How popular is the baby name Leigh 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 Leigh.

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Popularity of the baby name Leigh


Posts that mention the name Leigh

Numerology: Baby names with a value of 5

Baby names with a numerological value of 5

If you’re on the hunt for baby names with a numerological value of 5, you’re in luck! Because today’s post features hundreds of 5-names.

Before we get to the names, though — how do we know that they’re “fives” 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 Peyton correspond to the numbers 16, 5, 25, 20, 15, and 14. The sum of these numbers is 95. The digits of 95 added together equal 14, and the digits of 14 added together equal 5 — the numerological value of Peyton.

Baby names with a value of 5

Below you’ll find the most popular 5-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.

5 via 14

The letters in the following baby names add up to 14, which reduces to five (1+4=5).

Girl names (5 via 14)Boy names (5 via 14)
Ida, Adah, Caia, Dia, BeccaAhad, Adi, Dj, Kc, Jac

5 via 23

The letters in the following baby names add up to 23, which reduces to five (2+3=5).

Girl names (5 via 23)Boy names (5 via 23)
Mia, Alia, Aila, Adela, Cara, Addie, Laia, Edie, Jaci, AmiCaleb, Coda, Acen, Iam, Adem

5 via 32

The letters in the following baby names add up to 32, which reduces to five (3+2=5).

Girl names (5 via 32)Boy names (5 via 32)
Emma, Bella, Sage, Lena, Eve, Rhea, Lara, Veda, Giana, Avah, Amiah, Ciara, Danica, Adalie, Lane, Iva, Elif, Aadya, Alaiah, Gigi, Adelia, Aleida, Adaya, Avi, Hera, AileeLeo, Lane, Sage, Reed, Avi, Jakai, Dash, Leif, Aldo, Cecil, Neal, Eder, Nael, Elan, Caine, Dave, Ram, Caeden, Alen

5 via 41

The letters in the following baby names add up to 41, which reduces to five (4+1=5).

Girl names (5 via 41)Boy names (5 via 41)
Amelia, Abigail, Isla, Amaya, Evie, Adelaide, Dream, Saige, Mira, Anya, Indie, Naya, Jayda, Elina, Lisa, Aura, Elani, Laine, Mari, Reem, Irie, Eiza, Madden, Ailen, Yana, Lanie, Maelee, Khali, Zaida, Rahma, Irma, Joana, Lacy, Maleia, Dalani, LeighAmir, King, Nico, Elian, Alijah, Clay, Madden, Duke, Ayan, Kye, Elio, Jadiel, Kabir, Kanan, Kalel, Jabari, Slade, Rami, Arham, Dov, Zack, Makoa, Draco, Haiden, Khaled, Joao, Lex, Dream, Isaak, Jamel, Saige, Banx, Pax, Laine, Geno, Eider, Kasai, Sakai, Omega, Anay, Rick, Gauge, Kofi, Abdallah

5 via 50

The letters in the following baby names add up to 50, which reduces to five (5+0=5).

Girl names (5 via 50)Boy names (5 via 50)
Sofia, Adeline, Lyla, June, Elsie, Elise, Kayla, Haven, Mariah, Fatima, Malani, Lexi, Salem, Joy, Amirah, Eileen, Ezra, Elodie, Milana, Annika, Drew, Baylee, Amiri, Kallie, Rebekah, Inaya, Libby, Rubi, Aniya, Alisha, Kaycee, Emeri, Lucie, Adilene, Anayah, Avaya, Clarke, Kianna, Ally, Delanie, Ever, Aavya, Jireh, Misha, Janet, Iyana, Emrie, Malina, Sabine, America, Azalia, Merida, Jalaya, Myka, Raeya, Darby, Selma, Zoha, Eliani, Mahira, Auria, IlariaEzra, Colt, Paul, Brady, Marco, Frank, Amiri, Drew, Kasen, Zain, Anakin, Donald, Salem, Jakari, Landen, Jedidiah, Calum, Veer, Jireh, Laith, Izan, Keenan, Ever, Raheem, Demari, Derick, Haven, Ivar, Ravi, Mikel, Kent, Olin, Baron, Lars, Makaio, Ahmari, Kru, Arlen, Zian, Hiro, Davin, Eldon, Natan, Jhacari, June, Lino, Zaden, Roel, Darsh, Edrick, Kaycee, Deven, Iroh, Nilan, Imari, Kaimana, Lejend, Lion, Mycah

5 via 59

The letters in the following baby names add up to 59, which reduces to five (5+9=14; 1+4=5).

