
Radha was a character played by actress Mary Pickford in the film Less Than the Dust (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Radha.

Rafaela
Rafaela Ottiano was an actress who appeared in films from the 1920s to the 1940s. She was born in Italy in 1888. Rafaela was also a character played by actress Alice Joyce in the short film The Bag of Gold (1912).

Raimunda
Raimunda was a character played by actress Eulalie Jensen in the film Passion Flower (1921).

Rainbow
Rainbow Halliday was a character played by actress Alice Calhoun in the film Rainbow (1921).

Rallah
Rallah was a character played by actress Leatrice Joy Gilbert in the film Kismet (1944).

Ramsay
Ramsay Ames was an actress who appeared in films from the 1940s to the 1960s. She was born in New York in 1919.

  • Usage of the baby name Ramsay.

Raquella
Raquella was a character played by actress Raquel Torres in the film Under a Texas Moon (1930).

Rascha
Rascha was a character played by actress Dolores del Rio in the film Revenge (1928).

Rathia
Rathia was a character played by actress Clyne Dacia in the film A Romance of Old Baghdad (1922).

Rawnie
Margaret Adams, called “Rawnie,” was a character played by actress Rochelle Hudson in the film Rascals (1938).

  • Usage of the baby name Rawnie (which debuted in the data the year Rascals came out).

Ray
Ray was a (female) character name in multiple films, including The Careless Age (1929) and Back Street (1941).

  • Usage of the baby name Ray.

Rayma
Rayma was a character played by actress Rosemary Theby in the film A Son of the Sahara (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Rayma.

Reba
Reba was a character played by actress Louise Fazenda in the film Millionaires (1926).

  • Usage of the baby name Reba.

Redora
Redora Bump was a character played by actress Ethel Wales in the film The Country Doctor (1927).

Reggie
Regina “Reggie” Van Maaster was a character played by actress Marsha Hunt in the film Seven Sweethearts (1942).

  • Usage of the baby name Reggie.

Regi
Regi Allen was a character played by actress Carole Lombard in the film Hands Across the Table (1935).

Regine
Regine was a character played by actress Juliette Compton in the film The Wine of Life (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Regine.

Reine
Reine Davies was an actress who appeared in films in the 1910s. She was born in New York in 1883. Her birth name was Irene Douras.

  • Usage of the baby name Reine.

Reni
Reni Vonich was a character played by actress Dorothy Tree in the film Television Spy (1939).

  • Usage of the baby name Reni.

Renie
Renie Mathis was a character played by actress Mabel Taliaferro in the film A Magdalene of the Hills (1917).

  • Usage of the baby name Renie.

Reno
Reno Browne was an actress who appeared in films from the 1940s to the 1950s. She was born in (Reno) Nevada in 1921. Her birth name Josephine Ruth Clarke. Reno was also a character played by actress Ethel Merman in the film Anything Goes (1936).

  • Usage of the baby name Reno.

Resha
Resha was a character played by actress Ethel Ritchie in the film The Virgin of Stamboul (1920).

  • Usage of the baby name Resha.

Ressel
Ressel Orla was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1920s. She was born in Austria-Hungary (now Italy) in 1889.

Rethna
Rethna was a character played by actress Cleo Madison in the film Her Bitter Cup (1916).

Retta
Retta Barr was a character played by actress Rafaela Ottiano in the film The Last Gentleman (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Retta.

Rexy
Regina “Rexy” Gordon was a character played by actress Bebe Daniels in the film Counsellor at Law (1933).

Rheba
Rheba was a character name in multiple films, including You Can’t Take It with You (1938) and Junior Miss (1945).

  • Usage of the baby name Rheba.

Rhoda
Rhoda was a character name in multiple films, including The Red, Red Heart (1918) and Death Takes a Holiday (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Rhoda.

Rhona
Rhona was a character played by actress Gladys Brockwell in the film The Sneak (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Rhona.

Ricca
Ricca Allen was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1940s. She was born in Canada in 1863.

  • Usage of the baby name Ricca.

Richmiel
Richmiel Crumb was a character played by actress Seena Owen in the film Faint Perfume (1925).

Ricki
Ricki Woodner was a character played by actress Lucille Ball in the film Two Smart People (1946).

  • Usage of the baby name Ricki.

