Where did the baby name Bocephus come from in 1986?

Hank Williams, Jr., presenting "Bocephus" on a chalkboard in the "My Name is Bocephus" music video (1987).
From the “My Name is Bocephus” music video

The unusual name Bocephus first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1986:

  • 1988: unlisted
  • 1987: unlisted
  • 1986: 7 baby boys named Bocephus [debut]
  • 1985: unlisted
  • 1984: unlisted

Where did it come from?

The 1986 song “My Name Is Bocephus” (pronounced boh-SEE-fuss) by Hank Williams, Jr.

Billboard described the song as “Muddy Waters-style blues” in its review of Hank’s album Montana Cafe, which reached #1 on the Top Country Albums chart in September. The song was also released as the B-side to the single “Mind Your Own Business,” which hit #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart later the same year.

“My Name Is Bocephus” apparently became popular enough on its own, though, to warrant the making of a music video. That video, which came out in early 1987, ended up winning the CMA’s Music Video of the Year award.

So…why would a guy named Hank write a song declaring that his name is “Bocephus”?

Because Bocephus was his childhood nickname. And a rather public one at that.

Hank, Jr., was born Randall Hank Williams in 1949 to country music legend Hiram “Hank” Williams and his first wife Audrey. Hank, Sr., nicknamed his son Bocephus after Grand Ole Opry comedian Rod Brasfield’s ventriloquist dummy.

Hank, Sr., died on the first day of 1953, when his son was three-and-a-half. During the short time they had together, though, he would end his radio performances with a message to his son — something like “Don’t worry, Bocephus, I’m coming home.” In this Feb. 1951 “Mother’s Best” radio show, for instance, you can hear Hank say “Bocephus, see you directly son” at 27:09.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Bocephus?

Sources:

P.S. Hank, Sr.’s second wife was Billie Jean Horton.

Popular baby names in Chile, 2021

Flag of Chile
Flag of Chile

According to data from Chile’s Servicio de Registro Civil e Identificación, the most popular baby names in the country last year were Sofia and Mateo.

Here are Chile’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2021:

Girl Names

  1. Sofía, 2,401 baby girls
  2. Emma, 2,352
  3. Isabella, 2,156
  4. Emilia, 2,047
  5. Mia, 1,923
  6. Agustina, 1,820
  7. Julieta, 1,723
  8. Trinidad, 1,722
  9. Isidora, 1,698
  10. Josefa, 1,687

Boy Names

  1. Mateo, 3,272 baby boys
  2. Lucás, 2,057
  3. Agustín, 2,055
  4. Benjamín, 2,030
  5. Santiago, 1,809
  6. Gaspar, 1,759
  7. Tomás, 1,645
  8. Maximiliano, 1,533
  9. Vicente, 1,485
  10. Matías, 1,405

In the girls’ top 10, Julieta replaced Florencia.

In the boys’ top 10, Maximiliano replaced Joaquín.

Also popular is the interesting name Facundo, which has ranked inside the top 20 for the last few years.

The indigenous Mapuche people make up about 12% of the Chilean population, so Chile’s rankings included a number of Mapuche names, such as…

NameMeaning in MapucheUsage
LautaroHispanicized form of Leftraru (see below)219 boys (rank: 85th)
Rayen“flower”173 girls (91st)
Millaray“gold” + flower”157 girls (105th)
NahuelHispanicized form of Nawel (see below)137 girls (115th)
Eluneybased on elun, meaning “to give”89 girls (135th), 66 boys (180th)
TahielHispanicized form of tayül, meaning “sacred song”83 boys (154th), 1 girl
Ayelenbased on ayelen, “laughing,” ayliñ, “clear,” or aylen, “ember”63 girls (182nd)
Antu“sun” (the sun god in Mapuche mythology)38 boys, 15 girls
AukánHispanicized form of Awkan (see below)29 boys
Nawel“jaguar”24 boys
Ayün“love”15 boys, 6 girls
Newen“force”15 boys
Leftraru“swift raptor (crested caracara)”8 boys
Aliwen“tree”5 boys, 4 girls
Relmu“rainbow”4 girls, 2 boys
Likan“stone”5 boys, 1 girl
LihuenHispanicized form of Liwen (see below)4 girls, 1 boy
Awkan“rebellion, war”4 boys
Mankeform of mañke, meaning “condor”4 boys
Kallfuform of kallfü, meaning “blue”4 girls
Liwen“morning”3 girls, 1 boy
Küyen“moon” (the moon god in Mapuche mythology)3 girls
Milla“gold”2 girls
Quimey“beauty”2 boys
Kallfüray“blue” + “flower”1 girl
Lafken“sea, ocean”1 boy
Lihue“life”1 boy
Likanrayen“stone” + “flower”1 girl
Llampüdkenform of llampüdkeñ, meaning “butterfly”1 girl
Millalikan“gold” + “stone”1 boy
Millantú“gold”+ “sun”1 girl
Millarelmu“gold” + rainbow”1 girl
Pangui“mountain lion”1 boy

I also noticed a lot of names with similar elements (mainly toward the bottom of the rankings). Some of the repeated elements that caught my attention were…

