How popular is the baby name Tawney 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 Tawney.

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Popularity of the baby name Tawney


Posts that mention the name Tawney

Where did the baby name Kiz come from in 1961?

The character Kiz Bouchet from the TV series "Maverick" (1957-1962).
Kiz Bouchet from “Maverick

A while back we talked about the name Maverick, which was put on the onomastic map thanks to the TV western Maverick (1957-1962).

Since then, I’ve discovered that a handful of minor female characters from Maverick also influenced baby names in the late ’50s and early ’60s. I’ll go in chronological order…

First there’s Samantha, which saw higher usage around the time recurring character Samantha Crawford (played by Diane Brewster) was on the show. She appeared a total of four times: once in 1957, three more times in 1958. (This was still a few years before Bewitched came along.)

  • 1959: 111 baby girls named Samantha
  • 1958: 109 baby girls named Samantha [rank: 999th]
  • 1957: 38 baby girls named Samantha
  • 1956: 29 baby girls named Samantha
  • 1955: 27 baby girls named Samantha

Second there’s Modesty, which debuted around the time recurring character Modesty Blaine was on the show. She appeared a total of three times. In her first two appearances, in 1959 and 1960, she was played by Mona Freeman.

  • 1962: unlisted
  • 1961: unlisted
  • 1960: 5 baby girls named Modesty [debut]
  • 1959: unlisted
  • 1958: unlisted

Third there’s Kiz, which debuted the year after character Kiz Bouchet (played by Kathleen Crowley) appeared in the episode “Kiz” (December, 1960).

  • 1963: 5 baby girls named Kiz
  • 1962: 7 baby girls named Kiz
  • 1961: 21 baby girls named Kiz [debut]
  • 1960: unlisted
  • 1959: unlisted

Fourth there’s Caprice, which doubled in usage the year the character Caprice Rambeau (played by Dawn Wells) appeared in the episode “The Deadly Image” (March, 1961).

  • 1963: 31 baby girls named Caprice
  • 1962: 43 baby girls named Caprice
  • 1961: 48 baby girls named Caprice
  • 1960: 24 baby girls named Caprice
  • 1959: 15 baby girls named Caprice

And finally there’s Tawney, which saw higher usage the year the Native American character Tawney (played by Sharon Hugueny) appeared in the 2-part episode, “The Devil’s Necklace” (April, 1961).

  • 1963: 6 baby girls named Tawney
  • 1962: 9 baby girls named Tawney
  • 1961: 27 baby girls named Tawney
  • 1960: 5 baby girls named Tawney
  • 1959: unlisted

Which one of these names — Samantha, Modesty, Kiz, Caprice, or Tawney — do you like best?

Sources:

How has the game show “Jeopardy!” influenced U.S. baby names?

Title of the TV game show "Jeopardy!" (1984-)
Jeopardy!

Last week, Becca commented with some interesting Jeopardy! contestant names (e.g., Hobie, Dorcas) and mentioned J! Archive, which lists tens of thousands of Jeopardy! contestants going back to 1984, when the show premiered.

I skimmed through all the contestants from 1984 to 2015 (as we don’t have baby name data for 2016 yet) and spotted hundreds of unusual names. And it looks like at least two of them got a boost thanks to the show.

Alancia

The name Alancia was a one-hit wonder that popped up in the U.S. baby name data in 2000:

  • 2002: unlisted
  • 2001: unlisted
  • 2000: 9 baby girls named Alancia [debut]
  • 1999: unlisted
  • 1998: unlisted

One-time player Alancia Wynn, a family practice physician from Virginia, was on Jeopardy! in October of 1999.

Brannon

The name Brannon saw an increase in usage in 1998:

  • 2000: 116 baby boys named Brannon
  • 1999: 118 baby boys named Brannon
  • 1998: 158 baby boys named Brannon [peak]
  • 1997: 113 baby boys named Brannon
  • 1996: 114 baby boys named Brannon

One-time player Brannon Denning, a graduate student from Connecticut, was on Jeopardy! in September of 1998. (Looks like Brannon Denning is now a law professor at Samford University.)

Alaric & Ezgi …?

These two names may have gotten a slight boost as well, though it’s hard to tell.

  • Alaric, in 2005. One-time player Alaric Smith was on the show in October of 2005.
  • Ezgi, in 2015. One-time player Ezgi Ustundag was on the show in October of 2015.