Riette
Riette Van Orman was a character played by actress Leona Maricle in the film My Reputation (1946).

Rika
Countess Rika was a character played by actress Julia Faye in the Cecil B. DeMille film Triumph (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Rika.

Ril
Ril Lambeth was a character played by actress Martha Sleeper in the film West of the Pecos (1934).

Rilla
Rilla was a character played by actress Laura Oakley in the film The Dumb Girl of Portici (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Rilla.

Risa
Risa Bartlett was a character played by actress Gladys Hulette in the film Combat (1927).

  • Usage of the baby name Risa.

Rissa
Clarissa “Rissa” Fortune was a character played by actress Ella Raines in the film Time Out of Mind (1947).

  • Usage of the baby name Rissa (which debuted in the data the year Time Out of Mind came out).

Ritta
Ritta was a character played by actress Bessie Eyton in the short film The Great Experiment (1915).

  • Usage of the baby name Ritta.

Ritzy
Ritzy was a character name in multiple films, including Ritzy (1927) and Thunderbolt (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Ritzy.

Riza
Riza was a character name in multiple films, including The Cat’s Pajamas (1926) and Prisoners (1929).

  • Usage of the baby name Riza.

Robar
Robar was a character played by actress Anna Q. Nilsson in the short film The Gypsy’s Brand (1913).

Robina
Robina Teele was a character played by actress Mae Busch in the film Souls for Sale (1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Robina.

Robinetta
Robinetta Gale was a character played by actress Mary Fuller in the short film The Contents of a Suitcase (1913).

Robinette
Robinette was a character played by actress Claire Windsor in the film The White Desert (1925).

Roby
Roby was a character played by actress Charlotte Burton in the film The Craving (1916).

  • Usage of the baby name Roby.

Roma
Roma was a character name in multiple films, including Miss Nobody (1917) and Set Free (1918).

  • Usage of the baby name Roma.

Romany
Romany was a character played by actress Marion Davies in the film Runaway Romany (1917).

Romo
Romo was a character played by actress Elizabeth Allan in the film Michael and Mary (1931).

Romola
Romola Remus was an actress who appeared in one film in 1908. She was born in Illinois in 1900. Romola was also a character played by actress Lillian Gish in the film Romola (1924).

  • Usage of the baby name Romola.

Rona
Lady Rona was a character played by actress Nora Swinburne in the film Hornet’s Nest (1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Rona.

Ronnie
Ronnie was a character name in multiple films, including The Exciters (1923) and That’s My Man (1947).

  • Usage of the baby name Ronnie.

Rosabelle
Rosabelle Milford was a character played by actress Etta McDaniel in the film The Prisoner of Shark Island (1936).

Rosaleen
Rosaleen was a character played by actress Valia Venitshaya in the film A Gamble with Hearts (1923).

Rosamond
Rosamond was a character name in multiple films, including Rose of the World (1918) and The Great Impersonation (1921).

Rosamund
Lady Rosamund Godolphin was a character played by actress Enid Bennett in the film The Sea Hawk (1924).

Rosarita
Rosarita was a character name in multiple films, including Beauty in Chains (1918) and Bells of Rosarita (1945).

Roseanna
Roseanna McCoy was a character played by actress Joan Evans in the film Roseanna McCoy (1949).

Rosebud
Rosebud Doble was a character played by actress Bessie Eyton in the short film Budd Doble Comes Back (1913).

Rosetta
Rosetta was a character name in multiple films, including The Ordeal of Rosetta (1918) and Divorce in the Family (1932).

Rosette
Rosette was a character name in multiple films, including The Victory of Conscience (1916) and The Secret of Rosette Lambert (1920).

Rosina
Rosina Galli was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1950s. She was born in Italy in 1906. Rosina was also a character played by actress Jose Collins in the film The Last Stake (short, 1923).

  • Usage of the baby name Rosina.

Rosine
Rosine was a character name in multiple films, including The Man in the Moonlight (1919) and Fanatisme (1934).

  • Usage of the baby name Rosine.

Rosita
Rosita Marstini was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1940s. She was born in France in 1887. Rosita was also a character name in multiple films, including Hell’s Valley (1931) and Zoo in Budapest (1933).

  • Usage of the baby name Rosita.

