How popular is the baby name Prince 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 Prince.

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.


Popularity of the baby name Prince


Posts that mention the name Prince

Baby names inspired by Prince

Prince's album "Controversy" (1981).
Prince’s album “Controversy” (1981).

I recently read something about Prince and Apollonia, and it reminded me I hadn’t yet blogged about Prince and Apollonia. So here we go…

Prince

Prince — his real first name — was born in Minnesota in 1958. His full legal name is Prince Rogers Nelson. The “Prince Rogers” part comes from his father, who was a jazz musician with the stage name Prince Rogers (real name: John Nelson).

Prince’s albums started coming out in the late ’70s: For You (1978), Prince (1979), Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and so forth.

Did Prince’s musical career affect the usage of the baby name Prince?

Yes:

  • 1986: 150 baby boys named Prince
  • 1985: 195 baby boys named Prince
  • 1984: 206 baby boys named Prince
  • 1983: 167 baby boys named Prince
  • 1982: 137 baby boys named Prince
  • 1981: 146 baby boys named Prince
  • 1980: 131 baby boys named Prince
  • 1979: 92 baby boys named Prince
  • 1978: 73 baby boys named Prince
  • 1977: 59 baby boys named Prince
  • 1976: 65 baby boys named Prince

Usage of the name Prince, which had been relatively steady for decades, started to rise right away. It hit a high point in 1984, the year Purple Rain (both the album and the movie) came out. After that, usage declined. (Perhaps Prince had become a little too famous at that point?)

Vanity

In mid-1981, Prince put together an all-female R&B trio called Vanity 6 — named after lead singer Denise Katrina “Vanity” Matthews. The group put out their one and only album (the self-titled Vanity 6) in August of 1982.

prince, vanity, rolling stone, 1983
Prince & Vanity, RS cover, Apr. 1983

Vanity left the band in 1983 after just 2 years, but she continued putting out music as a solo artist during the ’80s.

So did Vanity influence the usage of the baby name Vanity?

Yes:

  • 1989: 102 baby girls named Vanity
  • 1988: 116 baby girls named Vanity [peak]
  • 1987: 89 baby girls named Vanity
  • 1986: 76 baby girls named Vanity
  • 1985: 103 baby girls named Vanity
  • 1984: 45 baby girls named Vanity
  • 1983: 56 baby girls named Vanity
  • 1982: 5 baby girls named Vanity [debut]
  • 1981: unlisted
  • 1980: unlisted

The name Vanity debuted on the SSA’s baby name list in 1982 and saw peak usage in 1988.

Apollonia

When Vanity left the band, Prince replaced her with (Patricia) Apollonia Kotero and changed the name of the trio from “Vanity 6” to “Apollonia 6.”

In 1984, not only did the group put out an album (the self-titled Apollonia 6), but Apollonia co-starred with Prince in the movie Purple Rain. (Her efforts earned her a Razzie nomination for “Worst New Star” of 1984.)

Did Apollonia influence the usage of the baby name Apollonia?

Yes:

  • 1987: 29 baby girls named Apollonia
  • 1986: 53 baby girls named Apollonia
  • 1985: 67 baby girls named Apollonia
  • 1984: 28 baby girls named Apollonia
  • 1983: unlisted
  • 1982: unlisted

The name had charted a few times before, back in the early 1900s, but Prince’s protégé Apollonia put it back on the map in 1984. She also gave the variants Apolonia, Appollonia, and Applonia a boost.

Camille

Did you know Prince had a female alter-ego named “Camille” for a time?

In fact, Camille was going to be the name of a 1986 album by his alter-ego Camille, but the project was scrapped. (The songs were going to be sung with altered vocals.)

If the album Camille had come out that year, though, what affect do you think it would have had on the trajectory of the baby name Camille?

Popular and unique baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2011

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

I saw lots of news last week about baby names in Alberta, Canada. The media didn’t focus on the Alberta’s most popular names of 2011, which happen to be these:

Girl names

  1. Olivia
  2. Sophia
  3. Emma
  4. Emily
  5. Ava
  6. Chloe
  7. Abigail
  8. Lily
  9. Brooklyn
  10. Sophie

Boy names

  1. Liam
  2. Ethan
  3. Mason
  4. Lucas
  5. Jacob
  6. Benjamin
  7. Alexander
  8. Noah
  9. William
  10. Logan

Instead, the media focused on Alberta’s unique names, which is something that I’ve been writing about for years (literally: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).

The official list of Albertan baby names isn’t ready yet, but preliminary data is available via the Edmonton Journal. Here are some unusual names I spotted on the Journal’s list:

Boy namesGirl names
Crevance, Dawnwalker, Dybry, Flourish, Goliath, Jheizzller, Knowledge-Tree,* Lefarius, Llord-Xedric, Madrid, Matt-Dainon, Moo, Moxon, Nzoputa, Princelife, Pure, Spyder, Mskr, Tata-peh, Wanderingspirit, Wisherlee, VedderApril-May, Chaz-a-rae, Cupid, Dayleigh, Dazzelyn, Duffni, Eirachloe, Evolet, Glennizelle, Gobza, Laker-Lynn, Mississippi, Nomalisa, Phetlunda, Psanatcsakor, Q’Tyyr’N, Rainejewelle, Sheamus, Starr-shine, Thespina, Thipphaphone, Vylet, Xyza, Zxyvian

*I’m guessing at the last letter; I think it was cut off.

