How popular is the baby name Silk 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 Silk.

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Popularity of the baby name Silk


Posts that mention the name Silk

Popular and unique baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2020

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

Last year, the Canadian province of Alberta welcomed 49,030 babies — 25,160 boys and 23,870 girls.

What were the most popular names among these 2020 babies? Olivia and Noah.

Here are the top-10 lists by gender:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 236 baby girls
  2. Emma, 184
  3. Charlotte, 161
  4. Ava, 159
  5. Sophia, 151
  6. Amelia, 145
  7. Isla, 133
  8. Emily, 127
  9. Lily, 123
  10. Abigail, 114

Boy Names

  1. Noah, 239 baby boys
  2. Oliver, 229
  3. Liam, 206
  4. Benjamin, 182
  5. William, 178
  6. Jack, 169
  7. Lucas, 163
  8. Theodore, 159
  9. Levi, 153
  10. Owen, 152

In the girls’ top 10, Isla and Lily replaced Hannah and Elizabeth. In fact, Lily jumped all the way from 24th (in 2019) to 9th (in 2020).

In the boys’ top 10, Theodore and Levi replaced Ethan and Jacob. Levi, like Lily, saw a big jump from 27th (in 2019) to 9th (in 2020).

Rare baby names that were bestowed just once in Alberta last year include…

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Aztrellina, Bellashae, Chloezel, Dexy, Electrona, Franzene, Goldwyn, Hirtoli, Iskra-Maurize, Jenebith, Kalkidan, Kikasia, Kisik, Larkspur, Lithuli, Magaty, Mirgisee, Nannally, Nomvela, Obsinet, Pkachhouk, Pulcherie, Qaroo, Rhemalie, Rielle, Roanix, Silk-Nightsun, Slyzze, Somadina, Tezlokai, Trixene, Ulita, Vallyn, Wapikwanew, Wicanphi-Peta, Xeene, Yatika, ZintayaArctic, Boajor, Chinook, Cyomoro, Dazzlo, Discern, Edline, Fendt, Greysky, Hananiah, Iforel, Jryxx, Kikisepaw-Kihiw, Kjerrand, Kodiak, Lelouch, Marlgrae, Moyo, Naatósíniipi, Nufuri, Outlaw, Psalmson, Qifan, Rionzed, Running, Sikapiohkitopi, Sîktogeja, Skydancer, StormRyder, Taiga, Tonderai, Ulfbjorn, Valois, Wapikihew, Wembley, Xylatar, Ynno, Zeuxis-Finn

Here are some explanations and/or potential influences for a few of the above:

  • Pkachhouk, or pka chhouk, means “lotus” in Khmer (Cambodian). Pka by itself is the word for “flower.”
  • Wapikwanew means “flower” in Cree.
  • Kikisepaw-Kihiw — kikisepaw means “morning, dawn” and kihiw means “eagle” in Cree.
  • Kjerrand is a Norwegian name ultimately derived from a Germanic name made up of elements meaning “army” and “rim, edge (of a shield).”
  • Lelouch Lamperouge is an anime character.
  • Sîktogeja means “wolf” in Nakoda.
  • The Taiga is the coniferous forest of the subarctic.
  • Valois (pronounced val-wa) was both a historical region and a historical royal house of France.

Finally, here are the 2019 rankings for Alberta, if you’d like to compare.

Sources: Alberta’s Top Baby Names (PDFs: Girl Names, Boy Names), Olivia and Noah most popular baby names in 2020, Online Cree Dictionary, Nordic Names

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)

Interesting one-hit wonder names in the U.S. baby name data

single flower

They came, they went, and they never came back!

These baby names are one-hit wonders in the U.S. baby name data. That is, they’ve only popped up once, ever, in the entire dataset of U.S. baby names (which accounts for all names given to at least 5 U.S. babies per year since 1880).

There are thousands of one-hit wonders in the dataset, but the names below have interesting stories behind their single appearance, so these are the one-hits I’m writing specific posts about. Just click on a name to read more.

2020s

  • (none yet)

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

1900s

  • (none yet)

1890s

As I discover (and write about) more one-hit wonders in the data, I’ll add the names/links to this page. In the meanwhile, do you have any favorite one-hit wonder baby names?

Image: Adapted from Solitary Poppy by Andy Beecroft under CC BY-SA 2.0.

[Latest update: Dec. 2023]

What turned Silk into a baby name in 1993?

Silk's album "Lose Control" (1992)
Silk album

The word Silk has appeared just once so far in the U.S. baby name data, in 1993:

  • 1995: unlisted
  • 1994: unlisted
  • 1993: 8 baby girls named Silk [debut]
  • 1992: unlisted
  • 1991: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Music. Specifically, the Atlanta-based group Silk (one of the many “sexually suggestive R&B vocal groups that followed Jodeci“).

Silk’s biggest hit, the slow jam “Freak Me,” was the #1 song on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart for two weeks in May of 1993. Two other Silk songs, “Girl U For Me” and “Happy Days,” also reached the Hot 100 that year, peaking at 26th and 86th respectively.