Rosny
Rosny Edwards was a character played by actress Doris Eaton in the film Tell Your Children (1922).

Roszika
Roszika “Rosie” Dolly was a character played by actress June Haver in the film The Dolly Sisters (1945).

Rowena
Rowena was a character name in multiple films, including The Romance of Rowena (short, 1913) and When Knights Were Bold (1936).

  • Usage of the baby name Rowena.

Roxalanne
Roxalanne de Lavedan was a character played by actress Eleanor Boardman in the film Bardelys the Magnificent (1926).

Roxey
Roxey Moore was a character played by actress Betty Compson in the film God’s Country and the Man (1937).

  • Usage of the baby name Roxey.

Royce
Dr. Royce Lee Stockman was a character played by actress Elissa Landi in the film Corregidor (1943).

  • Usage of the baby name Royce.

Rozelia
Rozelia was a character played by actress Nina Mae McKinney in the film Pinky (1949).

Rozika
Rozika was a character played by actress Mary Nash in the film Arms and the Woman (1916).

Rubye
Rubye De Remer was an actress who appeared in films from the 1910s to the 1930s. She was born in Colorado in 1892. Her birth name was Ruby Burkhardt.

  • Usage of the baby name Rubye.

Rue
Rue Carew was a character played by actress Marion Davies in the film The Dark Star (1919).

  • Usage of the baby name Rue.

Ruthelma
Ruthelma Stevens was an actress who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1950s. She was born in Kansas in 1903.

Ruva
Ruva was a character played by actress Madame Sul-Te-Wan in the film Black Moon (1934).

*

…Which of the above names do you like best?

Source: IMDb


Popular Baby Names in College Station (TX), 2017

According to the City of College Station (which is located in east-central Texas), the most popular baby names in the city in 2017 were Ava and Jayden.

Here are College Station’s top 3 girl names and top 3 boy names of 2017:

Girl Names
1. Ava, 16 baby girls
2. Emma, 14
3. Camila & Charlotte, 13 each (tie)

Boy Names
1. Jayden, 18 baby boys
2. Elijah & Jackson, 15 each (tie)
3. Noah, 12

The most popular middle names were Grace, Rose and Marie (for girls) and James, Alexander, and Wayne (for boys).

Some of the less-common College Station baby names included Kansas, Temper, Fable, Joy Peace, and Liv Tyler.

In 2016, the top two names were Riley and Aiden.

Source: Jayden, Ava CS’s most popular baby names in 2017, Aiden, Riley CS’s most-popular baby names in 2016

Pop Culture Baby Name Game Results, 2016

Here are the results of Pop Culture Baby Name Game 2016!

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.

On to the names…

Luna, +849

  • Up from 2,796 baby girls in 2015 to 3,645 in 2016.
  • 6th-highest raw-number increase on the girls’ list in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Luna Simone, daughter of singer John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen.

Camila, +765

Greyson, +704

  • Up from 3,591 baby boys in 2015 to 4,295 in 2016.
  • 8th-highest raw-number increase on the boys’ list in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Greyson Valor, son of reality TV star Jenni “JWoww” Farley.

Adonis, +443

Kehlani, +272

Wade, +232

  • Up from 553 baby boys in 2015 to 785 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Prince, +187

  • Up from 820 baby boys in 2015 to 1,007 in 2016.
  • The name Princess also saw a jump in usage: 268 baby girls in 2015 to 369 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Prince.

Lyanna, +154

  • Up from 62 baby girls in 2015 to 216 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV show Game of Thrones.

Alessia, +130

Wilder, +122

  • Up from 215 baby boys in 2015 to 337 in 2016.
  • 9th-highest ranking increase on the boys’ list in 2016.
  • Wilder also saw higher usage among baby girls: 22 in 2015 to 38 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Gene Wilder.

Canaan, +99

  • Up from 283 baby boys in 2015 to 382 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: son of Oprah Winfrey (she announced this name in late 2015).
    • According to a 2010 biography, Winfrey’s son’s legal first name was Vincent.

Cyrus, +91

  • Up from 631 baby boys in 2015 to 722 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV mini-series Roots (2016).

Creed, +78

Bowie, +77

  • Up from 53 baby boys in 2015 to 130 in 2016.
  • Bowie also saw higher usage among baby girls: 43 in 2015 to 75 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of David Bowie.

