How popular is the baby name Darcy 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 Darcy.

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Popularity of the baby name Darcy


Posts that mention the name Darcy

Girl names beyond the top 1,000 of 2022

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Have you seen any of the girl names beyond the U.S. top 1,000 yet? If not, here’s the next thousand for you.

Last year, the 1,000th most popular girl name in the U.S. was Kahlani, given to 260 babies. After that, we find…

1,001st to 1,100th

Jazlynn, 259
Kynlee, 259
Raquel, 259
Tallulah, 258
Jaycee, 257
Kaisley, 257
Maylee, 257
Nataly, 257
Leylani, 256
Lilia, 256
Esperanza, 255
Haylee, 255
Ruthie, 255
Clare, 254
Kailey, 254
Etta, 253
Paisleigh, 253
Essence, 252
Tori, 252
Dana, 251
Ellen, 251
Kaya, 251
Eleanora, 250
Memphis, 250
Crystal, 249
Libby, 249
Tilly, 249
Xena, 249
Zola, 248
Austyn, 247
Emani, 247
Landry, 247
Layan, 247
Reya, 246
Aura, 245
Ayra, 245
Indy, 245
Kimora, 245
Viola, 245
Loyalty, 244
Nathalie, 244
Seraphina, 244
Shea, 244
Whitney, 244
Ayah, 243
Clarissa, 243
Jaylee, 243
Kiera, 242
Lyanna, 242
Giavanna, 241
Soraya, 241
Ailany, 240
Cordelia, 240
Guadalupe, 240
Jaylin, 240
Mattie, 240
Mazikeen, 240
Arden, 239
Dania, 239
Ellison, 239
Giulia, 239
Rubi, 239
Celina, 237
Mazie, 237
Renee, 237
Tara, 237
Amyra, 236
Lizbeth, 234
Maelynn, 234
Amethyst, 233
Aniya, 233
Elouise, 233
Violette, 233
Arisbeth, 232
Ayana, 232
Corinne, 232
Darcy, 232
Everley, 232
Nairobi, 232
Addyson, 231
Emmaline, 231
Ivana, 230
Jillian, 230
Miah, 230
Sandra, 230
Spencer, 230
Micaela, 229
Aminah, 228
Ansley, 228
Ann, 227
Kathleen, 227
Majesty, 227
Winifred, 227
Addisyn, 226
Agnes, 226
Colbie, 226
Harleigh, 226
Solana, 226
Aleia, 225
Claudia, 225

1,101st to 1,200th

Melani, 225
Desiree, 224
Frida, 224
Ida, 224
Ingrid, 224
Malka, 224
Yuna, 223
Hailee, 222
Zyla, 222
Adela, 221
Alisha, 221
Beverly, 221
Patricia, 221
Aiyana, 220
Jaelynn, 220
Yusra, 220
Aliah, 219
Andie, 219
Jewel, 219
Khadija, 219
Braylee, 218
Kollyns, 218
Meghan, 218
Harriet, 217
Raylee, 217
Rhiannon, 217
Christine, 216
Devyn, 216
Elani, 216
Yaritza, 215
Avyanna, 214
Keziah, 214
Marcella, 214
Riya, 214
Aarya, 213
Avani, 213
Jana, 213
Kailany, 213
Kalia, 213
Kodi, 213
Gianni, 212
Miller, 212
Taliyah, 212
Vayda, 212
Abril, 211
Arizbeth, 211
Elowen, 211
Marian, 211
Micah, 211
Quincy, 211
Sia, 211
Dalilah, 210
Evelina, 210
Jhene, 210
Korra, 210
Sonia, 210
Aislinn, 209
Maliah, 209
Betty, 208
Ariadne, 207
Kamora, 207
Paityn, 207
Arely, 206
Janessa, 206
Kaylie, 206
Lettie, 206
Lillianna, 206
Perla, 206
Rae, 206
Ripley, 206
Susan, 206
Cara, 205
Dixie, 205
Karlee, 205
Brynley, 204
Dina, 204
Elayna, 204
Amia, 203
Kyleigh, 203
True, 203
Emberlyn, 202
Emi, 202
Kacey, 202
Leena, 202
Ryder, 202
Ayanna, 201
Aylani, 201
Jaelyn, 201
Jovi, 201
Jubilee, 201
Kinsleigh, 201
Novaleigh, 201
Patience, 201
Aarna, 200
Adrienne, 200
Alyson, 200
Amal, 200
Amiah, 200
Ariadna, 200
Heavenly, 200

1,201st to 1,300th

Wrenleigh, 200
Darla, 199
Ellery, 199
Farrah, 199
Honey, 199
Kingsley, 199
Sharon, 199
Zahara, 199
Addie, 198
Annabella, 198
Evalyn, 198
Honesty, 198
Mirha, 198
Valencia, 198
Zoie, 198
Blessing, 197
Jayde, 197
Jaylene, 197
Lianna, 197
Aleyna, 196
Gaia, 196
Karen, 196
Mariella, 196
Mollie, 196
Zarah, 196
Alba, 195
Annalee, 195
Campbell, 195
Ira, 195
Amiya, 194
Beatrix, 194
Carsyn, 194
Leilah, 194
Madalynn, 194
Nathaly, 194
Aida, 193
Angeline, 193
Antonia, 193
Dalary, 193
Kiyomi, 193
Liz, 193
Robyn, 193
Rylynn, 193
Carolyn, 192
Ciara, 192
Kaylin, 192
Margaux, 192
Mercedes, 192
Salome, 192
Wendy, 192
Cassie, 191
Londynn, 191
Zaira, 191
Aranza, 190
Marlene, 190
Raylynn, 190
Rori, 190
Roslyn, 190
Aanya, 189
Emmalynn, 189
Erika, 189
Lailani, 189
Riverlynn, 189
Ainara, 188
Kassandra, 188
Lavender, 188
Noel, 188
Rilynn, 188
Vivianna, 188
Akira, 187
Azul, 187
Brenda, 187
Jalani, 187
Lorena, 187
Marjorie, 187
Meera, 187
Miya, 187
Myah, 187
Neveah, 187
Tatiana, 187
Kaleah, 186
Ariela, 185
Eleni, 185
Zaya, 185
Dariana, 184
Imogen, 184
Montana, 184
Rayleigh, 184
Aylah, 183
Ehlani, 183
Ivey, 183
Nayla, 183
Rebeca, 183
Rue, 183
Ailyn, 182
Chiara, 182
Kyndall, 182
Bernadette, 181
Kaycee, 181
Kya, 181

1,301st to 1,400th

Lesly, 181
Lindsey, 181
Sailor, 181
Emberlee, 180
Heather, 180
Saniyah, 180
Danica, 179
Giada, 179
Karely, 179
Lailah, 179
Lorraine, 179
Marissa, 179
Sana, 179
Yuri, 179
Zia, 179
Leela, 178
Maizie, 178
Maple, 178
Rita, 178
Siya, 178
Debanhi, 177
Evalynn, 177
Joselyn, 177
Moriah, 177
Venus, 177
Austin, 176
Finnley, 176
Liah, 176
Odette, 176
Vaeda, 176
Xochitl, 176
Bryleigh, 175
Carmella, 175
Erica, 175
Evaluna, 175
Kadence, 175
Mariela, 175
Althea, 174
Ameera, 174
Arwen, 174
Elara, 174
Emilie, 174
Journei, 174
Khari, 174
Sally, 174
Inaaya, 173
Montserrat, 173
Tenley, 173
Brinlee, 172
Isha, 172
Juana, 172
Karma, 172
Renley, 172
Ayesha, 171
Romy, 171
Alisa, 170
Esmae, 170
Maisyn, 170
Onyx, 170
Zinnia, 170
Alannah, 169
Annette, 169
Faigy, 169
Maelyn, 169
Milah, 169
Serafina, 169
Symphony, 169
Alaiyah, 168
Carson, 168
Elinor, 168
Janae, 168
Maribel, 168
Roxanne, 167
Rya, 167
Sterling, 167
Emeri, 166
Katerina, 166
Kaylynn, 166
Kit, 166
Lucie, 166
Yael, 166
Anita, 165
Carina, 165
Kenya, 165
Mireya, 165
Renesmee, 165
Sidney, 165
Adilynn, 164
Atlas, 164
Jenny, 164
Julietta, 164
Kalea, 164
Kelani, 164
Lori, 164
Raine, 164
Jazzlyn, 163
Jurnee, 163
Martina, 163
Silvia, 163
Alessa, 162

1,401st to 1,500th

Denise, 162
Maryjane, 162
Mika, 162
Queen, 162
Rain, 162
Adina, 161
Azari, 161
Cambria, 161
Selina, 161
Laken, 160
Dafne, 159
Elissa, 159
Emilee, 159
Journie, 159
Rowen, 159
Stacy, 159
Ziva, 159
Asiya, 158
Carlee, 158
Joan, 158
Joey, 158
Kailyn, 158
Adilene, 157
Adira, 157
Anayah, 157
Avaya, 157
Kamilla, 157
Maite, 157
Navi, 157
Nelly, 157
Walker, 157
Eliette, 156
Farah, 156
Pepper, 156
Prisha, 156
Rosalind, 156
Roselynn, 156
Susanna, 156
Tillie, 156
Kinzley, 155
Zella, 155
Aryah, 154
Grecia, 154
Jalayah, 154
May, 154
Wrenly, 154
Zadie, 154
Laine, 153
Mirabel, 153
Valkyrie, 153
Alyvia, 152
Eliyanah, 152
Laramie, 152
Lilyanna, 152
Pia, 152
Avalyn, 151
Ireland, 151
Keidy, 151
Milagros, 151
Shoshana, 151
Sofie, 151
Amarah, 150
Caylee, 150
Chava, 150
Janie, 150
Kristina, 150
Blessyn, 149
Gitty, 149
Gwyneth, 149
Jasmin, 149
Mari, 149
Tabitha, 149
Aimee, 148
Alex, 148
Cristina, 148
Emmarie, 148
Fern, 148
Kaira, 148
Liya, 148
Marlie, 148
Theresa, 148
Britney, 147
Dara, 147
Nadine, 147
Skylynn, 147
Yasmine, 147
Hollyn, 146
Inara, 146
Lucero, 146
Safiya, 146
Samiyah, 146
Ziya, 146
Anniston, 145
Briley, 145
Isadora, 145
Kamille, 145
Melania, 145
Sherlyn, 145
Sybil, 145
Aiza, 144

1,501st to 1,600th

Alara, 144
Alya, 144
Damaris, 144
Geneva, 144
Yelena, 144
Yuliana, 144
Cooper, 143
Ema, 143
Kasey, 143
Zya, 143
Adalie, 142
Jael, 142
Karolina, 142
Nila, 142
Reem, 142
Adara, 141
Anaiah, 141
Eila, 141
Jersey, 141
Kayleen, 141
Kenley, 141
Tinley, 141
Aracely, 140
Blayke, 140
Kaelyn, 140
Kapri, 140
Yoselin, 140
Anyla, 139
Areli, 139
Aryanna, 139
Cherish, 139
Leni, 139
Nailah, 139
Sanai, 139
Shayla, 139
Stori, 139
Annelise, 138
Hensley, 138
Iyanna, 138
Izzy, 138
Kailee, 138
Liyana, 138
Merritt, 138
Petra, 138
Tala, 138
Zeynep, 138
Amilia, 137
Ester, 137
Kaelynn, 137
Karlie, 137
Nechama, 137
Addalyn, 136
Clarke, 136
Jaylynn, 136
Jupiter, 136
Keilany, 136
Larissa, 136
Monserrat, 136
Suri, 136
Wilhelmina, 136
Winry, 136
Zion, 136
Annabel, 135
Ashly, 135
Aubri, 135
Chevelle, 135
Diya, 135
Elly, 135
Linnea, 135
Naia, 135
Naila, 135
Noelani, 135
Calla, 134
Emori, 134
Harlyn, 134
Khadijah, 134
Kianna, 134
Klara, 134
Letty, 134
Mayra, 134
Zaina, 134
Aashvi, 133
Adalina, 133
Adhara, 133
Asia, 133
Ayva, 133
Estela, 133
Nicolette, 133
Shirley, 133
Violetta, 133
Yaneli, 133
Asha, 132
Blakelynn, 132
Daylin, 132
Diamond, 132
Elyana, 132
Malak, 132
Adore, 131
Brayleigh, 131
Cecily, 131

1,601st to 1,700th

Dua, 131
Kalina, 131
Kollins, 131
Laynie, 131
Noelia, 131
Paulette, 131
Sahara, 131
Alessi, 130
Ally, 130
Avalon, 130
Baila, 130
Bentley, 130
Camden, 130
Carmela, 130
Eris, 130
Geraldine, 130
Gisselle, 130
Juno, 130
Maeva, 130
Mariyah, 130
Naveah, 130
Noella, 130
Rivky, 130
Tahlia, 130
Tyler, 130
Delia, 129
Dottie, 129
Evangelina, 129
Hollis, 129
Jayden, 129
Kynslee, 129
Laia, 129
Lidia, 129
Romi, 129
Shanaya, 129
Storm, 129
Wesley, 129
Xolani, 129
Aira, 128
Aryana, 128
Harlem, 128
Jude, 128
Kari, 128
Khalia, 128
Namari, 128
Safa, 128
Sedona, 128
Zylah, 128
Aleyah, 127
Alissa, 127
Ayat, 127
Bayleigh, 127
Beckett, 127
Irie, 127
Kelsie, 127
Reece, 127
Rihanna, 127
Sheila, 127
Sunnie, 127
Amaria, 126
Amariah, 126
Eisley, 126
Katarina, 126
Marlow, 126
Rosalynn, 126
Shyla, 126
Stormy, 126
Yarely, 126
Echo, 125
Kinsey, 125
Kylah, 125
Milania, 125
Natalee, 125
Yvette, 125
Addalynn, 124
Amya, 124
Breanna, 124
Dalila, 124
Delani, 124
Gema, 124
Jordynn, 124
Kalayah, 124
Lincoln, 124
Tegan, 124
Temperance, 124
Amberly, 123
Daenerys, 123
Delanie, 123
Georgiana, 123
Janiya, 123
Joslyn, 123
Leticia, 123
Lois, 123
Macey, 123
Skylah, 123
Aviva, 122
Brisa, 122
Emry, 122
Ever, 122
Kaci, 122

