How popular is the baby name Baxter 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 Baxter.

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Popularity of the baby name Baxter


Posts that mention the name Baxter

What’s it like to be named Baxter?

In a recent essay in LA Times Magazine, sportswriter Baxter Holmes explained what it’s like to be a Baxter:

Names are identifiers, but since they shadow our lives, we never give them much thought, just like we never think about how we walk or what we sound like breathing. I grew up in a small town in rural Oklahoma, where everyone knew everyone. Baxter was just what I was–nothing special.

So when asked to describe the essence of “Baxter,” I thought, When someone shouts it in a crowd, it’s my attention they’re trying for.

How did Baxter’s mother come up with his name?

When waddling around with me in her belly, she saw “Baxter” autographed on the cast of a friend of a friend’s broken arm. It was just what she was looking for, something distinct and distinguished. “I knew the minute I said it in my mind,” she says. “I loved the way it sounded.”

What are your thoughts on the name Baxter?

Source: Holmes, Baxter. “The Name.” LA Times Magazine Aug. 2010. (h/t to Nancy Friedman of Fritinancy for sending me the link!)

Baby names you can type with one hand: Carter, Tessa, John, Poppy

computer keyboard

When you sign your first name, you use one hand. But when you type it, chances are you need to use both hands — even if your name is a short as Emma, Gus or Ty.

Have you ever wondered which names can be touch-typed on the standard QWERTY keyboard with one hand only? Me too, so I came up with some lists…

Left-handed baby names

  • Ace, Ada, Adar, Adeva, Aeta, Afra, Agra, Aqsa, Ara, Arda, Ardra, Artra, Asa, Asees, Astra, Astraea, Astrea, Atef, Ava, Awa, Aza, Azeeza, Azza
  • Babette, Barbara, Barrett, Baxter, Bess, Bette, Brad, Brett
  • Cade, Caesar, Cara, Carter, Casara, Case, Cass, Castara, Cedar, Ceres, Cesar, Cresta
  • Dara, Dart, Dasza, Dave, Dawes, Dax, Deatra, Debra, Dee, Dessa, Devara, Dexter, Drew
  • Ece, Ed, Edgar, Edvards, Edward, Eevee, Efe, Egas, Erva, Esta, Estes, Etta, Eva, Evart, Eve, Everard, Everett, Everts, Evette, Ewart, Eze, Ezra
  • Faraz, Fedde, Fraser, Frazer, Freeda, Fred, Fredda
  • Gage, Garret, Garrett, Gerard, Grace, Greg, Greta, Grete, Gretta
  • Rafer, Rasa, Rava, Rebeca, Rebecca, Reece, Reed, Reese, Retta, Reva, Rever, Rewa, Rex
  • Sabra, Sada, Sadaf, Sade, Safaa, Sagar, Sage, Sara, Saras, Sardar, Sava, Savva, Sea, Stassa, Steve, Stewart, Svea, Sverre, Sveva
  • Tad, Tage, Taggart, Tara, Tate, Ted, Tera, Teresa, Terrea, Tess, Tessa, Tex, Trace, Tracee, Trava
  • Vada, Varda, Varvara, Vera, Verree, Vesta, Vester
  • Wade, Wafa, Ward, Warre, Wes
  • Xara, Xerra, Xerxes
  • Zada, Zara, Zed, Zedd, Zera

How funny is it that Dexter, which comes directly from the Latin word for “right,” is typed with the left hand only?

Right-handed baby names

  • Hoku, Holli, Holly
  • Io, Ioli
  • Jill, Ji-Min, Jim, Jimi, Jimmy, Jin, Jo, John, Johnny, Jon, Joni, Joy, Juho, Juli, Julio, Jun, Juni, Juno
  • Kiki, Kiko, Kilik, Kim, Kimi, Kimiko, Kimmy, Kimo, Kin, Kip, Kipp, Kippy, Kiyoko, Kiyomi, Kojo, Kollin, Kumiko, Kuno, Kuuipo, Kyou
  • Lili, Lilikoi, Lilio, Lilly, Lilou, Lily, Lin, Lino, Loki, Loni, Lonny, Lou, Lulu, Lumi, Lyn, Lynn
  • Miki, Mikki, Mikko, Milly, Milo, Mimi, Min, Minh, Minokimin, Miyu, Molly, Momoko
  • Nik, Nikhil, Niki, Nikki, Niko, Nikol, Nikon, Nikunj, Niilo, Ninon, Nipin, Nolon, Nuno
  • Olli, Olujimi, Om, Onno
  • Phil, Philip, Phillip, Philo, Pio, Pliny, Plum, Pol, Polly, Pono, Poppy
  • Umiko, Ummul, Umu, Union
  • Yoko, Yuko, Yumi, Yumiko

I realize that QWERTY “handedness” is not a major baby-naming factor for most people, but I do think it would be cute to pair a one-handed name with another one-handed name — maybe a surname (Teresa Garza, Phillip Hill) or a twin name (Edward & John, Grace & Lily, Zara & Milo). What do you think?

Image: Adapted from Apple Macintosh Plus Extended Keyboard by MagicTom13 under CC BY-SA 3.0.