How popular is the baby name Lewis 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 Lewis.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Lewis


Posts that Mention the Name Lewis

Popular and Unique Baby Names Scotland, 2019

According to National Records of Scotland (NRS), the most popular baby names in the country in 2019 were Olivia and Jack.

Here are Scotland’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2019:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 394 baby girls
  2. Emily, 388
  3. Isla, 364
  4. Sophie, 308
  5. Ella, 284
  6. Ava, 278
  7. Amelia, 275
  8. Grace, 272
  9. Freya, 260
  10. Charlotte, 243

Boy Names

  1. Jack, 449 baby boys
  2. Oliver, 359
  3. James, 345
  4. Charlie, 306
  5. Harris, 304
  6. Lewis, 280
  7. Leo, 278
  8. Noah, 272
  9. Alfie, 261
  10. Rory, 258

In girls’ top 10, Freya and Charlotte replace Jessica (now 11th) and Aria (now 15th).

In the boys’ top 10, Charlie and Alfie replace Alexander (now 11th) and Logan (now 13th). Charlie’s rise was significant; it shot up to 4th from 13th the year before.

The NRS press release mentioned that the popular British crime drama Peaky Blinders has given a boost to the baby names Cillian, Polly and Chester. (Polly and Chester are characters in the show; Cillian refers to star Cillian Murphy.) It also noted that Ezra has become more popular thanks to English singer/songwriter George Ezra.

Of the nearly 50,000 babies born in Scotland last year, more than 5,000 — over 10% — were given a one-of-a-kind first name. Here are some of the names bestowed just once in Scotland in 2019:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Alba-Nova, Bramble, Calanais, Delphi, Evie-Peaches, Fritha, Grey, Harper-Lee, Isla-Dee, Janiba, Kavinila, Lumi, Mazikeen, Moksha, Nirbhana, Ooliana, Pichapak, Quaintrelle, Roux, Salvina-Liza, Sanziana, Tefta, Thistle, Uendjipa, Vaticana, Wish, Xiorra, Yaldz, ZografiaAzmi, Bobby-Dylan, Coen-Knox, Dicaprio, Enxu, Ferdinand, Gurzack, Harbury, Iyvhn, Jonjo, Karamo, Leicester, Malachite, Moncef, Neo-Nova, Otter, Phenomenal, Qusai, Roag, Scirocco, Swift, Theodore-Bear, Torcuil, Udhay, Valdis, Wurrd, Xubin, Yug, Zalvadorro

And here are possible explanations/associations for some of the above:

  • Bobby-Dylan, American singer Bob Dylan
  • Calanais, a Scottish village and/or the standing stones nearby
  • Dicaprio, American actor Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Harper-Lee, American writer Harper Lee
  • Karamo, American TV personality Karamo Brown
  • Leicester, an English city and (more importantly) a professional soccer team
  • Malachite, a banded green stone
  • Mazikeen, a character from the TV show Lucifer
  • Moksha, the Hindu/Buddish cycle of rebirth (it was on the Baby Names from the East list)
  • Nirbhana, apparently a Gaelic-influenced Nirvana (another name from the East)
  • Quaintrelle, “a woman who is focused on style and leisurely pastimes”
  • Roag, a Scottish hamlet on the Isle of Skye
  • Sanziana, a Romanian word for either fairies or flowers
  • Scirocco, a Mediterranean wind and (more importantly) a car made by Volkswagen
  • Theodore-Bear, apparently an elongated form of “teddy bear”
  • Thistle, the national flower of Scotland (thank you to Clare for reminding me!)

(I posted even more of Scotland’s unique baby names over on Patreon.)

In 2018, the top two names were the same.

Sources: Full list of names for 2019, Babies’ First Names, Quaintrelle – Wiktionary

Charmin’ Sharman

sharman douglas
Sharman Douglas © 1947 LIFE

The name Sharman was the fastest-rising baby name of 1948, the second-fastest of 1949, and saw its highest usage in 1950:

  • 1953: 44 baby girls named Sharman
  • 1952: 63 baby girls named Sharman
  • 1951: 76 baby girls named Sharman
  • 1950: 160 baby girls named Sharman [peak]
  • 1949: 126 baby girls named Sharman
  • 1948: 30 baby girls named Sharman
  • 1947: 8 baby girls named Sharman

What was the influence?

American socialite Sharman Douglas.

Her father served as the U. S. ambassador to the Court of St. James’s from early 1947 to late 1950. While the family lived in England, Sharman became famous for her close ties to the British royal family — particularly Princess Margaret. (They were roughly the same age.)

Here’s what the American newspapers were saying about Sharman in mid-1947:

An eager, flaxen-haired teenager from Tucson, Ariz. has become Britain’s debutante of the year. The common people and the socially elect have fallen under her spell. She is tall, lithe Sharman Douglas, 19-year-old daughter of U.S. Ambassador and Mrs. Lewis W Douglas. Apart from the two royal princesses, she is undoubtedly the most photographed girl in all Britain, screen stars included.

The press followed “Charmin‘ Sharman” throughout the time she was overseas.

