How popular is the baby name Harlow 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 Harlow.

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Popularity of the baby name Harlow


Posts that mention the name Harlow

Keeping an eye on the name Swayze

Actor Patrick Swayze in the movie "Ghost" (1991)
Patrick Swayze in “Ghost“

The late ’80s and early ’90s were good to Patrick Swayze (pronounced SWAY-zee). In 1987 he was in the movie Dirty Dancing. In 1990 he was in the movie Ghost. In 1991, he was in the movie Point Break and also declared the “Sexiest Man Alive” by People magazine.

Not surprisingly, it was during this period the name Swayze started popping up in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1992: unlisted
  • 1991: 7 baby boys named Swayze
  • 1990: unlisted
  • 1989: 5 girls named Swayze [debut]
  • 1988: unlisted

But only twice. Then nothing…for more than a decade.

Swayze reappeared on the list in the mid-2000s, along with the spelling variant Swayzee:

  • 2008: unlisted
  • 2007: 5 baby girls names Swayzee [debut]
  • 2006: unlisted
  • 2005: 5 baby girls named Swayze
  • 2004: 6 baby girls named Swayze
  • 2003: unlisted

But things didn’t really heat up until a few years later.

Starting in 2009 — the year Patrick Swayze died of pancreatic cancer, sadly — we start to see more and more babies with the names Swayze, Swayzee, Swayzie and Swayzi:

  • 2012:
    • 52 baby girls and 13 baby boys named Swayze
    • 20 baby girls named Swayzee
    • 20 baby girls named Swayzie
    • 7 baby girls named Swayzi [debut]
  • 2011:
    • 26 baby girls and 6 baby boys named Swayze
    • 14 baby girls named Swayzie
    • 13 baby girls named Swayzee
  • 2010:
    • 17 baby girls and 7 baby boys named Swayze
    • 6 baby girls named Swayzie [debut]
  • 2009:
    • 5 baby boys named Swayze
    • 5 baby girls named Swayzee

If we condense the above, that’s 10 babies in 2009, 30 in 2010, 53 in 2011, and 112 in 2012. So, the number of babies with a Swayze-inspired name has been doubling every year.

Why the mini-explosion of Swayzes? I think it has to do with style. The name Swayze is reminiscent of Hollywood/celebrity (like Brando, Harlow, Monroe, Travolta) and it sounds very modern, especially with that kicky “zee” ending (like trendy Mackenzie).

Do you like Swayze as a baby name?

How popular do you think Swayze names will get?

P.S. Here’s one last Swayze-inspired name for you: Orry. It debuted in 1985 and was inspired by a Patrick Swayze’s character Orry Main from the TV miniseries North and South.

Source: SSA

Image: Screenshot of Ghost

Behind the celebrity baby name “Sparrow”

Last month, socialite Nicole Richie and musician Joel Madden welcomed their second child, Sparrow James Midnight Madden, who arrived a little after midnight. (Sparrow’s older sister, 20-month-old Harlow Winter Kate Madden, was born in January.)

Nicole and Joel had this to say about Sparrow’s name in the most recent issue of People:

How did you pick Sparrow’s name?

N: We have different tastes in names. Sparrow was one we both liked. I liked the way it sounded with Harlow, and there’s the Captain Jack Sparrow connection.

J: It reminded me of the Johnny Cash song “A Boy Named Sue.” My worry raising a son in Hollywood is what will he have to struggle for? I wanted to give him a name that he’s going to have to stand up for. I love it; I think it’s a beautiful name.

I do appreciate Joel’s reasoning. I like that he was thinking beyond style in considering the potential value this name might have for his son. He wants Sparrow to be able to defend himself, and his identity, when he’s older.

That said…I don’t know if an unusual name is the best way to teach a child how to “struggle for” something. Because an unusual name could potentially mess with a child’s self esteem.

What are your thoughts on the name Sparrow? (Does gender matter?)

Update, May 2011: Sparrow debuted as a boy name in the SSA data in 2010, likely thanks to celebrity baby Sparrow.

Source: Update: Meet Sparrow James Midnight Madden!