How popular is the baby name Sacheen 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 Sacheen.

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Popularity of the baby name Sacheen


Posts that mention the name Sacheen

Where did the baby name Billyjack come from in the 1970s?

Poster for the movie "Billy Jack" (1971)
“Billy Jack”

The name Billyjack — a rather old-fashioned sounding double name — didn’t appear in the U.S. baby name data in the early 1900s, but in the 1970s:

  • 1974: 6 baby boys named Billyjack
  • 1973: 5 baby boys named Billyjack
  • 1972: 7 baby boys named Billyjack [debut]
  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted

Where did it come from?

The movie character Billy Jack, who had a cult following during the ’70s.

Here’s a fun description:

Billy Jack [is] a half-Cherokee Vietnam vet and former Green Beret who preaches peace, love and pacifism, but is all too ready to pull off his boots and protect progressive values by barefoot-kicking all the right(-wing) asses in American society, from biker gangs to racist Southerners to corrupt cops and politicians.

The character was played by Tom Laughlin in a series of four independent films: The Born Losers (1967), Billy Jack (1971), The Trial of Billy Jack (1974), and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977). The first three were unexpectedly successful, thanks largely to Tom’s innovative approach to distribution and marketing.

Notice how the name didn’t appear in the data until it was featured in the title of a film, though. In that second movie, Billy Jack helps Native American students on an Arizona reservation fight back against “small-town bigots.” (And, incidentally, the third movie includes Sacheen Littlefeather, who we’ve talked about before.)

What are your thoughts on the baby name Billyjack?

Sources: Tom Laughlin: Five films from the ‘Billy Jack’ star – LA Times, The Strange Saga of Billy Jack – Toronto International Film Festival

Where did the baby name Sacheen come from in 1973?

Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather (at the Oscars in 1973)
Sacheen Littlefeather

Marlon Brando won an Oscar for his portrayal of Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972).

But he didn’t accept it.

Instead, he sent a Native American woman named Sacheen (pronounced sah-SHEEN) Littlefeather to the Academy Awards ceremony, which was held in early 1973. Sacheen refused the Oscar on Brando’s behalf, citing “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry.”

Right on cue, over two dozen babies are named Sacheen in 1973:

  • 1975: 14 baby girls named Sacheen
  • 1974: 25 baby girls named Sacheen
  • 1973: 26 baby girls named Sacheen [debut]
  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: unlisted

Where does the name come from?

According to Sacheen’s website, she was born Marie Cruz to an Apache father and a mother of mixed European descent. (She was named Marie after her maternal grandmother.)

While participating in the Occupation of Alcatraz (1969-1971), her “Navajo friends nicknamed her “Sacheen,” a word she says means “little bear.” She liked the name and took it.”

Several online sources tell me that the Navajo word for “bear” is commonly written shash or shush, and these are similar to the Sach- of Sacheen’s name. But the Navajo words for “little” are yaz (yáázh) and yazzie (yázhí), neither of which resemble -een, so I’m not sure where the second part of her name comes from.

How do you feel about the name Sacheen?

Sources:

Image: © 1973 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences