How popular is the baby name Pete 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 Pete.

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Popularity of the baby name Pete


Posts that mention the name Pete

How did the “The Mod Squad” influence baby names?

The character Lincoln "Linc" Hayes from the TV series "The Mod Squad" (1968-1973)
Lincoln “Linc” Hayes from “The Mod Squad“

The Mod Squad, a police drama that premiered on television in September of 1968, was one of the first prime-time shows to “acknowledge the existence of the hippie counterculture.”

Its protagonists were a diverse trio of streetwise youths — Peter “Pete” Cochran (Michael Cole), Julie Barnes (Peggy Lipton), and Lincoln “Linc” Hayes (Clarence Williams III) — who, after getting into trouble with the law, were given the chance to work as undercover detectives for the L.A.P.D. in lieu of going to jail. Their mentor was Capt. Adam Greer (Tige Andrews).

Notably, Linc — who had been arrested for participating the Watts riots prior to being recruited by Greer — was one of the few prominent African-American characters on television in the 1960s.*

The year after the series started airing, the baby names Linc and Lincoln saw increased usage, and Tige appeared for the very first time in the U.S. baby name data:

Boys named LincolnBoys named LincBoys named Tige
1971181 (rank: 618th)1638
1970146 (rank: 687th)2138
1969105 (rank: 766th)1428*
196871 (rank: 863rd)6.
196798 (rank: 747th)..
*Debut
Actor Tige Andrews in the TV series "The Mod Squad" (1968-1973)
Tige Andrews in “The Mod Squad“

Tige, the highest-debuting boy name of 1969, is pronounced like the first part of tiger — which makes sense, given that actor Tige Andrews was born Tiger David Androus in New York City in 1920. His parents, immigrants from Syria, had named him “after a strong animal to ensure good health, following a Syrian custom.”

*Two of the others were Lt. Uhura of Star Trek and Jemal David of The Outcasts.

Sources:

Images: Screenshots of The Mod Squad

What gave the baby name Dorinda a boost in 1944?

The character Dorinda from the movie "A Guy Named Joe" (1943)
Dorinda from “A Guy Named Joe“

According to the U.S. baby name data, the name Dorinda saw a sharp spike in usage in the mid-1940s:

  • 1946: 72 baby girls named Dorinda [rank: 989th]
  • 1945: 81 baby girls named Dorinda [rank: 841st]
  • 1944: 147 baby girls named Dorinda [rank: 607th]
  • 1943: 22 baby girls named Dorinda
  • 1942: 24 baby girls named Dorinda

It was the fastest-rising baby name of 1944, in fact.

Several Dorinda-like names got a boost around that time as well:

194319441945
Drenda.50†37
Drinda.22*20
Dorenda.11*5
Darenda.9*.
Derinda.7*6
Dirinda.7*.
Durinda.7*6
Derenda.7*6
Darinda..6*
*Debut, †Peak usage

(Dirinda was a one-hit wonder.)

The name Dorinda would have sounded fashionable in the 1940s — a decade during which names like Linda, Brenda, Glenda, and Wanda ranked inside the girls’ top 100. But its sudden trendiness can be traced back to a specific influence: a movie character.

The romance/fantasy film A Guy Named Joe (which did not feature any characters named Joe, incidentally) was released in March of 1944. It went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

The main character was WWII bomber pilot Pete Sandridge (played by Spencer Tracy). After being killed in action — and leaving behind his girlfriend Dorinda (played by Irene Dunne) — he found himself in the afterlife, where he was told to return to Earth as a guardian angel. His first assignment was a young military pilot named Ted (played by Van Johnson). Eventually, Ted happened to meet, and fall for, a grieving Dorinda — which made things complicated for Pete.

What are your thoughts on the name Dorinda? Would you use it?

Sources: A Guy Named Joe – Wikipedia, A Guy Named Joe (1944) – Turner Classic Movies, 1944 in film – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Screenshot of A Guy Named Joe

West Virginia family with 17 children (16 consecutive sons!)

The Jones family of West Virginia (in 1942)
The Jones family (in 1942)

From the late 1910s to the mid-1940s, Grover Cleveland Jones and Annie Grace Jones (née Buckland) of Peterstown, West Virginia, welcomed 17 children — 16 boys in a row, followed by a single girl.

