How popular is the baby name Heath 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 Heath.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Heath


Posts that Mention the Name Heath

How did “The Big Valley” influence baby names in the 1960s?

Title of the TV series "The Big Valley" (1965-1969)

TV western The Big Valley (1965-1969) was set in California’s San Joaquin Valley in the 1870s.

It followed the wealthy, ranch-owning Barkley family, which was headed by widowed matriarch Victoria (played by Barbara Stanwyck).

Victoria had five adult children — Jarrod, Nick, Audra, Heath, and Eugene* — and three of the five ended up having a big influence on U.S. baby names…

big valley, baby name, jarrod, 1960s

Jarrod Barkley, Victoria’s eldest son, was a respected attorney. The name Jarrod debuted in the baby name data in 1965, and by 1966 usage had increased by more than a factor of 10:

  • 1969: 318 baby boys named Jarrod (rank: 443rd)
  • 1968: 353 baby boys named Jarrod (rank: 410th)
  • 1967: 263 baby boys named Jarrod (rank: 469th)
  • 1966: 219 baby boys named Jarrod (rank: 511th)
  • 1965: 21 baby boys named Jarrod [debut]
  • 1964: unlisted

Other forms of the name also got a boost, from the traditional spelling (Jared) to several other brand-new spellings (including Jerrid, Jarrad, and Jarred — the highest-debuting male name of 1966).

big valley, baby name, heath, 1960s

Heath Barkley was the illegitimate son of Victoria’s late husband. (Victoria eventually accepted him as her own.) The name Heath entered the top 1,000 in 1966:

  • 1969: 524 baby boys named Heath (rank: 344th)
  • 1968: 548 baby boys named Heath (rank: 326th)
  • 1967: 516 baby boys named Heath (rank: 329th)
  • 1966: 433 baby boys named Heath (rank: 361st)
  • 1965: 37 baby boys named Heath
  • 1964: 10 baby boys named Heath

One variant, Heith, emerged in the data in 1966. (Not surprising, given the popularity of Keith at the time.)

big valley, baby name, audra, 1960s

Audra Barkley was Victoria’s only daughter. The name Audra entered the top 1,000 in 1966 and saw peak usage in 1967:

  • 1969: 844 baby girls named Audra (rank: 310th)
  • 1968: 997 baby girls named Audra (rank: 273rd)
  • 1967: 1152 baby girls named Audra (rank: 246th) [peak]
  • 1966: 892 baby girls named Audra (rank: 283rd)
  • 1965: 90 baby girls named Audra
  • 1964: 15 baby girls named Audra

Finally, while neither Nick nor Eugene (who was on the series during the first season only) had much influence upon their respective names, at least one single-episode character made an impact.

Layle Johnson (played by Leslie Parrish) — a love-interest for Nick — appeared on the episode “Bounty on a Barkley,” which aired in February of 1968. The name Layle, which had appeared in the data once before as a boy name, returned that year as a girl name:

  • 1969: unlisted
  • 1968: 6 baby girls named Layle [debut for girls]
  • 1967: unlisted

Which of these Big Valley names do you like best?

Sources: The Big Valley – Wikipedia, “Bounty on a Barkley” – The Big Valley – IMDb

Fastest-rising U.S. baby names (relative increase), 1881 to today

arrow, increase

Many years ago, I published a list of the top debut baby names. A few years after that, I posted a list of the top one-hit wonder baby names.

So today let’s check out another fun set of “top” names: the top rises. The names below are those that increased the most in usage, percentage-wise, from one year to the next according to the SSA data.

Here’s the format: girl names are on the left, boy names are on the right, and the percentages represent single-year jumps in usage. (For example, from 1880 to 1881, usage of the girl name Isa grew 240% and usage of the boy name Noble grew 333%.)

