How popular is the baby name Jimmy 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 Jimmy.
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Years ago, I came up with a list of one-handed baby names — that is, names that are typed with either the left hand or the right hand on a QWERTY keyboard.
Turns out there may be a slight advantage to right-hand names.
According to a study published recently in Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, “the QWERTY keyboard may gradually attach more positive meanings to words with more letters located on the right side of the layout (everything to the right of T, G and B).”
Why?
It has to do with fluency.
We tend to like simplicity over complexity, and the harder-to-type letter pairs are on a QWERTY keyboard’s left side — these two facts together may lead people to prefer words (and names) that are typed on the right.
Which names are typed by the right hand only? My original list:
Below are nearly 40 baby names that have been given a boost by various soap operas — All My Children, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and more.
Adriana The character Adriana Castillo debuted on Santa Barbara on the first day of 1989 as a baby. The baby name Adriana saw a significant usage increase the same year.
1991: 2,241 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 139th)
1990: 2,150 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 144th)
1989: 2,259 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 135th)
1988: 1,447 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 189th)
1987: 1,210 baby girls named Adriana (rank: 218th)
Alanmichael The character Alan-Michael Spaulding debuted on Guiding Light in 1981 as a baby, then was re-introduced in 1987 as a teenager (impossibly). The baby name Alanmichael debuted on the baby name charts the following year, as did variants Allanmichael and Allenmichael.
1990: 29 baby boys named Alanmichael
1989: 16 baby boys named Alanmichael
1988: 13 baby boys named Alanmichael [debut]
1987: unlisted
1986: unlisted
Alexis The character Alexis Colby debuted on Dynasty in 1981. The baby name Alexis saw a significant usage increase the next year.
1983: 3,463 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 83rd)
1982: 3,122 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 93rd)
1981: 1,585 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 172nd)
1980: 1,268 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 204th)
1979: 1,010 baby girls named Alexis (rank: 248th)
Ashley The character Ashley Abbott debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1982. The baby name Ashley saw a significant usage increase that year.
1984: 38,757 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 3rd)
1983: 33,280 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 4th)
1982: 14,844 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 17th)
1981: 8,874 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 34th)
1980: 7,291 baby girls named Ashley (rank: 40th)
Bianca The character Bianca Montgomery — daughter of Erica Kane — was born during a February 1988 episode of All My Children. The baby name Bianca saw a significant usage increase that year.
1990: 3,826 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 84th)
1989: 3,593 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 91st)
1988: 2,636 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 108th)
1987: 919 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 268th)
1986: 830 baby girls named Bianca (rank: 294th)
Britta The character Britta Englund both debuted and died on Days of Our Lives during 1986. The baby name Britta saw peak usage the same year.
1988: 117 baby girls named Britta
1987: 151 baby girls named Britta
1986: 191 baby girls named Britta (rank: 867th)
1985: 77 baby girls named Britta
1984: 66 baby girls named Britta
Ciji The character Ciji Dunne debuted on Knot’s Landing in 1982. The baby name Ciji saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1985: 60 baby girls named Ciji
1984: 150 baby girls named Ciji (rank: 963rd)
1983: 244 baby girls named Ciji (rank: 698th)
1982: 8 baby girls named Ciji
1981: unlisted
Cordero The character Cordero “Cord” Roberts debuted on One Life to Live in 1986. The baby name Cordero debuted on the baby name charts the same year. Cordero was the most impressive newbie name of 1986, in fact. Related names like Corderro, Cordaro, Cordarro, Kordero, Cardero, Cordaryl, Cordario and Codero also debuted.
1988: 236 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 615th)
1987: 340 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 481st)
1986: 173 baby boys named Cordero (rank: 689th) [debut]
1985: unlisted
1984: unlisted
Corvina The character Corvina Lang appeared occasionally on All My Children in the mid-1990s. The baby name Corvina was a one-hit wonder in 1995.
1997: unlisted
1996: unlisted
1995: 5 baby girls named Corvina [debut]
1994: unlisted
1993: unlisted
Decker The character Decker Moss debuted on General Hospital in 1989. The baby name Decker debuted on the baby name charts the following year.