Here are the names of all 17 siblings, from oldest to youngest:

  1. William Pinkney (born in 1917)
  2. Robert D. (b. 1919)
  3. Richard Buckland (b. 1920)
  4. Thomas L. (b. 1921)
  5. John (b. 1923)
  6. Paul Leslie (b. 1924)
  7. Woodrow Wilson (b. 1925)
  8. Tad (b. 1928)
  9. Willard Wilson (b. 1929)
  10. Pete (b. 1930)
  11. Rufus B. (b. 1932)
  12. Grover Cleveland, Jr. (b. 1935)
  13. Buck (b. 1936)
  14. Franklin D. (b. 1938)
  15. Leslie H.
  16. Giles Monroe (b. 1942)
  17. Charlotte Ann (b. 1946)

The odds of having 16 babies of the same gender in a row are approximately 1 in 65,500.

After boy #15, the family became relatively famous. They were invited to the White House, for instance, and had lunch with Eleanor Roosevelt (“because President Roosevelt was at a war meeting”).

Surprisingly, though, this wasn’t the only thing the Jones family was known for.

In 1928, dad Grover and oldest son William (whose nickname was “Punch”) were pitching horseshoes in the yard when they came across an unusual diamond-like stone. They put it in a cigar box in the tool shed, where it stayed for the next 14 years — right through the Great Depression.

At the start of World War II, Punch got a job at a nearby army ammunition plant. Working with carbon (one of the components of gunpowder), he was reminded of the diamond-like stone (as diamonds are a crystalline form of carbon) and decided to send the stone to a geology professor at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute for analysis.

The professor concluded that the stone was indeed a diamond — a 34.46-carat blue-white diamond that happened to be the largest alluvial diamond ever discovered in North America.

In 1944, Punch sent the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it was put on display near the Hope Diamond.

Sadly, Punch was killed in action in Germany the very next year.

The diamond was returned to Jones family in 1968. It was stored in a safe deposit box until 1984, when it was sold at auction for an undisclosed amount.

P.S. Thank you to Destiny for letting me know about the Jones family a few months ago! (Destiny also gave us an update on the Schwandt family of Michigan, which currently consists of 14 consecutive boys followed by a single girl.)

Sources:

Image: Clipping from the Detroit Times (27 Sept. 1942)

Popular and unique baby names in each U.S. state in 2023

USA topographic map

Which baby names were the most popular in each U.S. state in 2023?

And which names appeared in the data for just one state last year?

Here are all the answers! (Any unique name that also popped up in last year’s post is in boldface.)

Alabama (AL)

  • Alabama’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Alabama’s top boy name: William
  • Alabama’s 7 unique girl names: Maeleigh, Dominga, Huntley, Cerenity, Jabria, Kenslei, Weslyn
  • Alabama’s 8 unique boy names: Bankston, Kylar, Gates, Jakaiden, Ladarrius, Taylan, Wheeler, Zaylan

Alaska (AK)

  • Alaska’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Alaska’s top boy name: Liam/Oliver (tie)
  • No unique girl names.
  • Alaska’s 1 unique boy name: Atigun
    • Atigun, the name of a river in northern Alaska, debuted last year in the national data with five baby boys — all five of whom (we now know) were born in-state.

Arizona (AZ)

  • Arizona’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Arizona’s top boy name: Liam/Mateo (tie)
  • Arizona’s 5 unique girl names: Ariza, Payson, Aolanis, Zo, Zanovia
  • Arizona’s 3 unique boy names: Aleister, Bradyn, Rosario

Arkansas (AR)

  • Arkansas’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Arkansas’s top boy name: Liam
  • Arkansas’s 1 unique girl name: Savvy
  • Arkansas’s 1 unique boy name: Emmit

California

  • California’s top girl name: Olivia
  • California’s top boy name: Noah
  • California’s top 10 unique girl names: Emiko, Gurnaaz, Amada, Avina, Mannat, Zephyr, Amairany, Arzoi, Aveah, Divina (total of 490)
  • California’s top 10 unique boy names: Aren, Armen, Angad, Tigran, Gurfateh, Mehtab, Davit, Hayk, Nirvair, Dara (total of 336)

Colorado

  • Colorado’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Colorado’s top boy name: Liam
  • Colorado’s 2 unique girl names: Fae, Imogene
  • Colorado’s 2 unique boy names: Cale, Gustav
    • Hockey player Cale Makar is a star defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche.

