How popular is the baby name Caroline 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 Caroline.

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Popularity of the baby name Caroline


Posts that mention the name Caroline

How did “Gone with the Wind” influence baby names?

The character Melanie Hamilton (played by Olivia de Havilland) from the movie "Gone with the Wind" (1939).
Melanie from “Gone with the Wind“

We already know that Gone with the Wind had an effect on the usage of Scarlett and Tara. But what other baby names did it influence?

The main character, Scarlett O’Hara, had sisters named Suellen (a contraction of “Susan Elinor”) and Carreen (“Caroline Irene”). She also had a a sister-in-law named Melanie Hamilton. All three of these names were given a double-boost by Gone with the Wind — first, after the release of the book in mid-1936, and, second, after the release of the film in late 1939.

Suellen

Here’s the U.S. usage of the name Suellen. (In the movie, the character was played by actress Evelyn Keyes.)

  • 1942: 144 baby girls named Suellen
  • 1941: 159 baby girls named Suellen [peak]
  • 1940: 141 baby girls named Suellen
  • 1939: 40 baby girls named Suellen
  • 1938: 31 baby girls named Suellen
  • 1937: 30 baby girls named Suellen
  • 1936: 5 baby girls named Suellen [debut]
  • 1935: unlisted
  • 1934: unlisted

The name saw peak usage in 1941 — also the year that variant form Sueellen debuted. After that, usage petered out.

Carreen

Here’s the U.S. usage of the name Carreen. (In the movie, the character was played by actress Ann Rutherford.)

  • 1942: unlisted
  • 1941: 8 baby girls named Carreen
  • 1940: 6 baby girls named Carreen
  • 1939: unlisted
  • 1938: unlisted
  • 1937: 8 baby girls named Carreen [debut]
  • 1936: unlisted
  • 1935: unlisted
  • 1934: unlisted

The name Carreen appeared in the data a few more times in the ’60s and ’70s, but that’s it. Interestingly, the variant form Careen, which debuted in 1936, has seen more usage in the U.S. overall.

Melanie

Here’s the U.S. usage of the name Melanie from the mid-’30s to the early ’40s. (In the movie, the character was played by actress Olivia de Havilland.)

  • 1942: 388 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1941: 308 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1940: 200 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1939: 57 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1938: 53 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1937: 39 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1936: 13 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1935: 9 baby girls named Melanie
  • 1934: 9 baby girls named Melanie

The name Melanie is quite old — it comes from an ancient Greek word meaning “black” or “dark” — but its usage was revived by Gone with the Wind. It went on to crack the top 100 for the first time in 1968 and has been popular ever since. It ranked 82nd in 2010.

Names in the Tollemache-Tollemache family

British Army officer Leone Sextus Tollemache (1884-1917)
Leone Sextus Tollemache

The Rev. Ralph William Lyonel Tollemache-Tollemache (1826-1895), a clergyman in the Church of England, gave his fifteen children some bizarre (and bizarrely long) names.

Here are the names of the children he had with his first wife, Caroline:

  1. Lyonel Felix Carteret Eugene Tollemache (b. 1854)
  2. Florence Caroline Artemisia Hume Tollemache (b. 1855)
  3. Evelyne Clementina Wentworth Cornelia Maude Tollemache (b. 1856)
  4. Granville Grey Marchmont Manners Plantagenet Tollemache (b. 1858)
  5. Marchmont Murray Grasett Reginald Stanhope Plantagenet Tollemache (b. 1860)

And here are the names of the children he had with his second wife, Dora:

  1. Dora Viola Gertrude Irenez de Orellana Dysart Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1869)
  2. Mabel Ethel Helmingham Huntingtower Beatrice Blazonberrie Evangeline Vise de Lou de Orellana Plantagenet Saxon Toedmag Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1872)
  3. Lyonesse Matilda Dora Ida Agnes Ernestine Curson Paulet Wilbraham Joyce Eugénie Bentley Saxonia Dysart Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1874)
  4. Lyulph Ydwallo Odin Nestor Egbert Lyonel Toedmag Hugh Erchenwyne Saxon Esa Cromwell Orma Nevill Dysart Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1876)
    • His first fifteen initials spell “Lyonel the second.”
  5. Lyona Decima Veronica Esyth Undine Cyssa Hylda Rowena Viola Adele Thyra Ursula Ysabel Blanche Lelias Dysart Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1878)
  6. Leo Quintus Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1879)
  7. Lyonella Fredegunda Cuthberga Ethelswytha Ideth Ysabel Grace Monica de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1882)
  8. Leone Sextus Denys Oswolf Fraudatifilius Tollemache-Tollemache de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1884)
    • He was his father’s sixth son, hence “Sextus.” “Fraudatifilius” comes from the Latin phrase fraudati filius, meaning “son of the defrauded one.”
  9. Lyonetta Edith Regina Valentine Myra Polwarth Avelina Philippa Violantha de Orellana Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1887)
  10. Lyonulph Cospatrick Bruce Berkeley Jermyn Tullibardine Petersham de Orellana Dysart Plantagenet Tollemache-Tollemache (b. 1892)

What are your thoughts on these names?

