How popular is the baby name Bernice in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Bernice.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the Baby Name Bernice


Posts that Mention the Name Bernice

Baby names with ICE: Icelynn, Vicente, Clarice

Ice

Looking for baby names that contain the word ICE?

If so, here’s a long list of options to choose from!

Top baby names with ICE

First, a quick rundown of the most popular names with the letter sequence “i-c-e,” according to the current U.S. baby name data.

Top girl names with “i-c-e”Top boy names with “i-c-e”
Alice
Beatrice
Justice
Millicent
Eunice
Janice
Bernice
Candice
Maricela
Berenice		Justice
Vicente
Maurice
Brice
Ulices
Price
Jaice
Jaiceon
Kaicen
Bricen

Now here are the same names again, but this time around I’ve added definitions, variant forms/spellings, and links to popularity graphs.

Alice

The name Alice comes from the Germanic name Adalheidis, meaning “noble character” or “nobleness.”

Beatrice

The name Beatrice, the Italian form of the Latin name Beatrix, comes from the Latin word viator, meaning “traveler, voyager.”

Bernice + Berenice

The name Berenice comes from the ancient Greek name Pherenike, which is made up of elements meaning “to bring” and “victory.”

The name Bernice is a contracted form of Berenice.

Bernice is also sometimes spelled Burnice.

Brice + Bricen

The names Brice and Bricen may come from a Gaulish name meaning “speckled.”

Candice

The name Candice is a variant spelling of Candace, a Latinized form of kandake, the title used by ancient queens of the Kingdom of Kush (Ethiopia).

The name is also sometimes spelled Kandice.

Eunice

The name Eunice is made up of ancient Greek elements meaning “good” and “victory.”

Jaice + Jaiceon

The modern names Jaice and Jaiceon were inspired by the sound of the traditional name Jason.

Janice

The name Janice is an elaborated form of Jane, which is a feminine form of John, which ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious.”

The name is also sometimes spelled Jannice, or Yanice (which reflects the Spanish pronunciation).

Justice

The word-name Justice, which is relatively gender-neutral, refers to the state of being fair and just. It ultimately comes from the Latin word iustus, meaning “just.”

Kaicen

Like Jaice and Jaiceon, Kaicen is a modern name inspired by the sound of names like Jason and Mason.

Maricela

The Spanish name Maricela represents a combination of the names María and Celia. It could also be considered a form of Marisela, which comes from Marisa, a combination of María and Luisa.

The name is also sometimes spelled Maricella.

Maurice

The name Maurice comes from the Latin name Maurus, meaning “Moorish.”

The name is also sometimes spelled Marice, Morice, and Mourice.

Millicent

The name Millicent is made up of two Germanic elements, the first of which may refer to the Amal dynasty (of the Goths), the second of which means “strong.”

The name is also sometimes spelled Milicent and Mellicent.

Price

The name Price comes from a surname that has several possible derivations, such as the Welsh patronymic ap Rhys (meaning “son of Rhys”) and the Middle English nickname Price (which referred to a highly valued person).

Ulices

The name Ulices is a variant spelling of the name Ulises, the Spanish form of Ulysses, which comes from the ancient Greek name Odysseus (of unknown derivation).

Vicente

The name Vicente is the Spanish form of Vincent, which comes from the Latin verb vincere, meaning “to conquer.”

The feminine form of the name is Vicenta. The name is also sometimes spelled Bicente (reflecting the Spanish pronunciation).

"Ice" (diamonds)

More names with ICE

So, what other names have ICE in them? Here are some less-common choices. (Most of these come directly from the SSA’s baby name data.)

  • Adelice
  • Aicen
  • Alicen
  • Altrice
  • Amice
  • Analice
  • Andice
  • Aniceta, Aniceto
  • Annice
  • Antrice
  • Ardice
  • Aricel
  • Ariceli
  • Aricela, Aricella
  • Arlice
  • Armistice
  • Arnice
  • Artice
  • Avice
  • Bellatrice
  • Boice
  • Brandice
  • Brenice
  • Briceida, Briceyda
  • Bricelyn, Bricelynn
  • Briceton
  • Cantrice
  • Caprice, Kaprice
  • Carice
  • Catrice, Katrice
  • Charlice
  • Choice
  • Cicel
  • Cicely, Sicely
  • Cicera, Cicero
  • Cirice
  • Clarice, Clairice
  • Cleatrice
  • Cloice
  • Clorice
  • Connice
  • Corrice
  • Curtice
  • Daiceon
  • Dalice
  • Danice
  • Darice
  • Darnice
  • Daurice
  • Deatrice
  • Delice
  • Deloice
  • Delorice
  • Demetrice
  • Denice, Dennice
  • Derice
  • Detrice
  • Dicey
  • Domicella
  • Donice, Donnice
  • Dorice
  • Edice
  • Elicena
  • Elicenda
  • Elice, Ellice
  • Eliceo
  • Eurydice
  • Eustice
  • Fabrice
  • Farice
  • Felice
  • Floice
  • Florice
  • Gicel, Gicelle
  • Gicela
  • Gladice
  • Glenice, Glennice
  • Glorice
  • Gloricely
  • Glynice
  • Graice
  • Graicen
  • Gricel
  • Gricela
  • Gricelda
  • Ice
  • Icel
  • Icela
  • Iceland
  • Icelene, Icelean
  • Icelyn, Icelynn
  • Iceola
  • Ices, Icess, Iceis, Icesis
  • Icey

