How popular is the baby name Pierce 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 Pierce.

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Popularity of the baby name Pierce


Posts that mention the name Pierce

A Grey & Black baby name?

A reader named Jessica contacted me a few days ago with an interesting question.

She and her husband have one son, named Cruz. They are expecting a second son in December. The only name they’re both really enthusiastic about is Grey.

The problem? Their last name starts with the word “black.” Let’s say it’s Blackburn. So, if the baby’s first name were Grey, his full name would be Grey Blackburn.

Jessica and her husband aren’t so sure about the combination:

What do you think? Is the Grey-Black color pairing ridiculous?

Jessica’s question reminded me Julie’s question about the initials S.O.S. from last year. Both cases have to do with given names that are perfectly fine (Samuel Otis; Grey) but surnames that create issues (S.O.S.; Grey Blackburn).

My take? I wouldn’t say the pairing is ridiculous. I think Grey is usable.

But, personally, I’d keep looking. (Especially since there’s so much time left!)

There are thousands of good names out there. I’ll bet Jessica and her husband could find at least a few others as enticing as Grey, but that mesh better with their surname.

What’s your opinion of Grey in this situation?

P.S. I can’t resist throwing in some suggestions:

Cole
Dane
Drake
Gage 		Graham
Grant
Guy
Kai 		Kent
Pace
Paul
Pierce 		Quinn
Tate
Trent
Ty

Baby names needed: Boy and girl names for fraternal twins

A reader named Abby is expecting fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, in October. She and her husband already have a son named Leo Sebastian.

They’re aiming for vintage names (with kind of a quirky/British feel) that aren’t too popular. These are their favorites so far, top picks in italics.

 Boy NamesGirl Names
Her Picks:Edward (Teddy)
Henry
Jasper
Jude
Maxwell (Max)
Oliver		Alice
Elsa (Elsie)
Ivy
Juliet
Violet
His Picks:August (Auggie/Gus)
Dashiell (Dash)		Beatrix
Felicity
Matilda
Penelope (Nellie)
Ramona

Abby says, “He thinks mine are slightly boring, I think his are a tad too flamboyant.”

They’d like our opinions on two things:

  1. What other boy and girl names would we suggest?
  2. Out of the current favorites, what are the best pairings?

The twins’ surname will be similar to Waters.

Here are my thoughts…

1. First, name suggestions. Most of these names have a vintage feel, and none of are currently in the top 100 (though several are heading that way).

Boy NamesGirl Names
Archer
Byron
Calvin
Elias
Felix
Gideon
Graham
Grant
Heath
Hugh
Niles
Oscar
Pierce
Roman
Rufus
Seth
Silas
Simon
Theodore (Teddy)
Tobias		Adele/Adeline
Camille
Cecily
Celia
Corinne
Daphne
Eloise
Esme
Eugenia
Flora
Hazel
Helena
Iris
Jane
Josephine
Marion
Millicent (Millie)
Nicola
Rosamund
Stella

I didn’t include any w-names, but I was tempted to throw in Willa and Winifred (Winnie). Maybe even Wilhelmina (Minnie).

2. Out of the current favorites, Henry and Penelope are the two I like best for twins. I also like Maxwell and Beatrix (because both have that quirky x).

What other names/pairings would you suggest to Abby?

Baby names needed: Sci-fi names for boy-girl twins

A reader named Sam is having twins (a boy and a girl) in several weeks, but hasn’t yet found names for them. Sam writes:

My partner and I already have a 3 year old boy called Ryker after Will Riker on Star Trek Next Generation, as we both like Sci Fi.

The first thing that popped into my head is Robert Schnakenberg’s book Sci-Fi Baby Names. Google Books offers a nice preview.

The book seems to focus on names from TV and movies, so let’s balance that out with some ideas from literature:

  • Arthur, for Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey.
  • Douglas, for Douglas Adams, who wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
  • Isaac, for Isaac Asimov.
  • Julia or Julian, for Jules Verne.
  • Philip or Philippa, for Philip K. Dick.
  • Richard, for Richard Matheson, who wrote I Am Legend.
  • Ursula, for Ursula Le Guin.

Names that are more like Ryker in terms of style include:

Boy NamesGirl Names
Beckett
Cash
Drake
Easton
Everett
Gavin
Jude
Leo
Max
Phoenix
Pierce
Sawyer		Alexa
Fiona
Harper
Jetta
Kira
Luna
Maya
Phoebe
Sage
Sienna
Stella
Violet

What other sci-fi names can you come up with for Sam’s twins? And what other names do you think sound good with Ryker?

Baby name needed: Boy name that’s “strong, unusual”

Cassandra is expecting a baby boy in early June and she’d like some name suggestions.

She’s looking for “strong, unusual names” with one or two syllables. So far, Cassandra likes the name Fox and her partner prefers Aston. The baby’s surname will begin with an L and have one syllable. (Think Ladd.)

When I hear “strong,” I think of plosives (p, b, t, k, etc.). So I focused on short names with strong sounds that aren’t currently in the top 100. Here’s what I came up with:

Bennett
Brent
Brett
Brock
Cash
Chet
Clark
Colt
Corbin
Craig		Dane
Dax
Deacon
Drake
Duke
Emmett
Flint
Frank
Garrett
Grant		Gray
Holt
Jax
Jett
Kai
Keaton
King
Knox
Paxton
Pierce		Quinn
Rex
Rhett
Stone
Tate
Trent
Tucker
Victor
Zack
Zane

Which of the above do you like best? What other names would you suggest to Cassandra?

Update: The baby has arrived! Click here to see the name.