1992: 13 baby boys named Decker
1991: 14 baby boys named Decker
1990: 14 baby boys named Decker [debut]
1989: unlisted
1988: unlisted
Drucilla The character Drucilla Winters debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1990. The baby name Drucilla saw a moderate rise in usage over the following years.
1992: 42 baby girls named Drucilla
1991: 22 baby girls named Drucilla
1990: 13 baby girls named Drucilla
1989: 6 baby girls named Drucilla
1988: unlisted
Echo The character Echo DiSavoy debuted on One Life to Live in 1983. The baby name Echo saw a significant usage increase that year.
1985: 115 baby girls named Echo
1984: 182 baby girls named Echo (rank: 846th)
1983: 181 baby girls named Echo (rank: 844th)
1982: 60 baby girls named Echo
1981: 61 baby girls named Echo
Egypt The character Egypt Jones Masters debuted on Loving in 1988. The baby name Egypt returned to the data the same year.
1990: 37 baby girls named Egypt
1989: 30 baby girls named Egypt
1988: 22 baby girls named Egypt
1987: unlisted
1986: unlisted
Felicia The character Felicia Cummings debuted on General Hospital in 1984. The baby name Felicia saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1987: 2911 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 96th)
1986: 3,081 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 90th)
1985: 2,738 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 101st)
1984: 1,485 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 185th)
1983: 1,502 baby girls named Felicia (rank: 181st)
Frisco The character Andrew “Frisco” Jones debuted on General Hospital in 1984. The baby name Frisco debuted on the baby name charts the same year.
1986: 25 baby boys named Frisco
1985: 16 baby boys named Frisco
1984: 7 baby boys named Frisco [debut]
1983: unlisted
1982: unlisted
Holden The character Holden Snyder debuted on As the World Turns in 1986. The baby name Holden saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1988: 143 baby boys named Holden (rank: 794th)
1987: 107 baby boys named Holden (rank: 910th)
1986: 58 baby boys named Holden
1985: 15 baby boys named Holden
1984: 17 baby boys named Holden
India The character India von Halkein debuted on Guiding Light in 1984. The baby name India saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1986: 603 baby girls named India (rank: 385th)
1985: 754 baby girls named India (rank: 318th)
1984: 329 baby girls named India (rank: 561st)
1983: 178 baby girls named India (rank: 858th)
1982: 141 baby girls named India
Jagger The character Jagger Cates debuted on General Hospital in 1992. The baby name Jagger saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1994: 91 baby boys named Jagger
1993: 105 baby boys named Jagger
1992: 19 baby boys named Jagger
1991: 6 baby boys named Jagger
1990: unlisted
Jillian (added 3/22/20, thanks Marilyn!) The character Jillian Coleridge debuted on Ryan’s Hope in 1975. The baby name Jillian saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1977: 1055 baby girls named Jillian (rank: 246th)
1976: 252 baby girls named Jillian (rank: 620th)
1975: 89 baby girls named Jillian
1974: 85 baby girls named Jillian
1973: 93 baby girls named Jillian
Jimmylee The character Jimmy Lee Holt debuted on General Hospital in 1983. The baby name Jimmylee debuted on the baby name charts the following year.
1985: 11 baby boys named Jimmylee
1984: 19 baby boys named Jimmylee
1983: 12 baby boys named Jimmylee [debut]
1982: unlisted
1981: unlisted
Joyelle The character Joyelle was “born” on How To Survive A Marriage in 1975. The baby names Joyelle, Joyel and Joyell all debuted on the baby name charts the same year.
1977: 15/9/10 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell
1976: 31/23/20 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell
1975: 88/79/51 baby girls named Joyelle/Joyel/Joyell [debuts]
1974: unlisted
1973: unlisted
Katina The character Katina was “born” on Where the Heart Is in 1972. The baby name Katina saw a significant usage increase that year, and related names like Cotina, Katena, Kateena, Cantina and Catena debuted. Cotina was the most impressive newbie name of 1972, in fact. Here’s more on the name Katina.
1974: 765 baby girls named Katina (rank: 307th)
1973: 2,469 baby girls named Katina (rank: 120th)
1972: 2,747 baby girls named Katina (rank: 117th)
1971: 96 baby girls named Katina
1970: 60 baby girls named Katina
Kayla The character Kayla Brady debuted on Days of Our Lives in 1982. The baby name Kayla saw a significant usage increase that year.
