How popular is the baby name Flash 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 Flash.

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Popularity of the baby name Flash


Posts that mention the name Flash

Popular and unique baby names in Quebec (Canada), 2018

Flag of Quebec
Flag of Quebec

According to Retraite Québec, the most popular baby names in Quebec in 2018 were Emma and William.

Here are the province’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2018:

Girl Names

  1. Emma, 612 baby girls
  2. Alice, 525
  3. Olivia, 490
  4. Léa, 473
  5. Charlie, 450
  6. Florence, 439
  7. Charlotte, 437
  8. Livia, 378
  9. Zoé, 346
  10. Béatrice, 331

Boy Names

  1. William, 739 baby boys
  2. Logan, 636
  3. Liam, 629
  4. Thomas, 601
  5. Noah, 568
  6. Jacob, 540
  7. Léo, 536
  8. Félix, 496
  9. Édouard, 488
  10. Nathan, 483

In the girls’ top 10, Livia (formerly ranked 21st) replaced Rosalie (now ranked 13th).

In the boys’ top 10, Félix (formerly ranked 14th) and Édouard (formerly 13th) replaced Raphael (now ranked 12th) and Alexis (now 13th).

Here are some of the baby names that were bestowed just once in Quebec last year:

Unique Girl NamesUnique Boy Names
Aoss, Bellanie, Cinsmaya, Daphnelia, Eva-Eve, Faylissia, Feberly-Aena, Grey Winter, Himalaya, Imallak, Jiverfa, Kandzy, Kiev, Luthien Valkyrie, Mirberlie-Hendessa, Neebin, Nerlandia, Om Shanti, Orlyvine, Pompinea, Prindarella, Queency, Rymasse, Sarah Believe, Thrinity, Tullaugak, Vireldis, Westerlyn, Yzis, ZuliviaAliocha, Bienfait, Broxgar, Clovis Ludovic, Derda, Evanel, Flash Wilder, Gavner, Hollywood, Igor Rugwiro, Inukpuk, Jaynox, Jelijah, Kelebriel, Keo-Archibald, Ludwig-Thoddy, Myozion, Nash Yango, Onder, Pasko, Qalingo, Romerick, Seigneur, Smile, Surprise, Taviano, Tommy Gunn, Valois, Villani, Wishley Jason, Yom Tov, Zyan Clyde

(I usually limit myself to one name per letter, but there was no way I could choose between “Seigneur,” “Smile” and “Surprise” on the boys’ list.)

Possible explanations for some of the above:

  • Aliocha Schneider, Canadian actor (born Nicolas Schneider)
  • Bien fait, French for “well done”
  • Himalaya, the mountain range in Asia (means “abode of snow” in Sanskrit)
  • Om Shanti, the salutation/chant (shanti means “peace” in Sanskrit)
  • Seigneur, originally a French title referring to a feudal lord
  • Tommy Gunn, short for Thompson submachine gun
  • Yom Tov, the Jewish greeting (shortened from yamim tovim, “good days,” referring to Jewish holidays)

In 2017, the top two names were the same.

Source: List of Baby Names – Retraite Québec

Image: Adapted from Flag of Quebec (public domain)

The baby name Tash

Many of the earliest English surnames referred to places: places of birth, places of residence, workplaces, and so forth. These location-based surnames ranged from very broad descriptions (e.g., a cardinal point) to very narrow ones (e.g., a tree, a field).

Tash is one of the latter. It was derived from the Middle English phrase atten asche, meaning “at the ash (tree).”

The Middle English word asche comes from the Old English word æsc, which mainly referred to the tree, but in certain contexts also meant “spear.” Ash wood was a particularly popular wood for spear-shafts, as it’s both strong and flexible.

(This strong-but-flexible quality also made ash an in-demand construction material during the early days of automobiles and airplanes. The very first airplane, the 1903 Wright Flyer, was made of ash and spruce.)

Here’s an early example of “atten Asche” being used as a surname: in 1326, a man named William atten Asche received one-and-a-half acres land in Walton (now part of Aylesbury) from a man named John atte Grene.

