How popular is the baby name Jake 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 Jake.

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Popularity of the baby name Jake


Posts that mention the name Jake

Popular and unique baby names in Iowa, 2017 & 2018

Flag of Iowa
Flag of Iowa

I publish a set of name rankings every week, but I don’t post many U.S. state-released rankings anymore. Why? Because the SSA’s yearly dataset always includes a state-by-state breakdown, and the SSA’s data tends to be basically equivalent to what each state releases.

Except for…Iowa! I totally forgot last year to check up on Iowa, the only state I know of to release full sets of baby name data. (Bravo, Iowa!) The last Iowa rankings I posted were for 2016, so, in this post, to catch up, I’ll be covering two years at once.

First up, 2017.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, the most popular baby names in the state in 2017 were Emma and Oliver.

Here are Iowa’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2017:

Girl Names, 2017

  1. Emma, 175 baby girls
  2. Harper, 172
  3. Olivia, 168
  4. Evelyn, 158
  5. Charlotte, 157
  6. Ava, 139
  7. Amelia & Nora, tied, 127 each
  8. Sophia, 94
  9. Scarlett, 92
  10. Elizabeth, 90

Boy Names, 2017

  1. Oliver, 219 baby boys
  2. Henry, 181
  3. Liam, 179
  4. Lincoln, 160
  5. William, 155
  6. Owen & Wyatt, tied, 151 each
  7. Noah, 135
  8. James, 129
  9. Logan, 124
  10. Benjamin, 118

In the girls’ top 10, Scarlett and Elizabeth replaced Addison and Grace. (The SSA’s data for 2017 was similar, but had Harper in first place.)

In the boys’ top 10, James and Logan replaced Jackson.

And here are some of the names bestowed just once in Iowa in 2017:

Unique Girl Names, 2017Unique Boy Names, 2017
Adelheid Brunnhilde, Axsys, Bergamot, Calladee, Dellaveene, Exaucee Nitocris, Focus, Graxceldie, Hawthorne, Iowa, Ixamara, Jeggsley, Kalaivani, Lahpoe, MellowBelle, Nyantut, Onolinne, Prairie, Prynne, Quebella, Rieslyn, Shelter, Tracieux, Vjosa, Wave, Yatzlimar, ZuzuAknowlegde, Bray Ole, Carefree, Dockerty, Dovahkiin, Essolabina, Frantzley, Gamachis, Helgenberger, Igneous, Jake Lasi Flex, Kellz, Lyrics, Mattavion, Novum, Oracle, Pradyumna, Quintelle, Rinidi, Salix, Sundayboy, Thwin, Tritium, Vindrix, Wattney, Yaeger, Zollie

Possible explanations/associations for a few of the above:

Now, on to 2018…

The most popular baby names in the state in 2018 were Evelyn and Oliver. Here are Iowa’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2018:

Girl Names, 2018

  1. Evelyn, 167 baby girls
  2. Harper, 158
  3. Charlotte, 155
  4. Emma, 153
  5. Olivia, 142
  6. Amelia, 126
  7. Ava, 119
  8. Sophia, 113
  9. Nora, 106
  10. Isabella, 103

Boy Names, 2018

  1. Oliver, 183 baby boys
  2. Henry, 176
  3. Liam, 174
  4. William, 170
  5. Owen, 161
  6. Wyatt, 143
  7. Noah, 137
  8. Lincoln, 130
  9. Jackson, 124
  10. Hudson, 120

In the girls’ top 10, Isabella replaced Scarlett and Elizabeth. (Yet again: the SSA’s rankings were similar, but had Harper in first place.)

In the boys’ top 10, Jackson and Hudson replaced James, Logan, and Benjamin.