1984: 2,681 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 100th)
1983: 3,527 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 81st)
1982: 2,275 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 133rd)
1981: 318 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 581st)
1980: 313 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 594th)
…and when Kayla Brady returned to Days in 1986 (after leaving in 1983), the name Kayla became the fastest-rising girl name of 1987:
1989: 14,902 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 20th)
1988: 13,431 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 20th)
1987: 10,576 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 27th)
1986: 4,657 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 64th)
1985: 2,607 baby girls named Kayla (rank: 108th)
Keemo The character Keemo Volien Abbott debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1994. The baby name Keemo was a one-hit wonder in 1994.
1996: unlisted
1995: unlisted
1994: 7 baby boys named Keemo [debut]
1993: unlisted
1992: unlisted
Krystle The character Krystle Carrington debuted on Dynasty in 1981. The baby name Krystle saw a significant usage increase that year.
1983: 1,067 baby girls named Krystle (rank: 232nd)
1982: 916 baby girls named Krystle (rank: 269th)
1981: 448 baby girls named Krystle (rank: 473rd)
1980: 26 baby girls named Krystle
1979: 14 baby girls named Krystle
Lahoma The character Lahoma Vane debuted on Another World in 1967. The baby name Lahoma saw a usage increase the following year. Here’s more on the name Lahoma.
1969: 44 baby girls named Lahoma
1968: 109 baby girls named Lahoma
1967: 24 baby girls named Lahoma
1966: unlisted
1965: 6 baby girls named Lahoma
Laken The character Laken Lockridge debuted on Santa Barbara in 1984. The baby name Laken debuted on the baby name charts the same year.
1986: 94 baby girls named Laken
1985: 109 baby girls named Laken
1984: 19 baby girls named Laken [debut]
1983: unlisted
1982: unlisted
Marlena The character Marlena Evans debuted on Days of Our Lives in 1976. The baby name Marlena saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1979: 387 baby girls named Marlena
1978: 470 baby girls named Marlena
1977: 423 baby girls named Marlena
1976: 168 baby girls named Marlena
1975: 135 baby girls named Marlena
Mergeron The character Dina Mergeron debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1983. The baby name Mergeron was a one-hit wonder in 1984.
1986: unlisted
1985: unlisted
1984: 5 baby boys named Mergeron [debut]
1983: unlisted
1982: unlisted
Mikkos The character Mikkos Cassadine debuted on General Hospital in 1981. The baby name Mikkos debuted on the baby name charts the same year. Variant name Mikos also debuted that year.
1983: unlisted
1982: 6 baby boys named Mikkos
1981: 15 baby boys named Mikkos [debut]
1980: unlisted
1979: unlisted
Penny The character Penny Hughes debuted on As the World Turns in 1956. The baby name Penny saw a usage increase the following year.
Reva The character Reva Shayne debuted on Guiding Light in 1983. The baby name Reva saw a significant usage increase the following year.
1986: 134 baby girls named Reva
1985: 115 baby girls named Reva
1984: 92 baby girls named Reva
1983: 43 baby girls named Reva
1982: 37 baby girls named Reva
Ridge The character Ridge Forrester debuted on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1987. The baby name Ridge re-entered the baby name charts after a long absence the same year.
1989: 105 baby boys named Ridge (rank: 1,000th)
1988: 99 baby boys named Ridge (rank: 975th)
1987: 26 baby boys named Ridge
1986: unlisted
1985: unlisted
Scorpio The character Robert Scorpio debuted on General Hospital in late 1980. The baby name Scorpio debuted in the baby name data the next year.
1983: 13 baby boys named Scorpio
1982: 5 baby boys named Scorpio
1981: 9 baby boys named Scorpio [debut]
1980: unlisted
1979: unlisted
Sierra The character Sierra Esteban debuted on As the World Turns in 1985. The baby name Sierra saw a significant usage increase that year.
