How popular is the baby name Broderick 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 Broderick.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Broderick


Posts that Mention the Name Broderick

What gave the baby name Huey a boost?

Huey on Time, Apr. 1935

Yesterday’s name, Broderick, was popularized by a movie based on the life of populist politician Huey P. Long, nicknamed “The Kingfish,” who served as Governor of Louisiana (1928-1932), U.S. Senator (1932-1935), and was gearing up for a presidential run in 1935. At that time…

Long’s Senate office was flooded with thousands of letters daily, prompting him to hire 32 typists, who worked around the clock to respond to the fan mail. As the nation’s third most photographed man (after FDR and celebrity aviator Charles Lindbergh), Long was recognized from coast to coast simply as “Huey.”

He never ran for president, though, because he was assassinated in September of 1935.

So how did Long’s his political rise (and sudden death) affect the usage of the baby name Huey?

In April of 1929, newspapers reported that, since the gubernatorial election the previous May, “Governor Long has presented a [silver] cup to every baby in the state which is made his namesake. He says there are now are 90 “Huey P’s” and he believes the total will run well over 200 before his term of office expires.”

According to the SSA’s baby name data, the national usage of Huey spiked twice: the year Long was elected governor, and the year he was killed. Notice how much of the usage happened in Huey’s home state of Louisiana:

YearU.S. boys named HueyLouisiana boys named Huey
1937214 boys [rank: 378th]95 boys (44% of U.S. usage) [rank: 50th]
1936353 boys [288th]153 boys (43%) [30th]
1935494 boys [237th]202 boys (41%) [14th]
1934187 boys [403rd]86 boys (46%) [48th]
1933154 boys [447th]66 boys (43%) [67th]
1932144 boys [480th]76 boys (53%) [61st]
1931162 boys [443rd]98 boys (60%) [39th]
1930174 boys [447th]119 boys (68%) [37th]
1929194 boys [424th]146 boys (75%) [26th]
1928215 boys [411th]159 boys (74%) [22nd]
1927114 boys [579th]62 boys (54%) [75th]
192662 boys [840th]22 boys (35%) [179th]

Huey P. Long was named after his father. He had nine siblings: brothers Julius, George and Earl (who also served as governor of Louisiana) and sisters Charlotte, Clara, Helen, Lucille, and Olive. Speedy Long was a cousin.

Sources:

Image: Senator Huey P. Long © 1935 Time

Where did the baby name Broderick come from?

The character Willie Stark (played by Broderick Crawford) in the movie "All the King's Men" (1950).
Broderick Crawford as Willie Stark

The first name Roderick has been in use for centuries, but the similar name Broderick is relatively new. It debuted in the U.S. data in 1950:

  • 1952: 25 baby boys named Broderick
  • 1951: 25 baby boys named Broderick
  • 1950: 30 baby boys named Broderick [debut]
  • 1949: unlisted
  • 1948: unlisted

The man who inspired this debut? Veteran actor Broderick Crawford. His portrayal of corrupt politician Willie Stark in the drama All the King’s Men, released nationally in early 1950, turned him into a star overnight. He won the Best Actor award at both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes that year.

The movie was based on the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren. The story was inspired by the rise and fall of notorious Louisiana politician Huey P. Long.

Crawford’s birth name was William Broderick Crawford; Broderick was his mother’s maiden name. There are two possible etymologies for the surname Broderick:

  • The Gaelic surname Ó Bruadair, meaning “descendant of Bruadar.” The origin of Bruadar is either Norse or Irish — sources disagree.
  • The Welsh surname ap Rhydderch, meaning “son of Rhydderch.” The definition of Rhydderch is “reddish brown.”

Do you like the name Broderick? Do you like it more or less than Roderick?

Sources:

Biggest changes in boy name popularity, 2015

Which boy names increased and decreased the most in popularity from 2014 to 2015?

Here are two ways to look at it. The SSA’s way looks at ranking differences and covers the top 1,000 boy names (roughly). My way looks at raw number differences and takes all boy names on the SSA’s list into account.

