How popular is the baby name Janet 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 Janet.

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Popularity of the baby name Janet


Posts that mention the name Janet

Minnesota family with 22 children

kinderfest

In the mid-20th century, Alvin Joseph Miller and Lucille Rose Miller (née Kahnke) of Waseca, Minnesota, had 22 children — 15 girls and 7 boys.

Here are the names of all 22 siblings:

  1. Ramona Mary (born in 1940), who became a Franciscan nun
  2. Alvin Joseph, Jr. (b. 1942)
  3. Rose Ann (b. 1943)
  4. Kathleen Edith (b. 1945)
  5. Robert Vincent (b. 1946)
  6. Patricia Jean (b. 1947)
  7. Mary Lucille (b. 1948), nicknamed “Marylu”
  8. Diane Margaret (b. 1949)
  9. John Charles (b. 1950)
  10. Janet Irene (b. 1951)
  11. Linda Louise (b. 1953)
  12. Virginia Therese (b. 1954)
  13. Helen Rita (b. 1955), who wrote a book about growing up in a large family
  14. Arthur Lawrence (b. 1956)
  15. Dolores Maria (b. 1957)
  16. Martin Peter (b. 1959)
  17. Pauline Carmel (b. 1960)
  18. Alice Callista (b. 1961)
  19. Angela Mary (b. 1962)
  20. Marcia Marie (b. 1963)
  21. Gregory Eugene (b. 1964)
  22. Damien Francis (b. 1966)

Eight of the children had been born by April of 1950, when the Miller family was interviewed for the U.S. Census:

The Miller family on the 1950 U.S. Census
The Miller family (1950 U.S. Census)

Alvin and Lucille raised their children on a 300-acre farm that included a seven-bedroom farmhouse. Here’s how Diane (#8) described her childhood:

I remember a lot of rides in the wheelbarrow from the granary to the barn. I remember a lot of grinding feed, a lot of egg washing and packing, a lot of sitting by the wood stove in the basement, singing songs as we candled eggs.

Which of the names above you like most?

P.S. Thank you to Destiny for letting me know about the Miller family a few months ago! (Destiny also told me about the Jones family of West Virginia.)

Sources:

Image: Ein Kinderfest (1868) by Ludwig Knaus

What popularized the baby name Latoya?

La Toya Jackson's album "Heart Don't Lie" (1984)
La Toya Jackson album

The name Latoya first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in the 1960s. After rising quickly during the ’70s — and seeing upticks in usage in both 1977 and 1981 — the name achieved peak popularity in 1984:

  • 1985: 3,402 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 81st]
  • 1984: 5,051 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 60th] (peak usage)
  • 1983: 3,151 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 90th]
  • 1982: 3,200 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 91st]
  • 1981: 4,267 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 69th]
  • 1980: 2,505 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 123rd]
  • 1979: 1,880 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 148th]
  • 1978: 2,040 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 135th]
  • 1977: 2,321 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 125th]
  • 1976: 2,052 baby girls named Latoya [rank: 135th]

Here’s a visual:

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

What fueled the rise of Latoya?

The career of singer La Toya Jackson.

(The SSA removes spaces and ignores internal capitalization, which explains why the name is rendered “Latoya” in the dataset.)

Though she wasn’t a member of The Jackson 5 — the pop-soul vocal group featuring her five brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael — La Toya was often mentioned in write-ups about the Jackson family during the early 1970s.

By 1974, La Toya and the remaining Jackson siblings (Rebbie, Randy, and Janet) were participating in the group’s live performances.

Television audiences were introduced to La Toya in the musical variety series The Jacksons (1976-77), which featured all of the siblings except for Jermaine.

In 1980, she launched her solo career. She didn’t become as commercially successful as either Michael or Janet, but her single “Heart Don’t Lie” [vid] — a reggae duet with Howard Hewett of Shalamar — did reach #56 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in June of 1984.

The singer was born La Toya Yvonne Jackson on May 29, 1956 — the sixth birthday of her eldest sibling, Rebbie, coincidentally. In her autobiography, La Toya said that her mother, who had a “fondness for unusual names,” claimed to have coined “La Toya.”

What are your thoughts on the name La Toya?

Sources:

Girl names that end with a T-sound

Girl names that end with a T-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 a T-sound, regardless of last letter. The names are ordered by current popularity.

Charlotte
A French feminine form of Charles, which is derived from a Germanic word meaning “free man.” Here’s the popularity graph for Charlotte.

Scarlett
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who worked with a woolen cloth called scarlet (which was often dyed red). Here’s the popularity graph for Scarlett.

Violet
From the type of flower. Here’s the popularity graph for Violet.

Margaret
From the Ancient Greek word for “pearl.” Here’s the popularity graph for Margaret.

Juliette
A French diminutive of Julie. Here’s the popularity graph for Juliette.

Colette
A short form of the French name Nicolette. Here’s the popularity graph for Colette.

Kate
A nickname for Katherine. Here’s the popularity graph for Kate.

Elliott
From the English surname, which is derived from the name Elias. Here’s the popularity graph for Elliott.