Connecticut

  • Connecticut’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Connecticut’s top boy name: Noah
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Delaware

  • Delaware’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Delaware’s top boy name: Noah
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

District of Columbia

  • D.C.’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • D.C.’s top boy name: Liam
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Florida

  • Florida’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Florida’s top boy name: Liam
  • Florida’s top 10 unique girl names: Abigael, Talani, Daisha, Daliyah, Elianys, Kloe, Yari, Akeelah, Jasmyn, Kelsi (total of 84)
  • Florida’s top 10 unique boy names: Marvens, Antwan, Ahmari, Maikol, Wensley, Woodley, Gaspar, Javaris, Wood, Bane (total of 102)

Georgia

  • Georgia’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Georgia’s top boy name: Liam
  • Georgia’s top 10 unique girl names: Christian, Israel, Lawson, Markayla, Dallis, Julian, Landree, Loralei, Makiya, Aaryn (total of 39)
  • Georgia’s top 10 unique boy names: Flint, Deontae, Tyrus, Cyxx, Kaimir, Kamani, Laksh, Zakhari, Chapel, Epic (total of 31)

Hawaii

  • Hawaii’s top girl name: Isla
  • Hawaii’s top boy name: Elijah
  • Hawaii’s 5 unique girl names: Mahina, Hilinai, Kealani, Kahealani, Malie
  • Hawaii’s top 10 unique boy names: Keahi, Kaipo, Kawika, Kanaloa, Kealii, Kiai, Makana, Haaheo, Ioane, Kaena (total of 15)

Idaho

  • Idaho’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Idaho’s top boy name: Oliver
  • Idaho’s 1 unique girl name: Mesa
  • No unique boy names.

Illinois

  • Illinois’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Illinois’s top boy name: Noah
  • Illinois’s top 10 unique girl names: Maja, Anastasija, Ainslie, Namari, Saliha, Ajla, Alexie, Bellamie, Dalylah, Imaan (total of 19)
  • Illinois’s top 10 unique boy names: Andrej, Marshawn, Petar, Teodor, Bogdan, Danylo, Kacper, Nikodem, Alim, Eldon (total of 24)

Indiana

  • Indiana’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Indiana’s top boy name: Liam
  • Indiana’s 5 unique girl names: Taylynn, Elnora, Haevyn, Mable, Maylie
  • Indiana’s 8 unique boy names: Infantmale, Dewayne, Lynx, Makiah, Abbott, Holdyn, Nymeir, Quinlan

Iowa

  • Iowa’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Iowa’s top boy name: Oliver
  • No unique girl names.
  • Iowa’s 2 unique boy names: Jens, October

Kansas

  • Kansas’s top girl name: Amelia
  • Kansas’s top boy name: Liam
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Kentucky

  • Kentucky’s top girl name: Amelia
  • Kentucky’s top boy name: Liam
  • Kentucky’s 2 unique girl names: Embry, Hazeleigh
  • Kentucky’s 1 unique boy name: Weller

Louisiana

  • Louisiana’s top girl name: Amelia
  • Louisiana’s top boy name: Liam
  • Louisiana’s 8 unique girl names: Kaislee, Jersei, Kacelyn, Amiree, Jalyric, Jori, Khaza, Khylie
  • Louisiana’s top 10 unique boy names: Nylan, Caston, Jhai, Kaven, Kharter, Cevyn, Demauri, Jeanluc, Khyler, Kruze (total of 11)

Maine (ME)

  • Maine’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Maine’s top boy name: Theodore
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Maryland (MD)

  • Maryland’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Maryland’s top boy name: Liam
  • Maryland’s 3 unique girl names: Meklit, Melona, Syncere
  • Maryland’s 6 unique boy names: Record, Access, Karon, Oluwadamilare, Tavon, Tobechukwu
    • “Record” seems to be a placeholder (like “Infantmale,” “Babygirl,” and so forth).