…And, for those of you who are primarily interested in names that start with ICE, here are some extra ideas (gleaned from U.S. vital records, censuses, etc.):

Icea, Iceal, Icealene, Icealia, Iceda, Icedra, Icedoria, Icee, Icelane, Icele, Icelea, Icelee, Iceleen, Icelena, Icelenn, Iceletta, Icelia, Icelin, Iceline, Icella, Icelle, Icelo, Icelona, Icelya, Icema, Icen, Icena, Icenia, Icenora, Icepearl, Icerene, Icerica, Icerine, Icerra, Icesa, Icesse, Icetta, Icette, Icevilla, Icevinda

Now, back to the list…

  • Jaice
  • Jaicee, Jaicey
  • Jaicen
  • Jaicere
  • Jalice
  • Jamice
  • Jaurice
  • Jenice, Genice
  • Jicela
  • Joice
  • Kaice
  • Kaicee, Kaicey
  • Kalice, Calice
  • Kennice
  • Kentrice
  • Laicee, Laicey
  • Lanice
  • Laodice
  • Laodicea
  • Larice
  • Larnice
  • Laurice
  • Latrice
  • Leatrice
  • Lenice, Lennice
  • Letrice
  • Liceria, Licerio
  • Licet, Licette
  • Loice
  • Lorice
  • Lovice
  • Lynice
  • Madicella
  • Maicee, Maicey
  • Maricel
  • Maricelda
  • Markice, Marquice
  • Marnice
  • Martice
  • Marticela
  • Martrice
  • Mauriceo
  • Mertice
  • Monice
  • Montrice
  • Myrtice
  • Narice
  • Natrice
  • Nicere
  • Nicey
  • Odice
  • Olice, Ollice
  • Onice
  • Orice
  • Ottice
  • Patrice
  • Petrice
  • Prentice
  • Pricella
  • Quanice
  • Rejoice
  • Rice
  • Ronice, Ronnice
  • Rosicela
  • Rubicela
  • Salice
  • Salvatrice
  • Santrice
  • Shalice, Chalice
  • Shanice, Chanice
  • Shandice, Chandice
  • Shantrice, Chantrice
  • Sharice, Charice
  • Sharnice, Charnice
  • Shatrice, Chatrice
  • Shaunice, Shawnice, Seanice
  • Shauntrice, Shawntrice
  • Shaurice, Chaurice
  • Shelice
  • Shenice, Chenice
  • Sherice, Sherrice, Cherice, Cherrice
  • Shonice
  • Shontrice
  • Shynice
  • Solstice
  • Tandice
  • Tanice
  • Taurice
  • Tenice
  • Terice, Terrice
  • Tice
  • Ticey
  • Tonice
  • Traice
  • Trenice
  • Trice
  • Tyrice
  • Valice
  • Vanice
  • Venice
  • Verenice
  • Vernice
  • Veronice
  • Vetrice
  • Viatrice
  • Vice
  • Vicey
  • Vonice
  • Vontrice
  • Wallice
  • Yaricelis
  • Yicel

Some of the above are non-traditional spellings of more common names, such as Araceli, Demetrius, Isis, and Wallace.

Finally, if you’d like to check out popularity graphs for any of the names in this post, just look below for the long list of tags. Each tag is a name, so just find the name you’re interested in and click through. The graph will take a moment to load — it’s grabbing a lot of data — but it will allow you to see at a glance the name’s current and historical U.S. usage.

Sources:

Images by Akira Hojo and Alekon pictures on Unsplash

P.S. Two more names that have an association with ice — “ice” as in the slang term for diamonds (as opposed to the solid state of water) — are Eliantte and Avianne.

Maine family with 22 Children

children

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)
  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

Where did the baby name L’Tanya come from in the late 1940s?

