The curious word Anavrin — which is Nirvana, spelled backwards — debuted as a girl name in the U.S. baby name data in 2020:
- 2022 7 baby girls named Anavrin
- 2021 5 baby girls named Anavrin
- 2020 6 baby girls named Anavrin [debut]
- 2019: unlisted
- 2018: unlisted
Why?
My guess is the Netflix series You, a psychological thriller that began airing in late 2018.
At the start of the show’s second season — which was released in its entirety on December 26, 2019 — the main character moved to Los Angeles and began working at an upscale organic grocery store called Anavrin.
Season two of You proved so popular that, just a few days later (on Dec. 30), it was declared the fifth-most-popular Netflix series of 2019.
Around the same time, articles at various media outlets (including Cosmopolitan, Oprah Daily, and The Hollywood Reporter) drew even more attention to the word Anavrin with articles positing that the fictional grocery store had been inspired by a real one: L.A.’s trendy Erewhon Market. (Erewhon is an anagram of “nowhere.”)
What are your thoughts on Anavrin as a baby name? (Do you like it more or less than Nevaeh?)
Sources:
- Maida, Stephanie. “The Real Anavrin Market From “You” Season 2…” Guest of a Guest 27 Dec. 2019.
- Littleton, Cynthia. “‘Stranger Things 3,’ ‘The Witcher,’ ‘When They See Us’ Among Netflix’s Most Popular TV Shows in 2019.” Variety 30 Dec. 2019
- SSA
Image: Screenshot of You
It’s definitely better than Nevaeh if for no other reason than the fact it could easily be shortened to Ana, but I personally think the name Neveah is rather dreadful, so it’s not like it says much for Anavrin to best it.