1,701st to 1,800th

Karmen, 122
Keeley, 122
Malky, 122
Priya, 122
Rhylee, 122
Sama, 122
Saphira, 122
Sunday, 122
Yazmin, 122
Caitlyn, 121
Cirilla, 121
Courtney, 121
Dalett, 121
Denisse, 121
Judy, 121
Julianne, 121
Magdalene, 121
Marlo, 121
Regan, 121
Ameerah, 120
Arie, 120
Constance, 120
Haizley, 120
Lakyn, 120
Marion, 120
Ahlani, 119
Amor, 119
Ashton, 119
Belinda, 119
Edie, 119
Eiza, 119
Fatimah, 119
Hafsa, 119
Honor, 119
Irina, 119
Jessa, 119
Kenzley, 119
Lane, 119
Liza, 119
Louella, 119
Nyah, 119
Tamara, 119
Addelyn, 118
Alaysia, 118
Blakeleigh, 118
Brenna, 118
Mileena, 118
Raleigh, 118
Rio, 118
Zari, 118
Zhavia, 118
Abrielle, 117
Amerie, 117
Audrina, 117
Cattleya, 117
Charity, 117
Jehilyn, 117
Koa, 117
Kristen, 117
Lindsay, 117
Maura, 117
Nell, 117
Tania, 117
Yamilet, 117
Agatha, 116
Arlene, 116
Ashanti, 116
Coral, 116
Divine, 116
Empress, 116
Estefany, 116
Milly, 116
Vivien, 116
Amaira, 115
Blakelyn, 115
Emme, 115
Gentry, 115
Hermione, 115
Jailyn, 115
Kamiya, 115
Lotus, 115
Marcela, 115
Maven, 115
Yesenia, 115
Zamora, 115
Aoife, 114
Calista, 114
Daria, 114
Emmi, 114
Nahla, 114
Nirvana, 114
Odessa, 114
Rosemarie, 114
Sonya, 114
Arlett, 113
Bryanna, 113
Danika, 113
Elana, 113
Elsy, 113
Hudson, 113

1,801st to 1,900th

Isela, 113
Iva, 113
Mahogany, 113
Nariah, 113
Nuri, 113
Nya, 113
Sahana, 113
Samadhi, 113
Aavya, 112
Adalia, 112
Dolly, 112
Harlie, 112
Isis, 112
Italy, 112
Kaila, 112
Kaliah, 112
Laikyn, 112
Madyson, 112
Margarita, 112
Tia, 112
Avril, 111
Bennett, 111
Cori, 111
Eunice, 111
Indiana, 111
Iqra, 111
Jahzara, 111
Karis, 111
Lillith, 111
Marwa, 111
Oriana, 111
Saira, 111
Vivianne, 111
Yehudis, 111
Zaynab, 111
Angely, 110
Brynnlee, 110
Charlene, 110
Evalina, 110
Evelin, 110
Halston, 110
Hartley, 110
Ines, 110
Isra, 110
Jocelynn, 110
Leora, 110
Maylin, 110
Mckayla, 110
Sidra, 110
Annaleigh, 109
Asher, 109
Bowie, 109
Bryn, 109
Iman, 109
Jaleah, 109
Kaelani, 109
Legaci, 109
Marin, 109
Nami, 109
Taya, 109
Alanis, 108
Anali, 108
Arizona, 108
Armoni, 108
Devorah, 108
Eleanore, 108
Lizeth, 108
Lua, 108
Madden, 108
Madisson, 108
Mildred, 108
Sury, 108
Taelynn, 108
Alita, 107
Dailyn, 107
Darlene, 107
Georgie, 107
Heidy, 107
Jacquelyn, 107
Jamila, 107
Jaslyn, 107
Preslee, 107
Shai, 107
Shannon, 107
Tess, 107
Ashtyn, 106
Audriana, 106
Bracha, 106
Danae, 106
Elif, 106
Estefania, 106
Isabell, 106
Jireh, 106
Kaori, 106
Krystal, 106
Layna, 106
Makena, 106
Rayla, 106
Sheyla, 106
Zelie, 106

1,901st to 2,000th

Blanca, 105
Haddie, 105
Litzy, 105
Luana, 105
Lucinda, 105
Maritza, 105
Misha, 105
Nour, 105
Rochel, 105
Rumi, 105
Ailen, 104
Asma, 104
Cienna, 104
Kailynn, 104
Keylani, 104
Marli, 104
Ridley, 104
Santana, 104
Story, 104
Yana, 104
Adaleigh, 103
Audra, 103
Carleigh, 103
Eimy, 103
Graciela, 103
Hawa, 103
Haya, 103
Janet, 103
Lux, 103
Rhyan, 103
Tamia, 103
Verity, 103
Alaska, 102
Anabella, 102
Arayah, 102
Ayda, 102
Blakelee, 102
Charm, 102
Claira, 102
Isa, 102
Maddox, 102
Millicent, 102
Perry, 102
Raeleigh, 102
Aadya, 101
Alanah, 101
Brynnleigh, 101
Cindy, 101
Donna, 101
Emberleigh, 101
Emmalee, 101
Izabel, 101
Janyla, 101
Josephina, 101
Lenna, 101
Lynlee, 101
Natalya, 101
Pippa, 101
Elliette, 100
Hadassa, 100
Abriella, 99
Alaiah, 99
Anderson, 99
Aylen, 99
Brighton, 99
Dawn, 99
Ela, 99
Elanor, 99
Elysia, 99
Gina, 99
Inez, 99
Katrina, 99
Kenzlee, 99
Lennyn, 99
Prudence, 99
Rynlee, 99
Shae, 99
Susana, 99
Toni, 99
Unique, 99
Adaia, 98
Aries, 98
Camellia, 98
Cosette, 98
Dayanna, 98
Debora, 98
Glory, 98
Kinzlee, 98
Lela, 98
Lula, 98
Maverick, 98
Melek, 98
Navya, 98
Raizy, 98
Samaira, 98
Zamira, 98
Alanni, 97
Charly, 97
Deanna, 97
Ellia, 97

See anything you like?

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Scattered stars in Sagittarius by ESA/Hubble under CC BY 4.0.

Popular baby names in New Zealand, 2020

Flag of New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand

According to New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs, the most popular baby names in the country in 2020 were Isla and Oliver.