And here are some of the names bestowed just once in Iowa in 2018:

Unique Girl Names, 2018Unique Boy Names, 2018
Avocent, Brklyn, Callalily, Currence, Dacheline, Emcee, Ever-After, Frisquette, Granuaile, Hallow, Hladini, Izanami, Jariahlexa, Kelaviene, Lotus Lou, Mighty, Neshbly, Opry, Plu, Qori, Rexha, Samadhi, Sinamika, Tamber, Ventica, Wildly, Ylsy, Ziggy-GreyActs Gabriel, Awnry, Braveheart, Corvinus, Drinian, Evenir, Festo, Flynnigan, Gypsum, Him-Henry, Isidore, Jongroor, Kipden, Kladge, Liamko, Mastajabu, Nuke, Ordie, Paddington, Questan, Rolex, Safe Haven, Thrusher, Vhett, Wrecker, Ychiari, Zallard, Zohnti

Possible explanations/associations for some of the above:

Sources: Top Baby Names – Iowa Public Health Tracking Portal, frisquette – Wiktionary

Image: Adapted from Flag of Iowa (public domain)

Numerology: Baby names with a value of 9

Baby names with a numerological value of 9

If you’re on the hunt for baby names with a numerological value of 9, you’re in luck! Because today’s post features hundreds of 9-names.

Before we get to the names, though — how do we know that they’re “nines” in numerology?

Turning names into numbers

Here’s how to calculate the numerological value of a name.

First, for each letter, come up with a number to represent that letter’s position in the alphabet. (Letter A would be number 1, letter B would be number 2, and so forth.) Then, add all the numbers together. If the sum has two or more digits, add the digits together recursively until the result is a single digit. That single digit is the name’s numerological value.

For instance, the letters in the name Rockwell correspond to the numbers 18, 15, 3, 11, 23, 5, 12, and 12. The sum of these numbers is 99. The digits of 99 added together equal 18, and the digits of 18 added together equal 9 — the numerological value of Rockwell.

Baby names with a value of 9

Below you’ll find the most popular 9-names per gender, according to the latest U.S. baby name data. I’ve further sub-categorized them by total sums — just in case any of those larger numbers are significant to anyone.

9

The letters in the unisex baby name Ace add up to 9.

9 via 18

The letters in the following baby names add up to 18, which reduces to nine (1+8=9).

Girl names (9 via 18)Boy names (9 via 18)
Lea, Gaia, Ela, Acacia, AddiCan, Adal, Acie, Edi, Jag

9 via 27

The letters in the following baby names add up to 27, which reduces to nine (2+7=9).

Girl names (9 via 27)Boy names (9 via 27)
Leia, Alma, Aleah, Aya, Chana, Adele, Dalia, Elia, Emi, Amal, Eila, Safa, Koa, Daila, AdleeCaden, Koa, Jake, Ahmad, Eddie, Cain, Cian, Job, Geo, Oak, Jeff

9 via 36

The letters in the following baby names add up to 36, which reduces to nine (3+6=9).

Girl names (9 via 36)Boy names (9 via 36)
Malia, Lina, Angie, Kiana, Halo, Anika, Maddie, Vida, Belle, Darla, Zia, Erica, Nila, Reece, Emme, Aoife, Nahla, Lani, Irha, Leen, Sanaa, Coco, Indi, Amila, Maila, Una, Safia, AikoChase, Reid, Jay, Caiden, Reece, Alden, Lian, Kiaan, Kase, Bilal, Davi, Kip, Ilan, Neel, Deegan, Zade, Fidel, Dakoda, Earl, Caelan, Halo, Chet, Luc, Rael, Mick, Chip, Abdias

9 via 45

The letters in the following baby names add up to 45, which reduces to nine (4+5=9).

Girl names (9 via 45)Boy names (9 via 45)
Remi, Arya, Ariel, Fiona, Selah, Raya, Kora, Helena, Emelia, Briana, Yara, Tiana, Kenna, Emmie, Dulce, Amelie, Paola, Ayra, Kacey, Jayde, Eleni, Anita, Zadie, Areli, Nailah, Amilia, Nechama, Delani, Regan, Ahlani, Tania, Cori, Iqra, Makena, Audra, Alaska, Debora, Denali, Minha, Ivie, Jiya, Oona, Cove, Marla, Denim, Auden, Alahni, Kyah, Zen, Avila, Rhema, Luci, Caleigh, Ilani, Camari, Arlie, Kalli, Ilse, MahaliaElijah, Daniel, Luka, Cohen, Clark, Tadeo, Ariel, Kayce, Emir, Ty, Remi, Koen, Enoch, Azael, Damir, Zen, Khalid, Vance, Meir, Fox, Kacey, Keon, Gino, Kenan, Denim, Aydan, Lamar, Cove, Coby, Rico, Jaleel, Aziah, Auden, Camari, Chayce, Saleh, Duane, Jamil, Haider, Kolbe, Lucah, Melo, Rakan, Arya, Ciro, Jakub, Opie, Gohan, Wali, Ojas