Fashion designer L'Tanya Griffin with her daughter, also named L'Tanya.
L’Tanya Griffin (with daughter L’Tanya)

In the late ’40s, long before the name Tanya (a diminutive of Tatiana) reached peak trendiness in the ’70s, some specific Tanya-based names started debuting:

Girls named LatanyaGirls named LatoniaGirls named Ltanya
1955671032
195431922
195324811
19521265
195198.
195013.5
19497.9*
194866.
19477*5*.
1946...
*Debut

Latanya and Latonia first appeared in ’47. Ltanya followed in ’49. Latonya popped up in 1951, and other variants appeared later, including the intriguing LaTanga.

What influenced the usage of these names?

My guess is Hollywood-based African-American fashion designer L’Tanya Griffin.

She started to become famous during the second half of the ’40s. Her name began appearing newspapers around 1946, and it was often spelled “LaTanya” and “La Tanya.” (Her birth name was Julia Bernice Hilbert, incidentally.)

In mid-1949, a specific event made L’Tanya Griffin front-page news: Her estranged husband Earl tried to assault her with a beer can full of lye at racetrack in Atlantic City. She was uninjured, but her friend Marshall Miles (former manager of boxer Joe Louis) and several other people suffered first degree burns. Worst off was Earl himself, as the lye had splashed back into his face. It got into his eyes and blinded him (not permanently, turns out).

L’Tanya was at the height of her fashion-fame during the 1950s. She was even on the cover of Jet in mid-1954. The magazine sometimes ran pictures of her young daughter L’Tanya as well.

I’m not sure what became of L’Tanya Griffin after her fame waned in the ’60s, but I did discover that one of the babies named “LaTanya” in 1949 was none other than Samuel L. Jackson’s wife LaTanya Richardson.

Do you like the name L’Tanya?

Sources:

  • “Acid Toss by Hubby Backfires.” New York Age 20 Aug. 1949: 1.
  • “Fashions by L’Tanya” Ebony Aug. 1947: 24.
  • Kirkham, Pat and Shauna Stallworth. “”Three Strikes Against Me”: African American Women Designers.” Women Designers in the USA, 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference, ed. by Pat Kirkham, The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, 2000, pp. 123-144.
  • LaTanya Martinique, Los Angeles, California, ca. 1945
  • “Lye Hurled at Pretty Designer.” Pittsburgh Courier 20 Aug. 1949: 1.

Image: © 1954 Jet

Where did the baby name Taffy come from in 1943?

The character Lt. Taffy Tucker from the comic strip "Terry and the Pirates," drawn by Milton Caniff.
Lt. Taffy Tucker

Taffy isn’t just a type of candy — it’s also a name, and it debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1943:

  • 1947: 12 baby girls named Taffy
  • 1946: 6 baby girls named Taffy
  • 1945: unlisted
  • 1944: 5 baby girls named Taffy
  • 1943: 6 baby girls named Taffy [debut]
  • 1942: unlisted
  • 1941: unlisted

Why?

Because of Taffy Tucker, a new character introduced in the Terry and the Pirates comic strip during 1942.

Titular character Terry Lee joined the military in 1942, and there he met new people, including Taffy Tucker, an Army nurse, and Flip Corkin, an Army flight instructor (who was also Taffy’s boyfriend).

Taffy Tucker was a “spunky, dedicated nurse, hardworking and tireless, cheerful and caring and always feminine.”

"Terry and the Pirates" comic book

At one point in the storyline, Taffy was kidnapped by a Japanese agent. She was beaten and left for dead in the interior of China. Thankfully, she was eventually rescued by Terry and Flip.

It took cartoonist Milton Caniff about three months to create the character:

[He] spent several days just worrying about a name for Taffy. Since he visualized her as a pert, snub-nosed girl from Georgia, he wanted a name with a typically Old South sound. He finally settled on Guinevere Marianne Tucker, nicknamed Taffy because of her candy-colored hair. She had to be short, because she was scheduled to fall in love with Flip Corkin, who is short, and she had to be blond [sic] for contrast with Flip, who is dark.

Caniff had modeled Taffy after a photo of real-life WWII military nurse Bernice Taylor of Kansas.

What do you think of Taffy as a baby name?

Sources:

P.S. The name Taffy got a slight boost around 1949 thanks to the film The Doctor and the Girl, in which the young Dr. Corday has a love interest named Evelyn “Taffy” Heldon who operates a taffy machine in a candy store.

P.P.S. Other Terry and the Pirates-inspired baby names include Normandie, Merrily, and Raven.