Here are New Zealand’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2020:

Girl Names

  1. Isla, 243 baby girls
  2. Charlotte, 222
  3. Amelia, 213
  4. Olivia, 208
  5. Willow, 184
  6. Harper, 177
  7. Ava (tie), 175
  8. Lily (tie), 175
  9. Sophie, 168
  10. Ella, 163

Boy Names

  1. Oliver, 315 baby boys
  2. Jack, 261
  3. Noah, 240
  4. Leo, 235
  5. Lucas, 206
  6. George, 197
  7. Charlie, 183
  8. William (tie), 175
  9. Thomas (tie), 175
  10. Hunter, 174

In the girls’ top 10, Lily and Ella replaced Mila and Ruby.

In the boys’ top 10, Hunter replaced James.

Notably, top girl name Isla “first made the top 100 girls’ names in 2004.”

Here are a few other factoids:

Taylor and Darcy are the most evenly split gender-neutral names for 2020, with a 51/49 per cent divide between boys and girls.

There were no Jacindas or Judiths on the top 10 list and no increase in Ashleys despite these names appearing often in the media during 2020.

The top Maori baby names of 2020 were Mia, Aria and Maia for girls and Nikau, Manaia, and Ari for boys.

Back in 2019, the top names were Amelia and Oliver.

Sources: Top Baby Names in New Zealand, Top 2020 baby names: Same name tops list eight years in a row

Image: Adapted from Flag of New Zealand (public domain)

Popular male names in England, 1560-1621

Merton College (University of Oxford)
Merton College (University of Oxford)

A while back, I stumbled upon a register of people associated with Oxford University from the mid-16th century to the early 17th century.

Interestingly, the editor of the register decided to include a section dedicated to first names and surnames. That section included a long list of male forenames and their frequency of occurrence from 1560 to 1621.

The editor claimed that, for several reasons, these rankings were “probably…more representative of English names than any list yet published” for that span of time. One reason was that the names represented men from “different grades of English society” — including peers, scholars, tradesmen, and servants.

So, are you ready for the list?

Here’s the top 100:

  1. John, 3,826 individuals
  2. Thomas, 2,777
  3. William, 2,546
  4. Richard, 1,691
  5. Robert, 1,222
  6. Edward, 957
  7. Henry, 908
  8. George, 647
  9. Francis, 447
  10. James, 424
  11. Nicholas, 326
  12. Edmund, 298
  13. Anthony, 262
  14. Hugh, 257
  15. Christopher, 243
  16. Samuel, 227
  17. Walter, 207
  18. Roger, 195
  19. Ralph, 182
  20. Peter (and Peirs/Pers), 175
  21. Humphrey, 168
  22. Charles, 139
  23. Philip, 137
  24. David, 129
  25. Matthew, 116
  26. Nathaniel, 112
  27. Michael, 103
  28. Alexander, 98 (tie)
  29. Arthur, 98 (tie)
  30. Laurence, 90
  31. Giles, 88
  32. Stephen, 86
  33. Simon, 83
  34. Daniel, 79
  35. Joseph, 78 (tie)
  36. Lewis, 78 (tie)
  37. Andrew, 69
  38. Roland, 65
  39. Griffith (and Griffin), 60
  40. Evan, 55
  41. Abraham, 54 (tie)
  42. Leonard, 54 (tie)
  43. Owen, 53
  44. Gilbert, 52
  45. Morris (and Maurice), 51
  46. Bartholomew, 46 (3-way tie)
  47. Oliver, 46 (3-way tie)
  48. Timothy, 46 (3-way tie)
  49. Morgan, 45
  50. Martin, 44 (tie)
  51. Rice, 44 (tie)
  52. Gabriel, 41
  53. Benjamin, 40
  54. Jeffrey/Geoffrey, 38
  55. Ambrose, 36
  56. Adam, 35
  57. Toby (and Tobias), 34
  58. Jerome, 33
  59. Ellis, 30
  60. Paul, 29
  61. Bernard, 28 (3-way tie)
  62. Gregory, 28 (3-way tie)
  63. Isaac, 28 (3-way tie)
  64. Jasper (and Gaspar), 26 (3-way tie)
  65. Josiah (and Josias), 26 (3-way tie)
  66. Randall (and Randolph), 26 (3-way tie)
  67. Miles, 24
  68. Lancelot, 23
  69. Austin (and Augustine), 22 (tie)
  70. Jarvis (and Gervase), 22 (tie)
  71. Brian, 21
  72. Matthias, 20 (tie)
  73. Reginald (and Reynold), 20 (tie)
  74. Jeremy, 19
  75. Theophilus, 19
  76. Joshua 18 (3-way tie)
  77. Marmaduke, 18 (3-way tie)
  78. Valentine, 18 (3-way tie)
  79. Fulke, 17 (tie)
  80. Sampson (and Samson), 17 (tie)
  81. Clement, 16 (4-way tie)
  82. Ferdinando, 16 (4-way tie)
  83. Herbert, 16 (4-way tie)
  84. Zachary, 16 (4-way tie)
  85. Cuthbert, 15 (3-way tie)
  86. Emanuel, 15 (3-way tie)
  87. Vincent, 15 (3-way tie)
  88. Adrian, 14 (3-way tie)
  89. Elias, 14 (3-way tie)
  90. Jonah (and Jonas), 14 (3-way tie)
  91. Tristram, 13
  92. Allan, 12 (6-way tie)
  93. Ames, 12 (6-way tie)
  94. Barnaby (and Barnabas), 12 (6-way tie)
  95. Gerard (and Garret), 12 (6-way tie)
  96. Lionel, 12 (6-way tie)
  97. Mark, 12 (6-way tie)
  98. Abel, 11 (3-way tie)
  99. Erasmus, 11 (3-way tie)
  100. Roderic, 11 (3-way tie)

Did the relative popularity of any of these names surprise you?

The editor did note that “the more common names occur more frequently than they ought to…from the tendency to confuse less common names with them.”

For example, a person called ‘Edmund,’ if he is frequently mentioned in the Register, is almost certain to be somewhere quoted as ‘Edward,’ ‘Gregory’ as ‘George,’ ‘Randall’ or ‘Raphael’ as ‘Ralph,’ ‘Gilbert’ as ‘William,’ and so on.