Massachusetts (MA)

  • Massachusetts’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Massachusetts’s top boy name: Noah
  • Massachusetts’s 8 unique girl names: Aylla, Mariaalice, Eloah, Emilly, Mariajulia, Lunna, Annaliz, Indira
  • Massachusetts’s 6 unique boy names: Murilo, Bento, Keiden, Zayvian, Conall, Konstantinos

Michigan (MI)

  • Michigan’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Michigan’s top boy name: Noah
  • Michigan’s top 10 unique girl names: Zahraa, Aryam, Anhar, Arha, Ellanora, Kendyll, Manar, Maysa, Shahd, Zionna (total of 20)
  • Michigan’s 8 unique boy names: Taim, Amer, Bassam, Clint, Juwan, Martell, Mousa, Neko

Minnesota (MN)

  • Minnesota’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Minnesota’s top boy name: Theodore
  • Minnesota’s top 10 unique girl names: Maryama, Anzal, Munira, Nawal, Afnan, Mumtaz, Ayan, Ibtisam, Ikhlas, Sabrin (total of 26)
  • Minnesota’s top 10 unique boy names: Mubarak, Suhayb, Majid, Muzamil, Nels, Yonis, Muscab, Sven, Abdifatah, Griffen (total of 13)

Mississippi (MS)

  • Mississippi’s top girl name: Ava
  • Mississippi’s top boy name: John
  • Mississippi’s 3 unique girl names: Jalaysia, Loxley, Mamie
  • Mississippi’s 1 unique boy name: Khysen

Missouri (MO)

  • Missouri’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Missouri’s top boy name: Oliver
  • Missouri’s 4 unique girl names: Lakota, Irelynn, Kamoni, Kimberlynn
  • Missouri’s 2 unique boy names: Creedence, Bayler

Montana (MT)

  • Montana’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Montana’s top boy name: Oliver
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Nebraska

  • Nebraska’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Nebraska’s top boy name: Oliver
  • Nebraska’s 1 unique girl name: Atley
  • Nebraska’s 1 unique boy name: Creighton
    • Creighton University (which has a strong athletics program) is located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Nevada

  • Nevada’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Nevada’s top boy name: Liam
  • No unique girl names.
  • Nevada’s 1 unique boy name: Robel

New Hampshire

  • New Hampshire’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • New Hampshire’s top boy name: Oliver
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

New Jersey

  • New Jersey’s top girl name: Olivia
  • New Jersey’s top boy name: Liam
  • New Jersey’s top 10 unique girl names: Penina, Lianny, Ettel, Aanvi, Adelle, Avisha, Ruchama, Serayah, Dhara, Selin (total of 11)
  • New Jersey’s top 10 unique boy names: Binyomin, Michoel, Karas, Aras, Drin, Elazar, Nakai, Tuvia, Ason, Henrique (total of 12)

New Mexico

  • New Mexico’s top girl name: Olivia
  • New Mexico’s top boy name: Liam
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

New York

  • New York’s top girl name: Emma
  • New York’s top boy name: Liam
  • New York’s top 10 unique girl names: Faigy, Malky, Rivky, Raizy, Yitty, Goldy, Hindy, Shaindy, Esty, Blimy (total of 190)
  • New York’s top 10 unique boy names: Usher, Mendy, Lipa, Lazer, Hershel, Simcha, Yossi, Moishe, Shloma, Meilech (total of 184)

North Carolina

  • North Carolina’s top girl name: Olivia
  • North Carolina’s top boy name: Liam
  • North Carolina’s top 10 unique girl names: Wrenn, Yulani, Layanna, Skylan, Wisteria, Zalani, Alayla, Amillia, Aryya, Bethel (total of 20)
  • North Carolina’s top 10 unique boy names: Henderson, Graylen, Kaidence, Larson, Worth, Alegend, Avett, Chayton, Jahmel, Jalani (total of 17)

North Dakota

  • North Dakota’s top girl name: Evelyn
  • North Dakota’s top boy name: Oliver
  • North Dakota’s 1 unique girl name: Girl
  • North Dakota’s 1 unique boy name: Boy

Ohio

  • Ohio’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Ohio’s top boy name: Oliver
  • Ohio’s top 10 unique girl names: Hanan, Ramiyah, Mahala, Bexleigh, Emmelyn, Giavonna, Roseann, Rowena, Zaryiah, Aahana (total of 24)
  • Ohio’s top 10 unique boy names: Rayshawn, Larkin, Aavyan, Findley, Kari, Carmello, Cheikh, Darion, Dirk, Khyair (total of 31)

Oklahoma

  • Oklahoma’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Oklahoma’s top boy name: Liam
  • Oklahoma’s 5 unique girl names: Cing, Lyndi, Niang, Parklynn, Wilder
  • Oklahoma’s 1 unique boy name: Sampson