Girl names (5 via 59)Boy names (5 via 59)
Melanie, Kaylee, Brianna, Kendall, Briella, Makenna, Mylah, Renata, Bonnie, Janelle, Lillie, Rayna, Carly, Joelle, Laylah, Luz, Tru, Viola, Giulia, Kamora, Mariela, Ayesha, Kamilla, Laramie, Noella, Jayden, Milania, Kalayah, Leticia, Marlo, Mileena, Bryn, Darlene, Tianna, Akshara, Aminata, Caliyah, Joanne, Renlee, Tayla, Nihira, Haislee, Astra, Miliana, Junie, Zaniah, Anaiyah, MabryJayden, Jason, Ismael, Bowen, Zaiden, Zaire, Jonas, Mohamed, Rayan, Tru, Idris, Bjorn, Misael, Aryan, Kellen, Mccoy, Kaisen, Jaxx, Kendall, Zabdiel, Jahmir, Sekani, Kaycen, Brent, Ripp, Hansel, Fynn, Leander, Ragnar, Izhaan, Kyden, Marlo, Ramir, Paolo, Brandt, Tiger, Baylen, Niles, Oziah, Gareth, Qasim, Rook, Herman, Mazen, Blayne, Dontae, Mikko

5 via 68

The letters in the following baby names add up to 68, which reduces to five (6+8=14; 1+4=5).

Girl names (5 via 68)Boy names (5 via 68)
Olivia, Sophia, Valeria, Blakely, Morgan, Juliana, Cataleya, Izabella, Madeleine, Oakleigh, Ellianna, Skyla, Kamiyah, Denver, Teresa, Kaydence, Janiyah, Mattie, Nairobi, Harleigh, Braylee, Evelina, Marlene, Jenny, Stacy, Nelly, Kaelyn, Alaysia, Audrina, Dolly, Nour, Zamira, Samiya, Kyrie, Lavinia, Amour, Kaylen, Caitlin, Siobhan, Shayna, Makiyah, Gracyn, Imogene, Alyanna, Taylee, Keiry, Dhriti, Lyrica, Gladys, Kamdyn, Amity, Layken, SitaraBenjamin, Carlos, Brandon, Kyrie, Zander, Cruz, Eduardo, Ricardo, Killian, Denver, Lewis, Morgan, Mohammad, Gerardo, Trey, Tomas, Derrick, Wayne, Rudy, Jericho, Brennan, Gianluca, Kamdyn, Nazir, Eleazar, Zamari, Barron, Finneas, Mauro, Levon, Natanael, Aarush, Karsen, Gionni, Yasin, Bryer, Lloyd, Mordecai, Ervin, Usman, Ayansh, Valor, Shalom, Colsen, Hoyt, Shayan, Lemuel, Fischer, Yerik, Ziaire, Avett, Yanis, Mamadou, Riyaan, Zekiel, Arius, Zayaan, Jyaire, Kaydence, Kaylen, Helios, Bowman, Cassiel, Nicolo, Taron, Bradford

5 via 77

The letters in the following baby names add up to 77, which reduces to five (7+7=14; 1+4=5).

Girl names (5 via 77)Boy names (5 via 77)
Caroline, Vivian, Samantha, Molly, Harlow, Alyssa, Juliet, Kelsey, Coraline, Louisa, Braelyn, Patricia, Kyleigh, Ellery, Saniyah, Keilany, Georgiana, Ashton, Keylani, Glory, Skylee, Sunni, Lluvia, Mirabelle, Linley, Taelyn, Nayomi, Yeimy, Hazley, Tasneem, Lilibeth, Evette, Hayzel, Berkleigh, Ysabella, JaylanieJameson, Ashton, Ryker, Kenneth, Fernando, Kameron, Braylen, Scott, Marvin, Fletcher, Cayson, Merrick, Trent, Tzvi, Kolten, Harlow, Jenson, Giovani, Bernardo, Taylen, Jaylon, Mavrick, Corbyn, Domingo, Konner, Virgil, Brantlee, Kyrin, Syaire, Braelyn, Sheldon, Jayven, Kerry, Dewayne, Kylon, Kelton, Zavien, Marty

5 via 86

The letters in the following baby names add up to 86, which reduces to five (8+6=14; 1+4=5).