Muhammad, +77

  • Up from 881 baby boys in 2015 to 958 in 2016.
  • The name Muhammadali also saw a jump in usage: 12 baby boys in 2015 to 24 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Muhammad Ali.

Ivanka, +74

  • Up from 37 baby girls in 2015 to 111 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

Cohen, +68

  • Up from 1,017 baby boys in 2015 to 1,085 in 2016.
  • Cohen also saw higher usage among baby girls: 12 in 2015 to 17 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Leonard Cohen.

Queen, +49

  • Up from 148 baby girls in 2015 to 197 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influences: the TV show Queen Sugar (2016-) and the movie Queen of Katwe (2016).

Melania, +41

  • Up from 90 baby girls in 2015 to 131 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s wife Melania.

Moana, +38

  • Up from 18 baby girls in 2015 to 56 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Moana (2016).

Jupiter, +36

  • Up from 42 baby girls in 2015 to 78 in 2016.
  • Jupiter also saw higher usage among baby boys: 25 in 2015 to 41 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter.

Hillary, +34

Simone, +33

  • Up from 340 baby girls in 2015 to 373 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influences: Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and celebrity baby Luna Simone.

Doris, +32

  • Up from 85 baby girls in 2015 to 117 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Hello, My Name Is Doris (2016).

Dream, +30

  • Up from 98 baby _s in 2015 to 128 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Kardashian baby Dream Renée.

Rio, +29

  • Up from 103 baby boys in 2015 to 132 in 2016.
  • Rio also saw higher usage among baby girls: 38 in 2015 to 61 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Malachi, +27

  • Up from 2,558 baby boys in 2015 to 2,585 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV mini-series Roots (2016).

Ali, +23

  • Up from 1,060 baby boys in 2015 to 1,083 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Muhammad Ali.

Barron, +20

  • Up from 74 baby boys in 2015 to 94 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s son Barron.

Miesha, +19

  • Up from 13 baby girls in 2015 to 32 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: MMA fighter Miesha Tate.

Onyx, +18

  • Up from 38 baby girls in 2015 to 56 in 2016.
  • Onyx saw an even higher jump in usage among baby boys: 118 in 2015 to 172 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Onyx Solace, daughter of Alanis Morissette.

Francis, +17

  • Up from 619 baby boys in 2015 to 636 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Merrick, +17

  • Up from 191 baby boys in 2015 to 208 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Judge Merrick Garland.

Ajax, +16

  • Up from 17 baby boys in 2015 to 33 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Juno, +13

  • Up from 86 baby girls in 2015 to 99 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter.

Keanu, +13

  • Up from 197 baby boys in 2015 to 210 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Keanu (2016).

Halsey, re-entered with 12

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 12 baby girls in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Halsey (born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane).

Valor, +12

  • Up from 78 baby boys in 2015 to 90 in 2016.
  • Valor also saw higher usage among baby girls: 6 in 2015 to 14 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Greyson Valor, son of reality TV star Jenni “JWoww” Farley.

Hamilton, +11

  • Up from 86 baby boys in 2015 to 97 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the Broadway musical Hamilton.

Sanders, +11

  • Up from 12 baby boys in 2015 to 23 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Bernie, +10

  • Up from 11 baby boys in 2015 to 21 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Omran, +10

  • Up from 7 baby boys in 2015 to 17 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Syrian boy Omran Daqneesh.

Elle, +9

  • Up from 816 baby girls in 2015 to 825 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Elle King.

Teresa, +9

  • Up from 426 baby girls in 2015 to 435 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: canonization of Mother Teresa.

Dak, re-entered with 8

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 8 baby boys in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NFL player Rayne Dakota “Dak” Prescott.

Wrigley, +8

  • Up from 22 baby boys in 2015 to 30 in 2016.
  • Wrigley also saw higher usage among baby girls: 15 in 2015 to 18 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Chicago Cubs’ World Series win.

Boomer, +7

  • Up from 5 baby boys in 2015 to 12 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Boomer Robert, son of Michael Phelps.

Dory, re-entered with 6

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 6 baby girls in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Finding Dory (2016).

Maui, re-entered with 5

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 5 baby boys in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Moana (2016).