9 via 54

The letters in the following baby names add up to 54, which reduces to nine (5+4=9).

Girl names (9 via 54)Boy names (9 via 54)
Elliana, Bailey, Alayna, Alivia, Regina, Marlee, Carmen, Ariya, Zahra, Margo, Melina, Karina, Love, Milena, Keyla, Hadleigh, Zola, Mazie, Melani, Gianni, Zarah, Siya, Lori, Keidy, Sofie, Geneva, Elly, Sheila, Jessa, Tamara, Brenna, Zari, Maura, Bowie, Kaori, Arayah, Emmalee, Inez, Devin, Alyana, Maleni, Elisha, Kamaria, Joann, Kaley, Carrie, Aithana, Malinda, Raiya, Syeda, Nikki, Kolbie, Kiyah, Layana, Runa, JadynMateo, Gabriel, Kairo, Angelo, Gideon, Gianni, Devin, Rocco, Izaiah, Musa, Harlan, Elisha, Jrue, Lyle, Bowie, Jaxen, Eason, Dovid, Ayman, Henri, Azlan, Bailey, Axell, Keoni, Shaya, Hardin, Valen, Camren, Hazen, Lenin, Iver, Diesel, Kainen, Salim, Azir, Lior, Banner, Jadyn, Amaru, Arlin, Keion, Khaleel, Rider, Aeson, Sayed

9 via 63

The letters in the following baby names add up to 63, which reduces to nine (6+3=9).

Girl names (9 via 63)Boy names (9 via 63)
Madeline, Brielle, Olive, Noelle, Miriam, Angelina, Hattie, Fernanda, Zariah, Paris, Beatrice, Reyna, Johanna, Rayne, Meilani, Luella, Kailey, Korra, Kaylie, Imogen, Maizie, Ireland, Kamille, Keeley, Lakyn, Divine, Odessa, Tess, Carleigh, Janyla, Navya, Kyrah, Aliyana, Nyx, Vanya, Asiyah, Goldy, Melodie, Aster, Anissa, Emeline, Landrie, Leylah, Sandy, Atley, Aziza, ElloraMatias, Emilio, Leonel, Saint, Jaziel, Kylo, Nehemiah, Kylan, Otis, Caspian, Gatlin, Azrael, Bridger, Roger, Kaiser, Jones, Rishi, Coleman, Bentlee, Anson, Carmine, Macklin, Zealand, Ranger, Deangelo, Ismail, Shaun, Santi, Chevy, Jhett, Divine, Yohan, Avyan, Amauri, Keller, Mikhail, Reyan, Jeyden, Naftali, Domenic, Nicolai, Konrad, Rayne, Deonte, Paris, Jaylan, Jaidyn, Nikhil, Tyr, Kellin, Mahlon, Kavon, Romel, Mikey

9 via 72

The letters in the following baby names add up to 72, which reduces to nine (7+2=9).

Girl names (9 via 72)Boy names (9 via 72)
Sophie, Aubrey, Valerie, River, Magnolia, Everlee, Holly, Lorelai, Itzel, Jayleen, Mikayla, Charley, Savanna, Jaylani, Lilianna, Judith, Ryann, Soleil, Kynlee, Emmaline, Betty, Jaylene, Kaylin, Mercedes, Karely, Silvia, Kailyn, Cooper, Kenley, Chevelle, Zylah, Saphira, Blakeleigh, Ashanti, Laikyn, Blythe, Izabelle, Rainey, Theadora, Hosanna, Elyanna, Kylani, Karley, Loralei, Maisey, ZemiraCooper, River, Tanner, Kylian, Darius, Mohammed, Rocky, Jordy, Yasir, Tylan, Khyree, Canyon, Dwayne, Aubrey, Phineas, Kamron, Irvin, Charley, Hendrick, Jahaziel, Pranav, Casimir, Lucky, Reyes, Deshaun, Clement, Broly, Markell, Brendon, Masyn, Kavion, Syair, Elimelech, Cashmere, Rony

9 via 81

The letters in the following baby names add up to 81, which reduces to nine (8+1=9).

