How popular is the baby name Yogi 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 Yogi.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Yogi


Posts that mention the name Yogi

Where did the baby name Howie come from?

The recent post on Yogi reminded me of an even earlier New York baseball player who seems to have influenced the charts. He wasn’t a Yankee, though — he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers).

The baby name Howie debuted on the charts in 1943 — it was the top debut name for boys that year, in fact — and half of those baby boys were born in New York specifically:

  • 1946: 8 baby boys named Howie – 6 in New York
  • 1945: 7 baby boys named Howie
  • 1944: unlisted
  • 1943: 10 baby boys named Howie [debut] – 5 in New York
  • 1942: unlisted
  • 1941: unlisted

The heavy New York usage makes me think the influence was Howard Henry “Howie” Schultz, a 6′ 6″ two-sport professional athlete who played first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers starting in August of 1943. The day after his impressive debut, the New York Times referred to him in a sub-headline that read: “First Sacker Wins Fans.” (“First sacker” is an old fashioned way of saying “first baseman.”)

Schultz also played a notable part in the first game of the 1946 National League tie-breaker series. This matches up nicely with the fact that 75% of the 1946 Howies were again born in New York.

That said…I’m not 100% certain Howie Schultz is the influence here. He’s my best theory so far, but just in case: Does anyone out there have any other theories about who/what might have popularized the name Howie circa 1943?

Sources: Howie Schultz Baseball Statistics [1943-1948], Howie Schultz combined major-league careers in baseball and basketball during the 1940s

P.S. The other sport Schultz played professionally? Basketball. He was on several different teams in the ’40s and early ’50s, including the championship-winning 1952 Minneapolis Lakers (now the Los Angeles Lakers).

Where did the baby name Yogi come from in 1953?

Baseball player Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (1925-2015)
Yogi Berra

Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra, one of the best-ever catchers in professional baseball (and a highly quotable guy), passed away in September at the age of 90.

How did he acquire the nickname “Yogi”?

In his early teens, Berra went to the movies with some friends. Before the main feature played, they saw a short film about India that included a yogi. One of Berra’s friends thought Berra resembled the yogi, so he started calling Berra “Yogi,” and the nickname stuck.

Berra played for the New York Yankees from 1946 until 1963, and it was during this period that Yogi debuted on the SSA’s baby name list as a boy name:

  • 1963: unlisted
  • 1962: 5 baby boys named Yogi
  • 1961: 5 baby boys named Yogi
  • 1960: unlisted
  • 1959: 8 baby boys named Yogi
  • 1958: 6 baby boys named Yogi
  • 1957: unlisted
  • 1956: 9 baby boys named Yogi
  • 1955: unlisted
  • 1954: unlisted
  • 1953: 6 baby boys named Yogi [debut]
  • 1952: unlisted

Starting in the late ’50s, the name may have been given an extra boost by the popular cartoon character Yogi Bear, who was named with Yogi Berra in mind.

What do you think of Yogi as a legal name?

Sources:

  • Barra, Allen. Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2009
  • Wikipedia: Yogi Berra, Yogi Bear