Biggest Increases

Raw Numbers (all boy names)Rankings (top 1,000 boy names)
  1. Oliver, +2,181 babies (9,411 to 11,592)
  2. Matteo, +1,320 babies (835 to 2,155)
  3. Grayson, +1,296 babies (6,556 to 7,852)
  4. Mateo, +1,258 babies (3,729 to 4,987)
  5. Lincoln, +1,150 babies (4,809 to 5,959)
  6. Theodore, +895 babies (3,216 to 4,111)
  7. Ezra, +893 babies (3,406 to 4,299)
  8. Hudson, +779 babies (5,229 to 6,008)
  9. Asher, +754 babies (4,305 to 5,059)
  10. Wyatt, +750 babies (8,847 to 9,597)
  1. Riaan, +1,360 spots (2,286th to 926th)
  2. Huxley, +392 spots (1,354th to 962nd)
  3. Wilder, +360 spots (1,324th to 964th)
  4. Jaziel, +276 spots (1,215th to 939th)
  5. Canaan, +271 spots (1,077th to 806th)
  6. Kaison, +251 spots (981st to 730th)
  7. Brixton, +212 spots (1,197th to 985th)
  8. Ridge, +204 spots (1,136th to 932nd)
  9. Omari, +198 spots (708th to 510th)
  10. Jabari, +194 spots (1,139th to 945th)

Riaan was boosted by a celebrity baby born in late 2014 to Bollywood actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza.

Jaziel’s rise seems to be due to Jaziel Avilez, a young singer featured in the 2014 song “Padre Ejemplar” [vid] by Mexican group Los Titanes de Durango.

Omari’s rise can be traced back to American actor Omari Hardwick, who has appeared in the TV shows Being Mary Jane and Power lately, and Jabari’s to basketball player Jabari Parker, the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.

Biggest Decreases

Raw Numbers (all boy names)Rankings (top 1,000 boy names)
  1. Jase, -1,459 babies (3,737 to 2,278)
  2. Jayden, -1,448 babies (12,923 to 11,475)
  3. Joshua, -1,123 babies (10,843 to 9,720)
  4. Andrew, -1,097 babies (11,124 to 10,027)
  5. Michael, -1,079 babies (15,400 to 14,321)
  6. Jacob, -996 babies (16,812 to 15,816)
  7. Anthony, -974 babies (11,538 to 10,564)
  8. William, -967 babies (16,776 to 15,809)
  9. Jace, -965 babies (6,276 to 5,311)
  10. Alexander, -902 babies (15,362 to 14,460)
  1. Arnav, -666 spots (888th to 1,554th)
  2. Jayse, -257 spots (910th to 1,167th)
  3. Neymar, -240 spots (550th to 790th)
  4. Rylee, -228 spots (879th to 1,107th)
  5. Johnathon, -213 spots (915th to 1,128th)
  6. Broderick, -195 spots (971st to 1,166th)
  7. Brenden, -187 spots (711th to 898th)
  8. Yael, -178 spots (913th to 1,091st)
  9. Aidyn, -173 spots (925th to 1,098th)
  10. Gavyn, -167 spots (944th to 1,111th)

I can remember Neymar debuting in 2010 under the influence was Brazilian footballer Neymar.

In 2014, the big winners were Oliver and Bode, and the big losers were Jayden and Bently.

Sources: Change in Popularity from 2014 to 2015, Emma and Noah Once Again Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names for 2015

U.S. Baby Names 2015: Popular baby names, Top girl-name debuts, Top boy-name debuts, Biggest changes in girl name popularity, Biggest changes in boy name popularity, Top first letters, Top lengths

Top boy-name debuts of all time in the U.S. baby name data (41-50)

blue bow

This week let’s finish checking out the top baby name debuts of all time.

I’ll be counting down the 50 most popular boy name debuts in five posts, from today until Friday. (I did the top girl name debuts a couple of weeks ago.) I didn’t break any ties, so this “top 50” list actually has 93 names.