Sources:

Babies born on days of eclipses, named Eclipse

Lunar eclipse (Dec. 2011)
Lunar eclipse

This Saturday’s lunar eclipse will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2014, so today is a good day to post about people who have been named Eclipse!

Below are people with Eclipse as either a first or a middle name. I’ve even matched a few with specific historical solar eclipses listed on NASA’s website.

1700s

  • Maria Eclipse Moor, born in England on September 5, 1793, the day of a partial solar eclipse.

1800s

  • Emma Eclipse Earl, born in England on September 7, 1820, the day of a partial solar eclipse.
  • William Moore Eclipse Reddall, born in England in 1820.
  • Eclipse Mitchell, born in South Carolina circa 1828.
  • Eclipse Sabourin, born in Quebec circa 1823.
  • Eclipse Thomas, born in North Carolina in 1829. (Father of Eclipse J. Thomas, below.)
  • Eclipse Northeast, born in England circa 1831.
  • Charles Eclipse Bennett, born in England in 1836.
  • Maria Eclipse Wilson, born in England in 1836.
  • Augusta Caroline Eclipse Golden, born in England in 1837.
  • Eclipse Scott, born in Virginia on May 26, 1854, the day of a partial solar eclipse.
  • Eclipse Hilsden, born in England circa 1862.
  • Eclipse J. Thomas, born in Georgia in 1867. (Son of Eclipse Thomas, above.)
  • Eclipse Smith, born in Kentucky circa 1869.
  • Eclipse Newton, born in Missouri circa 1871.
  • Nina Eclipse Gain, born in Canada circa 1873.
  • Luna Eclipse Hill, born in Texas on October 24, 1874. (Daughter of Luna Eclipse Weaver, birth date unknown.)
  • Ida/Ada Eclipse Wade, born in Massachusetts in 1874. (I found records for both Ida and Ada — could be a misspelling, or could mean twins.)
  • Eclipse Green, born in Mississippi in 1877.
  • Lily Eclipse Monks, born in England circa 1878.
  • Henry Eclipse Monheim, born in Utah on July 29, 1878, the day of a partial solar eclipse.
  • Marvin Eclipse Wallace, born in Texas on July 29, 1878, the day of total solar eclipse.
  • Sanford Eclipse Gantt, born in Texas on July 29, 1878, the day of a total solar eclipse.
  • May Eclipse Glass, born in England circa 1890.
  • Essie Eclipse McGill, born in Tennessee on January 29, 1892.
  • Eclipse Blackman, born in Georgia circa 1898.

1900s

  • Eclipse Eley, born in Georgia circa 1900.
  • Eclipse Ruth Green, born in Mississippi circa 1914.
  • Vivian Eclipse Cubine, born in Oklahoma on May 2, 1920.
  • Eclipse Deutschman, born in New York circa 1925.
  • Eclipse De Marco, born in Rhode Island circa 1925.
  • Angelina Eclipse Ramos, born in Hawaii on May 5, 1941.
  • Jennifer Eclipse Kerr, born in Texas on July 6, 1982, the day of a total lunar eclipse.
  • Kathleen Eclipse Hernandez, born in Texas on July 11, 1991, the day of a partial solar eclipse.
  • Kathleen Eclipse Long, born in Texas on June 12, 1992.

2000s

What are your thoughts on the name Eclipse? Would you ever consider using it?

Sources:

Image: Adapted from December 10th Lunar Eclipse by SteveB under CC BY 2.0.

[Latest update: Feb. 2025]

How did Jacqueline Kennedy pronounce her name?

First Lady Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy (1929-1994)
Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy

Last week, audio recordings of Jacqueline Kennedy talking with historian Arthur Schlesinger were released under the title Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy.

In an interview about the recordings, Caroline Kennedy noted that most people pronounce “Jacqueline” incorrectly. At least, they aren’t saying it the way her mother used to say it. Jackie pronounced her first name JAK-uh-leen [vid], according to Caroline.

Interesting, no?

I’m trying to find video/audio of Jackie introducing herself, just for confirmation, but haven’t had any luck yet.

So, instead, here are a few Jackie-related name facts:

  • Jackie’s daughter Caroline is the inspiration behind Neil Diamond’s song “Sweet Caroline” (1969).
  • Sources claim that Jackie’s first child, who was stillborn, would have been named Arabella. One source states the name was inspired by the ship Arbella, which carried Puritans to New England during the Great Migration.
  • Jackie’s maiden name, Bouvier, has appeared in the SSA’s baby name data once — in 1963. Five baby boys were named Bouvier that year. This may have been due to the death of baby Patrick Bouvier in August, or the death of JFK in November.
  • Jackie’s second married name, Onassis, has appeared on the SSA’s baby name list three times. The first was in 1968, when she wed Aristotle Onassis. Six baby boys were named Onassis that year.

Source: Pottker, Jan. Janet and Jackie: The Story of a Mother and Her Daughter, Jacqueline Kennedy. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2001.