How popular is the baby name Guinevere in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Guinevere.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Guinevere


Posts that Mention the Name Guinevere

What turned Taffy into a baby name in 1943?

The character Lt. Taffy Tucker from the comic strip "Terry and the Pirates," drawn by Milton Caniff.
Lt. Taffy Tucker

Taffy isn’t just a type of candy — it’s also a name, and it debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1943:

  • 1947: 12 baby girls named Taffy
  • 1946: 6 baby girls named Taffy
  • 1945: unlisted
  • 1944: 5 baby girls named Taffy
  • 1943: 6 baby girls named Taffy [debut]
  • 1942: unlisted
  • 1941: unlisted

Why?

Because of Taffy Tucker, a new character introduced in the Terry and the Pirates comic strip during 1942.

Titular character Terry Lee joined the military in 1942, and there he met new people, including Taffy Tucker, an Army nurse, and Flip Corkin, an Army flight instructor (who was also Taffy’s boyfriend).

Taffy Tucker was a “spunky, dedicated nurse, hardworking and tireless, cheerful and caring and always feminine.”

"Terry and the Pirates" comic book

At one point in the storyline, Taffy was kidnapped by a Japanese agent. She was beaten and left for dead in the interior of China. Thankfully, she was eventually rescued by Terry and Flip.

It took cartoonist Milton Caniff about three months to create the character:

[He] spent several days just worrying about a name for Taffy. Since he visualized her as a pert, snub-nosed girl from Georgia, he wanted a name with a typically Old South sound. He finally settled on Guinevere Marianne Tucker, nicknamed Taffy because of her candy-colored hair. She had to be short, because she was scheduled to fall in love with Flip Corkin, who is short, and she had to be blond [sic] for contrast with Flip, who is dark.

Caniff had modeled Taffy after a photo of real-life WWII military nurse Bernice Taylor of Kansas.

What do you think of Taffy as a baby name?

Sources:

P.S. The name Taffy got a slight boost around 1949 thanks to the film The Doctor and the Girl, in which the young Dr. Corday has a love interest named Evelyn “Taffy” Heldon who operates a taffy machine in a candy store.

P.P.S. Other Terry and the Pirates-inspired baby names include Normandie, Merrily, and Raven.

Numerology & baby names: Number 7

Baby names with a numerological value of 7

 

Here are hundreds of baby names that have a numerological value of “7.”

I’ve sub-categorized them by overall totals, because I think that some of the intermediate numbers could have special significance to people as well.

Within each group, I’ve listed up to ten of the most popular “7” names per gender (according to the current U.S. rankings).

Beneath all the names are some ways you could interpret the numerological value of “7,” including descriptions from two different numerological systems.

7

The girl name Aada adds up to 7.

7 via 16

The following baby names add up to 16, which reduces to seven (1+6=7).

  • “16” girl names: Ana, Jada, Alba, Heba, Fia, Jae, Adaia, Adja, Cece, Daja
  • “16” boy names: Chad, Cal, Jae, Cage, Efe, Dak, Che, Adib, Abdi, Ehab

7 via 25

The following baby names add up to 25, which reduces to seven (2+5=7).

  • “25” girl names: Cali, Amaia, Jaida, Baila, Naia, Ahana, Danae, Ania, Laci, Adara
  • “25” boy names: Jack, Gael, Aaden, Aedan, Abbas, Jan, Asad, Saad, Ahaan, Ike

7 via 34

The following baby names add up to 34, which reduces to seven (3+4=7).

  • “34” girl names: Grace, Amara, Lila, Thea, Amanda, Elle, Danna, Anne, Bailee, Della
  • “34” boy names: Micah, Jaden, Chance, Hank, Noe, Carl, Chaim, Canaan, Kacen, Neo

7 via 43

The following baby names add up to 43, which reduces to seven (4+3=7).

  • “43” girl names: Chloe, Ellie, Alexa, Andrea, Gracie, Ember, Annie, Talia, Alanna, Karla
  • “43” boy names: Finn, Mark, Derek, Rafael, Iker, Beckham, Jaiden, Keegan, Erik, Aarav

7 via 52

The following baby names add up to 52, which reduces to seven (5+2=7).