I came up with explanations for as many names as I could, but I’m still stumped on a few of them. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these.

Here’s 50 to 41:

Ajee, Baylee, Itzae & Kwamaine, 4-way tie for #50

  • Ajee debuted with 29 baby boys in 1994.
    Inspired by the Revlon perfume Ajee.
  • Baylee debuted with 29 baby boys in 1995.
    Inspired by baby Baylee Almon, victim of the Oklahoma City bombing.
  • Itzae debuted with 29 baby boys in 2011.
    I’m not sure what inspired it.
  • Kwamaine debuted with 29 baby boys in 1989.
    Inspired by rapper Kwame Holland.

Alize, Broderick, Diamante, Hoby, Jevante, Kwamane, Larenz & Savalas, 8-way tie for #49

  • Alize debuted with 30 baby boys in 1995.
    Inspired by the liqueur Alize.
  • Broderick debuted with 30 baby boys in 1950.
    Inspired by Broderick Crawford, an actor in the movie All the King’s Men.
  • Diamante debuted with 30 baby boys in 1991.
    Inspired by the Mitsubishi Diamante (car).
  • Hoby debuted with 30 baby boys in 1958.
    Inspired by Hoby Gilman, a character on the TV western Trackdown.
  • Jevante debuted with 30 baby boys in 1992.
    Inspired by DeVante Swing, a member of Jodeci.
  • Kwamane debuted with 30 baby boys in 1989.
    Inspired by Kwame Holland as well.
  • Larenz debuted with 30 baby boys in 1994.
    Inspired by Larenz Tate, an actor in the movie Menace II Society.
  • Savalas debuted with 30 baby boys in 1974.
    Inspired by Telly Savalas, an actor on the TV show Kojak.

Cully, Omarian & Yul, 3-way tie for #48

  • Cully debuted with 31 baby boys in 1960.
    Inspired (in part) by Cully Wilson, a character on the TV show Lassie.
  • Omarian debuted with 31 baby boys in 2002.
    Inspired by singer Omarion.
  • Yul debuted with 31 baby boys in 1957.
    Inspired by Yul Brenner, an actor in the movie The Ten Commandments.

Cauy, Kesan, Khari, Kinta, Maverick, Roemello & Shaquel, 7-way tie for #47

  • Cauy debuted with 32 baby boys in 1999.
    Inspired by professional bull rider Cauy Hudson.
  • Kesan debuted with 32 baby boys in 2008.
    Inspired by Kesan, a contestant on the reality TV show From G’s to Gents.
  • Khari debuted with 32 baby boys in 1971.
    I’m not sure what inspired it.
  • Kinta debuted with 32 baby boys in 1977.
    Inspired by Kunta Kinte, a character on the TV miniseries Roots.
  • Maverick debuted with 32 baby boys in 1957.
    Inspired by Bret Maverick, a character on the TV western Maverick.
  • Roemello debuted with 32 baby boys in 1994.
    Inspired by Roemello Skuggs, a character in the movie Sugar Hill.
  • Shaquel debuted with 32 baby boys in 1993.
    Inspired by basketball player Shaquille O’Neal.

Tou, #46

  • Tou debuted with 33 baby boys in 1980.
    I’m not sure what inspired it. Inspired by Hmong immigration. (Thanks, Christina!)

Yuvin, #45

  • Yuvin debuted with 34 baby boys in 2016.
    I’m not sure what inspired it.

Caelan, Caillou, Daren, Illya, Kiefer & Quamaine, 6-way tie for #44

  • Caelan debuted with 35 baby boys in 1992.
    I’m not sure what inspired it.
  • Caillou debuted with 35 baby boys in 2001.
    Inspired by Caillou, a character on the children’s TV show Caillou.
  • Daren debuted with 35 baby boys in 1922.
    Inspired by Daren Lane, a character in the Zane Grey book The Day of the Beast.
  • Illya debuted with 35 baby boys in 1965.
    Inspired by Illya Kuryakin, a character on the TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E..
  • Kiefer debuted with 35 baby boys in 1988.
    Inspired by Kiefer Sutherland, an actor in the movie Young Guns.
  • Quamaine debuted with 35 baby boys in 1989.
    Inspired by Kwame Holland as well.