  • 1881: Isa, 240%; Noble, 333%
  • 1882: Clementine, 300%; Clarance, 300%
  • 1883: Malissa, 243%; Alf, 150%
  • 1884: Belva, 1,220%; Grover, 532%
  • 1885: Phebe, 220%; Bryant, 200%
  • 1886: Felicia, 180%; Thornton, 240%
  • 1887: Ossie, 240%; Aubrey, 240%
  • 1888: Bennie, 250%; Thurman, 414%
  • 1889: Diana, 233%; Grady, 267%
  • 1890: Easter, 238%; Isaiah, 215%
  • 1891: Lutie, 200%; Colonel, 217%
  • 1892: Lollie, 271%; Pierce, 340%
  • 1893: Annabell, 240%; Lindsay, 320%
  • 1894: Versie, 320%; Alvie, 233%
  • 1895: Glenn, 283%; Alma, 220%
  • 1896: Vernice, 217%; Hobart, 744%
  • 1897: Sigrid, 200%; Roswell, 183%
  • 1898: Manila, 1,386%; Dewey, 606%
  • 1899: Tula, 280%; Rogers, 220%
  • 1900: Rosia, 480%; Wilber, 417%
  • 1901: Dellie, 180%; Kermit, 183%
  • 1902: Lolita, 420%; Judge, 260%
  • 1903: Rafaela, 280%; Jordan, 250%
  • 1904: Amber, 314%; Adelbert, 260%
  • 1905: Orma, 300%; Armand, 222%
  • 1906: Ena, 456%; Sheldon, 240%
  • 1907: Lota & Tula, 240%; Quincy, 183%
  • 1908: Bernetta & Nila, 260%; Taft, 288%
  • 1909: Laverna & Nevada, 267%; Toney, 300%
  • 1910: Cleopatra, 240%; Arturo & Sammy, 283%
  • 1911: Maryellen, 280%; Vincenzo & Wyman, 320%
  • 1912: Marina, 420%; Woodrow, 1,423%
  • 1913: Carroll, 263%; Rosendo, 320%
  • 1914: Lucyle, 280%; Irvine, 333%
  • 1915: Zudora, 460%; Charlton, 320%
  • 1916: Aldena, 291%; Tatsuo, 850%
  • 1917: Liberty, 617%; Masami, 338%
  • 1918: Kazuko, 320%; Quentin, 567%
  • 1919: Verbie, 300%; Belvin, 360%
  • 1920: Marcene, 386%; Harding, 718%
  • 1921: Elwanda, 1,860%; Gareth, 560%
  • 1922: Carley, 320%; Colie, 340%
  • 1923: Eris, 1,313%; Coolidge, 820%
  • 1924: Janeth, 517%; Phyllis, 260%
  • 1925: Murlene & Normalee, 260%; Estell & Unknown, 214%
  • 1926: Ileana, 633%; Jarrell & Lenoard, 240%
  • 1927: Charmaine, 825%; Lindbergh, 867%
  • 1928: Jeannine, 1,147%; Hoover, 522%
  • 1929: Dorla, 800%; Davey, 889%
  • 1930: Arlayne, 317%; Derl, 1,060%
  • 1931: Marlene, 745%; Colbert, 280%
  • 1932: Harlene, 270%; Delano, 1,057%
  • 1933: Sharleen, 425%; Delano, 289%
  • 1934: Adriana, 283%; Kelvin, 360%
  • 1935: Norita, 1,171%; Darwyn, 458%
  • 1936: Shelba, 2,667%; Lonzie, 320%
  • 1937: Deanna, 2,009%; Tyrone, 788%

The SSA data isn’t perfect, but it does get a lot more accurate starting in the late 1930s, because “many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security card, so their names are not included in our data” (SSA). Now, back to the list…