Wilson, +5

  • Up from 433 baby boys in 2015 to 438 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Sully, +4

  • Up from 17 baby boys in 2015 to 21 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Sully (2016).

Teyana, +3

  • Up from 47 baby girls in 2015 to 50 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Teyana Taylor.

Draymond, +2

  • Up from 6 baby boys in 2015 to 8 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NBA player Draymond Green.

Daya, +1

  • Up from 42 baby girls in 2015 to 43 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Daya (born Grace Martine Tandon).

Names that went down in usage from 2015 to 2016:

Names not in the SSA data in either 2015 or 2016:

  • Angel Dust
  • Aroldis
  • Bison
  • Broncs
  • Cubby
  • Curiosity
  • Dopinder
  • Eleven
  • Emayatzy
  • E’myri
  • Esperanto
  • Hermine
  • Ingwen
  • Jikan
  • Jonbenet
  • Lorca
  • Kunta
  • Laremy
  • Linmanuel
  • Maga
  • MacGyver
  • Mountain
  • Moushumi
  • Ode
  • Phiona
  • Regé-Jean
  • Rykiel
  • Trump
  • Usain
  • Voltron
  • Zobrist

Some initial reactions…

I was surprised that Adonis and Wade jumped in usage as much as they did.

I was also surprised that Wrigley barely jumped at all in usage. Maybe “Wrigley” reminds too many people of gum?

usain bolt, race, 100m, rio, olympics
© 2016 Cameron Spencer/Getty

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?

P.S. Some of the names from the 2015 Pop Culture Baby Name Game that have started/continued to do well: Adaline, Arlo, Bjorn, Bryshere, Finn, Furiosa, Gigi, Hakeem, Jedi, Joy, Kylo, Lagertha, Lucious, Margot, Mars, Rey, Saint, and Sullivan. Even more interesting is Atticus, which saw a drop in usage in 2016 after rising steadily for years. (Here’s more about Atticus and the Go Set a Watchman debacle.) The usage of Becky decreased as well — could Beyoncé’s song “Sorry” have anything to do with it?

Biggest Changes in Girl Name Popularity, 2016

Which girl names increased the most in popularity from 2015 to 2016? Which ones decreased the most?

The SSA likes to answer this question by analyzing ranking differences within the top 1,000. I like to answer it by looking at raw number differences that take the full list into account. So let’s check out the results using both methods…

Girl Names: Biggest Increases, 2015 to 2016

baby names, girl names, more popular

Rankings

1. Kehlani, +2,487 spots — up from 3,359th to 872nd
2. Royalty, +618 spots — up from 1,150th to 532nd
3. Saoirse, +465 spots — up from 1,448th to 983rd
4. Ophelia, +396 spots — up from 976th to 580th
5. Aitana, +368 spots — up from 917th to 549th
6. Itzayana, +356 spots — up from 1,125th to 769th
7. Alessia, +348 spots — up from 1,175th to 827th
8. Kaylani, +301 spots — up from 1,056th to 755th
9. Avianna, +298 spots — up from 751st to 453rd
10. Nalani, +294 spots — up from 1,280th to 986th

Kehlani and Kaylani were influenced by singer/songwriter Kehlani Parrish. (Kehlani was the top debut name of 2015, and variant Khelani debuted impressively in 2016.)

Royalty was influenced by the R&B singer Chris Brown, whose daughter (b. 2014) and 7th album (2015) were both called Royalty.

Saoirse was influenced by Irish actress Saoirse Ronan — perhaps specifically by those American talk show appearances in which she talked to the hosts (Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Colbert, etc.) about how to pronounce her name. Plus there was that widely circulated Ryan Gosling quote on the same topic (“It’s Ser-sha, like inertia”).

Alessia was influenced by singer/songwriter Alessia Cara.

Raw Numbers

1. Adeline, +1,700 baby girls — up from 2,403 to 4,103
2. Charlotte, +1,649 baby girls — up from 11,381 to 13,030
3. Riley, +1,390 baby girls — up from 5,720 to 7,110
4. Adaline, +971 baby girls — up from 902 to 1,873
5. Amelia, +864 baby girls — up from 9,838 to 10,702
6. Luna, +849 baby girls — up from 2,796 to 3,645
7. Emilia, +804 baby girls — up from 2,215 to 3,019
8. Camila, +765 baby girls — up from 5,271 to 6,036
9. Nova, +754 baby girls — up from 1,518 to 2,272
10. Evelyn, +708 baby girls — up from 9,352 to 10,060

Adeline and Adaline were influenced, at least initially, by the movie The Age of Adaline (2015).

