According to the U.S. baby name data, Tavian reached peak usage (and entered the boys’ top 1,000 for the first and only time) in 1998:
- 1999: 133 baby boys named Tavian
- 1998: 169 baby boys named Tavian [rank: 862nd]
- 1997: 63 baby boys named Tavian
- 1996: 25 baby boys named Tavian
- 1995: 15 baby boys named Tavian
Other versions of the name (like Tavion and Taevion) also increased in usage during the late ’90s, and the spellings Tayvian and Taivion both debuted in 1998 specifically.
What was influencing this name?
My best guess is college football player Tavian Banks, a running back at the University of Iowa.
During the initial weeks of his senior season (1997), Banks led the nation in both rushing and scoring. By the end of the season, he’d rushed for 1,691 yards and scored 17 touchdowns — both school records — and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Tavian was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the spring of 1998. His professional career was cut short, however, following a major knee injury sustained during a game (against the Atlanta Falcons) in late 1999.
Do you like the name Tavian? How would you spell it?
Sources:
- Tavian Banks – Wikipedia
- “College Football.” North County Times 3 Oct. 1997: C-2.
- SSA
Image: Tavian Banks trading card