  • 1938: Danielle, 878%; Dion, 355%
  • 1939: Brenda, 308%; Hall, 280%
  • 1940: Scarlett, 743%; Clemmie, 257%
  • 1941: Jerilyn, 1,250%; Rulon, 250%
  • 1942: Michal, 1,520%; Macarthur, 2,740%
  • 1943: Shaaron, 456%; Suzanne, 240%
  • 1944: Dorinda, 568%; Kennedy, 280%
  • 1945: Lauren, 709%; Dorian, 220%
  • 1946: Jacalyn, 740%; Cornel, 533%
  • 1947: Jolinda, 388%; Brock, 364%
  • 1948: Sharman, 275%; Kevan, 260%
  • 1949: Lorry, 360%; Hanson, 240%
  • 1950: Vallorie, 717%; Brion, 400%
  • 1951: Krystal, 588%; Denise, 350%
  • 1952: Pandora, 1,100%; Corby & Wilhelm, 240%
  • 1953: Angelique, 1,157%; Shane, 392%
  • 1954: Sheree, 756%; Dain, 360%
  • 1955: Sabrina, 711%; Davy, 509%
  • 1956: Venetia, 543%; Cheyenne, 680%
  • 1957: Tammy, 1,591%; Tammy, 467%
  • 1958: Keely, 1,100%; Bret, 680%
  • 1959: Torri, 411%; Efrem, 963%
  • 1960: Lisha, 1,096%; Stephon, 1,200%
  • 1961: Marisol, 481%; Parrish, 1,460%
  • 1962: Penne, 447%; Chance, 350%
  • 1963: Tamiko, 1,440%; Tal, 617%
  • 1964: Deneen, 7,191%; Temple, 420%
  • 1965: Fontella, 880%; Branden, 340%
  • 1966: Tabatha, 9,900%; Heath, 1,070%
  • 1967: Anisa, 1,600%; Garrison, 320%
  • 1968: Coretta, 2,485%; Dustin, 778%
  • 1969: Lalena, 640%; Jeromy, 514%
  • 1970: Shiloh, 540%; Jermaine, 3,320%
  • 1971: Ashli, 1,900%; Jermaine, 494%
  • 1972: Catina, 9,033%; Demond, 3,920%
  • 1973: Cicely, 1,827%; Caine, 780%
  • 1974: Nakia, 16,100%; Rashad, 1,100%
  • 1975: Rasheda, 988%; Jamaal, 688%
  • 1976: Rhiannon, 1,713%; Seneca, 1,429%
  • 1977: Shawntae, 686%; Lavar, 5,480%
  • 1978: Aja, 3,407%; Dequan, 988%
  • 1979: Renada, 780%; Yoel, 525%
  • 1980: Genese, 1,920%; Rayshaun, 440%
  • 1981: Krystle, 1,623%; Cavin, 833%
  • 1982: Jere, 1,000%; Colt, 1,620%
  • 1983: Ciji, 2,950%; Remington, 657%
  • 1984: Santana, 3,467%; Ryne, 424%
  • 1985: Kayleigh, 2,914%; Jaymes, 769%
  • 1986: Kyrie, 3,180%; Orry, 789%
  • 1987: Janay, 1,168%; Jareth, 400%
  • 1988: Whitley, 916%; Nico, 860%
  • 1989: Audriana, 3,467%; Alexande, 4,917%
  • 1990: Alannah, 1,583%; Tevin, 4,569%
  • 1991: Tanairi, 820%; Devante, 1,356%
  • 1992: Darian, 703%; Jalen, 3,980%
  • 1993: Coraima, 4,320%; Savon, 2,457%
  • 1994: Aaliyah, 6,495%; Romario, 1,940%
  • 1995: Iridian, 1,845%; Tristin, 747%
  • 1996: Alanis, 1,047%; Json, 880%
  • 1997: Yulisa, 2,729%, Ennis, 620%
  • 1998: Jazsmin, 960%; Denilson, 900%
  • 1999: Tionne, 1,100%; Sincere, 647%
  • 2000: Litzy, 1,189%; Elian, 2,413%
  • 2001: Nevaeh, 1,111%; Jaheim, 5,440%
  • 2002: Lashanti, 2,060%; Omarion, 8,260%
  • 2003: Azeneth, 1,913%; Andon, 2,200%
  • 2004: Betzaida, 1,233%; Jakwon, 1,260%
  • 2005: Mikalah, 1,906%; Talan, 2,130%
  • 2006: Bethzy; 2,636%; Dereon, 1,217%
  • 2007: Jaslene, 9,920%; Leonidas & Renner, 700%
  • 2008: Dayami, 3,464%; Barack, 940%
  • 2009: Baya, 1,020%; Dhani, 520%
  • 2010: Collins, 1,557%; Bentlee, 733%
  • 2011: Thaily, 1,400%; Neymar, 900%
  • 2012: Cataleya, 2,182%; Long, 740%
  • 2013: Daleyza, 1,055%; Jaiceon, 1,057%
  • 2014: Aranza, 1,297%; Jameis, 720%
  • 2015: Vail, 700%; Rhydian, 667%
  • 2016: Kehlani, 571%; Kylo, 580%
  • 2017: Westlynn, 600%; Oseias, 1,080%
  • 2018: Maleni, 950%; Atreus, 1,888%
  • 2019: Yalitza, 1,490%; Ermias, 3,360%
  • 2020: Ehlani, 2,100%; Omere, 460%
  • 2021: Thyri, 1,033%; Calian, 914%
  • 2022: Debanhi, 1,164%; Myheir, 640%

