The surname-name Drexler first appeared in the U.S. baby name data 1991. It reached peak usage the very next year.
- 1993: 6 baby boys named Drexler
- 1992: 16 baby boys named Drexler [peak]
- 1991: 6 baby boys named Drexler [debut]
- 1990: unlisted
- 1989: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Professional basketball player Clyde Drexler, who was named an All-Star ten times during his fifteen-year NBA career (from 1983 to 1998).
He spent most of those years with the Portland Trail Blazers, leading them to the NBA Finals twice: in 1990 (vs. Isiah Thomas’ Detroit Pistons) and again in 1992 (vs. Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls).
Following the 1991-92 season, Drexler finished second to Jordan in the vote for the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Drexler was the Blazers’ all-time scoring leader (with over 18,000 points) when he was traded to the Houston Rockets in early 1995. Months later — reunited with former University of Houston teammate Hakeem Olajuwon — he finally won an NBA Championship.
The surname Drexler is derived from the German occupational surname Drechsler, which originally referred to a wood turner.
What are your thoughts on Drexler as a first name?
P.S. “Clyde the Glide” may have also affected the usage of the baby name Clyde during his career, but it’s hard to tell.
Sources:
- Clyde Drexler – Wikipedia
- Portland Trail Blazers – Wikipedia
- Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
- SSA
Image: Screenshot of Clyde Drexler during the 1992 NBA Playoffs (Western Conference, first round)
