Interesting one-hit wonder names in the U.S. baby name data

single flower

They came, they went, and they never came back!

These baby names are one-hit wonders in the U.S. baby name data. That is, they’ve only popped up once, ever, in the entire dataset of U.S. baby names (which accounts for all names given to at least 5 U.S. babies per year since 1880).

There are thousands of one-hit wonders in the dataset, but the names below have interesting stories behind their single appearance, so these are the one-hits I’m writing specific posts about. Just click on a name to read more.

2020s

  • 2020: Jexi
  • 2016: Riggan

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

1900s

  • (none yet)

1890s

As I discover (and write about) more one-hit wonders in the data, I’ll add the names/links to this page. In the meanwhile, do you have any favorite one-hit wonder baby names?

Image: Adapted from Solitary Poppy by Andy Beecroft under CC BY-SA 2.0.

[Latest update: Apr. 2024]

Maine family with 22 children

kinderfest

Charles and Effie Dickey of Maine married in 1881 and went on to welcome 22 children — 14 girls, 8 boys — from the 1880s until the 1910s.

Here are the names of all the kids:

  1. Emma Mae (b. 1882)
  2. Ada Alice (b. 1883)
  3. Arthur Earness (b. 1884)
  4. Everlena Maude (b. 1885)
  5. Fannie Blossom (b. 1886)
  6. Nina Eudora (b. 1887)
  7. George Elwin (b. 1888)
  8. Fay Edna (b. 1889)
  9. Everett Onward (b. 1890)
  10. Merritt Carnot (b. 1891)
  11. Lema Inez (b. 1894)
  12. Margaret Ellen (b. 1896)
  13. Charles Loring (b. 1897)
  14. Effie Etta (b. 1898)
  15. Mildred Hortense (b. 1900)
  16. Ivan Thomas Nye (b. 1901)
  17. Floyd Merton (b. 1903)
  18. Arline Beatrice (b. 1904)
  19. Theodore Rayden (b. 1906)
    • Middle name could be Royden.
  20. Jessie Alberta (b. 1908)
  21. Ila Pearl (b. 1909)
  22. Hilda Bernice (b. 1911)

I think it’s funny that they decided to name two of the children after themselves only after already having a dozen. Maybe they were running out of ideas at that point. :)

Which of the above is your favorite? (I’d have to go with #8’s middle, “Onward.” What an interesting choice.)

Sources: Descendants of 22 siblings plan Maine reunion, Effie Etta Estes Dickey (1866-1950) – Find a Grave

Image: Ein Kinderfest (1868) by Ludwig Knaus

Where did the baby name Novalee come from in 1962?

Rex Allen singing "(Son) Don't Go Near The Indians" on the Grand Ole Opry in 1963
Rex Allen singing “(Son) Don’t Go Near The Indians”

The name Novalee saw an uptick in usage following the release of the 2000 movie Where the Heart Is, in which Natalie Portman played teenager Novalee Nation. (Novalee’s daughter Americus also influenced U.S. baby names.)

But the very first time Novalee appeared in the data was way back in 1962:

  • 1966: unlisted
  • 1965: 5 baby girls named Novalee
  • 1964: unlisted
  • 1963: 6 baby girls named Novalee
  • 1962: 7 baby girls named Novalee [debut]
  • 1961: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Country music. Specifically, “(Son) Don’t Go Near The Indians,” which was Rex Allen’s most successful song.

It’s about a man who falls for the Indian maiden Nova Lee only to discover that, not only was he adopted, but Nova Lee is actually his biological sister. (Seems like a weirdly incestuous twist for ’60s country music, doesn’t it?)

Here’s Rex singing the song live:

According to Billboard, the song reached #17 on the Hot 100 chart in October of 1962, and #4 on the Hot Country Singles chart the next month.

The name Nova (without the “lee”) also saw higher usage in the early ’60s thanks to “(Son) Don’t Go Near The Indians,” but that temporary increase was eclipsed fifty years later when Nova suddenly became very trendy. (It entered the top 1,000 in 2011, the top 100 in 2017, and the top 50 just last year.)

Do you like the name Novalee?

Sources: Rex Allen – Wikipedia, Rex Allen | Billboard, SSA

Popular and unique baby names in Quebec (Canada), 2020

Flag of Quebec
Flag of Quebec

According to Retraite Québec, the most popular baby names in Quebec last year were (again) Olivia and Liam.

