How popular is the baby name Jane 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 Jane.

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Popularity of the baby name Jane


Posts that mention the name Jane

What gave the baby name Diana a boost in 1981?

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day (Jul. 1981)
Diana and Charles on their wedding day

Prince Charles — son of Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom — began dating Lady Diana Spencer in the summer of 1980.

He proposed to Diana (at Windsor Castle) early the following year.

Charles and Diana were married (at St. Paul’s Cathedral) on July 29, 1981. An estimated “750 million [people] in 74 countries” watched the wedding on television. Another 600,000 spectators lined the streets of London, hoping to catch a glimpse of the couple.

Did the royal wedding have an impact on U.S. baby names?

Yes – though it didn’t manage to reverse the decline of Charles, it did give a boost to Diana:

  • 1983: 4,039 baby girls named Diana [rank: 69th]
  • 1982: 4,430 baby girls named Diana [rank: 63rd]
  • 1981: 3,971 baby girls named Diana [rank: 75th]
  • 1980: 2,616 baby girls named Diana [rank: 118th]
  • 1979: 2,781 baby girls named Diana [rank: 111th]

Diana, a top-100 girl name in the U.S. from the early 1940s to the mid-1970s, re-entered the top 100 in 1981.

Here’s a visual:

Graph of the usage of the baby name Diana in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Diana

Did the wedding have a similar effect on expectant parents in other Anglophone countries?

Yes, though it’s hard to know to what degree, as national baby name data covering the early 1980s is not available for many of them (e.g., England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada, Australia).

We do know that Diana saw an uptick in usage in both Scotland and New Zealand:

Girls named Diana in ScotlandGirls named Diana in New Zealand
198315 [rank: 244th]27 [rank: 166th]
198212 [rank: 282nd36 [rank: 134th]
198149 [rank: 125th]46 [rank: 103rd]
198023 [rank: 195th]28 [rank: 163rd]
197919 [rank: 226th]32 [rank: 144th]

The name also saw higher usage in at least two Canadian provinces and one Australian state:

Girls named Diana in OntarioGirls named Diana in British ColumbiaGirls named Diana in NSW
1983170 [rank: 67th]43 [rank: 87th]77 [rank: 99th]
1982218 [rank: 50th]57 [rank: 68th]86 [rank: 92nd]
1981234 [rank: 43rd]53 [rank: 66th]101 [rank: 77th]
198092 [rank: 124th]18 [rank: 193rd](outside top 100)
1979125 [rank: 86th]31 [rank: 110th](outside top 100)

Lady Diana Spencer was born to Frances and John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer, in July of 1961.

Her parents — who already had two daughters, Sarah and Jane — had been hoping for a male heir. “Such was the anticipation of a boy that the couple hadn’t considered any girls’ names.” A week after her birth, they finally settled on Diana Frances — “Diana” in honor of 18th-century ancestor Diana Russell (née Lady Diana Spencer).

An alternative theory, put forth by singer Paul Anka, holds that Diana’s first name was inspired by his 1957 hit song “Diana.”

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of the British Movietone documentary The Royal Wedding

What gave the baby name Arielle a boost in 1988?

The character Arielle from the TV series "General Hospital" (1963-)
Arielle Ashton from “General Hospital“

The baby name Arielle was already on the rise when it suddenly doubled in usage in 1989:

  • 1990: 1,569 baby girls named Arielle [rank: 185th]
  • 1989: 1,530 baby girls named Arielle [rank: 185th]
  • 1988: 653 baby girls named Arielle [rank: 368th]
  • 1987: 341 baby girls named Arielle [rank: 581st]
  • 1986: 318 baby girls named Arielle [rank: 604th]

Similar spellings (like Ariele, Aurielle, Arrielle, Aryelle, and Aerielle) also saw higher usage that year.

Like most Ariel-based names, Arielle went on to reach peak usage in 1991, thanks to The Little Mermaid. But the animated film wasn’t released until November of 1989 — so it couldn’t have affected Arielle prior to 1989, and wouldn’t have affected it very much in 1989 either. (The usage of Ariel itself only increased by 41% that year.)

Instead, I think a character on the long-running ABC soap opera General Hospital was influencing the name during the last two years of the 1980s.