Surnames became hereditary in England during the centuries following the Norman Conquest. As the phrase “atten Asche” was passed down to successive generations, it evolved into diverse forms.

Modern surnames that can ultimately be traced back to “atten Asche” include not only Tash but also Ash, Ashe, Nash, Nashe, Nayshe, Naish, Tashe, Tasch, Tasche, Tesh, Tesche and Tosh.

Of these, Nash is the one that occurs most frequently in the United States. It’s followed by Ash and Ashe. Tash, in comparison, is much less common.

So has the surname Tash ever been used as a first name?

Yes, but rarely. The baby name Tash has only appeared on the national list a handful of times: exactly 3 times as a girl name and 3 times as a boy name. And only one of those appearances has happened since the turn of the century:

  • 2014: unlisted
  • 2013: unlisted
  • 2012: 5 baby boys named Tash
  • 2011: unlisted
  • 2010: unlisted
  • 2009: unlisted
  • 2008: unlisted
  • 2007: unlisted
  • 2006: unlisted
  • 2005: unlisted
  • 2004: unlisted
  • 2003: unlisted
  • 2002: unlisted
  • 2001: unlisted
  • 2000: unlisted

This means that the name Tash is usually given to fewer than 5 baby boys and fewer than 5 baby girls per year in the U.S.

The rarity of Tash as a standalone first name (as opposed to a nickname for Natasha, Latasha, etc.) possibly reflects its rarity as a surname. In other words, parents may be opting for Tash less often than Nash, Ash and Ashe simply because they aren’t aware that it exists.

This makes me think there’s some untapped potential here, as -ash names in general have become trendy within the last few years. Right now there are four -ash names in the boys’ top 1,000:

  • Cash, ranked 275th
  • Nash, ranked 364th
  • Kash, ranked 371st
  • Dash, ranked 951st

Other -ash names on the SSA’s list right now include Crash and Flash. As fringe as these may sound, they’re still more popular than Tash!

The name Tash is snappy, stylish, and totally unexpected. And it’s associated with nature — a big plus for many people.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Tash?

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Magnificent Ash tree Higher Wraxall by Nigel Mykura under CC BY-SA 2.0.

The top boy-name debuts of 2014

lotus bud

The movie-inspired Llewyn was the top debut name for baby boys in 2014.

Of all the boy names appearing for the very first time on a Social Security Administration baby name list in 2014, the following were the most popular:

1. Llewyn, 38 baby boys
2. Keylor, 34
3. Feynman, 15
4. Sanav, 15
5. Jadaveon, 14
6. Rudransh, 14
7. Cavani, 13
8. Haigen, 13
9. Amirali, 12
10. Kharson, 12
11. Teller, 12
12. Alisher,11
13. Kavir, 11
14. Raynav, 11
15. Zacardi, 11

And a handful from the 10-and-under group: Crusoe, Adagio, Briggston/Brigston, Jetzael, Tyking, Voss, Coast, Cobalt, Flash, Liamgabriel, Roux, Acamas, Clutch, Kingcharles, Menachemmendel, Stallone, Winchester, Wrett, Bangaly, Billion, Cohutta, Knoxville, Legendary, Renegade, Rocker.

Where do the names above come from? Here are some explanations:

  • Llewyn – from the Coen brothers’ film “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013).
  • Keylor – from Costa Rican footballer (goalkeeper) Keylor Navas, who made some notable saves during the 2014 World Cup.
  • Jadaveon – from American football player Jadeveon Clowney, who was a first round draft pick in 2014.
  • Cavani – from Uruguayan footballer (striker) Edinson Cavani, who also appeared in the 2014 World Cup.
  • Zacardi – from Zacardi Cortez, American gospel musician, whose second album came out in 2014.

Can you come up with explanations for any of the others?

Here are the boy name debuts for 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010.

U.S. Baby Names 2014: Most popular names, Top girl-name debuts, Top boy-name debuts, Biggest girl-name changes, Biggest boy-name changes, Top first letters, Top lengths

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from LotusBud0048a (public domain) by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri