How popular is the baby name Winston 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 Winston.

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Popularity of the baby name Winston


Posts that mention the name Winston

Baby name story: Valor

Actress Valora Noland (1941-2022)
Valora Noland

American actress Valora Noland played minor roles in various movies and TV shows during the 1960s.

Her real name wasn’t Valora Noland, though. It was Valor Baum.

She was born to Franz and Abigail “Abby” Baum of Seattle, Washington, on December 8, 1941 — the day the United States formally entered WWII (following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor one day earlier).

Abby — recalling that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had spoken the somber words, “Death and sorrow will be the companions of our journey; hardship our garment; constancy and valor our only shield” — was inspired to name the baby girl Valor.

Valor Baum later added an “a” to the end of her first name. Later still, when she decided to become an actress, she began using the surname Noland.

Interestingly, the baby name Valora saw peak usage in the U.S. in 1963 — the year Valora Noland was profiled in a July issue TV Guide (which was being read by millions of Americans every week at that time).

What are your thoughts on the name Valora?

P.S. Churchill’s words came from a speech he gave to the House of Commons in October of 1940. (He also mentioned the effectiveness of the Anderson shelter in this speech.)

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of The War Wagon

How did “Poldark” influence U.S. baby names in the late 1970s?

The characters Ross Poldark and Demelza Carne from the British TV series "Poldark" (1975-1977).
Ross and Demelza from “Poldark

The curious name Demelza first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1978:

  • 1980: unlisted
  • 1979: 6 baby girls named Demelza
  • 1978: 6 baby girls named Demelza [debut]
  • 1977: unlisted
  • 1976: unlisted

Where did it come from?

The character Demelza Carne from the BBC television series Poldark, which aired in the U.S. — as part of Masterpiece Theater, on PBS — from 1977 to 1978. (It was originally broadcast in the UK from 1975 to 1977.)

The 29-episode series, based on the Poldark novels by author Winston Graham, was set in Cornwall during the last two decades of the 1700s.

The protagonist was Ross Poldark (played by Robin Ellis), who, at the start of the story, had just returned to Cornwall after fighting for the British in the American Revolutionary War.

The character Demelza Carne from the British TV series "Poldark" (1975-1977).
Demelza Carne from “Poldark

In the second episode, Ross impulsively hired 13-year-old Demelza Carne (played by actress Angharad Rees) as a housemaid.

Over the next several episodes (which cover several years), Demelza grew to become a “smart and vivacious and charming” young woman. She and Ross eventually got married.

Demelza’s name is not a traditional Cornish personal name. Instead, it’s a Cornish place name. The meaning isn’t known for certain, but one theory holds that it refers to an “eel house” (which would be a fitting definition, given the history of the fishing industry in Cornwall).

Other Poldark characters also influenced U.S. baby names. Thanks to Ross Poldark, for instance, the baby name Ross started rising again in 1977. And Ross’s cousin, the good-natured Verity Poldark, boosted the virtue name Verity to then-peak usage the same year.

Boys named RossGirls named Verity
19791,002 [rank: 227th]17
1978919 [rank: 229th]13
1977823 [rank: 250th]20
1976680 [rank: 279th]7
1975678 [rank: 283rd].

During the second half of the 2010s, the BBC released a brand new, five-season adaptation of Poldark.

The name Demelza re-emerged in the U.S. data (after a absence of nearly four decades) in 2018. The same year, the name Verity, which was already on the rise, saw a higher-than-expected increase in usage.

And in 2020, the traditional Cornish name Morwenna, which is based on an Old Cornish word meaning “maiden,” made its first appearance in the U.S. data:

  • 2022: unlisted
  • 2021: 8 baby girls named Morwenna
  • 2020: 16 baby girls named Morwenna [debut]
  • 2019: unlisted
  • 2018: unlisted

Character Morwenna Chynoweth, introduced at the start of the third season, was the governess of one of Ross Poldark’s young relatives.

What are your thoughts on these Poldarkian names? Would you use any of them?

P.S. An earlier BBC show, The Forsyte Saga, also had an influence on U.S. baby names…

Sources:

Images: Screenshots of Poldark

Where did the baby name Adderly come from in 1987?

