How popular is the baby name Jacqueline 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 Jacqueline.

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Popularity of the baby name Jacqueline


Posts that mention the name Jacqueline

Where did the baby name Maeve come from in 1940?

The character Maeve O'Riorden (played by actress Laraine Day) in the movie "My Son, My Son!" (1940).
Maeve O’Riorden from “My Son, My Son!”

The Irish name Maeve (pronounced mayv) — an Anglicized form of Medb, meaning “intoxicating” — wasn’t widely used in the U.S. until it got three distinct boosts from popular culture.

The first boost came from the movie My Son, My Son! (1940), which featured a character named Maeve O’Riorden (played by Laraine Day).

  • 1942: unlisted
  • 1941: 10 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1940: 8 baby girls named Maeve [debut]
  • 1939: unlisted
  • 1938: unlisted

(Notably, the character pronounced her name with two syllables: MAY-vuh.)

The second boost came decades later, from the soap opera Ryan’s Hope (1975-1989), which featured a character named Maeve Ryan (played by Helen Gallagher).

  • 1989: 52 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1988: 56 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1987: 41 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1986: 45 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1985: 32 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1984: 30 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1983: 23 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1982: 19 baby girls named Maeve

The third boost is most likely attributable to the action/adventure TV show The Adventures of Sinbad (1996-1998), which featured a character named Maeve (played by Jacqueline Collen). But Irish writer Maeve Binchy — whose book Circle of Friends (1990) was made into a popular movie of the same name in 1995 — may have been an influence as well.

  • 1999: 343 baby girls named Maeve (ranked 669th)
  • 1998: 240 baby girls named Maeve (ranked 881st)
  • 1997: 207 baby girls named Maeve (ranked 955th)
  • 1996: 141 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1995: 133 baby girls named Maeve
  • 1994: 102 baby girls named Maeve

In 1997, Maeve entered the top 1,000 for the first time ever.

By 2010, Maeve ranked 536th — very close to the top 500.

How high do you think the name will climb?

Update, 2016: Five years on, in 2015, Maeve ranked 450th. Still climbing!

Update, 2022: In the 2021 data, Maeve ranked 124th — very close to the top 100!

How did Jacqueline Kennedy pronounce her name?

First Lady Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy (1929-1994)
Jacqueline “Jackie” Kennedy

Last week, audio recordings of Jacqueline Kennedy talking with historian Arthur Schlesinger were released under the title Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy.

In an interview about the recordings, Caroline Kennedy noted that most people pronounce “Jacqueline” incorrectly. At least, they aren’t saying it the way her mother used to say it. Jackie pronounced her first name JAK-uh-leen [vid], according to Caroline.

Interesting, no?

I’m trying to find video/audio of Jackie introducing herself, just for confirmation, but haven’t had any luck yet.

So, instead, here are a few Jackie-related name facts:

  • Jackie’s daughter Caroline is the inspiration behind Neil Diamond’s song “Sweet Caroline” (1969).
  • Sources claim that Jackie’s first child, who was stillborn, would have been named Arabella. One source states the name was inspired by the ship Arbella, which carried Puritans to New England during the Great Migration.
  • Jackie’s maiden name, Bouvier, has appeared in the SSA’s baby name data once — in 1963. Five baby boys were named Bouvier that year. This may have been due to the death of baby Patrick Bouvier in August, or the death of JFK in November.
  • Jackie’s second married name, Onassis, has appeared on the SSA’s baby name list three times. The first was in 1968, when she wed Aristotle Onassis. Six baby boys were named Onassis that year.

Source: Pottker, Jan. Janet and Jackie: The Story of a Mother and Her Daughter, Jacqueline Kennedy. New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2001.

Baby born to jockey, named after horse

horse

On February 7, 2010, with over 20,000 people watching, Irish jockey Richard Hughes won the McDowell Signature Indian Derby at Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai. He was riding a filly named Jacqueline.

After the race, he was quoted as saying:

“You know what, my wife gave birth a couple of days back and I named the baby Phoebe Jacqueline. I knew she was going to win today. It’s so special. Jacqueline is now a part of my life.”

Reminds me of Bindi Sue, daughter of the late Steve Irwin, a.k.a. The Crocodile Hunter. She was named after both a crocodile (Bindi) and a dog (Sui).

Sources: Hughes win for Shroff, Jacqueline it is!, Jacqueline takes McDowell Signature Indian Derby

Image: Adapted from Dealer’s pic without lead rope by Cjambla under CC BY-SA 3.0.

French baby names: Heloise, Lancelot, Quitterie, Victor

Lavender field in France

While cleaning out my bookmarks the other day, I rediscovered this post on French names from francophile blog Polly-Vous Francais. It contrasts the names found in the birth and death announcements of a French newspaper. Here’s a sampling:

Male BirthsMale DeathsFemale BirthsFemale Deaths
Anselme
Edouard
Guillaume
Hipployte
Hugo
Lancelot
Louis
Timothée
Victor
Vladimir		Albert
Emile
Gabriel
Jacques
Jean
Paul
Pierre
Roger
Vincent
Yves		Anaïs
Béatrix
Héloïse
Hermine
Irène
Margaux
Mathilde
Noémie
Quitterie
Violaine		Andrée
Denise
Gilberte
Gladys
Huguette
Jacqueline
Jeanne
Marguerite
Marie
Michèle

Which set do you like better — birth announcement names or death announcement names?

Image: Adapted from Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque, 2022 by Chris Down under CC BY 4.0.