Ezgi is a female name that means “melody” in Turkish.

Anjali (false positive)

“Kids Week” contestant Anjali Tripathi was on the show in September of 1999. The same year, the baby name Anjali more than doubled in usage:

  • 2001: 222 baby girls named Anjali
  • 2000: 230 baby girls named Anjali
  • 1999: 202 baby girls named Anjali
  • 1998: 93 baby girls named Anjali
  • 1997: 80 baby girls named Anjali

But this was a suspiciously steep rise. And it was accompanied by the debut of an alternate spelling (Anjalie). And usage didn’t drop back to normal levels the next year, as one would expect. These facts pointed me to something more high-profile than a Jeopardy! contestant.

Turns out the very successful Hindi coming-of-age romantic comedy Kuch Kuch Hota Hai had been released in 1998. The movie featured not one but two main characters named Anjali.

More names!

Here are the rest of the names that caught my eye, sorted by year:

  • 2015: Chandreyi, Dava-Leigh, Desta, Ezgi, Kynan, Mags, Praggya, Rook, Tiombi
  • 2014: Ben-Hur, Dinu, FeiFei, Gudrun, Ilissa, Kenesha, LaWanda, Leszek, Mariusz, Myfanwy, Osei, Shloka, Sirena
  • 2013: Arne, Berek, Diva, Kelton, Kinu, Nilai, Nishanth, Ramsin, Rhea, Salvo, Shuli, Sonrisa, Tahne, Twyla, Waymond, Xan, Yellowlees
  • 2012: Anshika, Benton, Bing, Deniz, Injee, Jessamine, Jia-Rui, Mithun, Pian, Shaanti,
    Vamsi, Vinayak
  • 2011: Bhibha, Boomie, Cosi, Gabor, Gitta, Idrees, Karawan, LuEllen, Milind, Raphie
  • 2010: Huat, Kemi, Marianthe, Raghuveer, Shaama, Surabhi
  • 2009: Ariella, Claxton, Cyn, Daphna, Drusha, Hayes, Henok, Jove, Lysette, Nirav, Ranjan, Seyi, Shyra, Tui, Wright
    • Tui Sutherland (first name pronounced TOO-ee) is a fiction writer. She was named after the tui bird of New Zealand.
  • 2008: Anurag, Babatope, Delano, Elza, Gilah, Kew, Murtaza, Naren, Srinivas, Vibin, Zia
  • 2007: Arlynda, Bethlehem, Clé, Haritha, Khoa, Kai-Ning, Kizzle, Lateefah, Lenzy, Marvene, Mehrun, Ssezi, Tigger, Toho, Tope
  • 2006: Dianisbeth, Iddoshe, Karmie, Lizard, Nemanja, Nissan, Oz, Ozgun, Papa, Pinki, Raena, Reda, Sioux, Tawney
  • 2005: Alaric, Corinth, Jayanth, Kem, Kingslea, LeeAundra, Ruchi, Ruvani, Vanamali
  • 2004: Denele, Kermin, M’Liss, Nithya
  • 2003: Alicen, Amasa, Eok, Freya, Nulty, Snowden, Vane
  • 2002: Anagha, Dileep, Gadi, Hikma, Jara, Kirik, Kunle, Manoj, Muzy (MYOO-zee), Omid, Quyen, Rafi, Seveen, Shasa, Tana, Umiko
  • 2001: Aki, Babu, Gosia, Marek, Mittie, Neha, Ulhas, Vinita
  • 2000: Akshai, Arrington, Celiane, Cinnamon, Iyesatu, Jeeks, Manx, Meri-Jane, Mitali, Sabin, Tarun
  • 1999: Ajuan, Alancia, Anjali, Chacko, Davine, Happy, Mihee, Seale, Wellington, Yancy, Yoni
  • 1998: Ardys, Brannon, Creswell, Kemp, Melizza, Sinan
  • 1998: Boze, Jolyn, Rokshana
  • 1997: Akiva, Atish, Breck, Brick, Davia, Girish, Mita, Murat, Pooja, Sahir, Tanis, Vartan, Zinie
  • 1996: Myretta, Rima, Ulf, Vandana
  • 1995: Albina
  • 1994: Graydon
  • 1993: Bronwyn, Ferris, Leif
  • 1991: India, Kareem
  • 1990: Ardwight, Avrom, Murdock, Peji
  • 1989: Darbi, Ouida
  • 1988: Blaze, Cigus, Doak, Scooter
  • 1987: JoFrannye
  • 1986: Chub, Zanete

Which of the above names do you like best?

