Here’s the second installment of top boy name debuts.
From 40 to 31:
Dvante, Raekwon & Savion, 3-way tie for #40
- Dvante debuted with 39 baby boys in 1992.
Inspired by singer DeVante Swing, a member of Jodeci. - Raekwon debuted with 39 baby boys in 1994.
Inspired by rapper Raekwon, a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. - Savion debuted with 39 baby boys in 1989.
Inspired by dancer Savion Glover.
Devanta, #39
- Devanta debuted with 41 baby boys in 1992.
Inspired by DeVante Swing as well.
Jamaine, #38
- Jamaine debuted with 42 baby boys in 1971.
Inspired by singer Jermaine Jackson, a member of The Jackson 5.
Cross & Toma, 2-way tie for #37
- Cross debuted with 43 baby boys in 1997.
I’m not sure what inspired it. Inspired by Alex Cross, a character in the movie Kiss the Girls. - Toma debuted with 43 baby boys in 1973.
Inspired by David Toma, a character on the TV show Toma.
Kristoph & Yohance, 2-way tie for #36
- Kristoph debuted with 44 baby boys in 1989.
Not inspired by anything — just part of the baby name glitch of 1989. - Yohance debuted with 44 baby boys in 1973.
Inspired by Yohance (b. 1973), baby of comedian/activist Dick Gregory.
Quayshawn, #35
Gotham & Jencarlos, 2-way tie for #34
- Gotham debuted with 46 baby boys in 2015.
Inspired by the TV show Gotham. - Jencarlos debuted with 46 baby boys in 2009.
Inspired by singer Jencarlos Canela.
Jemal, #33
- Jemal debuted with 47 baby boys in 1968.
Inspired by Jemal David, a character on the TV western The Outcasts.
Eder, Jayceon & Nikia, 3-way tie for #32
- Eder debuted with 48 baby boys in 1982.
Inspired by soccer player Éder Aleixo de Assis. - Jayceon debuted with 48 baby boys in 2005.
Inspired by rapper The Game (born Jayceon Taylor). - Nikia debuted with 48 baby boys in 1974.
Inspired by Nakia Parker, a character on the TV movie/show Nakia.
Trayvond, #31
- Trayvond debuted with 49 baby boys in 1994.
I’m not sure what inspired it. (Looks like it’s a variant of Trayvon, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.)
Do you have any thoughts on Trayvond/Trayvon or Cross?
More of the top 50 baby name debuts for boys: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11, 10-1
Image: Adapted from LotusBud0048a (public domain) by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri
[Latest update: 7/2021]
Trayvond is a character in the 90’s video game ‘The Elder Scrolls’. I don’t know if those 49 parents inspired the game makers, or if this Trayvond inspired these parents in 1994. I’d like to believe it’s the latter :)
Trey Vaughn and Treivon also show up around that time. It’s definitely a matter of figuring out the original spelling to get to the right source.
Emma – Thanks for that bit of info! I didn’t know the name Trayvond was featured in a video game around that time. Hm…
C in DC – Good point. There are actually a lot of variants — some I wasn’t aware of. In fact, the most common one (back in 1994) seems to be Trevon. Double hm…
Update, 2021: Looks like, although the first Elder Scrolls game did indeed come out in 1994, the character Trayvond wasn’t introduced until the 2006 game Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.