How popular is the baby name Michael 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 Michael.
The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.
The name Blade first emerged in the U.S. baby name data in 1982:
1984: 8 baby boys named Blade
1983: unlisted
1982: 7 baby boys named Blade [debut]
1981: unlisted
1980: unlisted
Why?
I think the influence was the 1982 movie Blade Runner, which was based on the dystopian sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968) by Philip K. Dick.
The movie was set in Los Angeles in 2019. The main character, Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford), worked as a “blade runner” — a police officer tasked with tracking down and killing genetically-engineered humans known as “replicants” (which were designed to work in space colonies, but sometimes escaped to Earth).
This is one of several cases in which a baby name seems to have been inspired by a movie title as opposed to a movie character. Another example is Seattle, which debuted the year after Sleepless in Seattle came out.
The baby name Blade went on to see a steep rise in usage during the first half of the 1990s, no doubt thanks to the Young and the Restless character Alexander “Blade” Bladeson (played by Michael Tylo). The character appeared on the soap opera from early 1992 to late 1995.
Blade never managed to crack the boys’ top 1,000, but it did reach and maintain its highest level of popularity from the mid-’90s through the first years of the 2000s.
2003: 89 baby boys named Blade
2002: 112 baby boys named Blade (peak popularity)
2001: 103 baby boys named Blade
2000: 95 baby boys named Blade
1999: 99 baby boys named Blade
During most of this period, the primary pop culture influence would have been the movie character Blade, who was featured in a trilogy of superhero/horror films: Blade (1998), Blade II (2002), and Blade: Trinity (2004).
Blade (played by Wesley Snipes) was an African-American dhampir (half-human, half-vampire) whose mission was to hunt and kill vampires. His birth name was Eric Brooks; his nickname was a reference to his proficiency with bladed weapons such as swords and daggers. (Like Black Panther, Blade originated as a Marvel comic book character.)
What are your thoughts on the baby name Blade? Would you use it?
The year isn’t over yet, but that hasn’t stopped several regional governments from releasing provisional baby name rankings for 2023.
At least four U.S. states and one U.S. city have put out their top baby names of 2023 already, for instance. Let’s check them out, starting in the east and moving westward…
Rhode Island
According to the Rhode Island Department of Health, these were the state’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2023.
Top girl names, Rhode Island
Top boy names, Rhode Island
1. Charlotte 2. Sophia 3. Olivia 4. Amelia 5. Emma 6. Nora 7. Luna 8. Isabella 9. Mia 10. Isla
1. Noah 2. Liam 3. James 4. Theodore 5. Lucas 6. Michael 7. Julian 8. Benjamin 9. Henry 10. Luca
Mississippi
According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, these were the state’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2023.
Top girl names, Mississippi
Top boy names, Mississippi
1. Ava 2. Amelia 3. Olivia 4. Charlotte 5. Harper 6. Elizabeth 7. Emma 8. Mary 9. Nova 10. Evelyn
1. John 2. James 3. William 4. Elijah 5. Noah 6. Liam 7. Waylon 8. Mason 9. Grayson 10. Asher
Houston (Texas)
According to the Houston Health Department, these were the city’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2023.
Top girl names, City of Houston
Top boy names, City of Houston
1. Emma 2. Mia 3. Camila 4. Olivia 5. Isabella 6. Sofia 7. Sophia 8. Amelia 9. Charlotte 10. Emily
1. Liam 2. Noah 3. Mateo 4. Santiago 5. Sebastian 6. Dylan 7. Elijah 8. Lucas 9. Oliver 10. Daniel
New Mexico
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, these were the state’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2023.
Top girl names, New Mexico
Top boy names, New Mexico
1. Olivia 2. Amelia 3. Isabella 4. Emma 5. Sofia 6. Mia 7. Sophia 8. Aria 9. Luna 10. Camila
1. Liam 2. Mateo 3. Noah 4. Santiago 5. Ezekiel 6. Elijah 7. Josiah 8. Sebastian 9. Ezra 10. Julian
Arizona
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, these were the state’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2023.
Top girl names, Arizona
Top boy names, Arizona
1. Olivia 2. Isabella 3. Emma 4. Mia 5. Camila 6. Sophia 7. Amelia 8. Charlotte 9. Evelyn 10. Luna
1. Liam 2. Mateo 3. Noah 4. Oliver 5. Santiago 6. Elijah 7. Sebastian 8. Ezra 9. Levi 10. Benjamin
Several regions outside the U.S. have also released their 2023 baby name rankings already. Here’s what I’ve spotted so far…
In 2022, Australia — which boasts a large number of endemic animals (e.g., koala, kangaroo, wallaby, wombat, dingo) — welcomed 300,684 human babies: 146,403 girls and 154,281 boys.
What were the most popular names among Australia’s newborns last year?
Well…we don’t know for sure. Because Australia doesn’t release baby name rankings that cover the entire country.
So let’s take a look at eight sets of regional Australian rankings — representing Australia’s six states and two most populous territories — and make a guess about the country’s top names overall.
Here are the rankings, ordered by total number of births per region (highest to lowest):
New South Wales
Last year, New South Wales welcomed 95,758 (31.8%) of Australia’s babies. Here are NSW’s top baby names of 2022:
During the late 20th century, the name Shanice saw four distinct spikes in usage: two prominent ones in 1988 and 1992, flanked by two smaller ones in 1985 and 1999.
Here’s some of the data:
1994: 782 baby girls named Shanice [rank: 342nd]
1993: 1,345 baby girls named Shanice [rank: 213th]
1992: 1,859 baby girls named Shanice [rank: 167th]
1991: 304 baby girls named Shanice [rank: 700th]
1990: 289 baby girls named Shanice [rank: 725th]
1989: 537 baby girls named Shanice [rank: 452nd]
1988: 938 baby girls named Shanice [rank: 270th]
1987: 140 baby girls named Shanice
1986: 39 baby girls named Shanice
And here’s a visual:
All four increases can be attributed to the same thing: mononymous R&B singer Shanice.
The initial uptick, in 1985, corresponds to her appearances on the TV talent show Star Search in 1984. As 11-year-old Shanice Wilson, she competed — at least twice — in the junior female vocalist category. Her performances earned her $5,000 in prize money. (She later said, “When I got that $5,000, you would’ve thought we hit the lottery.”)
She also appeared on more than a dozen episodes of Kids Incorporated in 1984, but, surprisingly, she didn’t sing on the show — she was one of the backup dancers.
In 1988, following the release of Shanice’s initial singles the previous year, the name jumped into the girls’ top 1,000 for the first time ever. Shanice’s most successful early song, “(Baby Tell Me) Can You Dance,” reached #50 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in December of 1987.
The name’s highest-ever usage, in 1992, was fueled by Shanice’s biggest hit, “I Love Your Smile” (1991). The upbeat song was produced by Narada Michael Walden and stayed stuck at #2 on the charts for three weeks straight in February of 1992. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” category, but lost to a song by Chaka Khan.
Here’s the music video:
The name’s peak usage was also bolstered by the 1992 songs “Silent Prayer” and “Saving Forever for You,” which topped out at #31 and #4 (respectively) on the Hot 100.
The final uptick, in 1999, corresponds to Shanice’s last Hot 100-charting song, “When I Close My Eyes,” which climbed to #12 in April of 1999.
What are your thoughts on the name Shanice? Would you use it?
This website or its third-party tools process personal data.In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link Do not sell my personal information.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.