Baby Name: Bilal

The Abdulsamad brothers — Khiry (b. 1973), Tajh (b. 1976), Hakim (b. 1975), and Bilal (b. 1978) — started performing together in the mid-1980s, “dancing and lip-synching to New Edition records at Venice Beach for donations.”

They were so successful at busking that they “[set] their sights on a show-biz career.”

The brothers formed an R&B vocal quartet called The Boys and, a few years later, signed a record deal with Motown.

The Boys’ songs are well-produced and propelled by strong, danceable rhythms, offering simple, romantic messages that apparently set young girls swooning.

Three of their songs climbed to #1 on Billboard‘s Hot Black Singles chart, and two of the three also reached Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart:

• “Dial My Heart,” which peaked at #13 in February of 1989, and
• “Crazy,” which peaked at #29 in October of 1990.

So, how did The Boys influence U.S. baby names?

Khiry

The name Khiry debuted impressively in the data in 1989 and reached peak usage in 1990:

• 1991: 132 baby boys named Khiry [rank: 916th]
• 1990: 244 baby boys named Khiry [rank: 649th] (peak usage)
• 1989: 159 baby boys named Khiry [rank: 788th] (debut)
• 1988: unlisted
• 1987: unlisted

Notably, Khiry would have been the top boy-name debut of the year if not for the glitch of 1989.

The similar name Kyree also saw higher usage 1989. Other names that debuted in the data that year and the next include Khiree, Kiry, Kiree, Khiri, Khayri, and Khirey.

The name Khiry — which the eldest Abdulsamad brother pronounced kie-ree — is likely based on the Arabic name Khayri, meaning “charitable.”

“Hakeem” (Hakim)

Hakim’s name is spelled “Hakim” in the California Birth Index, at various music websites (e.g. AllMusic, Genius), and in this 2017 Instagram post written by Tajh.

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, however, it was regularly spelled “Hakeem.”

I assumed this was a typo when I first encountered it in Jet and Ebony, because I’ve seen name-related typos in those magazines before. But then I spotted it in several major newspapers. And finally I noticed it on-screen in the “Dial My Heart” music video, and printed on the single for “Crazy” — suggesting that the spelling was, in fact, intentional.

I can’t account for the Hakim/Hakeem spelling discrepancy, but I can show you the result: the baby name Hakeem shot to peak usage (and entered the boys’ top 1,000 for the first time) in 1989, while baby name Hakim saw no movement at all the same year.

Hakim is an Arabic name meaning “wise.”

Tajh

Just like Khiry, the name Tajh debuted impressively in the data in 1989, and reached peak usage in 1990:

The spelling Tahj debuted in 1990, and Taj saw higher usage that year as well.

The name Tajh is probably based on the Arabic name Taj, meaning “crown.”

(Interesting fact: When he was six weeks old, Tajh Abdulsamad played the part of newborn Kunta Kinte in the first episode of the miniseries Roots.)

Bilal

The name Bilal nearly doubled in usage in 1989:

• 1991: 119 baby boys named Bilal [rank: 981st]
• 1990: 104 baby boys named Bilal
• 1989: 100 baby boys named Bilal
• 1988: 52 baby boys named Bilal
• 1987: 57 baby boys named Bilal

The spelling Belal also got a boost that year, and both Billal and Bilaal debuted in the data.

Bilal — which the youngest Abdulsamad brother pronounced bih-LAL (like the name Bill with the end-sound of “canal” or “morale”) — is an Arabic name meaning “moistening.”

Which of The Boys’ names – Khiry, Tajh, Hakim, or Bilal – do you like best?

Sources:

• Hunt, Dennis. “The Boys Will Be Boys : Northridge brothers debut with a hit album for Motown.” Los Angeles Times 26 Feb. 1989.
• Brown, Joe. “New Motown Acts Rev Up.” Washington Post 9 Aug. 1990.
• The Boys’ biography (by Andrew Hamilton) – AllMusic.com
• Billboard Hot 100 for the weeks of 25 Feb. 1989 and 13 Oct. 1990
• The Boys – Dial My Heart (1988) – YouTube
• Behind the Name
• SSA

Second image: Screenshot of the music video for “Dial My Heart”