Girl names (5 via 86)Boy names (5 via 86)
Skylar, Jordyn, Mckenzie, Theodora, Hunter, Saoirse, Paisleigh, Ellison, Elouise, Alyson, Bryleigh, Yasmine, Hollyn, Izzy, Yarely, Julianne, Haizley, Kailynn, Prudence, Maryann, Lillyana, Dawsyn, Esmeray, DorotheaSantiago, Hunter, Arthur, Cyrus, Johnny, Rodrigo, Tommy, Kolson, Terry, Skylar, Jordyn, Westen, Ellison, Keylor, Estevan, Maynor, Patton, Jamarcus, Percival, Zachery, Zyler, Maxson, Sabastian, Johannes, Ronny, Alastor

5 via 95

The letters in the following baby names add up to 95, which reduces to five (9+5=14; 1+4=5).

Girl names (5 via 95)Boy names (5 via 95)
Kinsley, Peyton, Kimberly, Bristol, Promise, Rowyn, Joslyn, Empress, Estefany, Brynnlee, Yvonne, Blossom, Rosario, Everett, Souline, Annalynn, Brixley, RaylynEverett, Gregory, Peyton, Huxley, Wesson, Viktor, Hussein, Summit, Abdulrahman, Rowyn, Yousif, Sirius, Brayton, Johnson, Whitaker

5 via 104

The letters in the following baby names add up to 104, which reduces to five (1+0+4=5).

Girl names (5 via 104)Boy names (5 via 104)
Yaretzi, Tinsley, Rosalyn, Whitney, Sterling, Violetta, Emmylou, JesslynSterling, Truett, Marcellus, Quintin, Braxtyn, Michelangelo

5 via 113

The letters in the following baby names add up to 113, which reduces to five (1+1+3=5).

Girl names (5 via 113)Boy names (5 via 113)
Primrose, Brittney, Tziporah, Constanza, SumayyahSalvatore, Woodrow, Cristofer, Alexandros, Bryston

5 via 122

The letters in the following baby names add up to 122, which reduces to five (1+2+2=5).

Girl names (5 via 122)Boy names (5 via 122)
Roselynn, Scotlynn, Krislynn, Rosslyn, ZerenityRighteous, Stetsyn, Dimitrius, Chukwuemeka, Houstyn

5 via 131

The letters in the following baby names add up to 131, which reduces to five (1+3+1=5).

Girl names (5 via 131)Boy names (5 via 131)
Brookelynn, Monserrath, Brooklynne, Temiloluwa, ImisioluwaCristopher, Wellington, Roosevelt, Maximillion, Hutchinson

Number 5: Significance and associations

What does the number five mean in numerology?

There’s no definitive answer, unfortunately, because various numerological systems exist, and each one has its own interpretation of the number five. That said, if we look at a couple of modern numerology/astrology websites, we see 5 being described as “freedom-loving,” “dynamic,” “adaptable,” “curious,” and “unpredictable.”

We can also look at associations, which are a bit more concrete. Here are some things that are associated with the number 5:

  • Fingers
    • High-five (hand gesture)
  • Toes
  • Senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing)
  • Tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami)
  • Starfish (most starfish have 5 arms)
  • Basketball (5 players per side)
  • Olympic Games (symbolized by 5 interlocked rings)
  • Greek classical elements (water, earth, air, fire, aether)
    • Quintessence (refers to the fifth element, aether, which was a late addition to the list)
  • Chinese traditional elements (water, fire, earth, wood, metal)

What does the number 5 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, six, seven, eight, and nine.

Sources: SSA, Numerology – Cafe Astrology, The meaning of the numbers 1 – 9 – World Numerology, 5 – Wikipedia

[Latest update: Jan. 2024]

Saintly surnames: Bosco, Neri, Sheen, Talbot

Looking for a surname-inspired baby name with a connection to Catholicism?

Here are more than 200 options, most of which come from Catholic Englishmen martyred during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Because the goal was to include as many realistic baby names as possible, I interpreted “surname” and “saint” liberally in some cases. Xavier is not technically a surname, for instance, and many of the folks below are not yet full-fledged saints.