In October of 1988, Lady Arielle Ashton (played by actress Jane Higginson) sailed into fictional Port Charles on a yacht with her husband, Lord Larry Ashton. The man who became the ship’s mechanic, Colton Shore, happened to be Arielle’s former lover. Arielle and Colton came close to resuming their relationship, but Colton ultimately chose Felicia over Arielle, and Arielle left Port Charles (alone) in May of 1989.

What are your thoughts on the spelling Arielle? (Do you like it more or less than Ariel?)

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of General Hospital

Babies named for the Battle of Trafalgar

Battle of Trafalgar (1805)
Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar — during which an outnumbered Royal Navy fleet (under Horatio Nelson) soundly defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet (under Napoleon Bonaparte) — took place off the south-western coast of Spain, near Cape Trafalgar, on October 21, 1805.

The battle cost Nelson his life, but the decisive victory “cemented Britain’s reputation as ruler of the seas.”

Dozens of babies in England were given the name “Trafalgar,” typically as a middle, over the next few years. Most of them were boys, but several were girls. Some examples…

  • John Trafalgar Black, b. 1806 in England
  • John Trafalgar Cotton, b. 1807 in England
  • Joseph Trafalgar Dowding, b. circa 1806 in England
  • Jane Trafalgar Grapes, b. 1805 in England
    • Among her siblings were William Nile (b. circa 1798), Charles Wellington (b. circa 1811), and Charlotte Waterloo (b. circa 1815) — likely named for the Battle of the Nile, the Duke of Wellington, and the Battle of Waterloo.
  • William Trafalgar Hannah, b. 1806 in England
  • Richard Trafalgar Hillgrove, b. 1807 in England
  • Robert Trafalgar May, b. 1807 in England
  • Louisa Trafalgar Priske, b. 1805 in England
  • John Trafalgar Salmon, b. 1805 in England
  • Samuel Trafalgar Sparks, b. 1807 in England

A good number of these babies — including Nelson Trafalgar Black (b. 1805 in Scotland) and Horatio Trafalgar Taylor (b. 1806 in England) — were also named in honor of the late admiral.

The Spanish place-name Trafalgar can be traced back to a pair of Arabic words. The first, taraf, means “edge, extremity” (in reference to the cape itself), and the second may mean “west.”

Sources: Battle of Trafalgar – Wikipedia, Battle of Trafalgar – Britannica, Battle of Trafalgar Timeline – National Maritime Museum, Cape Trafalgar – Wikipedia, FamilySearch.org

Image: Adapted from Battle of Trafalgar (1836) by William Clarkson Stanfield

Girl names that end with an L-sound

Girl names that end with an L-sound

In the U.S., most of the names given to baby girls end with a vowel sound. And many of the remaining names end with an N-sound.

So, what about girl names that end with other sounds?

Below is a selection of girl names that end with an L-sound, regardless of last letter. The names are ordered by current popularity.

Abigail
From the Hebrew name Avigayil, which is made up of elements meaning “father” and “joy.” Here’s the popularity graph for Abigail.

Hazel
From the type of tree, or from the color (which is the hue of a ripe hazelnut). Here’s the popularity graph for Hazel.

Brielle
A short form of the French name Gabrielle. Here’s the popularity graph for Brielle.

Isabelle
Based on Elizabeth, which is derived from a Hebrew name made up of elements meaning “god” and “oath.” Here’s the popularity graph for Isabelle.

Noelle
A feminine form of the French name Noel, meaning “Christmas.” Here’s the popularity graph for Noelle.

Camille
A French feminine form of the Roman name Camillus, which is of unknown meaning. Here’s the popularity graph for Camille.

Ariel
A Hebrew name meaning “lion of god.” Here’s the popularity graph for Ariel.

Rachel
A Hebrew name meaning “ewe.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rachel.

Lucille
A French feminine form of the Roman name Lucius, meaning “light.” Here’s the popularity graph for Lucille.

Kendall
From the English surname, which is derived from the place name Kendal, meaning “Kent valley” (i.e., valley by the River Kent). Here’s the popularity graph for Kendall.

Mabel
A Medieval feminine form of the late Roman name Amabilis, meaning “lovable.” Here’s the popularity graph for Mabel.