Other names that saw raw number increases in the 200+ range included Eleanor, Teagan, Kinsley, Scarlett, Everly, Quinn, Aria, Remi, Harper, Penelope, Thea, Claire, Rowan, Hazel, Ruby, Blake, Aurora, Ivy, Harley, Eloise, Willow, Elena, Josephine, Alice, Blakely, Saylor, Nora, Leia, Iris, Margot, Isla, Freya, Samara, Joy, Zara, Eliana, Joanna, and Malia.

Girl Names: Biggest Decreases, 2015 to 2016

baby names, girl names, less popular

Rankings

1. Caitlin, -542 spots — down from 609th to 1,151st
2. Caitlyn, -462 spots — down from 598th to 1,060th
3. Katelynn, -402 spots — down from 652nd to 1,054th
4. Kaitlynn, -381 spots — down from 994th to 1,375th
5. Neriah, -344 spots — down from 943rd to 1,287th
6. Bryanna, -276 spots — down from 783rd to 1,059th
7. Kiley, -275 spots — down from 898th to 1,173rd
8. Yaritza, -271 spots — down from 935th to 1,206th
9. Denise, -210 spots — down from 993rd to 1,203rd
10. Kaelyn, -203 spots — down from 521st to 724th

caitlyn jenner, magazine coverCaitlin, Caitlyn, Katelynn, and Kaitlynn, were negatively influenced by Caitlyn Jenner (formerly Bruce Jenner), who appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in mid-2015 with the headline “Call me Caitlyn.”

This reminds me of what happened a few decades ago to Hillary — another name that was strongly associated for a time with a female who wasn’t conforming to gender norms. Perhaps tellingly, the name Bruce wasn’t hit nearly as hard. Jenner did fall of the charts, though.

Raw Numbers

1. Sophia, -1,311 baby girls — down from 17,381 to 16,070
2. Alexa, -1,289 baby girls — down from 6,049 to 4,760
3. Madison, -1,090 baby girls — down from 10,072 to 8,982
4. Emma, -1,001 baby girls — down from 20,415 to 19,414 (…but still the #1 name overall)
5. Aubrey, -869 baby girls — down from 7,376 to 6,507
6. Isabella, -852 baby girls — down from 15,574 to 14,722
7. Emily, -840 baby girls — down from 11,766 to 10,926
8. Kylie, -753 baby girls — down from 4,149 to 3,396
9. Alexis, -744 baby girls — down from 3,406 to 2,662
10. Abigail, -672 baby girls — down from 12,371 to 11,699

Other names that saw raw number drops in the 200+ range included Kaitlyn, Avery, Allison, Alyssa, London, Kaylee, Sofia, Katelyn, Kimberly, Zoey, Mia, Chloe, Kendall, Taylor, Sadie, Khloe, Mackenzie, Hannah, Peyton, Addison, Samantha, Ashley, Olivia, Gabriella, Brianna, Lauren, Anna, Brooklyn, Morgan, Jocelyn, Sydney, Natalie, Victoria, Makayla, Zoe, Hailey, Payton, Brooke, Annabelle, Trinity, Keira, Adalyn, Jordyn, Kayla, Molly, Audrey, Faith, Madelyn, Lillian, Caitlin, Caitlyn, Makenzie, Paige, Aaliyah, Paisley, Nevaeh, Elizabeth, Amy, and Jessica.

Interesting how certain like-names went in opposite directions last year. Leia, Alessia, and Adaline rose; Leah, Alyssa, and Adalyn fell.

Do you have any other explanations/guesses about any of the names above? If so, please comment!

(In 2015, the big winners were Alexa and Alaia, and the big losers were Isabella and Isis.)

Sources: Change in Popularity from 2015 to 2016, Emma and Noah Remain Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names for 2016

Name Quotes #41 – Gaenor, Ransom, O’Shea

Now that Fridays are for Five-Name Friday posts, let’s bump the Name Quote posts over to Mondays, shall we?

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.'”