  • Abel, for Bl. Thomas Abel (d. 1540) of England.
  • Abbot, for Bl. Henry Abbot (d. 1597) of England.
  • Albert, for Bl. Federico Albert (d. 1876) of Italy.
  • Almond, for St. John Almond (d. 1612) of England.
  • Amias, for Bl. John Amias (d. 1589) of England.
  • Ancina, for Bl. John Juvenal Ancina (d. 1604) of Italy.
  • Andleby, for Bl. William Andleby (d. 1597) of England.
  • Aquinas, for St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) of Italy.
  • Arrowsmith, for St. Edmund Arrowsmith (d. 1628) of England.
  • Ashley, for Bl. Ralph Ashley (d. 1606) of England.
  • Ashton, for Ven. Roger Ashton (d. 1592) of England.
  • Atkinson, for Bl. Thomas Atkinson (d. 1616) of England.
  • Aufield, for Bl. Thomas Aufield (d. 1585) of England.
  • Barlow, for St. Ambrose Barlow (d. 1641) of England.
  • Baylon, for St. Paschal Baylon (d. 1592) of Spain.
  • Becket, from St. Thomas Becket (d. 1170) of England.
  • Beesley, for Bl. George Beesley (d. 1591) of England.
  • Belson, for Bl. Thomas Belson (d. 1589) of England.
  • Bertie, for Servant of God Andrew Bertie (d. 2008) of England/Malta.
  • Bertrand, for St. Louis Bertrand (d. 1581) of Spain/South America.
  • Bessette, for St. André Bessette (d. 1937) of Canada.
  • Bonzel, for Bl. Maria Theresia Bonzel (d. 1905) of Germany.
  • Bosco, for St. John Bosco (d. 1888) of Italy.
  • Bosgrave, for Bl. Thomas Bosgrave (d. 1594) of England.
  • Bowes, for Bl. Marmaduke Bowes (d. 1585) of England.
  • Briant, for St. Alexander Briant (d. 1581) of England.
  • Britton, for Bl. John Britton (d. 1598) of England.
  • Buxton, for Bl. Christopher Buxton (d. 1588) of England.
  • Cabrini, for St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (d. 1917) of Italy/U.S.
  • Campion, for St. Edmund Campion (d. 1581) of England.
  • Carey, for Bl. John Carey (d. 1594) of England.
  • Carter, for Bl. William Carter (b. 1584) of England.
  • Casey, for Ven. Solanus Casey (d. 1957) of the U.S. (His religious name “Solanus” comes from St. Francis Solanus, below.)
  • Cassant, for Bl. Pierre-Joseph Cassant (d. 1903) of France.
  • Catherick, for Bl. Edmund Catherick (d. 1642) of England.
  • Chanel, for St. Peter Chanel (d. 1841) of France.
  • Claver, for St. Peter Claver (d. 1654) of Spain.
  • Claxton, for Bl. James Claxton (d. 1588) of England.
  • Collins, for Bl. Dominic Collins (d. 1602) of Ireland.
  • Cope, for St. Marianne Cope (d. 1918) of Germany/U.S.
  • Corbie, for Ven. Ralph Corbie (d. 1644) of Ireland.
  • Cornelius, for Bl. John Cornelius (d. 1594) of England.
  • Dalby, for Bl. Robert Dalby (d. 1589) of England.
  • Daniel, for St. Antoine Daniel (d. 1648) of France/Canada.
  • David, for Bl. Vicente Vilar David (1937) of Spain or Bl. Toros Oghlou David (d. 1895) of Armenia
  • Davy, for Bl. John Davy (d. 1537) of England or Bl. Charlotte Davy (d. 1794) of France.
  • Dean, for Bl. William Dean (d. 1588) of England.
  • Dorie, for Bl. Pierre Henri Dorie (d. 1866) of France.
  • Douglas, for Bl. George Douglas (d. 1587) of Scotland.
  • Drexel, for St. Katharine Drexel (d. 1955) of the U.S.
  • Drury, for Bl. Robert Drury (d. 1607) of England.
  • Duff, for Servant of God Frank Duff (d. 1980) of Ireland.
  • Duke, for Bl. Edmund Duke (d. 1590) of England.
  • Durando, for Bl. Marco Antonio Durando (d. 1880) of Italy.
  • Dutton, for Servant of God Joseph Dutton (d. 1931) of the U.S.
  • Ebner, for Bl. Margareta Ebner (d. 1351) of Germany.
  • Emmerich, for Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich (d. 1824) of Germany.
  • Errico, for St. Gaetano Errico (d. 1860) of Italy.
  • Errington, for Bl. George Errington (d. 1596) of England.
  • Evans, for St. Philip Evans (d. 1679) of Wales.
  • Faber, for St. Peter Faber (d. 1546) of France.
  • Falzon, for Bl. Nazju Falzon (d. 1865) of Malta.
  • Farina, for St. Giovanni Antonio Farina (d. 1888) of Italy.
  • Fasani, for St. Francis Anthony Fasani (d. 1742) of Italy.
  • Felton, for Bl. John Felton (d. 1570) in England.
  • Fenn, for Bl. James Fenn (d. 1584) in England.
  • Fenwick, for Bl. John Fenwick (d. 1679) of England.
  • Ferrari, for Bl. Andrea Carlo Ferrari (d. 1921) of Italy.
  • Ferrer, for St. Vincent Ferrer (d. 1419) of Spain.
  • Filby, for Bl. William Filby (d. 1582) of England.
  • Frassati, for Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati (d. 1925) of Italy.
  • Fulthrop, for Bl. Edward Fulthrop (d. 1597) of England.