Nicole
A French feminine form of Nicholas, which is derived from an Ancient Greek name made up of elements meaning “victory” and “people.” Here’s the popularity graph for Nicole.

Annabelle
A form of the Medieval feminine name Amabel (derived from the late Roman name Amabilis, meaning “lovable”), influenced by the name Anna and French word belle (meaning “beautiful”). Here’s the popularity graph for Annabelle.

Giselle
From a Germanic word meaning “hostage.” Here’s the popularity graph for Giselle.

Michelle
A French feminine form of Michael, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “who is like god?” Here’s the popularity graph for Michelle.

Elle
A diminutive of names that start with El-, or a short form of names that end with -elle. Here’s the popularity graph for Elle.

Miracle
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Miracle.

Danielle
A French feminine form of Daniel, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “god is my judge.” Here’s the popularity graph for Danielle.

Itzel
Might be based on the Mayan name Ixchel, which may mean “rainbow lady.” Here’s the popularity graph for Itzel.

Gabrielle
A French feminine form of Gabriel, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “man of god.” Here’s the popularity graph for Gabrielle.

Bristol
From the English place name, which means “bridge place.” Here’s the popularity graph for Bristol.

Angel
From an Ancient Greek word meaning “messenger.” Here’s the popularity graph for Angel.

Opal
From the type of gemstone. Here’s the popularity graph for Opal.

April
From the name of the month. Here’s the popularity graph for April.

Janelle
A diminutive of Jane. Here’s the popularity graph for Janelle.

Laurel
From the type of tree. Here’s the popularity graph for Laurel.

Estelle
An Old French name meaning “star.” Here’s the popularity graph for Estelle.

Pearl
From the type of gemstone (which is actually a nacreous concretion produced by mollusks). Here’s the popularity graph for Pearl.

Joelle
A feminine form of Joel, which is derived from a Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh is god.” Here’s the popularity graph for Joelle.

Adele
From a Germanic word meaning “noble.” Here’s the popularity graph for Adele.

Marisol
A short form of the Spanish name María Soledad (from the Marian title María de la Soledad). Here’s the popularity graph for Marisol.

Sol
A Spanish and Portuguese word meaning “sun.” Here’s the popularity graph for Sol.

Royal
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Royal.

Aubrielle
An elaboration of Aubrey. Here’s the popularity graph for Aubrielle.

Chanel
From the French fashion house Chanel, named for founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Here’s the popularity graph for Chanel.

Belle
A short form of names that end with -belle. Here’s the popularity graph for Belle.

Raquel
The Spanish and Portuguese form of Rachel. Here’s the popularity graph for Raquel.

Crystal
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Crystal.

Jewel
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Jewel.

Abril
The Spanish form of the name April. Here’s the popularity graph for Abril.

Amal
An Arabic word meaning “hope.” Here’s the popularity graph for Amal.

Campbell
From the Scottish surname, which is derived from a nickname made up of elements meaning “crooked” and “mouth.” Here’s the popularity graph for Campbell.

Azul
The Spanish word for “blue.” Here’s the popularity graph for Azul.

Maple
From the type of tree. Here’s the popularity graph for Maple.

Xochitl
The Nahuatl word for “flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Xochitl.

Maribel
A short form of the Spanish name María Isabel. Here’s the popularity graph for Maribel.

Yael
From a Hebrew name meaning “ibex” (a type of wild goat). Here’s the popularity graph for Yael.

Mirabel
From the Old French word mirable, meaning “admirable.” Here’s the popularity graph for Mirabel.

Sybil
From the Ancient Greek word sibylla, which referred to a type of prophetess. Here’s the popularity graph for Sybil.

Nell
A Medieval diminutive of names that start with El- or a similar sound. Here’s the popularity graph for Nell.

Less-common girl names that end with an L-sound include Coral, Liesl, Jill, Eshaal, Marvel, Ciel, Layal, and Kestrel.

Which of the above do you like most? What others can you think of?

P.S. Here are lists of girl names that end with D-, K-, M-, R-, S-, T-, V-, and Z-sounds.

Sources:

  • SSA
  • Wikipedia
  • Wiktionary
  • Behind the Name
  • Hanks, Patrick, Kate Hardcastle and Flavia Hodges. (Eds.) A Dictionary of First Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.