Here are the province’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2020:

Girl Names

  1. Olivia, 543 baby girls
  2. Alice, 491 (2-way tie)
  3. Emma, 491 (2-way tie)
  4. Charlie, 488
  5. Charlotte, 449 (2-way tie)
  6. Lea, 449 (2-way tie)
  7. Florence, 447
  8. Livia, 437
  9. Romy, 338
  10. Clara, 335

Boy Names

  1. Liam, 661 baby boys
  2. William, 644
  3. Noah, 639
  4. Thomas, 594
  5. Leo, 572
  6. Nathan, 518
  7. Edouard, 489
  8. Logan, 478
  9. Jacob, 468
  10. Arthur, 461

In the girls’ top 10, Romy and Clara replaced Rosalie and Beatrice.

In the boys’ top 10, Jacob and Arthur replaced Felix, Raphael and Emile.

Below are some of the baby names that were bestowed just once in Quebec last year. (I tried to focus on First Nations names this time around.)

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Ange Lumiere, Avanika, Balkissa, Cathy Jaguar, Croyance, Daphka, Ezralene, Framboise, Gaela Olga, Himalaya Fay, Iaely, Jolly-Anne, Julia Uapikun, Katsuak, Kim-Sparkle, Lailah-Waseskon, Lilwenn, Mappaluk, Mekuaushkuan, Meluvia, Nadege Prestige, Nidehina, Nkulu Aimerence, Olizianne, Onyx Mbombo, Ophelia-Darling, Pastel, Pixel, Plamedie, Qullik, Raphdaelle, Richelieu Christina, Rissala, Sikuliaq, Sunrise, Taliittuq, Thanjana, Tuline, Ullusiurvik, Uppialuk, Videluna, Widchelle, Woulimata Hannah, Xiyao, Youvica, Zoe-ZinaAbischai Sardonyx, Alexandre Wapan, Bikyeombe Bienvenue, Bluesun, Chanmonyrith, Charlie Qumanguaq, Crizo, Dalzell, Edwight, Fritzlerson, Guntaz, Heavyd, Ittukallak, Ittuvik, Ivan Appalirak, Justgood, Karthigan, Kasudluak, Lebonheur, Lenny Bruce, Manhattan, Massabiel, Mckeen, Naavalan, New-York, Oceannic Sunchase, Omri-Kyanite, Pacifique, Peter Angutik, Quppapik, Reiki, Ro’nikonhrowa nen, Soho, Surusiluk, Thomas Qautsaalik, Tikwaachin, Tuukak, Upenak, Uyghur, Valmont, Waseskon, Wastuskun, Xandres, Ywaashtin, Zaphly, Zoubert

Some explanations/associations:

  • Aimerence means “love” in French.
  • Ange Lumiere means “angel of light”/”light angel” in French.
  • Angutik means “male” or “man” in Inuttut.
  • Bienvenue means “welcome” in French.
  • Croyance means “belief” in French.
  • Framboise means “raspberry” in French.
  • Heavyd…could it be a reference to rapper Heavy D? (Maybe just a variant of Heaven?)
  • Katsuak (or Katsuaq) means “biceps” in Inuit.
  • Kyanite is a type of mineral.
  • Lebonheur means “happiness” in French.
  • Lenny Bruce…is it a reference to comedian Lenny Bruce?
  • Mekuaushkuan means “the clouds are red at sunset” in Innu-aimun.
  • Plamedie is a contracted form of the French phrase plan merveilleux de Dieu, meaning “wonderful plan of God.”
  • Qullik (or Qulliq) means “oil lamp” in Inuit.
  • Qumanguaq is a mountain in Nunavut; the name means “the shrugging hill (no neck)” in Inuktitut.
  • Reiki is a type of energy healing that was developed in Japan.
  • Richelieu…is it a reference to Cardinal Richelieu?
  • Ro’nikonhrowa nen (or Ro’nikonhrowa:nen), which comes from a figure in Iroquois folklore, means “he who has ideas.”
  • Sardonyx is a type of banded gemstone.
  • Sikuliaq (pronounced see-KOO-lee-auk) means “young sea ice” in Inupiaq.
  • Soho, Manhattan, New-York — in this order, they form an address :)
  • Taliittuq may mean “no arm” in Inuit.
  • Tikwaachin means “autumn” in Cree.
  • Tuukak…I don’t know the definition, but a character named Tuukak appeared in a mid-2020 episode of the animated kids’ show Molly of Denali.
  • Uapikun means “flower” in Innu-aimun.
  • Ullusiurvik means “feast day” or “holy day” in Inuktitut.
  • Uppialuk means “snowy owl” in Inuktitut.
  • Uyghur…the Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group in China.
  • Wapan means “dawn” in Cree.
  • Waseskon may mean “blue” or “sky blue” in Cree. (The very similar Cree word Waseskun has been defined as: “the time just after a storm, when the dark clouds begin to part, the blue sky appears, and the first rays of sunlight shine through.”)
  • Ywaashtin may mean “calm” in Cree.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Quebec (public domain)