In late 1948, for instance, the papers reported that she was dating two men — the Marquess of Blandford and the Marquess of Milford-Haven — both of whom had been linked to Princess Margaret. In mid-1949, it was reported that her father “had cut down on [her] social life” after a London columnist brought up the possibility of Sharman and Princess Margaret falling for the same man.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Sharman?

Sources:

  • “British Study Likely Romance.” Billings Gazette 18 Jul. 1949: 8.
  • “English Nobleman to Visit U.S.–Business Or Romance?” Sandusky Register 14 Oct. 1948: 16.
  • “Life Visits U.S. Ambassador to Britain.” Life 27 Oct. 1947: 150-156.
  • Sharman Douglas – Wikipedia
  • Wace, Barbara. “Sharman Douglas Captivates British Society in First Season.” Corpus Christi Caller-Times 12 Aug. 1947: 9.

Popular Baby Names in England and Wales, 2018

According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), the most popular baby names in England and Wales last year were again Olivia and Oliver.

Here are the top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2018:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 4,598 baby girls
  2. Amelia, 3,941
  3. Ava, 3,110
  4. Isla, 3,046
  5. Emily, 2,676
  6. Mia, 2,490
  7. Isabella, 2,369
  8. Sophia, 2,344
  9. Ella, 2,326
  10. Grace, 2,301

Boy Names

  1. Oliver, 5,390 baby boys
  2. George, 4,960
  3. Harry, 4,512
  4. Noah, 4,107
  5. Jack, 3,988
  6. Leo, 3,721
  7. Arthur, 3,644
  8. Muhammad, 3,507
  9. Oscar, 3,459
  10. Charlie, 3,365

In the girls’ top ten, Sophia and Grace replace Poppy (now in 11th place) and Lily (now 13th).

In the boys’ top ten, Arthur replaces Jacob (now 11th).

In the girls’ top 100, Ada, Delilah, Ayla, Zoe, Margot and Felicity replace Darcey, Darcy, Julia, Leah, Megan and Victoria.

In the boys’ top 100, Grayson, Jasper, Rowan, Tobias, Sonny and Dominic replace Austin, Ibrahim, Lewis, Nathan and Tyler.

And, finally, here’s an interesting fact: “Less than half (45%) of babies had a name within the top 100 lists in 2018, down from two thirds (67%) in 1996.”

Source: Baby names in England and Wales: 2018

Popular and Unique Baby Names Scotland, 2018

According to National Records of Scotland (NRS), the most popular baby names in the country in 2018 were Olivia and Jack.

Here are Scotland’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2018:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 444 baby girls
  2. Emily, 423
  3. Isla, 383
  4. Sophie, 331
  5. Amelia, 312
  6. Ella, 295
  7. Ava, 292
  8. Grace, 286
  9. Aria, 272
  10. Jessica, 262

Boy Names

  1. Jack, 422 baby boys
  2. Oliver, 330
  3. James, 323
  4. Logan, 307
  5. Leo, 300
  6. Lewis, 298
  7. Alexander, 294 (tie)
  8. Harris, 294 (tie)
  9. Noah, 284
  10. Rory, 280

In the girls’ top 10, Grace replaces Charlotte (now 11th).

In the boys’ top 10, Rory replaces Harry (now tied for 11th with Charlie).

Names inspired by Scottish islands include Arran (118 boys; ranked 47th), Iona (83 girls; ranked 56th), Ailsa (37 girls), Islay (11 girls), Coll (3 boys), Jura (3 girls), Gigha (1 girl), and Tiree (1 girl).

And here are some more baby names that, like Gigha and Tiree, were bestowed just once in Scotland last year:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Adora-Belle, Brora, Callumina, Cardi, Delarosa, Embla, Everlyn, Frankie-Nirvana, Gigi, Honey-Bee, Izna, Junu, Kindah, Lhotse, Milliemae, Niska, Omnia, Peculiar, Raffie, Swithy, Tiggy, Uljana, Veia, Winry, Xanthippe, Yvie, ZuzuAvrick, Baroque-Valentyne, Caisson, Camhanaich, Dome, Eck, Fitheach, Gighian, Haxton, Indio, Izzeldin, Jeddie, Kafka, Lucifer, Monder, Neelix, Ouff, Panashe, Reave, Svetozar, Thapish, Ual, Velyo, Wit, Xypher, Yogan, Zostera

Possible explanations for some of the above:

  • Cardi B, American rapper and singer
  • Embla, the first woman (according to Norse mythology)
  • Lhotse, the 4th-highest mountain in the world (means “south peak” in Tibetan)
  • Winry, a manga character from the Fullmetal Alchemist
  • Caisson, an ammunition chest or two-wheeled ammunition wagon (means “box” in French)
  • Camhanaich, the Scottish word for “break of day” or “twilight”
  • Fitheach, the Scottish word for “raven” (and also the title of a children’s adventure game show that premiered on the Scottish-language BBC Alba channel in 2018)
  • Kafka, Czech writer Franz Kafka
  • Neelix, a character from Star Trek: Voyager
  • Zostera, a type of sea grass

(I posted more of Scotland’s unique baby names over on Patreon.)

In 2017, the top two names were the same.

Sources: Most popular names in Scotland, Babies’ First Names, From A to Zidane… unusual names of newborns revealed, 2018 baby names: Scots babies are Awesome and Adora-Belle