The character V. H. Adderly from the TV series "Adderly" (1986-1988)
V. H. Adderly from “Adderly

The rare name Adderly first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1987:

  • 1989: unlisted
  • 1988: unlisted
  • 1987: 6 baby boys named Adderly [debut]
  • 1986: unlisted
  • 1985: unlisted

Why?

My guess is the TV series Adderly (1986-1988), a spy spoof that was produced in Canada and broadcast in both Canada and the United States.

The main character was Virgil Homer “V. H.” Adderly, played by Canadian actor Winston Rekert.

Adderly was a former secret agent who, after being injured (his left hand was crushed by an enemy agent wielding a medieval mace), got reassigned to a desk job in his agency’s Miscellaneous Affairs department. Despite this, Adderly kept uncovering “overlooked threats amongst the pushed papers” and took action to investigate and prevent these plots.

I don’t know if any Canadian babies were named Adderly in the 1980s, unfortunately, as the Canadian data only goes back to 1991.

But I do know that the surname Adderly can be traced back to either of two locations in England called Adderley. One of the locational names is based on the Old English personal name Ealdred (male), while the other is based on the Old English personal name Ealdthryth (female). In both cases, the second element of Adderley derives from the Old English word leah, meaning “clearing” or “meadow.”

What are your thoughts on the name Adderly?

Sources:

  • Adderly – Wikipedia
  • Romanko, Karen A. Television’s Female Spies and Crimefighters: 600 Characters and Shows, 1950s to the Present. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, 2016.
  • Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
  • SSA

Image: Screenshot of Adderly

Baby names with TEN: Tenley, Ortensia, Quinten

ten ball (pool)

If you’re looking for a baby name that’s a “perfect ten” — that is to say, a name that contains the word TEN — you’re in luck!

Here’s a long list of names with the letter sequence “t-e-n.” Most of these names come directly from the U.S. SSA’s baby name data.