(Did you catch all the doubles? Tula, Delano, Tammy, Jermaine, and Davey/Davy.)

I’ve already written about some of the names above (click the links to see the posts) and I plan to write about many of the others. In the meanwhile, though, feel free to beat me to it! Leave a comment and let us know what popularized Dorla in 1929, or Lauren in 1945, or Dustin in 1968, or Kayleigh in 1985, or Talan in 2005…

Saintly surnames: Bosco, Neri, Sheen, Talbot

saintly-surnames

Looking for a surname-inspired baby name with a connection to Catholicism?

Here are more than 200 options, most of which come from Catholic Englishmen martyred during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Because the goal was to include as many realistic baby names as possible, I interpreted “surname” and “saint” liberally in some cases. Xavier is not technically a surname, for instance, and many of the folks below are not yet full-fledged saints.

The hyperlinked names will take you to popularity graphs.

  1. Abel, for Bl. Thomas Abel (d. 1540) of England.
  2. Abbot, for Bl. Henry Abbot (d. 1597) of England.
  3. Albert, for Bl. Federico Albert (d. 1876) of Italy.
  4. Almond, for St. John Almond (d. 1612) of England.
  5. Amias, for Bl. John Amias (d. 1589) of England.
  6. Ancina, for Bl. John Juvenal Ancina (d. 1604) of Italy.
  7. Andleby, for Bl. William Andleby (d. 1597) of England.
  8. Aquinas, for St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) of Italy.
  9. Arrowsmith, for St. Edmund Arrowsmith (d. 1628) of England.
  10. Ashley, for Bl. Ralph Ashley (d. 1606) of England.
  11. Ashton, for Ven. Roger Ashton (d. 1592) of England.
  12. Atkinson, for Bl. Thomas Atkinson (d. 1616) of England.
  13. Aufield, for Bl. Thomas Aufield (d. 1585) of England.
  14. Barlow, for St. Ambrose Barlow (d. 1641) of England.
  15. Baylon, for St. Paschal Baylon (d. 1592) of Spain.
  16. Becket, from St. Thomas Becket (d. 1170) of England.
  17. Beesley, for Bl. George Beesley (d. 1591) of England.
  18. Belson, for Bl. Thomas Belson (d. 1589) of England.
  19. Bertie, for Servant of God Andrew Bertie (d. 2008) of England/Malta.
  20. Bertrand, for St. Louis Bertrand (d. 1581) of Spain/South America.
  21. Bessette, for St. André Bessette (d. 1937) of Canada.
  22. Bonzel, for Bl. Maria Theresia Bonzel (d. 1905) of Germany.
  23. Bosco, for St. John Bosco (d. 1888) of Italy.
  24. Bosgrave, for Bl. Thomas Bosgrave (d. 1594) of England.
  25. Bowes, for Bl. Marmaduke Bowes (d. 1585) of England.
  26. Briant, for St. Alexander Briant (d. 1581) of England.
  27. Britton, for Bl. John Britton (d. 1598) of England.
  28. Buxton, for Bl. Christopher Buxton (d. 1588) of England.
  29. Cabrini, for St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (d. 1917) of Italy/U.S.
  30. Campion, for St. Edmund Campion (d. 1581) of England.
  31. Carey, for Bl. John Carey (d. 1594) of England.
  32. Carter, for Bl. William Carter (b. 1584) of England.
  33. Casey, for Ven. Solanus Casey (d. 1957) of the U.S. (His religious name “Solanus” comes from St. Francis Solanus, below.)
  34. Cassant, for Bl. Pierre-Joseph Cassant (d. 1903) of France.
  35. Catherick, for Bl. Edmund Catherick (d. 1642) of England.
