By now we’ve all heard Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” (Just in case, here’s the video.)
The song has hit #1 on the pop charts in the U.S. and a number of other countries. Currently it’s the second-best selling single of 2012 after “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye.
But the pop charts don’t interest me as much as the baby name charts.
The name Carly entered the top 1,000 in 1973 thanks to another singer, Carly Simon. It peaked in the ’90s. Since then, it’s been sinking:
- 2011: 1,264 babies named Carly
- 2010: 1,435 babies named Carly
- 2009: 1,506 babies named Carly
- 2008: 1,682 babies named Carly
Based on records I’ve seen, at least a couple hundred of the babies named Carly since the ’70s were given the middle name Rae.
Do you think Carly Rae Jepsen will make the name Carly (and/or the combo Carly Rae) more popular in 2012?