  • Finch, for Bl. John Finch (d. 1584) of England.
  • Fisher, for Bl. John Fisher (d. 1535) of England.
  • Foley, for Servant of God Theodore Foley (d. 1974) of the U.S.
  • Fontaine, for Bl. Marie-Madeleine Fontaine (d. 1794) of France.
  • Forest, for Bl. John Forest (d. 1538) of England.
  • Garnet, for St. Thomas Garnet (d. 1608) of England.
  • Gavan, for Bl. John Gavan (d. 1679) of England.
  • Gennings, for St. Edmund Gennings (d. 1591) of England.
  • Gerard, for Bl. Jeanne Gerard (d. 1794) of France or Bl. Joseph Gérard, (d. 1914) of France/South Africa.
  • Gerosa, for St. Vincentia Gerosa (d. 1847) of Italy.
  • Gervase, for Bl. George Gervase (d. 1608) of England.
  • Gibson, for Bl. William Gibson (d. 1596) of England.
  • Goretti, for St. Maria Goretti (d. 1902) of Italy.
  • Grove, for Bl. John Grove (d. 1679) of England.
  • Gwyn, for St. Richard Gwyn (d. 1584) of Wales.
  • Harrington, for Bl. William Harrington (d. 1594) of England.
  • Heath, for Bl. Henry Heath (d. 1643) of England.
  • Hewitt, for Bl. John Hewitt (d. 1588) of England.
  • Higgins, for Bl. Peter Higgins (d. 1642) of Irish.
  • Houghton, for St. John Houghton (d. 1535) of England.
  • Howard, for St. Philip Howard (d. 1595) of England or for his grandson, Bl. William Howard (d. 1680) of England.
  • Humphrey, for St. Lawrence Humphrey (d. 1590) of England.
  • Hunt, for Bl. Thurston Hunt (d. 1601) of England.
  • Ingleby, for Bl. Francis Ingleby (d. 1586) of England.
  • Ingram, for Ven. John Ingram (d. 1594) of England.
  • Janssen, for St. Arnold Janssen (d. 1909) of Germany.
  • Kemble, for St. John Kemble (d. 1679) of England.
  • Kern, for Bl. Jakob Kern (d. 1924) of Austria.
  • Kirby, for St. Luke Kirby (d. 1582) of England.
  • Kolbe, for St. Maximilian Kolbe (d. 1941) of Poland.
  • Konrad, for Bl. Nicholas Konrad (d. 1941) of Ukraine.
  • Lakota, for Bl. Gregor Lakota (d. 1950) of Ukraine.
  • Langley, for Bl. Richard Langley (d. 1586) of England.
  • Lanteri, for Ven. Bruno Lanteri (d. 1830) of Italy.
  • Larke, for Bl. John Larke (d. 1544) of England.
  • Laval, for Bl. Jacques-Désiré Laval (d. 1864) of France/Mauritius.
  • Lawrence, for St. Robert Lawrence (d. 1535) of England.
  • Leigh, for Bl. Richard Leigh (d. 1588) of England.
  • Lewis, for St. David Lewis (d. 1679) of Wales
  • Liguori, for St. Alphonsus Liguori (d. 1787) of Italy.
  • Lilli, for Bl. Salvatore Lilli (d. 1895) of Italy.
  • Lloyd, for St. John Lloyd (d. 1679) of Wales.
  • Lockwood, for Bl. John Lockwood (d. 1642) of England.
  • Lucas, for Bl. Charlotte Lucas (d. 1794) of France.
  • MacKillop, for St. Mary MacKillop (d. 1909) of Australia.
  • Majali, for Bl. Giuliano Majali (d. 1470) of Sicily.
  • Majella, for St. Gerard Majella (d. 1755) of Italy.
  • Manna, for Bl. Paolo Manna (d. 1952) of Italy.
  • Marchand, for St. Joseph Marchand (d. 1835) of France.
  • Marella, for Ven. Olinto Marella (d. 1969) of Italy.
  • Mareri, for Bl. Philippa Mareri (d. 1236) of Italy.
  • Margil, for Ven. Antonio Margil (d. 1726) of Spain/Central America.
  • Mari, for Servant of God Ida Mari (d. 1981) of Italy.
  • Martin, for St. Louis Martin (d. 1894) of France or Bl. Richard Martin (d. 1588) of England.
  • Marsden, from Bl. William Marsden (d. 1586) of England.
  • Marto, for Bl. Francisco Marto (d. 1919) of Portugal.
  • Mason, for Bl. John Mason (d. 1591) of England.
  • Massey, for Bl. René-Julien Massey (d. 1792) of France.
  • Maxfield, for Bl. Thomas Maxfield (d. 1616) of England.
  • Munden, for Bl. John Munden (d. 1584) of England.
  • Mayer, for Bl. Rupert Mayer (d. 1945) of Germany.
  • McAuley, for Ven. Catherine McAuley (d. 1841) of Ireland.
  • Meehan, for Bl. Charles Meehan (d. 1679) of Ireland.
  • Merlo, for Ven. Thecla Merlo (d. 1964) of Italy.
  • Medina, for Bl. Manuel Medina y Olmos (d. 1936) of Spain.
  • Mela, for Ven. Itala Mela (d. 1957) of Italy.
  • Merton, for Fr. Thomas Merton (d. 1968) of the U.S.
  • Mesina, for Bl. Antonia Mesina (d. 1935) of Italy.
  • Miki, for St. Paul Miki (d. 1597) of Japan.
  • Molina, for Bl. Mercedes de Jesús Molina y Ayala (d. 1883) of Ecuador.
  • Molla, for St. Gianna Beretta Molla (d. 1962) of Italy.
  • Mora, for Bl. Elisabeth Canori Mora (d. 1825) of Italy.
  • Morse, for St. Henry Morse (d. 1645) of England.
  • Nelson, for Bl. John Nelson (d. 1578) of England.
