How popular is the baby name Cicero 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 Cicero.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Cicero


Posts that Mention the Name Cicero

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
  • 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 from 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.

Name quotes #85: Karen, Blane, Friedemann

From the 1986 movie Pretty in Pink, Duckie’s reaction to learning that Andie is dating a guy named Blane:

Blane? His name is Blane? That’s a major appliance, that’s not a name!

From sociolinguist Robin Queen, an explanation of how ‘Karen’ went from a popular baby name to a stand-in for white entitlement:

By tracing the origins of Karen up until the Central Park incident, you can see how two separate threads of meaning converged to make Karen the label for an officious, entitled, white woman.

The first comes from African American communities, where certain generic first names have long been a shorthand for “a white woman to be wary of because she won’t hesitate to wield privilege at the expense of others.” Around 2018, people started posting pictures of white women calling the police on the mundane activities of black people. These individuals got labeled with hashtags like #bbqbecky, #permitpatti, #golfcartgail and #cornerstonecaroline.

[…]

The second thread emerges from stand-up comedy and Reddit. In 2005, Dane Cook performed a sketch comedy piece in which Karen is “that friend nobody likes.” In the sketch, she’s described as “always a douche.” This portrayal of a “Karen” is less about her racism and contains more gender-based critiques, which might be why some continue to call the Karen meme sexist.

New Jersey police officer Brian Porter — who delivered two babies during the first half of 2002 — regarding his success so far in having a baby named after him:

0-2.

(In the case of the second baby, the baby’s father and brother were both already named Bryan.)

From the “pejorative names” section of a 2019 academic article called From Enslavement to Emancipation: Naming Practices in the Danish West Indies:

“[I]njurious” names [were] intended to mark slaves out by drawing upon naming forms not used by the dominant class. For instance, some are not personal names, but refer instead to places (London, Madrid, Dublin), animals (Zebra, Fox), or qualities (Amor). Another popular category includes names of classical figures (Cicero, Ancilla, Cupido). Such names functioned as cruel jokes: for instance, Scipio, a common male slave name, referred to the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, whose agnomen, Africanus, meant “the African,” in praise of his triumphs in battle in North Africa. Names of Greek and Roman heroes, philosophers, and orators were popular choices for male slaves, underlining their degradation and emasculation via their juxtaposition with these great men. Meanwhile, as Saidiya Hartman has noted, names like “Venus” for female slaves reflected and licensed the lasciviousness of European slave-owners toward African women, making such behaviors “sound agreeable.”

From the funny April Fools’ Day video Pronouncing Friedemann Findeisen like a Bad-Ass German by songwriter Friedemann Findeisen [FREE-day-mahn FIND-ei-zen]:

Welcome to this German tutorial on how to pronounce my name, Friedemann Findeisen. In the past, many of you have wondered why I have such an unusual name, and why it sounds so German. Well, I am German. You just can’t tell because my lederhosen aren’t in the shot.

From the National Geographic article “Who’s the First Person in history whose name we know?“:

[T]o my great surprise—the first name in recorded history isn’t a king. Nor a warrior. Or a poet. He was, it turns out…an accountant. In his new book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Yuval Noah Harari goes back 33 centuries before Christ to a 5,000-year-old clay tablet found in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq).

[…]

It’s a receipt for multiple shipments of barley. The tablet says, very simply:

29,086 measures barley 37 months Kushim

(But we don’t know for sure that Kushim was a human name; it may have been a job title.)

A second theory, from the same article:

Dated to around 3100 B.C.—about a generation or two after Kushim—the tablet’s heading is, “Two slaves held by Gal-Sal.” Gal-Sal is the owner. Next come the slaves, “En-pap X and Sukkalgir.” So now we’ve got four names: an accountant, a slave owner, and two slaves.

(Some scholars are Team Kushim, other scholars are Team Gal-Sal.)

The baby names Kippie and Kippy

The character Kippie (played by Glenn Walken) from the TV series "The World of Mr. Sweeney" (1954-1955).
Kippie from “The World of Mr. Sweeney”

The simple name Kip has a longer history than one might guess. There was a Kip in the 11th century Domesday Book, for instance.

But today’s post isn’t quite about Kip. It’s about the diminutive forms Kippy and Kippie, which saw some interesting usage in the ’50s and ’60s. No doubt the trendiness of Kip during that era set the scene for this usage, but pop culture played a part as well.

Let’s start in 1955, when Kippie debuted as a boy name, and Kippy both peaked as a boy name and debuted as a girl name:

Kippy (male)Kippy (female)Kippie (male)Kippie (female)
19576...
195613...
195518†6*6*.
19546...
19536...
*Debut, †Peak usage

I think this extra 1955 usage can be attributed to a TV series called The World of Mr. Sweeney. The main character was Mr. Cicero P. Sweeney, who ran the town general store, but another prominent character was Cicero’s young grandson Kippie, played by Glenn Walken. (Fun fact: Glenn is the brother of Christopher Walken.)

The show began as a weekly segment on The Kate Smith Hour in 1953, but was spun off into an independent program — 15-minute episodes, 5 times per week — that lasted from 1954 to 1955. (Father Knows Best (1954-1960) occasionally featured a boy named Kippy as well, but I think Mr. Sweeney better accounts for the spike/debuts.)

Moving on to the ’60s, we see another spike for Kippy in 1960, followed by a relatively strong debut of Kippy as a girl name in 1962:

Kippy (male)Kippy (female)Kippie (male)Kippie (female)
1963115.9
196287.12*
196111...
1960178..
19599...
*Debut

During 1960, a male character named Kippy Clark was featured in the comic strip Mary Worth. (This might seem trivial, but comics were widely read decades ago. The name Mardeen debuted thanks to the very same strip.)

In 1962, following the sudden death of famous comedian Ernie Kovacs, his widow Edie and his ex-wife Bette battled in court over the custody of his two teenage daughters, Bette and Kippie Kovacs.

Do you like the name Kippy/Kippie? How about Kip itself? Let me know what you think in the comments…

Sources:

Top baby names in Nova Scotia, 1914

Speaking of popular baby names Nova Scotia…did you know that the province’s Open Data site includes birth registration records from the mid-1800s and from the early 1900s? I isolated the records from 1914 — the most recent year in the data — and came up with baby name rankings for about a century ago:

Top Girl Names, 1914
1. Mary (close to 700 girls)
2. Margaret
3. Annie
4. Marie
5. Helen
6. Dorothy
7. Florence
8. Elizabeth
9. Catherine (over 100 girls)
10. Alice

Top Boy Names, 1914
1. John (close to 600 boys)
2. Joseph
3. James
4. William
5. George
6. Charles
7. Robert
8. Arthur
9. Donald
10. Edward (over 100 boys)

The rankings represent about about 6,700 baby girls and about 6,800 baby boys born in Nova Scotia in 1914. I’m not sure how many babies were born that year overall, but it looks like the province’s total population in 1914 was roughly 500,000 people.

Hundreds of the names were used just once. Here are some examples:

Unique Girl namesUnique Boy names
Adalta, Adayala, Ailsa, Amilene, Anarina, Aniela, Attavilla, Birdina, Buema, Burance, Caletta, Cattine, Celesta, Claviettee, Deltina, Elta, Erdina, Ethelda, Eudavilla, Evhausine, Fauleen, Genneffa, Gennesta, Heuldia, Hughenia, Iselda, Ivenho, Lanza, Lebina, Lelerta, Loa, Lougreta, Manattie, Meloa, Milnina, Minira, Namoia, Naza, Neitha, Neruda, Olava, Oressa, Prenetta, Ramza, Ruzena, Sophique, Stanislawa, Taudulta, Udorah, Velena, Vola, Vonia, Waldtraut, Willina, YuddisAlbenie, Alpine, Alywin, Alyre, Armenious, Bayzil, Bernthorne, Briercliffe, Carefield, Cicero, Colomba, Craigen, Desire, DeWilton, Docithee, Edly, Enzile, Ethelberth, Ewart, Exivir, Fernwood, Firth, Florincon, Glidden, Gureen, Haliberton, Haslam, Hibberts, Irad, Kertland, Kinsman, Kitchener, Langille, Lemerchan, Lockie, Lubins, Meurland, Murl, Neddy, Nevaus, Niron, Odillon, Olding, Phine, Rexfrid, Roseville, Saber, Sifroi, Sprat, Stannage, Venanties, Waitstill, Wardlo, Wentworth, Wibbert

I also spotted one boy with the first and middle names Earl Gray, and another with the first and middle names “Kermit Roosevelt” (the name of one of Theodore Roosevelt’s six children).

Sources: Open Data Nova Scotia (specifically, Birth Registrations 1864-1877, 1908-1914), Nova Scotia – Population urban and rural, by province and territory