How popular is the baby name Poet 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 Poet.

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Popularity of the baby name Poet


Posts that mention the name Poet

What gave the baby name Soleil a boost in 1985?

The character Punky Brewster (played by Soleil Moon Frye) from the TV series "Punky Brewster" (1984-1988)
Soleil Moon Frye as Punky Brewster

In 1985, the usage of the baby name Soleil — which is pronounced soh-lay, roughly — nearly quintupled:

  • 1987: 18 baby girls named Soleil
  • 1986: 19 baby girls named Soleil
  • 1985: 29 baby girls named Soleil
  • 1984: 6 baby girls named Soleil
  • 1983: unlisted

Why?

Because of young actress Soleil Moon Frye.

She was the star of the memorable children’s TV series Punky Brewster, which began airing on NBC in September of 1984.

The show was about a feisty, colorfully-dressed young girl named Penelope “Punky” Brewster. After being abandoned by her parents, Punky was begrudgingly taken in by a cranky widower named Henry Warnimont (played by George Gaynes). Henry eventually warmed to Punky and, in the penultimate* episode of the second season, he legally adopted her.

In mid-1985, the Washington Post called Soleil Moon Frye’s name “peculiar” and offered this explanation:

Soleil’s mother said her daughter was scheduled for a July birthday. When she showed up in August, Frye said she picked “Soleil” (French for “sun”) because “August was the month of the sun” and “Moon” because she liked the lyrics from a song in “Annie Get Your Gun”: “I’ve got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.”

Recently, Frye was quoted as saying: “I love having a unique name.”

Indeed, she’s continued the tradition with her own four children: daughters Poet and Jagger, and sons Lyric and Story.

What are your thoughts on the name Soleil?

*The final episode of Punky Brewster‘s second season dealt with the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, which had occurred fewer than six weeks earlier. The episode featured astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (as himself).

Sources:

P.S. Punky Brewster’s dog Brandon was named after Brandon Tartikoff, who was the president of NBC’s entertainment division during the 1980s.

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)