Oregon

  • Oregon’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Oregon’s top boy name: Oliver
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Pennsylvania

  • Pennsylvania’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Pennsylvania’s top boy name: Noah
  • Pennsylvania’s top 10 unique girl names: Barbie, Suzanne, Verna, Suhaylah, Azarah, Elisia, Roux, Abagail, Kendal, Niamh (total of 29)
  • Pennsylvania’s top 10 unique boy names: Benuel, Mahlon, Aasir, Azir, Nasai, Cashel, Lavern, Amaree, Freeman, Joash (total of 21)

Rhode Island

  • Rhode Island’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Rhode Island’s top boy name: Noah
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

South Carolina

  • South Carolina’s top girl name: Olivia
  • South Carolina’s top boy name: Noah
  • South Carolina’s 4 unique girl names: Kheumani, Ellorie, Khole, Elloree
  • South Carolina’s 3 unique boy names: Drayton, Asiyah, Grainger

South Dakota

  • South Dakota’s top girl name: Ava
  • South Dakota’s top boy name: Oliver
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Tennessee

  • Tennessee’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Tennessee’s top boy name: Liam
  • Tennessee’s 4 unique girl names: Hampton, Lemon, Lorna, Rivers
  • Tennessee’s 8 unique boys names: Neyland, Hendon, Ryman, Deshun, Jamario, Javontae, Manning, Stiven
    • Neyland Stadium is the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team.
    • Ryman Auditorium, a concert hall that dates back to the 1890s, is located in Nashville, Tennessee.
    • Peyton Manning played football for the Tennessee Volunteers in the 1990s.

Texas

  • Texas’s top girl name: Emma
  • Texas’s top boy name: Liam
  • Texas’s top 10 unique girl names: Eugenia, Dariela, Analucia, Gretel, Eleonor, Karyme, Landyn, Zailey, Katelynn, Kobi (total of 536)
  • Texas’s top 10 unique boy names: Stoney, Eugenio, Pete, Whitten, Brayson, Eliud, Homero, Weldon, Dimas, Ediel (total of 399)

Utah

  • Utah’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Utah’s top boy name: Liam
  • Utah’s 7 unique girl names: Boston, Bentlee, Swayzie, Adalaide, Quincey, Rossi, Swayzee
  • Utah’s top 10 unique boy names: Hyrum, Mckay, Ammon, Stockton, Covey, Dallin, Heber, Hesston, Jeter, Nix (total of 13)
    • Hyrum Smith was an early leader of the LDS Church. (He was one of Joseph Smith’s siblings.)
    • David O. McKay was one of the leaders of the LDS Church during the mid-20th century.
    • John Stockton played basketball for the Utah Jazz from 1984 to 2003.
    • Dallin H. Oaks is one of the current leaders of the LDS Church.
    • Heber C. Kimball was an early leader of the LDS Church.

Vermont

  • Vermont’s top girl name: Amelia/Eleanor (tie)
  • Vermont’s top boy name: Oliver
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Virginia

  • Virginia’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Virginia’s top boy name: Liam
  • Virginia’s 4 unique girl names: Aviya, Hayleigh, Meylin, Yemariam
  • Virginia’s 2 unique boy names: Lochlann, Azan

Washington

  • Washington’s top girl name: Olivia
  • Washington’s top boy name: Oliver
  • Washington’s 8 unique girl names: Lucile, Babygirl, Ellinor, Kiah, Mercer, Ravenna, Winnifred, Yoadan
  • Washington’s 3 unique boy names: Ruvim, Advay, Kipp

West Virginia

  • West Virginia’s top girl name: Amelia
  • West Virginia’s top boy name: Oliver
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Wisconsin

  • Wisconsin’s top girl name: Charlotte
  • Wisconsin’s top boy name: Theodore
  • Wisconsin’s 2 unique girl names: Amarianna, Gretta
  • Wisconsin’s 2 unique boy names: Loren, Renley

Wyoming

  • Wyoming’s top girl name: Evelyn
  • Wyoming’s top boy name: Henry/Jack (tie)
  • No unique girl names.
  • No unique boy names.

Do you have thoughts about any of the single-state names above?

Source: Popular Names by State – SSA

Image: Adapted from Topographical Map of the USA (public domain)