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

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Popularity of the baby name Obsidian


Posts that mention the name Obsidian

New gemstone baby names

kyanite
Kyanite

We’re very familiar with gemstone baby names names like Ruby, Opal and Jade. But you probably haven’t met anyone (yet) with one of the following names:

  • Citrine: Citrine debuted in the SSA data in 2019. Citrine is an orange-y variety of quartz. It’s one of the birthstones for November.
  • Kyanite: Kyanite debuted in 2019 as well. Kyanite is typically blue, and its name is related to the color word “cyan.”
  • Malachite: Malachite debuted in 2017. Malachite is a green-banded mineral. Its name refers to the leaves of the mallow plant.
  • Lazuli: Lazuli, part of the rock name lapis lazuli (which translates to “stone of azure”), debuted in 2016.

These newbies join the many gem-names — Amethyst, Angelite, Beryl, Celestine, Diamond, Emerald, Garnet, Jasper, Larimar, Obsidian, Olivine, Onyx, Sapphire, Topaz, Turquoise, etc. — that have previously appeared in the SSA data. (Not to mention the rock names Coal, Flint, Granite, Shale, and Slate.)

I’m sure Citrine and Kyanite won’t be the last of the names in this category to emerge in the data, though, because there are just so many other nicely-named minerals and rocks out there. Some examples…

  • Agate: a banded, colored quartz with a name that happens to look and sound similar to Agatha.
  • Alexandrite: a color-changing variety of chrysoberyl named after Alexander II of Russia. It’s one of the birthstones for June.
  • Ametrine: a type of quartz with zones of purple and yellow/orange; a mix of amethyst and citrine.
  • Carnelian: a red variety of quartz. Its name can be traced back to the Latin word conus, the name of a type of berry.
  • Peridot: a green gemstone with a name of unknown origin. It’s the birthstone for August.
  • Selenite: a type of gypsum. Its name comes from the ancient Greek word for “moon,” selene. (If you’ve ever watched metaphysical content on YouTube, you’ve probably seen a selenite wand before…)
  • Tourmaline: a gem that comes in a wide variety of colors. It’s one of the birthstones for October.

Which gem/mineral/rock name do you think we’ll spot next in the U.S. baby name data?

Image: Kyanite by Elade53

Popular and unique baby names in Idaho, 2017

Flag of Idaho
Flag of Idaho

According to Idaho’s Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, the most popular baby names in the state in 2017 were Emma and Oliver.

Here are Idaho’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2017:

Girl Names
1. Emma, 108 baby girls
2. Olivia, 102
3. Charlotte, 96
4. Evelyn, 91
5. Amelia, 78
6. Harper, 75 (tie)
7. Ava, 75 (tie)
8. Abigail, 71
9. Sophia, 67
10. Elizabeth, 60

Boy Names
1. Oliver, 114 baby boys
2. Liam, 102
3. William, 93
4. James, 87
5. Lincoln, 85
6. Samuel, 84
7. Mason, 80
8. Logan, 78 (3-way tie)
9. Jackson, 78 (3-way tie)
10. Henry, 78 (3-way tie)

In the girls’ top 10, Sophia replaced Emily (now 21st).

In the boys’ top 10, Samuel, Logan, and Jackson replaced Wyatt (now 11th), Owen (15th), and Noah (16th). Interestingly, Samuel, which has been trending downward nationally, nearly doubled in usage in Idaho from 2016 to 2017.

The SSA’s 2017 rankings for Idaho include the same 20 names, but in slightly different order on both sides.

And finally, if you’re wondering about Idaho’s unusual baby names, here’s a selection from 2017…

  • Female names: Adventure, Embers, Epic, Evening, Flawless, Heartland, Helvetika, Island, Maleficent, Petal, Rapunzel, Solstice
  • Male names: Arseny, Banker, Calgary, Cuahuhtemoc, Desirejoy, Everest, Hiker, Obsidian, Sinister, Solaris, Venture, Zealous

Source: Reports and Statistics | Idaho Department of Health and Welfare

Image: Adapted from Flag of Idaho (public domain)

The top boy-name debuts of 2013

lotus bud

Jaceyon, a variant of the suddenly trendy Jayceon, was the top debut name of 2013.

