The name Flip, typically a nickname for Philip, was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1960:
- 1962: unlisted
- 1961: unlisted
- 1960: 5 baby boys named Flip [debut]
- 1959: unlisted
- 1958: unlisted
Where did it come from?
I think the primary influence was child actor Flip Mark (born Philip Mark Goldberg), who appeared on the short-lived sitcom Guestward, Ho! (1960-1961). He played the character Brook Hooten, the young son of a New York City couple who’d moved to New Mexico to operate a dude ranch.
(Flip Mark was also able to nudge the name of his character, Brook, into the boys’ top 1,000 for the first time in 1961.)
But there could have been a secondary influence: the character Frank “Flip” Flippen, from the even shorter-lived series Overland Trail (1960). He was played by actor Doug McClure (who later portrayed Trampas on The Virginian).
Do you like Flip as a standalone name, or do you prefer it as a nickname?
Sources: Guestward, Ho! – Wikipedia, SSA
Image: Adapted from Flip Mark Guestward Ho 1961
