Baby names in the news: Kent, Valley, Nolan

Some recent and not-so-recent baby names from the news…

Kent: A baby boy born in Michigan in September of 2020 while his parents were on their way to the hospital was named Nolan Kent — middle name after the road on which he was born. (Fox 2, via Clare’s Name News)

Nolan: A baby boy born in St. Louis on April 8, 2021 — St. Louis Cardinals opening day — was named Nolan after baseball player Nolan Arenado. The name was chosen just after his parents heard sports broadcaster Dan McLaughlin say (during the 8th inning): “Arenado, a drive, deep left, at the wall! Welcome to St. Louis, Nolan!” (FOX2now)

Valley: A baby girl born in February of 2021 in Louisiana, in the parking lot of a nursing home called Valley View, was named Ariana Valley. (KALB)

Where did the baby name Santini come from in 1979?

The movie "The Great Santini" (1979)
“The Great Santini“

The name Santini was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1979:

  • 1981: unlisted
  • 1980: unlisted
  • 1979: 9 baby boys named Santini [debut]
  • 1978: unlisted
  • 1977: unlisted

Why?

That was the year the movie The Great Santini came out. Set in the early ’60s, it starred Robert Duvall as a Marine aviator self-nicknamed “The Great Santini.” He was good at his job, but not so good at being a husband and father. The film received two Oscar nominations.

It was based on a semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by southern writer Pat Conroy (who also wrote The Prince of Tides, another Oscar-nominated movie).

What do you think of the baby name Santini?

Sources: The Great Santini – TCM, SSA

Image: Screenshot the trailer for The Great Santini

Popular and unique baby names in Iowa, 2019

Flag of Iowa
Flag of Iowa

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, the most popular baby names in the state in 2019 were Charlotte and Oliver.

Here are Iowa’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2019:

Girl Names

  1. Charlotte, 179 baby girls
  2. Emma, 174
  3. Evelyn, 156
  4. Harper, 154
  5. Olivia, 134
  6. Amelia, 129
  7. Ava, 127
  8. Avery, 98
  9. Nora, 96
  10. Violet, 94

Boy Names

  1. Oliver, 236 baby boys
  2. Henry, 189
  3. Liam, 188
  4. William, 154
  5. Lincoln, 141
  6. Noah, 138
  7. Owen, 136
  8. Jack, 127
  9. Jackson, 124
  10. Maverick, 116

In the girls’ top 10, Avery and Violet replaced Sophia and Isabella.

In the boys’ top 10, Jack and Maverick replaced Wyatt and Hudson.

(The SSA’s 2019 name data for Iowa is different in several ways. On the girls’ side, Avery/Hazel/Nora are in a 3-way tie for 8th/9th/10th. On the boys’ side, Henry and Liam have switched spots, and Theodore is in 10th.)

Getting back to Iowa’s own data, here are some of the baby names that were bestowed just once in the state in 2019:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Aglaia, Aoibhgreine, Belvida, Cinqi, Corazone, Coyla, Dazzilynn, Demi-Dimitria, Eclipse, Eileithyia, Eilish, Ellanoire, Fetra, Garnet, Hattilyn, Hexli, Indica, Jasecret, Jotaniel, Kaelyx, Katibeth, Kisra Sifa, Lagertha, Lilith-Xitlali, Likely, Marthadelina, Mervedie, Nancina, Nectar, Offranel, Orinthia, Oteena, Penaflor, Piercely, Quertina, Renzley, Rivauna, Semsem, Sevlea, Spinlee, Telphina, Teiola, Tuyetlan, Umutoni, Victoria Chrysolite, Vrutti, Webbigail, Xio, Yukiko, Zingtha, ZlanwaiAmenadiel, Artorias, Bement, Capable, Chripp, Danger, Dawkins, Dylan Hendrix, Eiji, Elandale, Eljadai, Fitzonder, Grain, Guster, Hamilton, Hiroyuki, Iron, Jorisson, Judahmiah, Kaladin, Kershaw, Khal-El, Khepri, Lawt, Littoree, Millennial, Meek, Naphaterion, Nessiah, Ole Gunnar, OllieAndre, Paradox, Provider, Quadier, Ralthio, Rezric, Roanoke, Salpine, Seven-Seville, Stoic, Tandon, Triomphe, Truxton King, Uciel, Vainqueur, Vennis, Windzton, Xiden, Yossarian, Zimajay, Zuice

Thoughts on some of the above…

  • Amenadiel – a character on the show Lucifer
  • Aoibhgreine – Irish for “radiance of the sun, ray of sunshine”
  • Artorias – a character in the video game Dark Souls
  • Eileithyia – the Greek goddess of childbirth
  • Indica – a type of cannabis
  • Kaladin – a character from the book series Stormlight Archive
  • Khal-El – looks like Kal-El with a Game of Thrones twist :)
  • Penaflor – a place name (Peñaflor) used in both Spain and Chile
  • Roanoke – the Lost Colony; the word ultimately comes from the Roanoke people
  • Triomphe – French for “triumph”
  • Truxton King – a character from the 1909 book Truxton King
  • Vainqueur – French for “winner” (was also used in Quebec!)
  • Victoria Chrysolite – “chrysolite” is another word for peridot
  • Yossarian – a character in the book Catch-22

Finally, in 2018, the top two names in Iowa were Evelyn and Oliver.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Iowa (public domain)

Where did the baby name Pippa come from in 1957?

Actress Pippa Scott in the movie "The Searchers" (1956)
Pippa Scott in “The Searchers“

The baby name Pippa was popularized recently by royal sister Pippa Middleton, but an even earlier pop culture Pippa put the name on the map initially:

  • 1959: unlisted
  • 1958: unlisted
  • 1957: 5 baby girls named Pippa [debut]
  • 1956: unlisted
  • 1955: unlisted

That Pippa was young actress Philippa “Pippa” Scott.

Pippa Scott’s first film was the memorable Western The Searchers (1956), which starred John Wayne.

(The title of Buddy Holly’s first hit song, “That’ll Be The Day,” came from an expression that John Wayne’s character, Ethan Edwards, used repeatedly in The Searchers. And his second hit song, “Peggy Sue,” boosted the compound name Peggysue into the data for the first time — just one year after Pippa’s debut.)

Pippa Scott went on to appear in dozens of TV shows and movies during the ’60s and ’70s, and the name’s continued usage during those decades reflects this.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Pippa? Would you use it?

Sources: Pippa Scott – IMDb, That’ll Be The Day by Buddy Holly – Songfacts, SSA

Image: Screenshot of The Searchers