Of all the boy names appearing for the very first time on a Social Security Administration baby name list in 2013, the following were the most popular:

1. Jaceyon, 89 baby boys
2. Jceon, 50
3. Jaeceon, 39
4. Jayceion, 37
5. Jaecion, 23
6. Jcion, 23
7. Jayseon, 17
8. Kitai, 16
9. Yetzael, 16
10. Jaycean, 12
11. Goku, 11
12. Hridaan, 11
13. Jaiceion, 11
14. Jru, 11
15. Nikson, 11
16. Oaks, 11

And a selection from the 10-and-under group: Gurfateh, Benzino, Zorawar, Alo, Dah, Prometheus, Brodix, Charger, Kingelijah, Lotanna, Mascud, Power, Samyog, Warrior, Beric, Chambers, Gospel, Hudhayfah, Jaxper, Khattab, Machiavelli, Motoki, Obsidian, Parx, Quill, Relic, Subaru, Treble, Uyiosa.

Where do the names above come from? Here are some explanations:

  • Jaceyon, Jceon, Jaeceon, Jayceion, Jaecion, Jcion, Jayseon, Jaycean, etc. – from Jayceon Taylor (a.k.a. The Game) of the VH1 reality TV show “Marrying The Game.”
  • Kitai – from Kitai Raige, a character in the movie After Earth (2013).
  • Goku – from the Dragon Ball manga character Goku?
  • Beric – from Game of Thrones character Beric Dondarrion.

Can you come up with explanations for any of the others?

P.S. Here are the boy name debuts for 2012, 2011 and 2010.

U.S. Baby Names 2013: Most popular names, Top girl-name debuts, Top boy-name debuts, Biggest girl-name changes, Biggest boy-name changes, Top first letters, Top lengths, Top girl names by letter, Top boy names by letter

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from LotusBud0048a (public domain) by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri

Popular and unique baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2007

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

Last year, the Canadian province of Alberta saw a record number of births: 48,589 babies overall (24,748 boys and 23,841 girls). The baby girls shared a total of 6,440 names, and the baby boys shared a total of 5,134.

Here are the top ten baby names, per gender, of 2007:

Girl Names

  1. Ava
  2. Emma
  3. Emily
  4. Olivia
  5. Sarah
  6. Hannah
  7. Madison
  8. Abigail
  9. Sophia
  10. Hailey

Boy Names

  1. Ethan
  2. Jacob
  3. Logan
  4. Noah
  5. Joshua
  6. Owen
  7. Alexander
  8. Liam
  9. Matthew
  10. Nathan

And here are a few examples of some of the more unusual ones:

Unusual Girl NamesUnusual Boy Names
Arooj, Aruba, Aunesty, Balroop, Birsvtar, Butterfly, Chaos, Charlemagne, Coltanna, DaKayDa, Dinela-Al-aaridhy, Eckoe, Ellexis, Ervasu, Emma-Star-Ulaniq, Fhea, Frishta, God’s, Gulnoro, Halo, Hargunn, Hoodo, Ippitha, Isabeau, Jedhi, Jessence, Jurnee, Kalifornia, Kappy, Kawther, Legacy, Lexxannah, Lutfia, Manning, Million, Mlak, Morningstar, Nigma, Nonsikelglo, Nyater, October-Rose, Oluwapamilerinayo, Poet, Primnutcha, Proudfeather, Raynebow-Roze, RocRock, Roohee, Saturday, Scotia, Shgan, Thistle, Tsz, Tutu, Upulitha, Vhinarenz, Vong, Wes-Leigh, Whisper, Xyrhl, Yuk, Zamber, ZamzamAbdulmoaeez, Ambiious, Atlas, Bienvenito, Blue-Quill, Bluesky, Chancellor, Courage, Cowboy, Decland, Ding, Elilei, Ewuak, Felony, Frandon, Furious, Gatmandong, Gatwich, Gix, Goon, Hush, Husky, Inderveer, Izic, Jackpine, Johnavon, Jwad, Keeper, Koosha, Kyyus, Little, Lovemore, Loyal, Manchester, Mawt, Midnite, Milwaukee, Nahom-Tesfagabr, Nilton, Ntita, Obsidian-Angel, Ozarius, Papa-Kwamina, Preetinder, Pthaylo, Rainbow, Ripkin, Ryott, Slim, Smeet, SyliceVirgil, Thandolwenkosi, TiRay, Utah, Ved, Vutha, Watthajak, Wrigley, Xnox, Yat, Zaylex, Zedric, Zero

P.S. Thanks, Sandra!

Source: Service Alberta

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)