P.S. Thanks again, Becca!

What turned Maverick into a baby name in 1957?

Title of the TV series "Maverick" (1957-1962)
Title of the TV series “Maverick”

The baby name Maverick is more popular than ever in the U.S. these days. Where did this name come from, and how has pop culture helped make it so trendy?

Maverick the surname

Maverick began as an English surname. Its etymology is unknown, but there are several theories. Some think the origin is Welsh. Others think it’s related to the name Maurice.

The surname traveled with settlers to the New World as early as the 1620s.

Maverick the noun/adjective

One of the descendants of those 17th-century settlers was Texas cattle owner Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803-1870).

When he returned permanently to San Antonio with his family, Maverick left a small herd of cattle originally purchased in 1847 on Matagorda Peninsula with slave caretakers. It was this herd that was allowed to wander and gave rise to the term maverick, which denotes an unbranded calf.

The earliest recorded use of “maverick” in this sense comes from 1867.

The earliest recorded use of “maverick” to refer to a human — someone who does not follow rules, someone who is unconventional — comes from 1886.

Maverick on television

The TV Western Maverick debuted in 1957 and ran until 1962. The series featured card player Bret Maverick and sometimes other family members, like brother Bart Maverick.

This show is what put the baby name Maverick on the map:

  • 1963: 14 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1962: 21 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1961: 26 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1960: 46 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1959: 61 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 989th]
  • 1958: 88 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 800th]
  • 1957: 33 baby boys named Maverick [debut]
  • 1956: unlisted
  • 1955: unlisted

The U.S. baby name data only includes names that were given to at least 5 U.S. babies (of one gender or the other) per year, so 1957 was the first year that more than five baby boys were named Maverick. In fact, so many boys were named Maverick that the name was one of the top debut names of the year. And it entered the top 1,000 for the very first time the following year.

(The show also gave a very big boost to the baby name Bret, and to variant spelling Brett. And it had an influence on a handful of female names, including Samantha and Tawney.)

Maverick in the movies

The character Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (played by Tom Cruise) from the movie "Top Gun" (1986)
Maverick from “Top Gun

Usage of the name stayed flat until the popular movie Top Gun was released in 1986. The film starred Tom Cruise as a navy pilot Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

  • 1988: 48 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1987: 44 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1986: 19 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1985: 16 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1984: 6 baby boys named Maverick

(Also around this time we see the debut of the baby name Cruise.)

The character Bret Maverick (played by Mel Gibson) from the movie "Maverick" (1994).
Bret Maverick from “Maverick

Another movie that may have added to the momentum was Maverick (1994), which starred Mel Gibson and was based on the original television series.

  • 1996: 167 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 843rd]
  • 1995: 148 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 910th]
  • 1994: 128 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 978th]
  • 1993: 101 baby boys named Maverick
  • 1992: 76 baby boys named Maverick

Maverick in sports

The name has really picked up steam in the last few years, perhaps due in part to the success of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, which made it to the finals during the 2005-06 season and won the finals in 2010-2011. (Texas was the state with the most baby Mavericks in both 2006 and in 2010, incidentally.)

Maverick in the future

Given the current trajectory, the name set to become increasingly popular in the next few years.

How high do you think it will go?

And, what do you think of the baby name Maverick?


Update, 5/30/2022: Look how high Maverick has climbed since this post went live in 2014!

Usage of the baby name Maverick in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Maverick

Here are the latest numbers (and rankings):

  • 2021: 6,548 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 47th]
  • 2020: 6,114 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 50th]
  • 2019: 5,754 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 58th]
  • 2018: 5,032 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 73rd]
  • 2017: 4,724 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 85th]
  • 2016: 2,956 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 139th]
  • 2015: 2,274 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 184th]
  • 2014: 1,878 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 206th]
  • 2013: 1,300 baby boys named Maverick [rank: 272nd]

Maverick reached the top 100 in 2017, then the top 50 just a few years later, in 2020. And with the newly released movie Top Gun: Maverick seeing early success at the theaters, who knows how high it could go.

Do you think it will reach the top 20? Top 10?

Sources: Maverick – Online Etymology Dictionary, Maverick, Samuel Augustus – The Handbook of Texas Online – TSHA

[Latest update: May 2022]