  • Aften
  • Alten
  • Anisten, Annisten
  • Antenette
  • Artena
  • Ashten
  • Asten
  • Aten
  • Atena
  • Atenas
  • Atenea
  • Augusten
  • Austen
  • Axten
  • Ayten
  • Benten
  • Berten
  • Bertena
  • Bexten
  • Blayten
  • Bosten
  • Branten
  • Braxten, Braxsten
  • Brayten
  • Brenten, Brentten
  • Brexten
  • Briggsten
  • Brighten, Bryten
  • Bristen
  • Britten
  • Britteny, Britteney, Briteny, Britteni
  • Brixten
  • Brysten
  • Carsten
  • Catena
  • Catenia
  • Charlesten
  • Chasten, Chaysten
  • Chayten
  • Chazten
  • Christen, Chrysten, Cristen, Crysten
  • Christena
  • Christene, Chrystene, Cristene
  • Christensen
  • Clayten
  • Clementene
  • Clinten
  • Clotene
  • Coasten
  • Colsten
  • Colten, Coleten, Coulten
  • Constence
  • Contenia
  • Content
  • Courteney, Courtenay, Courteny
  • Dalten
  • Daxten
  • Dayten, Daiten
  • Desten
  • Destene
  • Desteny, Desteney, Destenee, Destenie, Desteni
  • Dexten
  • Doristene
  • Dristen
  • Dusten
  • Easten
  • Ernestene, Earnestene
  • Esten
  • Faten
  • Gaten
  • Goten
  • Gustena
  • Haisten, Haysten
  • Halsten
  • Hasten
  • Hiten
  • Holten
  • Hortense, Hortence, Hartense
  • Hortensia, Hortencia, Ortensia, Ortencia
  • Housten
  • Huxten
  • Jacksten, Jaxten
  • Jasten
  • Jaten
  • Jaysten
  • Jayten
  • Jesten, Jessten
  • Jestene
  • Jiten
  • Jitender
  • Jitendra
  • Josten
  • Justen
  • Justene
  • Karsten
  • Kashten, Cashten
  • Kasten, Casten
  • Katen
  • Katena
  • Katenia
  • Kaysten
  • Kayten
  • Keaten
  • Kelten
  • Kenten
  • Keristen
  • Kersten, Kirsten, Kyrsten
  • Keyten, Keiten
  • Kiersten, Keirsten, Kearsten, Kiirsten
  • Kingsten, Kyngsten
  • Kipten, Kypten
  • Kiristen
  • Kisten
  • Kitten
  • Kjersten, Kjirsten
  • Klayten
  • Knighten
  • Kolsten
  • Kolten, Kohlten
  • Kosten
  • Kresten
  • Kristen, Krysten, Khristen
  • Kristene
  • Kristena, Krystena
  • Kursten
  • Kyersten
  • Kyten
  • Laten
  • Layten
  • Latenya
  • Lieutenant
  • Loften
  • Loistene
  • Marten, Maarten
  • Martena
  • Martene
  • Matten
  • Maxten
  • Merten
  • Montene
  • Morten
  • Oluwateniola
  • Osten
  • Paxten
  • Peyten, Payten, Paiten, Paytten, Peighten
  • Presten
  • Princeten
  • Quenten
  • Quinten, Quinnten
  • Riften
  • Risten
  • Rusten
  • Rutendo
  • Sixten
    • Two numbers in one!
  • Slaten
  • Sostenes
  • Staten
  • Sten
  • Stena
  • Stennis
  • Stratten
  • Sutten
  • Taten
  • Tayten, Taiten
  • Ten
  • Tena, Tenna
  • Tenaj
  • Tenaja, Tenajah
  • Tenara
  • Tenasha
  • Tenasia
  • Tenay, Tenae
  • Tenaya
  • Tench
  • Tenchi
  • Tency
  • Tendai
  • Tendra
  • Tendria
  • Tene
  • Teneca
  • Tenecia, Tenesia
  • Tenee
  • Teneha
  • Teneia
  • Teneka, Teneika
  • Teneke
  • Tenequa
  • Tenesa, Tenessa
  • Tenesha, Teneisha, Teniesha, Teneasha, Tennesha
  • Teneshia
  • Tenesia
  • Teneya, Tenea
  • Teng
  • Tengis
  • Tenia, Teniah, Teniya, Teniyah, Tennia
  • Tenicia
  • Tenika, Tenica,Tenicka
  • Tenina
  • Teniola
  • Teniqua
  • Tenise
  • Tenisha, Teneesha, Tenicha
  • Tenishia, Teneeshia
  • Tenita
  • Tenley, Tenly, Tenlee, Tenlie, Tenli, Tenleigh, Tennley
  • Tenneh
  • Tennelle, Tenelle, Tennell
  • Tennille, Tennile, Tenille, Tenile, Tennielle, Tenielle, Tenniel, Teneille, Tenneill, Tenneil, Teneile, Teneil, Tenneal, Teneal
  • Tenner
  • Tennessee
  • Tennie, Tenny, Tenie, Teny
  • Tennill
  • Tennillie
  • Tennis, Tennys
  • Tennyson, Tennison, Tenneson, Tennasyn
  • Tenoch
  • Tenor
  • Tenora
  • Tensie
  • Tensley, Tenslee
  • Tenuun
  • Tenya
  • Tenyce
  • Tenzin
  • Tenzing
  • Tenzley
  • Thorsten
  • Thristen
  • Torsten
  • Trenten
  • Tresten
  • Treyten, Trayten
  • Trinten
  • Tristen, Trysten
  • Trusten
  • Tyten
  • Varteni
  • Westen
  • Whiteny
  • Whitten, Witten
  • Winsten
  • Yasten

Many of these names are variants of –ton names (like Clayton, Dalton, and Winston), and several others are variants of –ine names (like Christine, Justine, and Clementine).

Which TEN name do you like most? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. You may also want to check out baby names with the letter X, as the Roman numeral X (“decem”) has a value of 10. Here are girl names starting with X and boy names starting with X, for instance.

P.P.S. Speaking of “perfect 10” names, here’s a post about Nadia Comaneci. :)

Image: Adapted from 10 ball by Reggie Alvey under CC BY-SA 2.0.