How popular is the baby name Francis 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 Francis.

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Popularity of the baby name Francis


Posts that mention the name Francis

Where did the baby name Raef come from in 1966?

The character Raef del Grado from the movie "You're a Big Boy Now" (1966).
Raef from “You’re a Big Boy Now“

Up until the 1990s, the name Raef was just a one-time blip in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1968: unlisted
  • 1967: unlisted
  • 1966: 5 baby boys named Raef [debut]
  • 1965: unlisted
  • 1964: unlisted

Where did it come from in the mid-1960s?

The source seems to be the early Francis Ford Coppola movie You’re a Big Boy Now, a coming-of-age comedy set in Manhattan that came out in late 1966. It featured a character named Raef del Grado (played by Tony Bill) who worked with the main character, Bernard, at the New York Public library and offered him advice on his love life.

Decades later, in 2002, usage of the name peaked thanks to professional basketball player Raef LaFrentz, who was playing for the Denver Nuggets at the time:

  • 2004: 17 baby boys named Raef
  • 2003: 25 baby boys named Raef
  • 2002: 38 baby boys named Raef
    • 5 born in Colorado
  • 2001: 10 baby boys named Raef
  • 1999: 6 baby boys named Raef

What are your thoughts on the baby name Raef?

Sources: You’re a Big Boy Now – Wikipedia, Raef LaFrentz – Wikipedia

The names Seventeen, Eighteen, and Nineteen

Baker family on the 1880 U.S. Census
Baker family, 1880 U.S. Census

Yesterday’s post on the Rosado family of Brazil reminded me of a Tennessee family I spotted in the 1880 U.S. Census.

The parents were Stephen and Maria Baker, ages 52 and 45, and the three youngest children were listed as…

  • Billy (?) Seventeen (male, age 4)
  • Lady Eighteen (female, age 3)
  • Aurilla Nineteen (female, age 0)

My hunch is that they were the 17th, 18th, and 19th children, but I haven’t been able to verify it yet.

The older children still at home in 1880 were named Millie, Buddy, Willie, and Albert.

On the 1870 U.S. Census, the family’s children were listed as Rachel, James, Francis, Florence, Milley, Budie, and Wm (an abbreviation for William).

Pilgrim surnames for Thanksgiving

Painting "Signing the Mayflower Compact 1620" (1899) by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris

Thanksgiving is almost here!

I’ve already posted about Pilgrim names and Pilgrim baby names, so this year let’s try Pilgrim surnames. Would any of them make good baby names?

Here are the 37 surnames of the 41 men who signed the Mayflower Compact:

  1. Alden (John Alden)
  2. Allerton (Isaac Allerton, John Allerton)
  3. Billington (John Billington)
  4. Bradford (William Bradford)
  5. Brewster (William Brewster)
  6. Britteridge (Richard Britteridge)
  7. Browne (Peter Browne)
  8. Carver (John Carver)
  9. Chilton (James Chilton)
  10. Clarke (Richard Clarke)
  11. Cooke (Francis Cooke)
  12. Crackstone (John Crackstone)
  13. Doty (Edward Doty)
  14. Eaton (Francis Eaton)
  15. English (Thomas English)
  16. Fletcher (Moses Fletcher)
  17. Fuller (Samuel Fuller, Edward Fuller)
  18. Gardiner (Richard Gardiner)
  19. Goodman (John Goodman)
  20. Hopkins (Stephen Hopkins)
  21. Howland (John Howland)
  22. Lester (Edward Lester)
  23. Margeson (Edmund Margeson)
  24. Martin (Christopher Martin)
  25. Mullins (William Mullins)
  26. Priest (Degory Priest)
  27. Rigsdale (John Rigsdale)
  28. Rogers (Thomas Rogers)
  29. Soule (George Soule)
  30. Standish (Myles Standish)
  31. Tilley (Edward Tilley, John Tilley)
  32. Tinker (Thomas Tinker)
  33. Turner (John Turner)
  34. Warren (Richard Warren)
  35. White (William White)
  36. Williams (Thomas Williams)
  37. Winslow (Edward Winslow, Gilbert Winslow)

Some aren’t too appropriate (I’m looking at you, Crackstone!) but I think many of the others — Martin, Warren, Brewster, Fletcher, Lester — would be great options for Thanksgiving Day babies.

Which of the above surnames would you be most likely to use as a first name?

Source: Mayflower Compact signatories – Wikipedia

Unusual real name: Annexation

Annexation Beitel on the 1860 U.S. Census
Beitel family of Texas on 1860 U.S. Census

On October 1, 1845, a baby girl was born in Texas to German immigrants Joseph and Elizabeth Beitel.

What did they name their daughter? Annexation.

Why? Probably to celebrate the annexation of the Republic of Texas by the United States.

In February of 1845 — during the last days of the presidency of John Tyler — the U.S. Congress voted in favor of admitting Texas to the Union. That the summer and fall, Texas assented to the annexation and drew up a new constitution. Finally, in late December, President James K. Polk signed the annexation bill into law, making Texas the 28th state.

Though she’s listed as “Annexation” on both the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Censuses, Annexation Beitel seemed to prefer the nicknames “Anna” and “Annie” during her lifetime, as this is how her name appears in most other places.

Joseph and Elizabeth also had at least eight other children from the 1830s to the 1850s. Here are the names of all nine, from oldest to youngest:

  • Charles
  • Catherine
  • Francis
  • Elizabeth
  • Henry
  • Annexation
  • Rudolph
  • Louisa
  • Josephine
  • Albert

Sources: FamilySearch, Find a Grave, Texas annexation – Wikipedia

Image: Clipping of the 1860 U.S. Census