  36. Chanel, for St. Peter Chanel (d. 1841) of France.
  37. Claver, for St. Peter Claver (d. 1654) of Spain.
  38. Claxton, for Bl. James Claxton (d. 1588) of England.
  39. Collins, for Bl. Dominic Collins (d. 1602) of Ireland.
  40. Cope, for St. Marianne Cope (d. 1918) of Germany/U.S.
  41. Corbie, for Ven. Ralph Corbie (d. 1644) of Ireland.
  42. Cornelius, for Bl. John Cornelius (d. 1594) of England.
  43. Dalby, for Bl. Robert Dalby (d. 1589) of England.
  44. Daniel, for St. Antoine Daniel (d. 1648) of France/Canada.
  45. David, for Bl. Vicente Vilar David (1937) of Spain or Bl. Toros Oghlou David (d. 1895) of Armenia
  46. Davy, for Bl. John Davy (d. 1537) of England or Bl. Charlotte Davy (d. 1794) of France.
  47. Dean, for Bl. William Dean (d. 1588) of England.
  48. Dorie, for Bl. Pierre Henri Dorie (d. 1866) of France.
  49. Douglas, for Bl. George Douglas (d. 1587) of Scotland.
  50. Drexel, for St. Katharine Drexel (d. 1955) of the U.S.
  51. Drury, for Bl. Robert Drury (d. 1607) of England.
  52. Duff, for Servant of God Frank Duff (d. 1980) of Ireland.
  53. Duke, for Bl. Edmund Duke (d. 1590) of England.
  54. Durando, for Bl. Marco Antonio Durando (d. 1880) of Italy.
  55. Dutton, for Servant of God Joseph Dutton (d. 1931) of the U.S.
  56. Ebner, for Bl. Margareta Ebner (d. 1351) of Germany.
  57. Emmerich, for Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich (d. 1824) of Germany.
  58. Errico, for St. Gaetano Errico (d. 1860) of Italy.
  59. Errington, for Bl. George Errington (d. 1596) of England.
  60. Evans, for St. Philip Evans (d. 1679) of Wales.
  61. Faber, for St. Peter Faber (d. 1546) of France.
  62. Falzon, for Bl. Nazju Falzon (d. 1865) of Malta.
  63. Farina, for St. Giovanni Antonio Farina (d. 1888) of Italy.
  64. Fasani, for St. Francis Anthony Fasani (d. 1742) of Italy.
  65. Felton, for Bl. John Felton (d. 1570) in England.
  66. Fenn, for Bl. James Fenn (d. 1584) in England.
  67. Fenwick, for Bl. John Fenwick (d. 1679) of England.
  68. Ferrari, for Bl. Andrea Carlo Ferrari (d. 1921) of Italy.
  69. Ferrer, for St. Vincent Ferrer (d. 1419) of Spain.
  70. Filby, for Bl. William Filby (d. 1582) of England.
  71. Frassati, for Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati (d. 1925) of Italy.
  72. Fulthrop, for Bl. Edward Fulthrop (d. 1597) of England.
  73. Finch, for Bl. John Finch (d. 1584) of England.
  74. Fisher, for Bl. John Fisher (d. 1535) of England.
  75. Foley, for Servant of God Theodore Foley (d. 1974) of the U.S.
  76. Fontaine, for Bl. Marie-Madeleine Fontaine (d. 1794) of France.
  77. Forest, for Bl. John Forest (d. 1538) of England.
  78. Garnet, for St. Thomas Garnet (d. 1608) of England.
  79. Gavan, for Bl. John Gavan (d. 1679) of England.
  80. Gennings, for St. Edmund Gennings (d. 1591) of England.
  81. Gerard, for Bl. Jeanne Gerard (d. 1794) of France or Bl. Joseph Gérard, (d. 1914) of France/South Africa.
  82. Gerosa, for St. Vincentia Gerosa (d. 1847) of Italy.
  83. Gervase, for Bl. George Gervase (d. 1608) of England.
  84. Gibson, for Bl. William Gibson (d. 1596) of England.
  85. Goretti, for St. Maria Goretti (d. 1902) of Italy.
  86. Grove, for Bl. John Grove (d. 1679) of England.
  87. Gwyn, for St. Richard Gwyn (d. 1584) of Wales.
  88. Harrington, for Bl. William Harrington (d. 1594) of England.
  89. Heath, for Bl. Henry Heath (d. 1643) of England.
  90. Hewitt, for Bl. John Hewitt (d. 1588) of England.
  91. Higgins, for Bl. Peter Higgins (d. 1642) of Irish.
  92. Houghton, for St. John Houghton (d. 1535) of England.
  93. Howard, for St. Philip Howard (d. 1595) of England or for his grandson, Bl. William Howard (d. 1680) of England.
  94. Humphrey, for St. Lawrence Humphrey (d. 1590) of England.
  95. Hunt, for Bl. Thurston Hunt (d. 1601) of England.
  96. Ingleby, for Bl. Francis Ingleby (d. 1586) of England.
  97. Ingram, for Ven. John Ingram (d. 1594) of England.
  98. Janssen, for St. Arnold Janssen (d. 1909) of Germany.
  99. Kemble, for St. John Kemble (d. 1679) of England.
  100. Kern, for Bl. Jakob Kern (d. 1924) of Austria.
  101. Kirby, for St. Luke Kirby (d. 1582) of England.
  102. Kolbe, for St. Maximilian Kolbe (d. 1941) of Poland.
  103. Konrad, for Bl. Nicholas Konrad (d. 1941) of Ukraine.
  104. Lakota, for Bl. Gregor Lakota (d. 1950) of Ukraine.
  105. Langley, for Bl. Richard Langley (d. 1586) of England.
  106. Lanteri, for Ven. Bruno Lanteri (d. 1830) of Italy.
  107. Larke, for Bl. John Larke (d. 1544) of England.
  108. Laval, for Bl. Jacques-Désiré Laval (d. 1864) of France/Mauritius.
  109. Lawrence, for St. Robert Lawrence (d. 1535) of England.
  110. Leigh, for Bl. Richard Leigh (d. 1588) of England.
  111. Lewis, for St. David Lewis (d. 1679) of Wales
  112. Liguori, for St. Alphonsus Liguori (d. 1787) of Italy.
  113. Lilli, for Bl. Salvatore Lilli (d. 1895) of Italy.
  114. Lloyd, for St. John Lloyd (d. 1679) of Wales.
  115. Lockwood, for Bl. John Lockwood (d. 1642) of England.
  116. Lucas, for Bl. Charlotte Lucas (d. 1794) of France.
  117. MacKillop, for St. Mary MacKillop (d. 1909) of Australia.
  118. Majali, for Bl. Giuliano Majali (d. 1470) of Sicily.
  119. Majella, for St. Gerard Majella (d. 1755) of Italy.
  120. Manna, for Bl. Paolo Manna (d. 1952) of Italy.
  121. Marchand, for St. Joseph Marchand (d. 1835) of France.
  122. Marella, for Ven. Olinto Marella (d. 1969) of Italy.
  123. Mareri, for Bl. Philippa Mareri (d. 1236) of Italy.
  124. Margil, for Ven. Antonio Margil (d. 1726) of Spain/Central America.
  125. Mari, for Servant of God Ida Mari (d. 1981) of Italy.
  126. Martin, for St. Louis Martin (d. 1894) of France or Bl. Richard Martin (d. 1588) of England.
  127. Marsden, from Bl. William Marsden (d. 1586) of England.
  128. Marto, for Bl. Francisco Marto (d. 1919) of Portugal.
  129. Mason, for Bl. John Mason (d. 1591) of England.
  130. Massey, for Bl. René-Julien Massey (d. 1792) of France.
  131. Maxfield, for Bl. Thomas Maxfield (d. 1616) of England.
  132. Munden, for Bl. John Munden (d. 1584) of England.
  133. Mayer, for Bl. Rupert Mayer (d. 1945) of Germany.
  134. McAuley, for Ven. Catherine McAuley (d. 1841) of Ireland.
  135. Meehan, for Bl. Charles Meehan (d. 1679) of Ireland.
  136. Merlo, for Ven. Thecla Merlo (d. 1964) of Italy.
  137. Medina, for Bl. Manuel Medina y Olmos (d. 1936) of Spain.
  138. Mela, for Ven. Itala Mela (d. 1957) of Italy.
  139. Merton, for Fr. Thomas Merton (d. 1968) of the U.S.
  140. Mesina, for Bl. Antonia Mesina (d. 1935) of Italy.
  141. Miki, for St. Paul Miki (d. 1597) of Japan.
  142. Molina, for Bl. Mercedes de Jesús Molina y Ayala (d. 1883) of Ecuador.
  143. Molla, for St. Gianna Beretta Molla (d. 1962) of Italy.
  144. Mora, for Bl. Elisabeth Canori Mora (d. 1825) of Italy.
  145. Morse, for St. Henry Morse (d. 1645) of England.
  146. Nelson, for Bl. John Nelson (d. 1578) of England.
  147. Neri, for St. Philip Neri (d. 1595) of Italy.
  148. Newman, for Bl. John Henry Newman (d. 1890) of England.
  149. Nichols, for Bl. George Nichols (d. 1589) fo England.
  150. Nolasco, for St. Peter Nolasco (d. 1256) of France.
  151. Ogilvie, for St. John Ogilvie (d. 1615) of Scotland.
  152. Owen, for St. Nicholas Owen (d. 1606) of England.
  153. Page, for Bl. Anthony Page (d. 1593) of England or Bl. Francis Page (d. 1602) of England.
  154. Percy, for Bl. Thomas Percy (d. 1572) of England.
  155. Potter, for Ven. Mary Potter (d. 1913) of England.
  156. Powell, for Bl. Edward Powell (d. 1540) of Wales.
  157. Quinn, for Ven. Edel Quinn (d. 1944) of Ireland.
  158. Rawlins, for Bl. Alexander Rawlins (d. 1595) of England.
  159. Regis, for St. John Francis Regis (d. 1640) of France.
  160. Reynolds, for St. Richard Reynolds (d. 1535) of England or Bl. Thomas Reynolds (d. 1560) of England.
  161. Richardson, for Bl. Lawrence Richardson (d. 1582) of England or Bl. William Richardson (d. 1603) of England.
  162. Rigby, for St. John Rigby (d. 1600) of England
  163. Rivi, for Bl. Rolando Rivi (d. 1945) of Italy.
  164. Robinson, for St. Christopher Robinson (d. 1598) of England.
  165. Rochester, for Bl. John Rochester (d. 1537) of England.
  166. Roe, for St. Alban Roe (d. 1642) of England.
  167. Romano, for Bl. Vincent Romano (d. 1831) of Italy.
  168. Rossello, for St. Maria Giuseppa Rossello (d. 1880) of Italy.
  169. Sala, for Bl. Maria Anna Sala (d. 1891) of Italy.
  170. Savio, for St. Dominic Savio (d. 1857) of Italy.
  171. Scott, for Bl. Montford Scott (d. 1591) of England or Bl. Maurus Scott (d. 1612) of England.
  172. Serra, for St. Junipero Serra (d. 1784) of Spain/New Spain.
  173. Seton, for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (d. 1821) of the U.S.
  174. Sheen, for Ven. Fulton J. Sheen (d. 1979) of the U.S.
  175. Shelley, for Bl. Edward Shelley (d. 1588) of England.
  176. Sherwin, for St. Ralph Sherwin (d. 1581) of England.
  177. Sherwood, for Bl. Thomas Sherwood (d. 1578) of England.
  178. Sinclair, for Ven. Margaret Anne Sinclair (d. 1925) of Scotland.
  179. Slade, for Bl. John Slade (d. 1583) of England.
  180. Solanus, for St. Francis Solanus (d. 1610) of Spain.
  181. Southwell, for St. Robert Southwell (d. 1595) of England.
  182. Southworth, for St. John Southworth (d. 1654) of England.
  183. Steno, for Bl. Nicolas Steno (d. 1686) of Denmark.
  184. Spenser, for Bl. William Spenser (d. 1589) of England.
  185. Spencer, for Ven. Ignatius Spencer (d. 1864) of England.
  186. Stefani, for Bl. Irene Stefani (d. 1930) of Italy.
  187. Stein, for St. Edith Stein (d. 1942) of Germany.
  188. Stone, for St. John Stone (d. 1539) in England.
  189. Sullivan, for Ven. John Sullivan (d. 1933) in Ireland.