  • “52” girl names: Hazel, Nova, Naomi, Aubree, Reese, Arabella, Dakota, Charlee, Nyla, Jimena
  • “52” boy names: Cayden, Dakota, Seth, Raul, Cason, Jamari, Reese, Marcel, Keanu, Ishaan

7 via 61

The following baby names add up to 61, which reduces to seven (6+1=7).

  • “61” girl names: Isabella, Lucy, Adelyn, Catalina, Mckenna, Luciana, Miracle, Jolene, Aylin, Meadow
  • “61” boy names: Roman, Kevin, Luis, Maddox, Calvin, Richard, Andres, Corbin, Nasir, Remy

7 via 70

The following baby names add up to 70, which reduces to seven (7+0=7).

  • “70” girl names: Eleanor, Ashley, Lilly, Alexis, Lilliana, Kenzie, Alison, Sierra, Francesca, Lilith
  • “70” boy names: Henry, Carson, Ryder, Josue, Simon, Walker, Rylan, Finnegan, Otto, Philip

7 via 79

The following baby names add up to 79, which reduces to seven (7+9=16; 1+6=7).

  • “79” girl names: Rosalie, Maddison, Cheyenne, Ashlyn, Haisley, Evalyn, Adilynn, Harriet, Kyndall, Beatrix
  • “79” boy names: William, Lincoln, Connor, Colton, Xavier, Walter, Gunner, Warren, Harvey, Frederick

7 via 88

The following baby names add up to 88, which reduces to seven (8+8=16; 1+6=7).

  • “88” girl names: Elizabeth, Penelope, Journee, Jazlyn, Madelynn, Sylvia, Katelyn, Karsyn, Poppy, Kassidy
  • “88” boy names: Antonio, Francisco, Kashton, Jaxxon, Karsyn, Terrence, Immanuel, Santos, Brenton, Zephaniah

7 via 97

The following baby names add up to 97, which reduces to seven (9+7=16; 1+6=7).

  • “97” girl names: Victoria, Stephanie, Evelynn, Jacqueline, Kathryn, Itzayana, Emmalynn, Yvette, Millicent, Josephina
  • “97” boy names: Anthony, Brantley, Bronson, Valentin, Jonathon, Tyrone, Johnpaul, Kentrell, Stephon, Marshawn

7 via 106

The following baby names add up to 106, which reduces to seven (1+0+6=7).

  • “106” girl names: Waverly, Honesty, Anniston, Krystal, Guinevere, Wilhelmina, Precious, Kaitlynn, Yulissa, Skarlett
  • “106” boy names: Russell, Trenton, Westyn, Miguelangel, Deanthony, Aurelius, Robinson, Tayvion, Hendrixx, Keyshawn

7 via 115

The following baby names add up to 115, which reduces to seven (1+1+5=7).

  • “115” girl names: Serenity, Trinity, Remington, Charleston, Brynnley, Winslow, Lilyrose, Everlynn, Yoselyn, Alexzandria
  • “115” boy names: Remington, Triston, Charleston, Trayvon, Winslow, Josemanuel, Reymundo, Whittaker, Tyrique, Trinity

7 via 124

The following baby names add up to 124, which reduces to seven (1+2+4=7).

  • “124” girl names: Rozlynn, Yatziry, Gwynevere, Brynlynn, Yaritzy, Vyolette, Graycelynn, Persayus, Gwendolyne, Maryruth
  • “124” boy names: Harrington, Thornton, Maxximus, Martavius, Treyveon, Winchester, Princetyn, Quinnton, Trayvion, Uchechukwu

7 via 133

The following baby names add up to 133, which reduces to seven (1+3+3=7).

  • “133” girl names: Gwendolynn, Tonantzin, Sigourney
  • “133” boy names: Theophilus, Princeston, Stevenson, Rutherford, Treyshawn, Rodriquez, Zulqarnain, Treyvonn

7 via 142

The following baby names add up to 142, which reduces to seven (1+4+2=7).

  • “142” girl names: Courtlynn, Scottlynn, Iyanuoluwa, Sutherlyn, Christlynn
  • “142” boy names: Huntington, Konstantine, Naetochukwu, Iyanuoluwa, Marquavius

7 via 151

The following baby names add up to 151, which reduces to seven (1+5+1=7).

  • “151” girl names: Montserrath, Victorious

7 via 160

The boy name Arinzechukwu adds up to 160, which reduces to seven (1+6+0=7).

7 via 169

The boy name Somtochukwu adds up to 169, which reduces to seven (1+6+9=16; 1+6=7).

What Does “7” Mean?

First, we’ll look at the significance assigned to “7” by two different numerological sources. Second, and more importantly, ask yourself if “7” or any of the intermediate numbers above have any special significance to you.

Numerological Attributes

“7” (the heptad) according to the Pythagoreans: …

  • “Since everything comes together and is distinguished by coincidence and in a critical manner at the place of the hebdomad [group of seven], they called it ‘critical time’ and ‘Chance,’ and custom has entrenched the habit of saying ‘critical time and Chance’ together.”
  • “Many things, both in the heavens of the universe and on the Earth – celestial bodies and creatures and plants – are in fact brought to completion by it. And that is why it is called ‘Chance,’ because it accompanies everything which happens, and ‘critical time,’ because it has gained the most critical position and nature.”
  • “It is also called ‘that which brings completion,’ for seven-month children are viable.”
  • “Everything is fond of sevens.”
  • “It is called ‘forager’ because its structure has been collected and gathered together in a manner resembling unity, since it is altogether indissoluble, except into something which has the same denominator as itself”

“7” according to Edgar Cayce:

  • “Seven is the spiritual number” (reading 261-15).
  • “As does seven signify the spiritual forces, as are seen in all the ritualistic orders of any nature” (reading 5751-1).
Personal/Cultural Significance

Does “7” — or do any of the other numbers above (e.g., 25, 43, 88, 151) — have any special significance to you?

Think about your own preferences and personal experiences: lucky numbers, birth dates, music, sports, and so on. Maybe you like how “88” reminds you of piano keys, for example.

Also think about associations you may have picked up from your culture, your religion, or society in general.

If you have any interesting insights about the number 7, or any of the other numbers above, please leave a comment!

Source: Theologumena Arithmeticae, attributed to Iamblichus (c.250-c.330).

Name quotes #41: Gaenor, Ransom, O’Shea

double quotation mark

Here’s the latest batch…

From the novel The Notorious Miss Lisle (1911) by Mrs. Baillie Reynolds:

“The notorious Miss Lisle had the most weird Christian name you ever heard of — let’s see now, what was it? Not Guinevere, nor Gwendolen — Oh, yes, I have it. Gaenor! G, a, e, n, o, r! Did you ever hear such a name as that?”

From “Do Weird Baby Names Indicate Selfishness Or Love? Yes” by Joy Pullmann of The Federalist:

Our first child has a rather weird name. Ransom is a genuine, old name, but the effects of choosing it actually made me determined not to make such an ethereal pick again. I’ve finally joined my husband on the plain-vanilla baby names bandwagon, just as everyone.s getting off it.

[…]

Our son’s name means a great deal to us because it in fact does signal our family’s ties to something greater than even each other. It’s an enduring mark of gratitude for a faith that kept me from killing a child I didn’t want. That faith and that child ransomed me from selfishness (or at least some selfishness). So it may be and is indeed likely that other people’s children, whatever their names, can and have performed similar acts of mercy even just by existing. And how would an onlooker know whether an unusual name signifies parental self-absorption or self-sacrifice?

They wouldn’t. But, all the same, our next baby will have a meaningful name that other people have heard before.

From “Why Google’s smart assistant doesn’t have a name like Siri, Alexa, or Cortana” by Jillian D’Onfro of Business Insider:

Assistant’s lack of personality was quite intentional, according to Jonathan Jarvis, a former creative director on Google’s Labs team.

[…]

“We always wanted to make it feel like you were the agent, and it was more like a superpower that you had and a tool that you used,” he tells Business Insider. “If you create this personified assistant, that feels like a different relationship.”

For that reason, Assistant likely won’t be telling you jokes or serving up sassy responses, either.

We also heard while at I/O that Google didn’t want to give its assistant a gender or make it seem too American.

From “The Difficulty of Names” by Mami Suzuki of the blog Tofugu:

My name “Mami” (pronounced mommy) is a good example of this. Mami is quite a common name in Japan and mostly means “true beauty” or “true”, but in English, it just sounds like mother. Therefore, I always feel embarrassed when I introduce myself, because I have to say, “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Mami.” It’s pretty strange, isn’t it? “Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Mother. Say my name.” Even my teachers and my bosses have to call me Mommy!

