How popular is the baby name Felice 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 Felice.

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Popularity of the baby name Felice


Posts that mention the name Felice

Where did the baby name Peerless come from in 1999?

Football player Peerless Price
Peerless Price

The curious name Peerless first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1999:

  • 2001: unlisted
  • 2000: unlisted
  • 1999: 6 baby boys named Peerless [debut]
  • 1998: unlisted
  • 1997: unlisted

And that’s the only time it’s ever popped up, making it a one-hit wonder.

Where did it come from?

Wide receiver Peerless Price, who played football in the NFL for nine seasons (1999-2007).

The thing that boosted his name into the SSA data, though, was his memorable senior year at the University of Tennessee.

In 1998, the Tennessee Volunteers football team wasn’t expected to do as well as it had in 1997, because several key players (including quarterback Peyton Manning and linebacker Leonard Little) had graduated.

Defying expectations, it did even better. The Vols went undefeated in 1998, thanks in large part to Peerless Price. They also won the national title by beating the Florida State Seminoles at the Fiesta Bowl on January 4, 1999. Peerless was named co-MVP of the game, and was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated a week later.

Peerless Price was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1976. Here’s how his mother, Vinder Burress, chose his unusual first name:

It was the name of a moving company I’d seen ads for. I liked the name, so I looked it up in the dictionary. It means without equal.

And how did Peerless himself feel about the name? Toward the end of his final college football season, he said:

In sports I felt I had to prove myself because of my name. They say your name doesn’t make a difference, but it really does.

What are your thoughts on the name Peerless?

P.S. The Vols play in Neyland Stadium, which explains why the baby name Neyland is particularly popular in the state of Tennessee. And the Vols’ fight song, “Rocky Top” (1967), was composed by Nashville songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.

Sources:

Image: Clipping from the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine (11 Jan. 1999)

Baby names with ICE: Icelynn, Vicente, Clarice

Ice (frozen water)
Ice (frozen water)

Looking for baby names that contain the word ICE?

If so, you’re in luck!

Because below you’ll find a long list of names that contain the letter sequence “i-c-e.” Most of these names come directly from the U.S. SSA’s baby name data.

  • Adelice
  • Aicen
  • Alice
  • Alicen
  • Alicent
  • Altrice
  • Amice
  • Analice
  • Andice
  • Aniceta, Aniceto
  • Annice
  • Antrice
  • Ardice
  • Aricel
  • Ariceli
  • Aricela, Aricella
  • Arlice
  • Armistice
  • Arnice
  • Artice
  • Avice
  • Beatrice
  • Bellatrice
  • Berenice
  • Bernice, Burnice
  • Bicente
  • Boice
  • Brandice
  • Brenice
  • Brice
  • Briceida, Briceyda
  • Bricelyn, Bricelynn
  • Bricen
  • Briceton
  • Candice, Kandice
  • 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
  • Eunice
  • Eurydice
  • Eustice
  • Fabrice
  • Farice
  • Felice
  • Floice
  • Florice
  • Gicel, Gicelle
  • Gicela
  • Gladice
  • Glenice, Glennice
  • Glorice
  • Gloricely
  • Glynice
  • Graice
  • Graicen
  • Gricel
  • Gricela
  • Gricelda
"Ice" (diamonds)
“Ice” (diamonds)
  • 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
  • Jaiceon
  • Jaicere
  • Jalice
  • Jamice
  • Janice, Jannice
  • Jaurice
  • Jenice, Genice
  • Jicela
  • Joice
  • Justice
  • Kaice
  • Kaicee, Kaicey
  • Kaicen
  • 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
  • Marice
  • Maricel
  • Maricela, Maricella
  • Maricelda
  • Markice, Marquice
  • Marnice
  • Martice
  • Marticela
  • Martrice
  • Maurice, Morice, Mourice
  • Mauriceo
  • Mellicent
  • Mertice
  • Millicent, Milicent
  • Monice
  • Montrice
  • Myrtice
  • Odice
  • Olice, Ollice
  • Onice
  • Orice
  • Ottice
  • Patrice
  • Petrice
  • Prentice
  • Price
  • 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
  • Ulices
  • Valice
  • Vanice
  • Venice
  • Verenice
  • Vernice
  • Veronice
  • Vetrice
  • Viatrice
  • Vice
  • Vicenta
  • Vicente
  • Vicey
  • Vonice
  • Vontrice
  • Wallice
  • Yanice
  • Yaricelis
  • Yicel

Some of the above are non-traditional spellings of more common names such as Araceli, Demetrius, Isis, and Wallace.

Which ICE name do you like most? Let me know in the comments!

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.

Sources: SSA, FamilySearch.org

Images:

Name quotes #114: Eilat, Chelsea, Senna, Teddy Jack

double quotation mark

Here’s a batch of quotes for the final month of 2022!