Now here are some of the less-common names, grouped by number of appearances in the register:

10 appearancesIsrael, Luke
9 appearancesCadwalader, Jenkin, Percival
8 appearancesBennet/Benedict, Godfrey, Howell, Jonathan, Raphael, Theodore
7 appearancesBaldwin, Gawen/Gavin, Hercules, Job, Kenelm, Meredith, Silvester, Solomon, Watkin
6 appearancesAlban, Basil, Caleb, Cornelius, Dennis, Guy, Jacob, Patrick
5 appearancesDudley, Edwin, Eustace, Ezechias/Hezekiah, Ezekiel, Hannibal, Joel, Moses, Peregrine, Simeon, Thurstan, Zacchaeus
4 appearancesFelix, Maximilian, Phineas
3 appearancesAaron, Abdias, Amos, Arnold, Baptist, Barten, Devereux, Diggory, Eleazer, Elisha, Ely, Ephraim, Euseby, German, Hamnet, Hilary, Hopkin, Jevan (“a form for Evan”), Justinian, Lemuel, Osmund, Pexall, Shakerley, Swithin
2 appearancesAngell, Audley, Avery, Bruin, Caesar, Calcot, Carew, Carr, Cecil, Cheyney, Clare, Collingwood, Conon/Conan, Darcy, Dominic, Elkanah, Emor, Ethelbert, Fitz-William, Frederic, Gamaliel, Gideon, Gifford, Goddard, Gray, Hamlet, Hammond, Harvey, Hastings, Hatton, Hector, Isaiah, Jethro, Joscelyn, Julius, Knightley, Mordecai, Morton, Nathan, Nevell, Obadiah, Otho, Pascho, Philemon, Polydor, Price, Raleigh, Raymond, Reuben, Rouse, Sabaoth, Sebastian, Seth, Silas, Silvanus, Tertullian, Umpton, Warren, Wortley, Zouch

Finally, lets check out some of the single-appearance names.

Over 250 names were in the register just once. I won’t include all of them, but here are about half:

  • Accepted, Aegeon, Albinus, Alford, Algernon, Ammiel, Arcadius, Arundel, Atherton, Aubrey, Aunstey, Aymondesham*
  • Bamfield, Beauforus, Bezaliel, Blaise, Bulstrod, Burgetius
  • Cadoc, Calvin, Candish, Cannanuel, Chiddiock, Chilston, Chrysostom, Conrad (“probably a foreigner”), Cosowarth, Creswell, Cyprian
  • Dabridgcourt, Darby, Delvus, Deodatus, Dier, Donwald, Dunstan
  • Elihu, Erisy, Esdras, Everard
  • Fernand, Fettiplace, Fines, Florice, Fogge, Fulbert
  • Geraint, Gerald, Glidd, Gourneus, Granado, Grange, Gratian
  • Hattil, Haut, Hercius, Hodges
  • Jarniot, Jephson, Jerameel, Jeremoth, Jolliffe
  • Kelamus, Killingworth, Kingsmell
  • Lambard, Leoline, Levinus, Leyson, Livewell
  • Maior, Maniewe, Marchadine, Mardocheus, Mattathias, Moyle
  • Nargia, Nizael, Norwich, Noye
  • Ogier, Olliph, Otwell
  • Pancras, Peleger, Periam, Person, Phatnell, Poynings, Purify
  • Renewed, Rheseus (“a Latinism for Rice”), Rimprum, Rollesley, Rotheram, Rumbold
  • Sabinus, Scipio, Sefton, Slaney, Snappe, Southcot, St. John, Stockett, Stukeley
  • Tanfield, Thekeston, Thrasibulus, Timoleon, Tournie, Tupper
  • Ulpian, Utred
  • Wallop, Walsingham, Warian, Warnecombe, Whorwood, Willgent
  • Yeldard
  • Zorobabel

*Could “Aymondesham” be a typo for Agmondesham?

Which of these uncommon names do you find the most intriguing?

Source: Register of the University of Oxford, vol. 2, part 4, edited by Andrew Clark, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889.

Image: Merton College from Merton Field by Jonas Magnus Lystad under CC BY-SA 4.0.

[Latest update: Dec. 2022]

Quotes about the names of actors

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert"
Stephen Colbert and Benedict Cumberbatch

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch on a 2018 episode [vid] of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert:

I think England is the only place that makes people named Benedict Cumberbatch.

How Amandla Stenberg was named:

Actress Amandla Stenberg was named after a 1989 Miles Davis album — a lush, African-tinged funk fusion that takes its name from the Zulu and Xhosa word for “power.”

In South Africa under apartheid, “amandla” was — and still is — a rallying cry against oppression. It’s a lot for Stenberg to live up to.

“You think?” she asks, laughing and thanking her mother for the heavy responsibility. Then she turns more serious. “It’s something I keep very close to my heart.”

From a 2006 interview with Blake Lively:

Q: I’ve got to say, “Blake Lively” sounds almost too cool to not be a stage name…

A: People are always like, “Blake Lively! Okay, what’s your real name?” It’s kind of embarrassing to tell people, because it sounds like a really cheesy stage name.

Q: Is there a story behind the first part?

A: Actually, my grandma’s brother’s name was Blake, and my sister wrote it down when she was reading a family tree. And they said, “If it’s a boy, we’ll name him Blake, and if it’s a girl, we’ll name her Blakely.” And everybody thought I was going to be a boy, and then I came out and I was a girl. And they had already been calling me Blake for months because they were positive I was going to be a boy. And they had been calling me Blake for so long, they just [kept it].

[The surname “Lively” came from Blake’s mother’s first husband. Blake’s mother kept it after the divorce, and Blake’s father — her mother’s second husband — liked it enough to take as his own when they married.]

Actress Camila Mendes [vid] talking about her name on The Late Late Show With James Corden in 2017:

So my name is Camila Mendes, and there’s a singer called Camila Cabello, and a singer called Shawn Mendes. And people seem to think my Twitter is a fan account for that relationship.

In a 2013 interview with OK! magazine, actress Charisma Carpenter was asked whether or not she was named after an Avon fragrance:

That is absolutely true! I don’t know if you’ve smelled it, it’s awful. I was born in an era where Avon was very much the thing. My grandmother brought my mother, as a gift, this perfume. The story is I went without a name for about a week and then my grandmother brought this perfume (named Charisma) and my mom and my dad settled on that name. They had met me, they had heard the name of the perfume and I guess it just clicked.

From a 2012 interview with actor Crispin Glover, who goes by his full name, Crispin Hellion Glover, as a filmmaker:

SP: When did you begin using ‘Hellion’ as part of your name? Why the addition?

CHG: I began using “Hellion” as my middle name at birth. I was born in New York. Not too long before I was born, my parents went to see an off-Broadway production of Henry V, by Shakespeare and liked the production very much, and liked the name [Crispin, from the St. Crispin’s Day Speech] so [they] gave it to me. My father’s middle name is Herbert. He never liked his middle name Herbert. So as a young struggling actor in New York he would say to himself, “I am Bruce H. Glover, Bruce Hellion Glover. I am a hellion, a troublemaker.” And that would make him feel good. He told my mother this was his real middle name. When they were married she saw him writing on the marriage certificate Bruce Herbert Glover and she thought, “Who am I marrying?” They gave Hellion to me as my real middle name. I had always written and drawn as a child and I would always sign my drawing and writing with my whole name Crispin Hellion Glover. When I started acting professionally at 13, which was something I had decided on my own I could do as a profession at a relatively young age, it became apparent that I had to choose a professional acting name for SAG. I thought my whole name was too long for acting and just used my first and last name. When I started publishing my books I simply continued using the name I had always used for writing and drawing and had put in my books. This is also why I use my whole name for my own films.

From a Pitchfork interview with The Good Place actress D’Arcy Carden:

I put an apostrophe in my name that wasn’t there before, like Smashing Pumpkins bassist D’Arcy Wretzky, because of how influential this band was to me. D’Arcy was just the epitome of cool to me. In 1993, I was really into alternative and grunge music, and whereas the Nirvanas and the Pearl Jams felt so masculine, there was something sweeter and lighter about Smashing Pumpkins. The fact that they had a girl in their band was huge for me and my friends. I learned the guitar part to “Today,” and it made me feel like such a badass. It was like, “Wow, I can play guitar!” But, of course, anybody can play the beginning of “Today.”

(Name quotes #73 mentioned another Good Place actress…)

From a 2012 interview with Dax Shepard in Elle magazine:

There was a best-selling book in the late ’60s and ’70s called The Adventurers by Harold Robbins. The lead character’s name was Dax. Anyone that’s roughly my age that’s named Dax is named from that book. I’ve met probably five other [men named] Dax.

(The character’s full name is Diogenes Alejandro Xenos. His nickname was derived from his initials, D.A.X.)

From a write-up of Demi Moore‘s 2017 Tonight Show appearance:

“[Demi Lovato is] from Texas and I’m from New Mexico, so our families say our names the same but we each individually pronounce it differently,” Moore said, noting she pronounces it “Deh-mee” while Lovato says “Dem-ee.”

So what are the origins of Moore’s name?

“In my case, my mother just found it on a cosmetic carton,” she told Fallon. “It means ‘half,’ and she didn’t know that, but she just liked it.”

From a biography of English actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928):

“Ellen Terry is the most beautiful name in the world; it rings like a chime through the last quarter of the nineteenth century,” George Bernard Shaw wrote of the Dame when she was at the height of her career.

From a recent Instagram post by actor Elliot Page (formerly called Ellen Page):

Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot. I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.

Actor Emilio Estevez on "Talk Stoop with Nessa Diab"
Emilio Estevez and Nessa Diab

Actor Emilio Estevez — who pronounces his surname ESS-teh-vez, instead of the Spanish way, ess-TEH-vezdiscussing his name [vid] on Talk Stoop with Nessa in 2019:

So I was born on 203rd Street in South Bronx. And, at the time, my father had this very Hispanic-sounding last name. […] A lot people, a lot of these agents, and folks said, if you wanna work in this business, you gotta have a more Anglo-sounding name. Of course times have changed, but there was that moment where he was finally on Broadway — 1965, ’66 — and his father came from Dayton (he was from Spain, of course) and looked up on the marquee, and saw the three names that were starring in the play, and one of them was “Martin Sheen” and not his real name, Ramón Estévez. And my grandfather just looked up, and he just shook his head, and he was so disappointed. And my father saw that. And so when I began to get into this business, we had that conversation. And he said, don’t make the same mistake I did.

…A few sentences later, Estevez added:

I can’t tell you how many people have stopped me on the street and said, you know, just seeing your name on a poster, just seeing your name on screen, meant so much to me, you have no idea.

(Martin Sheen’s stage name was created from the names of CBS casting director Robert Dale Martin and televangelist archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.)

From a video in which Emma Thompson talks about “posh” English slang [vid]:

“Pip pip” is “bye-bye.” […] Like, for instance, when I was born, yonks ago [in 1959], on the BBC, on the world service, there would be the pip, pip, pip. So that’s the “pips.” And you say pip, pip. And I was known as “pip Emma” because I was born as the pips were sounding.

[The pips were used to mark the start of each hour. “Pip Emma” is also the way to say “p.m.” in RFC WWI signalese.]

From a short item about Halle Berry in a March 1995 issue of Jet:

“My mother was shopping in Halle Brothers in Cleveland,” she recently revealed in the New York Daily News. “She saw the bags and thought, ‘That’s what I’m going to name my child.’ I thought it was the coolest name until I got into this business. No one ever says it right, it’s Halle, like Sally.”

From the 2005 Seattle Times obituary of Hildegarde:

Hildegarde, the “incomparable” cabaret singer whose career spanned almost seven decades and who was credited with starting the single-name vogue among entertainers, has died. She was 99.

From a 2013 article about actress Honeysuckle Weeks in the Independent:

With the names Honeysuckle Weeks and Charity Wakefield starring in the UK premiere production of These Shining Lives directed by Loveday Ingram, you can only imagine what rehearsals are like. It sounds as if they should all be in a Jilly Cooper novel – not a hard-hitting play about employees’ rights in the workplace.

From a 1997 article in Jet magazine about how Jamie Foxx (born Eric Bishop) found success in comedy after changing his name:

Foxx, who was determined to make it as a stand-up comedian, went to Santa Monica “where nobody really knew who I was,” he reveals, “and changed my name to Jamie Foxx.” He remembers, “Three girls would show up and 22 guys would show up [at Amateur Night]. They had to put all the girls on who were on the list to break up the monotony. So when they look up and they see Tracey Green, Tracey Brown, and these unisex names I had written on the list, they picked Jamie Foxx. ‘Is she here?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, Brother, right over here man,'” Foxx said in a deep, macho voice. “I’d go up and do my thing with the Cosby and Tyson (impersonations), and they were like ‘Who is this Jamie Foxx kid?'”

From an interview with Keira Knightley in Elle (UK):

Keira also revealed that she was never intended to be called Keira.

‘I was meant to be named “Kiera”, after a Russian ice skater who was on the TV one day. My dad fancied her and nicked her name for me. But it was my mum who went to register my birth, and she accidentally spelled “ei” instead of “ie” because my mum’s crap at spelling.

‘Apparently, when she came back he said: “WHAT THE F*CK? You’ve spelt her name wrong!” What were they going to do, though? Once it’s on the piece of paper, it’s on the piece of paper. And that’s me. A spelling error.’

[The skater was likely Kira Ivanova, who won a bronze medal for the USSR at the 1984 Winter Olympics.]

From a 2012 interview with Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington, who didn’t learn that his real name was Christopher until he was 11:

It was very strange, I went to school, and I remember that you had to do these tests to find out what set you’re in — how clever you are. I put down “Kit Harington,” and they looked at me like I was completely stupid, and they said, “No, you’re Christopher Harington, I’m afraid.” It was only then I learnt my actual name. That was kind of a bizarre existential crisis for an 11-year-old to have, but in the end I always stuck with Kit, because I felt that’s who I was. I’m not really a “Chris.”

From the 1970 obituary of actress Lenore Ulric in the New York Times:

Born in the little town of New Ulm, Minn., in 1892, the daughter of Franz Xavier Ulrich, an Army hospital steward, Miss Ulric (she dropped the H from her last name) used to say that she was predestined for the stage. Her father gave her the name of Lenore because of his fondness for Poe‘s poem, “The Raven,” and her childhood was devoted to theatrical yearnings.

(She played Wetona on stage in 1916.)

From a 2014 NPR interview with Leonardo DiCaprio:

My father tells me that they were on their honeymoon at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, I believe. They were looking at a da Vinci painting, and allegedly I started kicking furiously while my mother was pregnant. And my father took that as a sign, and I suppose DiCaprio wasn’t that far from da Vinci. And so, my dad, being the artist that he is, said, “That’s our boy’s name.”

From a 2016 interview with actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of Hamilton) on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron:

You know, unconsciously, you go, “No, just call me Lin,” cause I can’t deal with manual. […] I learned at a very young age how to just make people comfortable, and I learned to adapt at such a young age, that I didn’t realize the power of bringing all of myself into a room until much later.

(Manual, MAN-yoo-ul, is a common mispronunciation of the Spanish name Manuel, man-WEHL.)

From an obituary of actress Lina Basquette (formerly Lena Baskette) in The Independent:

In 1923, she and her mother went to New York, where Lena danced for John Murray Anderson – it was he who altered her name to Basquette, and the producer Charles Dillingham who changed Lena to Lina (‘Lena is a cook’, he explained, ‘Lina is an artiste’).

From an interview with Lou Diamond Phillips at Cowboys & Indians:

The story of his own life began on the Subic Bay Naval Station in the Philippines, where he was born Louis Diamond Upchurch in 1962. His interesting name has an interesting back story: His father, Gerald, named him after U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Leland “Lou” Diamond (known as “Mr. Leatherneck,” he is considered one of the finest Marines of all time); after his dad died, Phillips took his stepfather, George’s last name.

(Phillips’ co-star in the movie La Bamba was Esai Morales.)

From an interview with Mexican-Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o (pronounced loo-PEE-ta NYONG-oh) on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Jimmy: I love that they gave you a traditional Mexican name even though they were just there for a short time.

Lupita: Well, in our tradition, it’s custom to name your child after the events of the day. So, I was born in Mexico, so they thought it would be fit to give me a Mexican name.

From an Us Magazine article about Matthew McConaughey‘s 2020 book Greenlights:

The Texas native also revealed that when he was born his father wasn’t there. Instead, he explained that James “called my mom and said, ‘Only thing I have to say is if it’s a boy, don’t name him Kelly.’”

From “Michael Caine’s Name Is Now Officially Michael Caine” by Jackson McHenry at Vulture:

Maurice Micklewhite is dead; long live Michael Caine. The legendary British actor has officially adopted the name you know and impersonate him by after getting fed up with increased airport security checks. “I changed my name when all the stuff started with ISIS and all that,” Caine told The Sun, going on to describe his experiences with security guards thusly: “He would say, ‘Hi Michael Caine,’ and suddenly I’d be giving him a passport with a different name on it. I could stand there for an hour. So I changed my name.”

From an interview with Saturday Night Live comedian Michael Che:

I was named after Che Guevara. My name is Michael Che Campbell. My dad is a huge history buff, and he named me after Che Guevara cause he loved Che Guevera for whatever reason. Which is a very polarizing figure, because when I tell people I was named after Che, they’re either like, “Oh, wow that’s cool,” or they’re like, “You know, Che killed people.” I’m like, I didn’t pick my name.

From a 2011 interview with former child actor Meeno Peluce:

My parents split the country when I was conceived. They traveled across Europe looking for the perfect place to have their perfect child. It was 1969, a voice had spoken to my mom. It said, “Go to India.” Then a short time later it said, “You’re pregnant.” They had been married 10 years and my mom was not supposed to be able to have kids. But the voice spoke and so they left America behind and headed for the world. They made great friends in Yugoslavia, one had the perfect name. Miroslav, Man of Peace. So I was named after him, but not in Yugoslavia.

[…]

My folks pulled into Amsterdam on a snowy night with all the lights glistening and my mom knew it was the perfect place and that’s where I was born, their little man of peace, Miro.

A couple years later we were in Katmandu at the foot of Swayambhunath where Buddha had come to make his last speeches. A monk came over, picked me up, and asked my name. “Miro,” my mother told him. “No,” I corrected her. “No more Miro, only Meeno, only Meeno.” And I wouldn’t answer to anything else.

(Meeno, the half-brother of Soleil Moon Frye, co-starred with Jon-Erik Hexum in the early ’80s sci-fi TV show Voyagers!)

From a 2001 article about actress O-Lan Jones in the Los Angeles Times:

Jones’ mother, Scarlett Dark, named her after the character O-lan in Pearl S. Buck’s 1931 novel, “The Good Earth.” The “O” part, Jones said, means “profound,” and the “lan” means “wildflower.” Her mother, ever an original, chose to celebrate the wildflower part with a capital L.

From Piper Laurie‘s 2011 memoir Learning to Live Out Loud:

It never occurred to me that I didn’t have to change my name. For the last twenty or thirty years, I’ve admired and envied all the performers who have proudly used their real names. The longer and harder to pronounce, the better.

(Was Mädchen Amick one of the performers she had in mind? They worked together on Twin Peaks in the early 1990s…)

From an 2005 interview with Portia de Rossi in The Advocate:

Advocate: When did you become Portia?

Portia: When I was 15, I changed it legally. In retrospect, I think it was largely due to my struggle about being gay. Everything just didn’t fit, and I was trying to find things I could identify myself with, and it started with my name.

I picked Portia because I was a Shakespeare fan [Portia is the character in The Merchant of Venice who famously declaims, “The quality of mercy is not strain’d / It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.”]. De Rossi because I was Australian and I thought that an exotic Italian name would somehow suit me more than Amanda Rogers. When you live in Australia, Europe is so far away and so fascinating, so stylish and cultured and sophisticated.

From a Deadline Hollywood article about Quvenshané Wallis:

In a way, however, both of Quvenzhané’s parents are with her every time someone speaks her unusual first name (pronounced Kwe-VAWN-zhan-ay). The first part combines elements of her teacher mother’s first name, Qulyndreia, and her truck driver father’s first name, Venjie. Her mother says that Zhané is the Swahili word for “fairy,” although no direct translation can be found on an Internet search. Qulyndreia Wallis says her own name means “to you with love.” The rest of the kids include Venjie Jr., 15; brother Vejon, 13; and sister Qunyquekya, 19.

(According to several sources, the Swahili word for “fairy” is jini — reasonably close to Zhané, actually.)

From a 2015 Indian Express article in which actress and comedian Rebel Wilson talks about her name:

A little girl named Rebel sang at my parents’ wedding. My mum is really big on theme names like that – my sisters are called Liberty and Annachi, and my brother is Ryot. I did pretty well in comparison. I love it.

You can’t be a shrinking violet if you have a name like Rebel. It gives me an edge and helps me not give in to my fears. I try to live that way.

From a 2015 obituary of movie star Rex Reason:

Contrary to what one might think, Rex Reason was his birth name, not one dreamed up by a Hollywood executive. Universal Pictures, in fact, had billed him as “Bart Roberts” in a couple of films before he insisted on being credited with his real name.

River Phoenix, as quoted in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1995:

When I was in first grade everyone made fun of my name, of course. I think it’s kind of a big name to hold up when you’re nine years old. It seemed goofy.

[His birth name? River Bottom.]