  190. Sutton, for Bl. Robert Sutton (d. 1587) of England.
  191. Talbot, for Ven. Matt Talbot (d. 1925) of Ireland or Bl. John Talbot (d. 1600) of England.
  192. Tansi, for Bl. Cyprian Michael Tansi (d. 1964) of Nigeria.
  193. Taylor, for Bl. Hugh Taylor (d. 1585) of England, Francis Taylor (d. 1621) of Ireland, or Ven. Frances Margaret Taylor (d. 1900) of England.
  194. Tezza, for Bl. Luigi Tezza (d. 1923) of Italy.
  195. Thirkeld, for Bl. Richard Thirkeld (d. 1583) in England.
  196. Thompson, for Bl. James Thompson (d. 1582) of England.
  197. Thorne, for Bl. John Thorne (d. 1539) of England.
  198. Thorpe, for Bl. Robert Thorpe (d. 1591) of England.
  199. Tirry, for Bl. William Tirry (d. 1654) of Ireland.
  200. Tomasi, for St. Giuseppe Maria Tomasi (d. 1713) of Italy.
  201. Tunstall, for Bl. Thomas Tunstall (d. 1616) of England.
  202. Turner, for Bl. Anthony Turner (d. 1679) of England.
  203. Vega, for Servant of God Pablo Muñoz Vega (d. 1994) of Ecuador.
  204. Venard, for St. Jean-Théophane Vénard (d. 1861) of France.
  205. Vera, for Ven. Jacinto Vera y Durán (d. 1881) of Uruguay.
  206. Verna, for Bl. Antonia Maria Verna (d. 1838) of Italy.
  207. Vianney, for St. Jean Vianney (d. 1859) of France.
  208. Ward, for St. Margaret Ward (d. 1588) of England.
  209. Webster, for St. Augustine Webster (d. 1535) of England.
  210. Wells, for St. Swithun Wells (d. 1591) of England.
  211. Wharton, for Bl. Christopher Wharton (d. 1600) of England.
  212. Whitaker, for Bl. Thomas Whitaker (d. 1646) of England.
  213. Wilson, for Ven. Mary Jane Wilson (d. 1916) of British India.
  214. Wright, for Bl. Peter Wright (d. 1651) of England.
  215. Xavier, for St. Francis Xavier (d. 1552) of Spain.
  216. Zaccaria, for St. Antonio Maria Zaccaria (d. 1539) of Italy.
  217. Zola, for Bl. Giovanni Batista Zola (d. 1626) of Italy.

Which of the above do you like best?

And, what other saint-inspired surnames would make good baby names? I’m sure I missed a few. Let me know in the comments!

Weighted decision matrix for choosing baby names (Free download!)

Free Download, Weighted Decision Matrix for Baby Names, from Nancy’s Baby Names

Need to narrow down your list of favorite baby names? See how they really stack up with a weighted decision matrix!

There are several ways to access this free spreadsheet:

Instructions are included in the file, but here’s a summary: you write in the traits you’re looking for in a baby name and “weight” each of those traits by importance. Then, you write in the baby names you’re considering and give each one some ratings. The spreadsheet will do the math and reveal which name best fits your criteria.

The file has two sheets — the first is blank, the second is filled out, as an example. (I randomly used the names Alexander, Zachary, Bartholomew, Heath, John, Ian, Xavier, Lucky, Walter and Maxwell on the example sheet.)

Let me know if you experience any problems with the spreadsheet and I’ll do my best to help you out.

If you find this spreadsheet helpful, please share it on Pinterest, Facebook, etc. Thanks!

(This is an updated version of one of the baby name spreadsheets I posted years ago. Last week I posted the new version of the paired comparison analysis.)