Silk was the first band signed to Keith Sweat’s record label Keia, which was founded in late 1992. The label was presumably named after Sweat’s daughter, Keia, who was born the same year. (The baby name Keia saw peak usage in 1993, but this probably has more to do with a TV commercial featuring a girl named Kia than with Keith Sweat’s daughter, or label.)

The word “silk” can be traced back to the ancient Greek word serikos, which referred to the Seres people of Asia. The Seres supplied the ancient Greeks with silks via the Silk Road.

What are your thoughts on Silk as a name?

Sources: Silk Biography – AllMusic, Silk – Billboard, Silk – Etymonline, SSA

One-syllable girl names: Kate, Sage, Wren, Maeve

single tree

Looking for a girl name that’s short and to-the-point? Something that might work particularly well as a middle name?

Check out this list of several hundred one-syllable girl names:

  • Anne/Ann, Ash/Ashe, Ayn
  • Banks/Banx, Bar, Bea, Belle/Bell, Bess, Beth, Bjork, Blair/Blaire, Blaise/Blaze/Blayze/Blaize, Blake/Blayke, Blanche, Bless, Blessed, Bliss/Blyss, Bloom, Blue/Blu, Blythe, Brave, Bray, Breck, Bree/Brie, Breeze/Brees, Brett, Bright, Britt, Bronx, Bronze, Brooke/Brook, Bryce/Brice, Brynn/Bryn/Brynne/Brin/Brinn, Burke
  • Cache, Cass, Cate/Cait, Chance, Charm, Chase, Chen, Cher, Chris, Claire/Clare/Clair, Clark/Clarke, Cloud, Clove, Coast, Cove, Cree, Cruz
  • Dale, Dare, Dash, Dawn, Deah, Dee, Deem, Del/Dell, Doll, Dor, Dove, Dream, Drew/Dru
  • Earth, Elle, Eve
  • Fair/Fayre, Faith/Fayth, Fawn/Faun, Fate, Faye/Fay/Fae, Fern/Ferne, Flame, Fleur, Flor, Flynn, Fran
  • Gail/Gayle/Gale, Gal, Gay/Gaye, Gem, Gift, Gold, Grace/Grayce, Gray/Grey, Greer, Gwen, Gwyn/Gwynn/Gwynne
  • Hayes/Haze, Hayle, Heart/Hart, Hope
  • Jace/Jayce, Jade/Jayde/Jaide, Jan, Jane/Jayne, Jaye/Jae, Jazz/Jaz, Jean/Jeanne, Jem, Jen/Jenn, Jess, Jett, Jewel, Jill, Jin/Jyn, Jo, Joan, Joss, Joy/Joye/Joi/Joie, Joyce, Jude, Jules, June, Jung
  • Kai, Kate/Kayte/Kaite, Kay/Kaye/Kae, Kayce, Kayde, Kim, Klaire/Klare/Klair, Klark/Klarke, Kree, Kris, Kyle
  • Lace, Laine/Lane/Layne, Lake, Lark, Leigh/Lee, Light, Liv, Liz, Love, Lux, Luce, Luz, Lynn/Lynne/Lyn/Lin
  • Mae/May, Madge, Maeve/Maebh/Mave, Mai, March, Marge/Marj, Maude/Maud, Maze/Maize/Mayze, Mills, Mirth, Moon
  • Nash, Naz, Nelle/Nell, Neve/Niamh, Nile, Noire/Noir, Noor/Nour, North
  • Paige/Payge/Page, Pam, Pax, Paz, Peace, Peach, Pearl/Perl, Plum, Praise, Prayer, Prim, Psalm, Psalms, Prue, Pure
  • Queen, Quinn
  • Rae/Raye, Rayne/Rain/Raine/Rainn/Reign, Reece/Reese/Rhys, Reem, Reet, Reeve, Rell, Ren, Rise, Rogue, Rome, Rose, Rue, Rune, Rut, Ruth, Ryn/Rin
  • Saint, Sage/Saige/Sayge/Saje, Scout, Shane/Shayne, Shea/Shae/Shay/Shaye, Shine, Silk, Shir, Skye/Sky, Sloane/Sloan, Snow, Sol, Soul, Star/Starr, Storm, Sue/Sioux, Swan, Sway
  • Tai, Taj, Tate, Teal, Tess, Thyme, Tris, Trish, True/Tru, Trust, Truth, Tyne
  • Vail/Vale, Val, Vaughn
  • Wing, Wren/Wrenn, Wryn, Wynn/Wynne/Winn
  • Yaz, Yen
  • Zane/Zain/Zayne, Zeal, Zell, Zen

Please note that I did include names in the gray area between one syllable and two syllables. The deciding factor on these particular names will be your own interpretation/accent, so be sure to test the names out loud before making any final decisions. (“Hayle,” for instance — would you say it like Hale, or like Hailey? Or “Rise” — is it rize, or ree-sah?)

Many of these names also happen to be unisex, so they appear on the one-syllable boy names list as well.

What’s your favorite one-syllable girl name?

Image: Adapted from 1 Drvo 06241 by Olja Simovic under CC BY-SA 4.0.

[Latest update: July 2023]