I’ve been wondering about Kindle lately. Nope, I’m not talking about the e-book reader. I’m talking about the baby name.
There are hundreds of Kindles already out there. (Humans, I mean. Amazon Kindles number in the millions.) What I wonder is whether the number of babies named Kindle every year will rise significantly in the near future.
Why would the number rise? Well, expectant parents have been hearing the word Kindle a lot lately, thanks to the popular e-reader. So they’re being continually reminded of it. And Kindle is very close to the name Kendall, which currently ranks 133rd for girls and 600th for boys. So parents might start seeing Kindle as a viable Kendall-alternative.
Here are the SSA’s stats on Kindle for the last decade:
- 2009: 24 baby girls named Kindle
- 2008: 20 baby girls named Kindle
- 2007: 11 baby girls named Kindle
- 2006: 17 baby girls named Kindle
- 2005: 10 baby girls named Kindle
- 2004: 13 baby girls named Kindle
- 2003: 9 baby girls named Kindle
- 2002: 8 baby girls named Kindle
- 2001: 14 baby girls named Kindle
- 2000: 10 baby girls named Kindle
So far, 24 is the record. It could be the start of an upward trend…or it could just be a temporary increase. It’s too early to tell.
Where do you think the name Kindle is headed within the next couple of years? Even better: How many babies do you think will be named Kindle in 2010?
Update, mid-2020: Here’s how the name has fared since I published this post ten years ago…
- 2018: 12 baby girls and 5 baby boys named Kindle
- 2017: 8 baby girls named Kindle
- 2016: 19 baby girls named Kindle
- 2015: 20 baby girls named Kindle
- 2014: 16 baby girls named Kindle
- 2013: 20 baby girls and 10 baby boys named Kindle
- 2012: 22 baby girls and 7 baby boys named Kindle
- 2011: 31 baby girls and 10 baby boys named Kindle
- 2010: 22 baby girls named Kindle
Peak usage as a girl name was in 2011; peak usage as a boy name was in both 2011 and 2013.