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

Bridget
A variant of the Irish name Brighid, meaning “the exalted one.” Here’s the popularity graph for Bridget.

Arlette
The French form of the Germanic name Herleva. Here’s the popularity graph for Arlette.

August
From the name of the month, which was derived from the ancient Roman title Augustus. Here’s the popularity graph for August.

Egypt
From the country in northern Africa. Here’s the popularity graph for Egypt.

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

Harriet
The English form of the French name Henriette. Here’s the popularity graph for Harriet.

Bernadette
A French feminine form of Bernard, which is made up of elements meaning “bear” and “hardy.” Here’s the popularity graph for Bernadette.

Odette
A French diminutive of Oda. Here’s the popularity graph for Odette.

Montserrat
From the island in the Caribbean. Here’s the popularity graph for Montserrat.

Annette
A French diminutive of Anne. Here’s the popularity graph for Annette.

Kit
A nickname for Katherine. Here’s the popularity graph for Kit.

Merritt
From the English surname, which is derived from the place name Merriott, meaning “boundary gate.” Here’s the popularity graph for Merritt.

Nicolette
A diminutive of the French name Nicole. Here’s the popularity graph for Nicolette.

Paulette
A French feminine form of Paul, which is derived from a Latin word meaning “small.” Here’s the popularity graph for Paulette.

Ayat
An Arabic word meaning “signs.” Here’s the popularity graph for Ayat.

Beckett
From the English surname. Here’s the popularity graph for Beckett.

Yvette
A French feminine form of Yves. Here’s the popularity graph for Yvette.

Dalett
Coined by reality TV couple Larry Hernández and Kenia Ontiveros (Larrymania). Here’s the popularity graph for Dalett.

Yamilet
A Spanish form of the Arabic name Jamilah. Here’s the popularity graph for Yamilet.

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

Millicent
From a Germanic name made up of elements meaning “labor” and “strength.” Here’s the popularity graph for Millicent.

Cosette
A French word meaning “little thing.” Here’s the popularity graph for Cosette.

Jannat
An Arabic word meaning “gardens.” Here’s the popularity graph for Jannat.

Josette
A diminutive of the French name Joséphine. Here’s the popularity graph for Josette.

Everest
From the world’s highest mountain, located in Asia (but named after a British surveyor). Here’s the popularity graph for Everest.

Marguerite
A French form of the name Margaret. Here’s the popularity graph for Marguerite.

Evolet
Invented for a character in the action-adventure film 10,000 BC. Here’s the popularity graph for Evolet.

Jeanette
A diminutive of the French name Jeanne. Here’s the popularity graph for Jeanette.

Lynette
Based on the Welsh name Eluned. Here’s the popularity graph for Lynette.

Antoinette
A feminine form of the French name Antoine. Here’s the popularity graph for Antoinette.

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

Rehmat
An Arabic word meaning “mercy.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rehmat.

Georgette
A French feminine form of George, which is derived from an Ancient Greek word meaning “earthworker.” Here’s the popularity graph for Georgette.

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

Cennet
A Turkish word meaning “heaven.” Here’s the popularity graph for Cennet.

Lizette
A diminutive of Elizabeth. Here’s the popularity graph for Lizette.

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

Mannat
An Urdu word that refers to a vow made to a deity in exchange for the granting of a particular wish. Here’s the popularity graph for Mannat.

Suzette
A French diminutive of Susanna. Here’s the popularity graph for Suzette.

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

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

Less-common girl names that end with a T-sound include Lilibet, Ayelet, Sonnet, Meklit, Garnet, Olivette, and Delight.

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-, L-, M-, R-, S-, V-, and Z-sounds.

Sources:

What gave the baby name Rebbie a boost in 1985?

Rebbie Jackson's debut album "Centipede" (1984)
Rebbie Jackson album

The rare baby name Rebbie both re-emerged in the U.S. data and saw peak usage in 1985:

  • 1987: 7 baby girls named Rebbie
  • 1986: 9 baby girls named Rebbie
  • 1985: 24 baby girls named Rebbie [peak]
  • 1984: unlisted
  • 1983: unlisted

Why?

Because of singer Rebbie (pronounced ree-bee) Jackson. Her biggest single, “Centipede,” was released in September of 1984 and peaked at #24 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in December.

Rebbie — born Maureen Reillette Jackson in Gary, Indiana, in 1950 — was the eldest of the ten Jackson siblings. Her famous younger brother, Michael Jackson, “wrote, produced, arranged and sang in the background” on “Centipede.”

Sisters Janet, Rebbie, and LaToya Jackson (in 1988)
Janet, Rebbie, and La Toya Jackson

Rebbie was the first Jackson sister to see success as a solo artist. By the time her follow-up album came out in late 1986, however, baby sister Janet had established herself as the biggest star of the three. (Janet Jackson’s breakthrough album Control had been released in February of that year.)

What are your thoughts on the name Rebbie?

Sources:

Image: “Family Support” (photo). Jet 1 Feb. 1988: 41.