From “Bye-bye Berlin: Wheels for name change set in motion 100 years ago” about the Ontario town of Kitchener (formerly Berlin):

Meanwhile, 100 years after it was nixed, the Berlin name is enjoying a bit of a minor renaissance in Kitchener.

Two businesses prominently featuring the name have opened in recent months: The Berlin restaurant and the Berlin Bicycle Café.

Andrea Hennige, the restaurant manager at The Berlin, says the name was chosen with an eye toward the area’s history.

“It’s a nod to the people who settled the area, who probably laid the bricks in this building,” she said in an interview.

Town residents voted to drop the name Berlin in 1916, during WWI. The name change ballot included the following options: Adanac (Canada spelled backwards), Benton, Brock, Corona, Keowana, and Kitchener. Speaking of ballots…

From “Maine”s GOP governor, veto record-holder, names new dog Veto” in The Seattle Times:

Republican Gov. Paul LePage, the state’s all-time veto champion, has named his new dog Veto.

LePage, who has earned renown for exercising his veto pen on bills he didn’t like, adopted a Jack Russell terrier mix from a shelter.

[…]

LePage chose the name Veto because his pet “is the mascot of good public policy, defender of the Maine people and protector of hardworking taxpayers from bad legislation,” his spokesman Peter Steele said.

Steele joked that the governor is going to train the dog to deliver vetoes from his office to legislative leaders.

From “Why There Are So Many More Names for Baby Girls” by Chris Wilson in TIME:

“The culture is much more accepting of out-there girls’ names,” says Matthew Hahn, a professor of biology and informatics at the University of Indiana who co-authored a 2003 study comparing baby name trends to evolutionary models. “The same goes for inventing new names.” For example, some formerly male-dominated names become predominantly female names, like Lindsey and Mckenzie, but it rarely goes the other way.

“The inventiveness in girl names has always led the boys,” says Alex Bentley, a professor in comparative cultural studies at the University of Houston and a co-author of the 2003 study, though he notes that, in the past decade, the rate at which people invent new boy names has caught up with the rate for girls.

From “Ever Wonder How Ice Cube Got His Name? Here’s Your Answer” by Angela Watercutter in Wired:

“My brother, he’s about nine years older than me, he used to have all kind of women calling the house and I would try to get at them,” the man known to the IRS as O’Shea Jackson says in this Google Autocomplete interview. “He got mad at that and said he was going to slam me in the freezer one day, and turn me into an ice cube. I said, ‘You know what? That’s a badge of honor.'”

How do you feel about your name, Jennifer?

microphone

“I love the sound of my name and the history of it deriving from Guinevere,” says Jennifer Marie, a 30-year-old who was born in Minnesota but is now living in Tennessee.

What’s the story behind her name?

I was born at 28w6d weighing only 3lbs8oz and being 13in in length. In short I was very early and very tiny. The doctors prepared my parents for the worst, so being Catholic, they wanted me named and baptized as soon as possible. Throughout their pregnancy, my parents had planned on naming Anastasia Marie nn Stacie if I was a girl and Nicholas Alexander if I was a boy (they didn’t know the sex). However, being born so early through a wrench in their plans. My grandma (mom’s mom) felt that Anastasia was too long of a name for such a little baby. Needing a name quickly and agreeing with my grandma, they chose Jennifer (like many other parents in 1982) with the nn Jennie/Jenny. They swear they didn’t know it was that popular. Ironically, Jennifer is only one letter less and one syllable less than Anastasia. Marie was kept as its a family mn; 13th generation on both sides of the family.

Is there anything she dislikes about her name?

I know most people would expect me to say I disliked the popularity of my name, and maybe at one point in my life I would have. However, I actually enjoy the link it has provided me to other people, creating friendships and conversation.

Usage of the baby name Jennifer peaked in the 1970s and 1980s.

Finally, would she recommend that expectant parents today use the name Jennifer?

I would recommend my name to today’s parents. Most people see it as a mom name, which makes it a pleasant surprise to meet a little Jennifer or Jenny.

Thank you, Jennifer!