Girl names (9 via 81)Boy names (9 via 81)
Brynlee, Vanessa, Xiomara, Jennifer, Malaysia, Louise, Jenesis, Sariyah, Arlette, Yasmin, Aubriella, Tiffany, Lottie, Elisabeth, Ruthie, Jaelynn, Nathaly, Lavender, Venus, Tenley, Maisyn, Gitty, Karolina, Stori, Vivien, Hudson, Jaslyn, Kalliope, Beatriz, Destinee, Ivette, Taylin, Elisheva, Ramsey, Reilly, Ozzie, Arantza, Twyla, Novella, ElyssaOliver, Hudson, Nicholas, Lawrence, Samson, Jamison, Nikolas, Mustafa, Zavier, Rodney, Aurelio, Rogelio, Ernest, Kolter, Eliyahu, Orson, Ozzie, Ramsey, Jamarion, Dezmond, Kyzen, Taylin, Braylin, Conway, Eliott, Dayvon, Heston, Reilly, Selvin, Alastair, Marius, Jenesis, Timur, Davonte, Prynce, Tavion, Baltazar

9 via 90

The letters in the following baby names add up to 90, which reduces to nine (9+0=9).

Girl names (9 via 90)Boy names (9 via 90)
Autumn, Saylor, Leighton, Skyler, Evangelina, Anderson, Paxton, Bridgette, Honesti, Payson, KensleighTheodore, Sebastian, Matthew, Waylon, Maxwell, Paxton, Clayton, Anderson, Raymond, Westin, Skyler, Leighton, Curtis, Terrell, Aleksander, Reyansh, Atreyu, Gonzalo, Sulaiman, Marcelino, Saylor, Romello, Yonatan, Olivier, Alphonse

9 via 99

The letters in the following baby names add up to 99, which reduces to nine (9+9=18; 1+8=9).

Girl names (9 via 99)Boy names (9 via 99)
Emersyn, Gracelynn, Priscilla, Yoselin, Jupiter, Verity, Yitty, Stormie, Grayson, Presleigh, Swayze, CerenityGrayson, Cristobal, Kassius, Rockwell, Jupiter, Stuart, Jeronimo, Kingsten, Whitten

9 via 108

The letters in the following baby names add up to 108, which reduces to nine (1+0+8=9).

Girl names (9 via 108)Boy names (9 via 108)
Journey, Roselyn, Emberlynn, Violette, Kollyns, Rylynn, Jacquelyn, Gwenivere, Scotlyn, Yatziri, EllingtonAlessandro, Vincenzo, Cristiano, Journey, Fitzgerald, Truitt

9 via 117

The letters in the following baby names add up to 117, which reduces to nine (1+1+7=9).

Girl names (9 via 117)Boy names (9 via 117)
Novalynn, Marguerite, Quinnley, Augustine, RoslynnAugustine, Yitzchok, Treyton, Maximillian, Trystan, Stockton

9 via 126

The letters in the following baby names add up to 126, which reduces to nine (1+2+6=9).

Girl names (9 via 126)Boy names (9 via 126)
Brooklynn, Quinlynn, Tennyson, Quinnlyn, StellaroseTennyson, Dionysus, Marvelous, Artavious, Atharvreddy

Number 9: Significance and associations

What does the number nine mean in numerology?

There’s no definitive answer, unfortunately, because various numerological systems exist, and each one has its own interpretation of the number nine. That said, if we look at a couple of modern numerology/astrology websites, we see 9 being described as “humanitarian,” “tolerant,” “helpful,” “determined,” and “compassionate.”

