How popular is the baby name Audrey in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Audrey.

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Popularity of the baby name Audrey


Posts that mention the name Audrey

Popular baby names in the United States, 2012

Flag of the United States
Flag of the United States

The #1 names in the nation are still Jacob and Sophia!

Here are the full top 50 lists:

Boy NamesGirl Names
1. Jacob, 18899
2. Mason, 18856
3. Ethan, 17547
4. Noah, 17201
5. William, 16726
6. Liam, 16687
7. Jayden, 16013
8. Michael, 15996
9. Alexander, 15105
10. Aiden, 14779
11. Daniel, 14143
12. Matthew, 13834
13. Elijah, 13719
14. James, 13271
15. Anthony, 13105
16. Benjamin, 12695
17. Joshua, 12522
18. Andrew, 12501
19. David, 12422
20. Joseph, 12404
21. Logan, 12390
22. Jackson, 12388
23. Christopher, 11777
24. Gabriel, 11442
25. Samuel, 11290
26. Ryan, 10863
27. Lucas, 10616
28. John, 10505
29. Nathan, 10357
30. Isaac, 9928
31. Dylan, 9920
32. Caleb, 9867
33. Christian, 9530
34. Landon, 9296
35. Jonathan, 9253
36. Carter, 9202
37. Luke, 8922
38. Owen, 8630
39. Brayden, 8451
40. Gavin, 8203
41. Wyatt, 8159
42. Isaiah, 8044
43. Henry, 8006
44. Eli, 7998
45. Hunter, 7967
46. Jack, 7877
47. Evan, 7851
48. Jordan, 7734
49. Nicholas, 7653
50. Tyler, 7628		1. Sophia, 22158
2. Emma, 20791
3. Isabella, 18931
4. Olivia, 17147
5. Ava, 15418
6. Emily, 13550
7. Abigail, 12583
8. Mia, 11940
9. Madison, 11319
10. Elizabeth, 9596
11. Chloe, 9595
12. Ella, 9115
13. Avery, 8272
14. Addison, 8122
15. Aubrey, 8006
16. Lily, 7889
17. Natalie, 7852
18. Sofia, 7767
19. Charlotte, 7418
20. Zoey, 7411
21. Grace, 7304
22. Hannah, 7202
23. Amelia, 7191
24. Harper, 7154
25. Lillian, 7100
26. Samantha, 6874
27. Evelyn, 6837
28. Victoria, 6814
29. Brooklyn, 6728
30. Zoe, 6383
31. Layla, 6227
32. Hailey, 5878
33. Leah, 5724
34. Kaylee, 5571
35. Anna, 5552
36. Aaliyah, 5471
37. Gabriella, 5461
38. Allison, 5387
39. Nevaeh, 5317
40. Alexis, 5306
41. Audrey, 5266
42. Savannah, 5143
43. Sarah, 5107
44. Alyssa, 5054
45. Claire, 4915
46. Taylor, 4825
47. Riley, 4786
48. Camila, 4776
49. Arianna, 4685
50. Ashley, 4678

Liam enters the top 10! 15th last year, 6th this year.

Michael just keeps getting lower and lower.

Avery, on the other hand, keeps rising on the girls’ side — 18th last year, 13th this year.

See any other interesting rises/drops so far?

Update: Here’s more from the SSA’s news release:

Many pop-culture naming trends appear in a popular feature of Social Security’s baby names website–the “change in popularity” page. This year’s winners for biggest jump in popularity in the Top 500 are Major and Arya.

The fastest riser on the girls’ list may have been influenced by the popular cable TV series “Game of Thrones.” Arya is the daughter of a leader of one of the Seven Kingdoms. She also is an expert sword fighter, so doubt her influence on the popular names list at your own risk.

For the boys, parents may associate Major with the military title. Acting Commissioner Colvin added “I have no doubt Major’s rising popularity as a boy’s name is in tribute to the brave members of the U.S. military, and maybe we’ll see more boys named General in the future.” You also might trace Major’s increase in popularity to a cable TV show. “Home by Novogratz” is a popular home design show featuring Major Novogratz, the youngest son of designers Robert and Cortney.

The second fastest riser for boys was Gael, and for girls, Perla. Both names most likely are on the rise due to the increase in the Spanish-speaking population in the United States. Perla is the Latinized version of Pearl and is popular among Hispanic-Americans. Gael’s popularity could be tied to Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal.