  • Neri, for St. Philip Neri (d. 1595) of Italy.
  • Newman, for Bl. John Henry Newman (d. 1890) of England.
  • Nichols, for Bl. George Nichols (d. 1589) fo England.
  • Nolasco, for St. Peter Nolasco (d. 1256) of France.
  • Ogilvie, for St. John Ogilvie (d. 1615) of Scotland.
  • Owen, for St. Nicholas Owen (d. 1606) of England.
  • Page, for Bl. Anthony Page (d. 1593) of England or Bl. Francis Page (d. 1602) of England.
  • Percy, for Bl. Thomas Percy (d. 1572) of England.
  • Potter, for Ven. Mary Potter (d. 1913) of England.
  • Powell, for Bl. Edward Powell (d. 1540) of Wales.
  • Quinn, for Ven. Edel Quinn (d. 1944) of Ireland.
  • Rawlins, for Bl. Alexander Rawlins (d. 1595) of England.
  • Regis, for St. John Francis Regis (d. 1640) of France.
  • Reynolds, for St. Richard Reynolds (d. 1535) of England or Bl. Thomas Reynolds (d. 1560) of England.
  • Richardson, for Bl. Lawrence Richardson (d. 1582) of England or Bl. William Richardson (d. 1603) of England.
  • Rigby, for St. John Rigby (d. 1600) of England
  • Rivi, for Bl. Rolando Rivi (d. 1945) of Italy.
  • Robinson, for St. Christopher Robinson (d. 1598) of England.
  • Rochester, for Bl. John Rochester (d. 1537) of England.
  • Roe, for St. Alban Roe (d. 1642) of England.
  • Romano, for Bl. Vincent Romano (d. 1831) of Italy.
  • Rossello, for St. Maria Giuseppa Rossello (d. 1880) of Italy.
  • Sala, for Bl. Maria Anna Sala (d. 1891) of Italy.
  • Savio, for St. Dominic Savio (d. 1857) of Italy.
  • Scott, for Bl. Montford Scott (d. 1591) of England or Bl. Maurus Scott (d. 1612) of England.
  • Serra, for St. Junipero Serra (d. 1784) of Spain/New Spain.
  • Seton, for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (d. 1821) of the U.S.
  • Sheen, for Ven. Fulton J. Sheen (d. 1979) of the U.S.
  • Shelley, for Bl. Edward Shelley (d. 1588) of England.
  • Sherwin, for St. Ralph Sherwin (d. 1581) of England.
  • Sherwood, for Bl. Thomas Sherwood (d. 1578) of England.
  • Sinclair, for Ven. Margaret Anne Sinclair (d. 1925) of Scotland.
  • Slade, for Bl. John Slade (d. 1583) of England.
  • Solanus, for St. Francis Solanus (d. 1610) of Spain.
  • Southwell, for St. Robert Southwell (d. 1595) of England.
  • Southworth, for St. John Southworth (d. 1654) of England.
  • Steno, for Bl. Nicolas Steno (d. 1686) of Denmark.
  • Spenser, for Bl. William Spenser (d. 1589) of England.
  • Spencer, for Ven. Ignatius Spencer (d. 1864) of England.
  • Stefani, for Bl. Irene Stefani (d. 1930) of Italy.
  • Stein, for St. Edith Stein (d. 1942) of Germany.
  • Stone, for St. John Stone (d. 1539) in England.
  • Sullivan, for Ven. John Sullivan (d. 1933) in Ireland.
  • Sutton, for Bl. Robert Sutton (d. 1587) of England.
  • Talbot, for Ven. Matt Talbot (d. 1925) of Ireland or Bl. John Talbot (d. 1600) of England.
  • Tansi, for Bl. Cyprian Michael Tansi (d. 1964) of Nigeria.
  • Taylor, for Bl. Hugh Taylor (d. 1585) of England, Francis Taylor (d. 1621) of Ireland, or Ven. Frances Margaret Taylor (d. 1900) of England.
  • Tezza, for Bl. Luigi Tezza (d. 1923) of Italy.
  • Thirkeld, for Bl. Richard Thirkeld (d. 1583) in England.
  • Thompson, for Bl. James Thompson (d. 1582) of England.
  • Thorne, for Bl. John Thorne (d. 1539) of England.
  • Thorpe, for Bl. Robert Thorpe (d. 1591) of England.
  • Tirry, for Bl. William Tirry (d. 1654) of Ireland.
  • Tomasi, for St. Giuseppe Maria Tomasi (d. 1713) of Italy.
  • Tunstall, for Bl. Thomas Tunstall (d. 1616) of England.
  • Turner, for Bl. Anthony Turner (d. 1679) of England.
  • Vega, for Servant of God Pablo Muñoz Vega (d. 1994) of Ecuador.
  • Venard, for St. Jean-Théophane Vénard (d. 1861) of France.
  • Vera, for Ven. Jacinto Vera y Durán (d. 1881) of Uruguay.
  • Verna, for Bl. Antonia Maria Verna (d. 1838) of Italy.
  • Vianney, for St. Jean Vianney (d. 1859) of France.
  • Ward, for St. Margaret Ward (d. 1588) of England.
  • Webster, for St. Augustine Webster (d. 1535) of England.
  • Wells, for St. Swithun Wells (d. 1591) of England.
  • Wharton, for Bl. Christopher Wharton (d. 1600) of England.
  • Whitaker, for Bl. Thomas Whitaker (d. 1646) of England.
  • Wilson, for Ven. Mary Jane Wilson (d. 1916) of British India.
  • Wright, for Bl. Peter Wright (d. 1651) of England.
  • Xavier, for St. Francis Xavier (d. 1552) of Spain.
  • Zaccaria, for St. Antonio Maria Zaccaria (d. 1539) of Italy.
  • Zola, for Bl. Giovanni Batista Zola (d. 1626) of Italy.