1987: 1,620 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 173rd)
1986: 1,610 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 169th)
1985: 1,199 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 215th)
1984: 230 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 720th)
1983: 193 baby girls names Sierra (rank: 807th)
Skye The character Skye Chandler debuted on All My Children in 1986. The baby name Skye saw a significant increase in usage as a girl name the next year.
1989: 241 baby girls named Skye (rank: 793rd)
1988: 240 baby girls named Skye (rank: 788th)
1987: 240 baby girls named Skye (rank: 748th)
1986: 116 baby girls named Skye
1985: 100 baby girls named Skye
Snapper The character William “Snapper” Foster (played by pre-Knight Rider David Hasselhoff) debuted on The Young and the Restless in 1973. The baby name Snapper debuted on the baby name charts the same year.
1975: 6 baby boys names Snapper
1974: 8 baby boys names Snapper
1973: 5 baby boys names Snapper [debut]
1972: unlisted
1971: unlisted
Tara The character Tara Martin debuted on All My Children in 1970. The baby name Tara saw a significant usage increase that year. Here’s more on the name Tara.
1972: 7,230 baby girls named Tara (rank: 38th)
1971: 6,327 baby girls named Tara (rank: 50th)
1970: 5,334 baby girls named Tara (rank: 69th)
1969: 3,519 baby girls named Tara (rank: 107th)
1968: 2,184 baby girls named Tara (rank: 147th)
Do you know anyone named for a soap opera character?
The unusual baby name Frosty has appeared in the U.S. baby name data just once so far:
1952: unlisted
1951: unlisted
1950: 6 baby boys named Frosty [debut]
1949: unlisted
1948: unlisted
What inspired this sudden interest in Frosty?
The Christmas song “Frosty the Snow Man,” believe it or not. Written and composed by Steve Nelson and Walter “Jack” Rollins, it was first published in 1950.
The lyrics tell the story of a snowman named Frosty (with “a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal”) who magically comes to life when an “old silk hat” is placed on his head.
Gene Autry was one of the first artists to record it, and his version saw the greatest success during the 1950 holiday season. According to Billboard magazine, Autry’s “Frosty” peaked at #2 on the Best Selling Children’s Records chart for several weeks in a row at the end of 1950 and the beginning of 1951. More importantly, it peaked at #7 on the Best Selling Pop Singles chart during the first week of 1951. (The rankings that week were “based on reports received December 27, 28 and 29.”)
Other recordings of “Frosty the Snow Man” available during the 1950 holiday season included versions by Nat “King” Cole, Red Foley, Roy Rogers, Vaughn Monroe, Curt Massey, Guy Lombardo, Dick “Two-Ton” Baker, Harry Babbitt, and Jimmy Durante.
What are your thoughts on Frosty as a baby name? Do you like it more or less than Bimbo?
P.S. The biggest hit of Gene Autry’s career? “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” released just ahead of the 1949 holiday season. (Incidentally, the name Rudolph saw peak usage around the time Italian-born silent film actor Rudolph Valentino died in 1926, at age 31.)
Sources:
“The Billboard Music Popularity Charts.” Billboard 6 Jan. 1951: 16.
“The Billboard Music Popularity Charts.” Billboard 30 Dec. 1950: 10.
A few months ago, Nintendo released Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, a remake of the original Ocarina of Time from 1998.
Who did they feature in the commercials for the new Ocarina? None other than Robin Williams, who named his daughter, Zelda, for Princess Zelda from the series. (Zelda Williams was in the commercial, too.)
Were other parents inspired to use the name Zelda as well around this time? Perhaps a few, though the numbers stay fairly flat:
1991: 22 baby girls named Zelda
1990: 18 baby girls named Zelda
1989: 19 baby girls named Zelda
1988: 17 baby girls named Zelda
1987: 12 baby girls named Zelda
1986: 16 baby girls named Zelda
1985: 13 baby girls named Zelda
How was Princess Zelda named? Game creator Shigeru Miyamoto explains: “Zelda was the name of the wife of the famous novelist Francis Scott Fitzgerald. She was a famous and beautiful woman from all accounts, and I liked the sound of her name. So I took the liberty of using her name for the very first Zelda title.”
[On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon a few nights ago, Robin stated that his son Cody was also named for a video game character, but didn’t mention which game/character. My guess would be Cody from Final Fight.]
Image: Screenshot of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
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