From a 2009 interview with Sigourney Weaver (born Susan Weaver) in Esquire magazine:

I changed my name when I was about twelve because I didn’t like being called Sue or Susie. I felt I needed a longer name because I was so tall. So what happened? Now everyone calls me Sig or Siggy.

(In another interview, Sigourney mentioned that she was nearly named Flavia.)

Actor Taylor Lautner on "The Kelly Clarkson Show"
Taylor Lautner and Kelly Clarkson

From a mid-2022 episode [vid] of The Kelly Clarkson Show in which actor Taylor Lautner talks about his fiancée Taylor Dome, who was planning to legally change her last name to Lautner:

We already share one name. So it’s going to be extra complicated. […] We’re literally going to be the same person. Ridiculous.

(The Taylors — who do indeed share the same first and last name now — married in November.)

From an interview with Thandiwe Newton (formerly called Thandie Newton) in Vogue (UK):

Meanwhile Thandiwe and her younger brother attended a Catholic primary school run by joyless nuns […] where the W of her name drifted inward, out of sight and earshot, in a futile hope to make her feel less different.

[…]

No longer is Newton afraid of the red carpet because of how much it reminded her of her invisibility, and she looks forward to a future where the illusion of race will no longer narrow who we are. […] All her future films will be credited with Thandiwe Newton, after the W was carelessly missed out from her first credit. Now she’s in control. Many lives lived and she’s come out triumphant, preserved in the magic of the mist and sun that made her, and wanted her to shine. “That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine.”

(The name Thandiwe means “beloved” in Zulu.)

From the 2007 New York Times obituary of actor Tiger “Tige” Andrews:

Tiger Andrews was born on March 19, 1920, in Brooklyn; he was named after a strong animal to ensure good health, following a Syrian custom.

(He was one of the stars of The Mod Squad, which started airing on TV in 1968. His nickname, Tige, was one of the top debut names of 1969.)

From an amNewYork article about Broadway actress Tovah Feldshuh (born Terri Sue Feldshuh in 1952):

What ever happened to Terri Sue Feldshuh?

“I fell in love with a Christian boy, Michael Fairchild, who didn’t want to kiss a Terri Sue. He said: ‘Terri Sue doesn’t fit you at all. What’s that other name of yours? Tovah? Now that’s a name!'”

(Her stage name was initially “Terri Fairchild,” according to Wikipedia.)

From “The Eyes Have It,” an interview with Orange Is the New Black actress Uzoamaka “Uzo” Aduba, who was asked whether she ever considered changing her name:

When I started as an actor? No, and I’ll tell you why. I had already gone through that. My family is from Nigeria, and my full name is Uzoamaka, which means “The road is good.” Quick lesson: My tribe is Igbo, and you name your kid something that tells your history and hopefully predicts your future. So anyway, in grade school, because my last name started with an A, I was the first in roll call, and nobody ever knew how to pronounce it. So I went home and asked my mother if I could be called Zoe. I remember she was cooking, and in her Nigerian accent she said, “Why?” I said, “Nobody can pronounce it.” Without missing a beat, she said, “If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka.”

[Incidentally, there’s a Tchaikovsky in Brazil.]

From a 2011 interview with Val Kilmer in Interview Magazine:

I don’t think of my life as a cliché, but I’m a cliché eccentric. Complete with a strange name — I mean, who’s named Val? How many Vals do you know? I mean, really?

From the book The Making of Cabaret (1999) by Keith Garebian, regarding the name of English actress Valerie Jill Haworth, who was born on Victory over Japan Day (Aug. 15, 1945):

The initials of her baptismal names (Valerie Jill) were in honor of her birth on VJ Day.

[Related: American actress Robin Vee Strasser was born on Victory in Europe (“VE”) Day.]

From a 1936 article about movie actress Veda Ann Borg in the Wilkes-Barre Record:

Miss Borg was given a new tag almost the minute she stepped into the studio. It was “Ann Noble.” […] Miss Borg contended that her own name is more descriptive of her personality than Ann Noble. The former model’s argument was convincing. She will be billed as Veda Ann Borg.

Viggo Mortensen, as quoted in TIME Magazine in 2005:

I met someone last night who showed me a picture of a baby, and they had named the kid Viggo. You know, Viggo is a pretty dorky name in Denmark. It’s like Oswald or something. It’s a very old Scandinavian name, at least 1,000 years old.

From a 2008 interview with actor Vince Vaughn in Parade magazine:

My dad’s name is Vernon and my mom liked the initials, VV. My sisters and I got named Victoria, Valeri and Vincent so we’d be VV’s, too. But, then when you start getting pets’ names that start with a ‘v,’ it’s a little embarrassing. When you are Vince Vaughn, and you go out to scream for ‘Viking’ the dog to come home, that’s a little much. Then, Mom started looking in a dictionary for names and we ended up with a female Chihuahua, named Vanadis after some mythological goddess. So Victoria, Valeri and Vince were out playing with Vanadis. When I finally got a dog, I named him Rowdy. I had to break the chain.

[Vaughn’s first daughter, like Rowdy, was given a non-V name: Locklyn.]

From a 2014 interview with actress Winona Ryder in The Telegraph:

Ryder’s unconventional childhood has been exhaustively documented and occasionally used to explain the more disturbing events in her life, but the actress — christened Winona Laura Horowitz and named after the Minnesota city in which she was born — speaks fondly of the four years she spent in a commune in Elk, Northern California, from the age of seven.

[Winona’s younger brother Uri, born in the 1970s, was named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.]

From a 2017 Teen Vogue interview with Zendaya, who explains how her name is pronounced:

Zendaya decided to break it down for viewers with a simple step-by-step guide: “Zen is the first syllable, then day, and then a.”

“I think a lot of people see my name and think it’s more fancy than it is,” she explained. “They think Zendaya like papaya. It’s just day.

From a Life article (Jan. 18, 1943) about actor and comedian Zero Mostel:

Back in 1941 Zero was a struggling New York painter who specialized in portraits of strong-muscled workmen. He went by the name of Sam, which was his own (“Zero” is a press agent’s inspiration). […] On Feb. 16, 1942, the day that news of the fall of Singapore reached the U.S., “Zero” Mostel made his professional debut as a night-club funny man.

(When Zero appeared on Dick Cavett‘s talk show in early 1971, Dick told the audience: “I’ve tried shows with three guests and with two guests and with one guest, but never with Zero.”)

From the 2012 obituary of Mouseketeer Bonita Lynn Fields Elder at U.S. News:

Elder always went by the name Lynn, but she adopted the stage name “Bonnie” — a shortened version of her real first name — at the suggestion of the show’s producers because there was already a cast member, a boy, with the first name Lynn, her cousin said.

(That said, Bonnie’s obituary in the Los Angeles Times told a different story: “Fields’ given name was Bonita, but soon after joining the cast Disney himself asked her to change it because a two-syllable name harmonized better with those of the other Mouseketeers.”)

Images: Screenshots of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Talk Stoop with Nessa Diab, and The Kelly Clarkson Show

[Latest update: Sept. 2023]