The rare name Sturgill first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 2017:
- 2019: unlisted
- 2018: unlisted
- 2017: 6 baby boys named Sturgill [debut]
- 2016: unlisted
- 2015: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Kentucky-born singer-songwriter Sturgill (pronounced STUR-jil) Simpson, who is “typically classified as a country artist in the outlaw tradition.”
His singles — which include a cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” [vid] — have never topped the country charts. But his third album, A Sailor’s Guide To Earth (2016), did win a Grammy Award for Best Country Album in early 2017.
Interestingly, Sturgill Simpson (whose full name is John Sturgill Simpson) has since distanced himself from “Sturgill.” He now goes by the stage name Johnny Blue Skies. In mid-2024 he explained,
I got to this point where, I don’t know, like, I kind of wanted my name back for myself. I felt like my identity had just become a brand. (…) And then I realized I was always a big fan of the Derek and The Dominos record. And I thought that was a really neat concept that he hid behind a character to make a very vulnerable rock and roll record of love songs. And I don’t know if he would have done it with his name on it.
(Eric Clapton’s short-lived blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos put out a single album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, in late 1970.)
What are your thoughts on Sturgill as a first name?
Sources:
- Sturgill Simpson – Wikipedia
- Groundwater, Colin. “Sturgill Simpson Walked Away From Music. Johnny Blue Skies Is Just Getting Started.” GQ 12 Jul. 2024.
- Sturgill Simpson explains why he’s now Johnny Blue Skies for Qobuz – YouTube [vid]
- SSA
Image: Adapted from Sturgill Simpson photo 2016 by Atlantic Records under CC BY-SA 4.0.