From a late 2021 opinion piece, “Every Jewish name tells a Jewish story,” in the Jerusalem Post:

After the 1967 Six Day War, Israelis created names that were lovely and filled with hope. Tal, Elizur, Sharona were born. And names of cities and towns became first names – Sinai, Golan, Eilat are a few. The ’67 war was a watershed for hope in Israel and it was reflected in these new names.

From a recent study of American Jewish names by Sarah Bunin Benor and Alicia B. Chandler:

Over the decades, American Jews became more and more likely to give their children names of Jewish origin (English or Hebrew Biblical, Modern Hebrew, etc.), with a major uptick after the 1960s. 14% of Jews in the oldest age group have names of Jewish origin, compared to 63% in the youngest group. The top 10 names for Jewish girls and boys in each decade reflect these changes, such as Ellen and Robert in the 1950s, Rebecca and Joshua in the 1970s, and Noa and Ari in the 2010s.

From the book Christian Names in Local and Family History (2004) by George Redmonds:

Other regional concentrations worth noting are Edith in Dorset, Felice and Petronille in Staffordshire and Amice in Leicestershire, but a close examination of the evidence reveals significant small ‘clusters’ right down the list. Typical of these are Goda (East Anglia), Godelena (Kent) and Osanne, the last of these found only in Spalding in Lincolnshire. It derives from ‘Hosanna’, a Hebrew word used as an appeal to God for deliverance, which was adopted into Christian worship as a more general expression of praise.

Osanne started being used as a baptismal name during the twelfth century, “possibly to commemorate a birth on Palm Sunday.”

From a Yahoo News UK article about Chelsea Bottomley and her son Stamford, who were named after the football club and the club’s stadium (respectively):

Named after the London club’s Stamford Bridge stadium, Stamford has cerebral palsy which, according to the NHS, affects movement and coordination — and impaired vision is common for children with the lifelong condition.

[…]

She added: “My mum had named me Chelsea after the club and, when my boy was born, my mum was such a strong support for me that I named him Stamford for her.”

And, finally, a line from a New York Post story about a baby born aboard an airplane in September:

Skylen Kavon-Air Francis, who was named after his airborne arrival, was carried off the plane as everyone clapped and welcomed the new passenger.

From Cosmopolitan, a quote about the name of Cardi B’s sister Hennessy:

Yes, she’s named after the alcohol and yes, the story’s amazing.

While Bacardi is not Cardi B’s real name, Hennessy is most definitely her sister’s original moniker. Why? Because her father showed up drunk on Hennessy when she was born and insisted on naming her after his drink of choice.

From Rolling Stone, a quote about a baby named after a Gary Busey character:

[Leon] Russell’s son Teddy Jack, who was named after a Busey character from a regional TV show he performed on named Teddy Jack Eddy, produced Busey’s new project, his first solo release.

From an article comparing the relative popularity of twin professional hockey players Daniel and Henrik Sedin by looking at the B.C. baby name data:

[T]he name Henrik magically first started appearing on B.C. baby announcements in 2007, which, maybe not so coincidentally, was also the year following the Sedins’ breakout season.

[…]

Interestingly, the largest spike — a total of 13 baby Henriks — came in 2011, which coincides with the Canucks’ march to the Stanley Cup Final.

From an article about the divorce of Lady Davina Windsor, 30th in line to the British throne, from husband Gary “Gazza” Lewis, a Maori sheep shearer:

Lady Davina gave birth to a daughter, Senna Kowhai, who is now aged eight, and a son, Tane Mahuta, six. He was named after the giant Tane Mahuta kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest, in New Zealand.

(Here’s more on the famous Tane Mahuta tree. The name Kowhai was also inspired by New Zealand tree.)

Baby name story: Boudleaux

Felice & Boudleaux Bryant album
Felice & Boudleaux Bryant album

Does the name “Boudleaux Bryant” ring a bell?

Boudleaux (pronounced bood-low) and his wife Felice were a very successful songwriting team active from the 1940s until the 1980s. Among their hits were several Everly Brothers songs, such as “Wake Up Little Susie.”

Where did Bouleaux’s unique name come from?

It was actually his middle name; he was born Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant in Georgia in 1920. His father fought in World War I, and at one point a French soldier named Boudleaux — or something similar — saved his life.

(I say “or something similar” because, doing records searches, I can only find a handful of people with the surname Boudleaux. Yet I see tens of thousands with the surname Boudreaux. So I wonder if the father either misheard the name or intentionally jazzed it up a bit.)

Boudleaux Bryant’s four siblings were sisters LaFontissee and Danise and brothers Neruda LeVigne and Jascha Mascagni.

Boudleaux’s wife/writing partner Felice was born with the name Matilda. She later adopted “Felice” because it was a pet name that Boudleaux had given to her.

(Playwright Ketti Frings also wrote under a husband-bestowed pet name.)

Sources: