According to the U.S. baby name data, the modern name Savvy saw an uptick in usage in 2017:
- 2019: 34 baby girls named Savvy
- 2018: 31 baby girls named Savvy
- 2017: 40 baby girls named Savvy (peak usage)
- 2016: 29 baby girls named Savvy
- 2015: 22 baby girls named Savvy
Why?
My guess is beauty queen Savannah “Savvy” Shields, who was crowned Miss America 2017 in September of 2016.
Savvy represented the state of Arkansas, and her pageant platform was “eat better, live better.”
For the talent portion of the competition, she danced to the song “They Just Keep Moving the Line” from the NBC series Smash.
Assuming that she is the reason behind the higher usage of “Savvy” a few years ago, it’s possible that she will be the last Miss America winner to influence U.S. baby names, as the pageant’s popularity (both in terms of participation and viewership) has been in decline “since its 1960s heyday.”
What are your thoughts on the name Savvy? (Would you use it as-is, or do you prefer it as a nickname for Savannah?)
Sources:
- Miss America 2017 – Wikipedia
- Haigh, Susan. “Miss America turns 100. Will she last another 100 years?” AP News 14 Dec. 2021.
- SSA
Image: Screenshot of the 90th Miss America pageant