We can also look at associations, which are a bit more concrete. Here are some things that are associated with the number 9:

  • Pregnancy (9 months long)
  • Baseball (9 players on the field; 9 innings)
  • K-9 (“canine”) police dog units
  • “Cloud nine” (expression)
  • “Nine lives” of a cat (expression)
  • “To the nines” (expression)
  • “The whole nine yards” (expression)

What does the number 9 mean to you? What are your strongest associations with the number?

P.S. To see names with other numerological values, check out the posts for the numbers one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight.

Sources: SSA, Numerology – Cafe Astrology, The meaning of the numbers 1 – 9 – World Numerology, 9 – Wikipedia

[Latest update: Jan. 2024]

Name-spotting: Malancthon

sign, colorado, names
Sign inside Garden of the Gods

We visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs recently and, inside this park, we spotted a “What’s In a Name?” sign that described how the park got its name back in the 1850s:

As they looked over this area of cathedral-like rock spires, one man, Malancthon Beach, commented that the spot would be a great place for a beer garden someday. His friend, a poetic young man named Rufous Cable, replied that it was a place “fit for the Gods.”

It’s a cool story, but, to me, that first name “Malancthon” is way more interesting than the origin of the park name. Where did it come from?

My best guess is that Malancthon is a tribute to 16th-century German theologian Philipp Melanchthon, one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. His surname at birth was Schwartzerd (“black earth” in German), but as a young man he Latinized his name to the classical equivalent Melanchthon (“black earth” in Greek).

CCC Company 1848, Camp SP-13-C, Morrison, Colorado

We also saw some names at Red Rocks, which is both a park and a famous amphitheater.

The amphitheater was constructed from 1936 to 1941 by men in the Civilian Conservation Corps, a work relief program that existed during the Great Depression. One display included a photo of 124 of the men in the local CCC. Here are their first names, sorted by frequency:

  • 5: Joe, Raymond
  • 4: Charles
  • 3: Arthur, Clarence, Edward
  • 2: Bill, Byron, Carl, David, Earnest, Edwin, Everett, Jack, James, Leo, Maurice, William
  • 1: Aaron, Albert, Aldine, Alfonso, Allen, Alva, Amos, Ancelmo, Arleigh, Aubrey, Audrey, Barnett, Blaine, Calvin, Celestino, Charley, Claud, Claude, Clayton, Cleston, Dale, Damas, Dan, Darold, Dick, Don, Donald, Ed, Elden, Elias, Elipio, Emerson, Emilio, Eric, Ernest, Eston, Fares, Frank, Fred, Glenn, Grant, Gust, Guy, Horace, Hubert, Irvin, Jake, Jasper, Jesse, Jim, John, Jose, Kenneth, Lawrence, Leland, Leonard, Lester, Louis, Lyman, Manual, Marvin, Max, Merce, Noah, Norman, Orval, Pasqual, Paul, Pete, Richard, Rowland, Rudolfo, Russel, Russell, Sandeford, Trenton, Willard

…What interesting names have you spotted while out and about recently?

Popular baby names in Malta, 2017

Flag of Malta
Flag of Malta

According to The Malta Independent, the most popular names in the country in 2017 were Emma and Luca.

Here are Malta’s top 3 girl names and top 3 boy names of 2017:

Girl Names
1. Emma, 57 baby girls
2. Ella, 45
3. Amy, 41

Boy Names
1. Luca, 54 baby boys
2. Ben, 42
3. Liam, 40

In the girls’ top three, Amy replaced Leah.

In the the boys’ top three, Ben replaced Jake.

Maltese celebrity Ben Camille
Ben Camille on “Benjamin“

The rise of Ben can be attributed to Maltese actor/model Ben Camille, who has a reality TV show called Benjamin, “the first of its kind in Malta’s broadcasting history.”

The top two names were the same in both 2016 and 2015.

Sources: Emma and Luca most common baby names of 2017, for third year in a row, The Ultimate Proof That Ben Camille Is Actually The Most Influential Person In Malta Right Now

Images: Adapted from Flag of Malta (public domain); Screenshot of Benjamin