Argenis, Corderro, Jelani, Kareen & Livan, 5-way tie for #43

  • Argenis debuted with 36 baby boys in 1981.
    I’m not sure what inspired it. Inspired by either singer Argenis Carruyo or actor Argenis Chirivela, not sure yet…
  • Corderro debuted with 36 baby boys in 1986.
    Inspired by Cordero Roberts, a character on the soap opera One Life to Live.
  • Jelani debuted with 36 baby boys in 1973.
    I’m not sure what inspired it. Inspired by a list of African names in the newspapers.
  • Kareen debuted with 36 baby boys in 1972.
    Inspired by basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
  • Livan debuted with 36 baby boys in 1997.
    Inspired by baseball player Livan Hernandez.

Deyonta, Tahj & Zeandre, 3-way tie for #42

  • Deyonta debuted with 37 baby boys in 1993.
    I’m not sure what inspired it.
  • Tahj debuted with 37 baby boys in 1989.
    Inspired by singer Tajh Abdulsamad, a member of The Boys.
  • Zeandre debuted with 37 baby boys in 1997.
    I’m not sure what inspired it.

Hobson & Llewyn, 2-way tie for #41

  • Hobson debuted with 38 baby boys in 1898.
    Inspired by Spanish-American War POW Richmond Hobson.
  • Llewyn debuted with 38 baby boys in 2014.
    Inspired by the movie Inside Llewyn Davis.

Do you have any ideas about where Zeandre, Deyonta, Jelani, Caelan, Yuvin, Tou, Khari, or Itzae might have come from?

More of the top 50 baby name debuts for boys: 50-41, 40-31, 30-21, 20-11, 10-1

[Latest update: 7/2021]

“Danger is my middle name”

warning sign

A pair of real-life “Danger is my middle name” babies have been featured in the news lately:

  • Rafferty Basil Danger Wills, born in January to Felicity and Sam Wills of England.
  • Stephen Danger James, born in January to Telita and Dean James of Australia.

But these aren’t the first dangerously named babies to make headlines. Here are some earlier examples:

  • Nash Edward Danger Gray, born in 2011 to Jon and Ruth Gray of Nevada.
  • Bodhi Danger Huxhagen, born in 2011 to Rowan and Belinda Huxhagen of Australia.
  • Billie Danger Lampard (girl) and Ridley Danger Lampard (boy), twins, born in 2010 to Amy and Glenn Lampard of Australia.
  • Radley Danger Chapple, born circa 2008 to Peppa and John Chapple (photographer) of California.
  • Maxwell Danger Rogers, born in 2006 to Chloe Maxwell and Mat Rogers (athlete) of Australia.
  • Broderick Danger Scott, born in 2006 to Sarah Wilner and Kevin Scott of California.
  • Jakob Danger Armstrong, born in 1998 to Adrienne and Billie Joe Armstrong (musician) of California.

And I’ve come across a few other examples that never made the news.

So, just how common is the middle name Danger?

The SSA doesn’t publish middle name data, so there’s no official set of numbers we can look at. Fellow baby name blogger Laura Wattenberg claimed last year that Danger was a “really popular middle name for boys right now.” I disagree — Danger is still uncommon/bizarre enough to be newsworthy, after all — but it does look like Danger has been picking up steam lately.

Would you ever consider (I mean seriously consider) giving your baby the middle name Danger?

Sources: Billie and Ridley Lampard given ‘Danger’ as middle name, Danger is his middle name, Danger is my middle name…no really, it is, Developer suing ‘Baywatch’ star, Real parents can give their children weird baby names just like the celebs, The boy with danger as a name, The new year brings first local baby, What’s in a (middle) name? Simple or creative, the choice challenges parents

P.S. There’s a guy in Florida named Danger Dangervil.

P.P.S. Danger is also being used as a first name these days.