Which of the above do you like best?

And, what other saint-inspired surnames would make good baby names? I’m sure I missed a few. Let me know in the comments!

5 Curious names: Darcy, Iyla, Manahil, Ruzgar, Tulisa

This is my last post on the 2013 England and Wales baby name list, I promise.

Here are five names from the list that made me curious enough to do some digging…

Darcy

Darcy just keeps rising, doesn’t it? Wonder how high it will go. Two variants of the name are now in the top 100, and a third is just three spots away:

  • Darcey (651 baby girls) – ranks 84th
  • Darcy (588) – ranks 93rd
  • Darcie (540) – ranks 103rd

Lower down on the list there are 22 more variants (I’m including compound names here):

  • Darci (56), D’arcy (11), Darcee (9)
  • Darcie-Mae (22), Darcy-Mae (13), Darcie-Mai (11), Darcy-May (9), Darcie-May (7), Darcey-Mai (5), Darcey-Mae (4), Darcey-May (3), Darci-Mae (3)
  • Darcie-Rae (12), Darcey-Rae (3), Darcy-Rae (3)
  • Darcy-Leigh (9), Darcie-Leigh (8), Darcey-Leigh (4)
  • Darcey-Rose (6), Darcie-Rose (6), Darcy-Rose (3)
  • Darcie-Louise (3)

In total, 1,989 baby girls share these 25 versions of Darcy. If we could rank the entire group, it would fall between #24 Phoebe and #25 Millie on the 2013 list.