Here is last year’s list.

Sources: SSA, Jacob and Sophia Repeat atop Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names List – SSA

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United States (public domain)

Scottish baby named Princess (after three-year fight)

In July of 1986, a baby girl was born to Isle of Skye residents Hugh and Audrey Manwaring-Spencer. She was named Princess Dulcima Rosetta.

So the birth certificate was filled out, the necessary paperwork was sent to the General Register Office in Edinburgh, and all was well…until five months later, when Hugh and Audrey received a letter from the GRO:

Based upon an Order in Council of 1910, the name Princess is not a recognized forename in this country because it is part of the Crown’s royal prerogative and cannot be assumed or entered in any register or official document without the consent of the sovereign.

The GRO not only rejected the name, but demanded that the birth certificate be returned.

The parents wrote to Queen Elizabeth instead.

In December of 1987, the queen’s private secretary responded:

You may rest assured that you have caused no offense to the queen and you may continue to use the word as your daughter’s Christian name.

But three weeks later, in a second letter, he flip-flopped:

The name will have to be omitted from the birth certificate. However…there is no objection to you and your family continuing to use the word Princess as the name by which your daughter is known to her friends and family.

And then the GRO sent another birth certificate demand-letter.

Finally, in early 1989, the GRO backed down and decided to accept the name Princess. The Manwaring-Spencer family, including little non-princess Princess, had emerged triumphant.

How common is the name Princess in Scotland nowadays? Not very. Here are some recent numbers:

  • 1 in 2011
  • 7 in 2010 (including Princess-Skye and Princess-Tamia)
  • 2 in 2009
  • 4 in 2008 (including Princess-Vanessa)
  • 2 in 2007

And, while Princess is now permitted in the UK, it’s still verboten elsewhere. For instance, it’s regularly one of the most-rejected baby names in New Zealand.

Sources:

Baby name story: Jude

Last week, reader Karen L directed me to an essay featuring a touching baby name story. The author, Cornelia Principe, suffered three miscarriages before finally carrying her fourth pregnancy to term. Here’s how she named her daughter:

At 12 weeks, things were still on track and we started telling our family the good news. Weeks later my mother-in-law, who’s a devout Catholic, told me over the phone that she had been praying to St. Jude every day for me and the baby. I knew her well enough to know that there must be a reason for her to pray to St. Jude.

“What is St. Jude the patron saint of?” I asked.

“Oh, well…he’s the patron saint of…of lots of things,” she said with a stammer.

Her evasive answer made me suspicious, so as soon as I got off the phone I googled St. Jude. What I found made me laugh out loud. My mother-in-law thought I’d be upset if I knew that St. Jude was the patron saint of lost causes.

Five months later, two-and-a-half years after we started trying for a family, on the evening of the feast day of St. Jude, Oct. 28, I went into labour.

The next day, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl whom we immediately named Audrey Jude. Audrey because it was the only name my husband and I could agree on, and Jude because she taught me there is no such thing as a lost cause, as long as there is will and hope.

Source: Principe, Cornelia. “Three miscarriages didn’t stop me from trying again.” Globe and Mail 1 Nov. 2011.

London babies named for the Boer War

British infantry, Second Boer War

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the two wars were fought in South Africa between the British and the Boers. During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), certain patriotic London parents gave their children names “commemorative of our great generals and victories in South Africa.” Here are some examples:

NameInspiration
James Albert Redvers Kirby
Audrey Buller Lily Wallace		Gen. Redvers Henry Buller
Hector Macdonald MatthewMajor-Gen. Hector MacDonald
Frank Kimberley StuckeySiege of Kimberley
Thomas Elands Laagte WilksBattle of Elandslaagte
Margaret Ellen Ladysmith AngramBattle/Siege/Relief of Ladysmith
Colenso Stuart Dudley MiddletonBattle of Colenso
James Spion Kop SkinnerBattle of Spion Kop

Babies were also named Frere (for Bartle Frere), Glencoe (for the Battle of Glencoe), Kitchener (for Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener), Mafeking (for the Siege of Mafeking), Pretoria, and Tugela (for the Battle of the Tugela Heights).

And, oddly enough, a few London babies were named Kruger for Paul Kruger, President of the South African Republic.

Source: “Boer War Babies.” Leader [Regina, Canada] 31 May 1900: 2.

Image: The Second Boer War, 1899-1902