  • Wid-
    • e.g., Widencia (f), Widmayer (m), Widnaido (m), Widnalem (f), Widnelson (m)
  • Wil-
    • Wilbenson (m), Wilchinia (f), Wilciano (m), Wilferman (m), Wilyana (f)
  • Wood-
    • Woodentz (m), Woodgina (f), Woodison (m), Woodjeny (f), Woodmerry (m)
  • -(s)ley
    • Dawensley (m), Frantzley (m), Jamesley (m), Phidensley (m), Roodensley (m)
  • -sky
    • Bervensky (m), Ferdensky (m), Lorvensky (m), Marvensky (m), Rodlensky (m)
  • -aïca/aica
    • Anaica (f), Ednaica (f), Janaïca (f), Onaïca (f), Phidnaïca (f), Schaïca (f)

Plus there were plenty of combinations thereof, like Widensley (m), Wildanaïka (f), and Woodjonsky (m).

Finally, here are some of the rare baby names that were bestowed just once in Chile last year:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Astroïcha, Auraluna, Berveline, Crismnia, Dillexy, Duciél, Evadorie, Ferlandina, Freiberlyn, Gibernica, Hashlyn, Huskerly, Inanga, Ingibor, Jephterline, Judelca, Kenverlin, Kimpavita, Lindiana, Lircay, Mashely, Mipsy, Nilvia, Nuntai, Oromanga, Phedjine, Quisdelina, Rhominna, Ribencia, Siarel, Silfidalinda, Texeline, Thiamara, Unay, Viozelin, Wisberline, Wismia, Xi, Yohanella, ZabinaAubincliff, Aztron, Bivenson, Chedelin, Daftan, Denberth, Everzon, Flandy, Fraynell, Genghini, Holiver, Hvitserk, Idvian, Iphadson, Jeymack, Jorvenqui, Kessnerl, Kontiki, Lebis, Leevoydwens, Mamlaka, Malkocoglu, Naylorby, Nilton, Olifirt, Phibens, Quedlin, Rodnord, Royber, Sphendy, Samadhi, Taypi, Tervenson, Unax, Vamsi, Wissander, Worlph, Xing, Yandidier, Zarueth

Kontiki is one of the names of the Inca creator deity Viracocha. (In the 1940s, it was used as the name of the Kon-Tiki expedition across the Pacific.)

Malkocoglu was likely picked up from a character in the Turkish TV series Muhtesem Yuzyil, which has become particularly popular in Chile (as El Sultán).

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Chile (public domain)

Where did the baby name Vergean come from in 1931?

Vergean Allen featured in a 1931 newspaper advertisement for cod-liver oil
Vergean Allen in newspaper ad

The uncommon name Vergean first appeared in the U.S. baby name data way back in 1931:

  • 1933: unlisted
  • 1932: unlisted
  • 1931: 7 baby girls named Vergean [debut]
  • 1930: unlisted
  • 1929: unlisted

And it was never in the data again, making it a one-hit wonder. In fact, Vergean was one of the top one-hit wonder names of 1931 (along with Dixianna and Leroyce).

So, what gave the name a boost that year?

A simple newspaper ad, believe it or not.

It was an advertisement for a product called “Scott’s Emulsion of Cod-Liver Oil,” which had been on the market since the 1870s. Here’s the text from the first half of the ad, which was the part that featured Vergean:

A real, little girl — a real story — and real proof that children like cod-liver oil this emulsified way.

You mothers who know what marvels cod-liver oil can do for youngsters, but can’t get yours to take it without a lot of coaxing and trouble, listen to this! Vergean Allen, the merry-faced child above, has a wonderful hint for you. Vergean, you see, has never liked plain cod-liver oil. So when we called at her home recently, at 16 Livingston Ave., Yonkers, N. Y., Mrs. Allen gladly agreed to let Vergean try some Scott’s Emulsion of Cod-Liver Oil. Vergean took a spoonful. Then her worried eyes started to twinkle. “It tastes good!” she smiled. “I wouldn’t mind taking more.”

The ad ran in newspapers across America in January of 1931. (And I did find a single instance of it appearing in February, in the San Francisco Examiner.)

So…did young Vergean Allen really exist?

Yes! She was 6 years old at the time of the 1930 U.S. Census, which noted that she was indeed from Yonkers, New York.

Vergean in 1930 U.S. Census
Vergean in the 1930 U.S. Census

And she was 16 at the time of the 1940 U.S. Census. Her name was misspelled “Verjean” this time around.

Vergean in 1940 U.S. Census
Vergean in the 1940 U.S. Census

What are your thoughts on the name Vergean? Would you use it for a modern-day baby?

Source: Scott’s Emulsion of Cod-Liver Oil [Advertisement]. Hagerstown Daily Mail 7 Jan. 1931: 4.

Baby name story: Umtata Greyhound

buses

In 1999, a pregnant woman in South Africa went into labor while riding a Greyhound bus from Durban to Port Elizabeth.

The bus stopped at a clinic a few miles away from the city of Umtata, and there Ms. Xoleka Mdamane gave birth to a baby boy.

She decided to name her son David Umtata Greyhound Mdamane.

Source: “Bus baby named after company.” Daily Dispatch 23 Jun. 1999.

[Other babies named for bus lines: Queenie, Egedah]