As Lou of Mer de Noms noted in a post about female names on the rise, dancer Darcey Bussell became a judge on the TV show Strictly Come Dancing in 2012. This explains why Darcey overtook the more traditional spelling Darcy that year.

And the name is still being used for boys, at least for now. Last year, more than 2 dozen baby boys were named Darcy.

Iyla

The 5th most popular girl name in England and Wales right now is Isla, which is pronounced EYE-la. The –s– is silent, the same way the –s– is silent in the word “isle.”

But more and more parents are opting to simplify the name by respelling it Iyla. Watch how the number of baby girls named Iyla has been rising in the shadow of skyrocketing Isla:

 2007200820092010201120122013
Isla9641,5991,9082,3842,8493,5013,526
Iyla922334672118137

I doubt Iyla will ever overtake the traditional version of the name, but you never know, alternative spellings sometimes catch on. Darcey is now ahead of Darcy, after all, and Zoey has been more popular than Zoe here in the U.S. since 2011.

Manahil

Last year, two variants of this name entered the girls’ top 1,000 for the first time:

  • Manahil (52 baby girls) – ranks 750th
  • Minahil (47) – ranks 813th
  • Menahil (4)

And I found a fourth variant, Minaahil, on the list from 2012.

Manahil is an Arabic name that means “springs, fountains.” It’s the plural form of the word Manhal.

Ruzgar

Ruzgar, given to 20 baby boys last year, comes from the Turkish word rüzgâr, meaning “wind.” You can hear the proper pronunciation of Rüzgâr at Forvo.

Tulisa

Usage of the name Tulisa plummeted last year, but that’s only part of the story. The name also increased in popularity markedly from 2009 to 2012:

  • 2013: 33 baby girls named Tulisa [out of the top 1,000 again]
  • 2012: 126 baby girls named Tulisa [ranked 375th]
  • 2011: 86 baby girls named Tulisa [ranked 494th]
  • 2010: 34 baby girls named Tulisa [ranked 988th]
  • 2009: 6 baby girls named Tulisa [debut]
  • 2008: unlisted

What accounts for the steep rise and the even steeper drop?

English singer and television personality Tulisa (born Tula Paulinea Contostavlos). She became famous as a member of the hip hop group N-Dubz (2000-2011) and was a judge on the TV show The X Factor (2011-2012).

But 2013 was not a good year for Tulisa. First, she left television. Second, she was arrested on drug charges. These two things were enough to knock the baby name Tulisa out of the top 1,000.

Though the stage name is pronounced tu-lee-sa, her name was originally pronounced tu-litz-a and was used to distinguish her from her grandmother (and namesake) Tula. The Greek name Tula/Toula is a short form of any Greek feminine name ending with the diminutive –toula such as Aretoula, Fotoula, Kostoula, Kritoula, Margaritoula, Panagiotoula or Stamatoula.

…More?

Have you had a chance to scan the list? Which of the baby names there made you curious?

Sources:

  • Gandhi, Maneka, and Ozair Husain. The Complete Book of Muslim and Parsi Names. New Delhi: Penguin Books India, 2004.
  • Smith, Sean. Tulisa. London: Simon & Schuster UK, 2012.

Baby girl in Seattle named “12th Mann”

Cydnee Leigh 12th Mann
Cydnee Leigh 12th Mann

Kelly and Troy Mann of Washington are big Seattle Seahawks fans. They’re such big fans, in fact, that they decided to name their baby girl, born earlier this week, Cydnee Leigh 12th Mann.

The “12th man” in football refers to the fans in the stadium during a game. Seattle’s 12th man currently holds the world record for crowd noise at an athletic event.

The Manns said they chose their daughter’s name while watching the NFC Championship game (Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers) a couple of weeks ago.

Their two older children, ages 10 and 6, are jealous of Cydnee’s Seahawks–themed middle name, says Kelly. “Now they want 12th as their middle name too.”

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of a KING 5 news video