How popular is the baby name Cassiopeia 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 Cassiopeia.

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Popularity of the baby name Cassiopeia


Posts that mention the name Cassiopeia

How did “Battlestar Galactica” influence baby names in the late 1970s?

The character Apollo from the TV series "Battlestar Galactica" (1978-1979)
Apollo from “Battlestar Galactica“

Today, Battlestar Galactica is a sci-fi media franchise. But the original TV series — about a group of humans fleeing Cylons aboard a battleship called the Galactica — wasn’t terribly successful. It aired on ABC for a single season (from September of 1978 to April of 1979) before being canceled.

Still, the show managed to have a sizeable impact on U.S. baby names. Here are the names that various Battlestar Galactica characters influenced in the late 1970s:

Adama
Adama (played by Lorne Greene of Bonanza fame) was the commander of the Battlestar Galactica. The name Adama debuted (for boys) in 1978.

Apollo
Captain Apollo (played by Richard Hatch), a fighter pilot, was the son of Commander Adama. The name Apollo saw an increase in usage in 1978, and reached then-peak usage in 1979. (The peak was eclipsed in 2002 after speed skater Apolo Ohno became famous.)

Actress Maren Jensen as character Athena in the TV series "Battlestar Galactica" (1978-1979)
Maren Jensen in “Battlestar Galactica“

Athena
Lieutenant Athena (played by Maren Jensen) was the daughter of Commander Adama. The name Athena saw a spike in usage 1979, and the name Maren nearly tripled in usage the same year. (Jensen’s first name is a Dutch diminutive of Marina or Maria.)

Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia (played by Laurette Spang) was a former “socialator” (courtesan) who worked as a Medtech aboard the Galactica. The name Cassiopeia debuted in 1979.

Starbuck
Lieutenant Starbuck (played by Dirk Benedict), a fighter pilot, was Apollo’s best friend. The name Starbuck was a one-hit wonder in the data in 1979. The Lieutanant’s name — just like the name of the famous coffee chain — was inspired by the Moby Dick character Starbuck.

Actor Terry Carter as character Colonel Tigh in the TV series "Battlestar Galactica" (1978-1979)
Terry Carter in “Battlestar Galactica“

Tigh
Colonel Tigh (played by Terry Carter) was Adama’s second-in-command aboard the Galactica. The name Tigh debuted in 1979, and the spelling Tighe saw peak usage the same year. (Carter, born John Everett DeCoste in 1928, was nicknamed “Terry” after the main character of the comic strip Terry & the Pirates when he was a teenager.)

What are your thoughts on the names above? (Would you consider using any of them?)

Sources:

Images: Screenshots of Battlestar Galactica

[Latest update: Oct. 2025]