Many of the news articles also claimed that baby names in Alberta had been inspired by royals William and Kate, who visited Canada last July. This could be true — there were a few more Princes and Dukes than usual in 2011:

  • 2011: 199 Williams, 50 Kates, 8 Princes, 6 Princesses, 9 Dukes, 0 Duchesses
  • 2010: 184 Williams, 44 Kates, 5 Princes, 5 Princesses, 0 Dukes, 0 Duchesses
  • 2009: 198 Williams, 67 Kates, 5 Princes, 2 Princesses, 2 Dukes, 0 Duchesses
  • 2008: 178 Williams, 68 Kates, 4 Princes, 0 Princesses, 3 Dukes, 0 Duchesses
  • 2007: 185 Williams, 67 Kates, 5 Princes, 1 Princess, 3 Dukes, 0 Duchesses

The names Kate and William didn’t move too much, though.

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)

One-syllable boy names: Colt, Wynn, Dax, Zane

single tree

Looking for a boy name that’s short and to-the-point? Something that might work particularly well as a middle name?

Check out this list of several hundred one-syllable boy names:

  • Abe, Alf, Arch, Ace/Ayce, Ames, Ash/Ashe
  • Baine/Bane/Bayne, Banks/Banx, Bar, Barnes, Bash, Bates, Bay, Baz, Bear, Beau/Bo/Bow, Beck, Becks/Bex, Ben, Benz, Birch, Blade/Blayde, Blain/Blaine/Blayne/Blane, Blair/Blaire, Blaise/Blaze/Blayze/Blaize, Bless, Blessed, Blake/Blayke, Bliss, Blitz, Blue/Blu, Blythe, Bond, Boone, Booth, Boyce, Boyd, Brad, Bram, Brance, Brave, Brax, Bray, Breck, Breeze/Brees, Brent, Brett/Bret, Brex, Brick, Brix/Brixx, Brigg, Briggs, Bright, Brock/Broc, Bronx, Bronze, Brook, Brooks, Bruce, Bryce/Brice, Buck, Burk/Burke, Burl/Berl, Burns
  • Cade/Cayde, Cain/Caine, Cale, Camp, Carl, Carr, Case, Cash/Cache, Catch, Caz, Chad, Chance, Chap, Charles, Chase, Chaz, Chen, Chet, Chez, Chip, Chris, Church, Clark/Clarke, Clash, Claude, Claus, Clay, Clayt, Cliff, Clint, Clive, Cloud, Clutch, Clyde, Coast, Cole, Colt, Cord, Court, Cove, Craig, Crane, Cree, Creed, Creek, Crew, Crews, Croix, Cross, Crown, Cruz, Czar
  • Dahl, Daire/Dare, Dale, Dan, Dane/Dain/Daine/Dayne/Dayn, Dart, Dash, Dawes, Dax, Dean, Dee, Del/Dell, Derl, Deuce, Din, Dirk, Doc/Dock, Dolph, Don, Dor, Dov, Doyle, Drake, Dream, Dre, Drew/Dru, Dodge, Dowd, Duane/Dwayne, Duff, Duke, Dune, Dutch
  • Earl, East, Ebb, Edge, Ernst
  • Fate, Finch, Finn, Fitz, Fjord, Fleet, Flex, Flint, Flip, Floyd, Flynn, Ford, Fox, Frank, Franz, Fred, Friend, Fritz, Frost
  • Gabe, Gad, Gage/Gauge, Gaines/Gains, Gal, Gale, Garth, Gates, Gay, Gent, Geoff, George, Gibb, Gibbs, Gil/Gill, Giles, Glade, Glenn/Glen, Graham, Grant, Graves, Gray/Grey, Great, Green/Greene, Griff, Grimm/Grim, Gur, Gus, Gust, Guy
  • Haines, Hale, Hall, Hank, Hans, Hatch, Hawk/Hawke, Hayes/Haze/Hayze/Haize, Heath, Heir, Hicks, Hill, Hines, Hoke, Holmes, Holt, Hoss, Hoyt, Hud, Hugh, Hume, Hunt, Hyde
  • Ives
  • Jacques, Jace/Jayce/Jase, Jack, Jake, James/Jamez, Jax, Jay/Jae, Jazz/Jaz, Jeff, Jess, Jin, Jett, Job, Joe/Jo, Joel, John/Jon, Jones, Josh, Joss, Jove, Juan, Judd/Jud, Jude, Judge, June, Jung
  • Kace/Kayce/Kase, Kade/Kayde, Kai, Kale, Kane/Kayne/Kaine, Karl, Kash, Kaz/Kazz, Keane/Kean/Keene, Keats, Keith, Kemp, Kent, Kern, Key, Kidd, Khan, Kim, King, Kip/Kipp, Kirk, Klaus, Klark, Klein, Knight, Knox, Kole, Kreed, Kris, Krish, Kurt, Kyle
  • Ladd, Lafe, Laird, Laith, Lake, Lance, Lane/Layne/Laine, Lark, Lars, Lee/Leigh, Leib, Leif/Leaf, Leith, Lev, Lex, Light, Lloyd, Locke/Lock, Lord/Lorde, Lorne, Lot/Lott, Luc, Luke, Lux, Lyle, Lynn/Lin, Lynx
  • Mace, Mack/Mac, March, Mark/Marc, Mars, Max, Mayes/Mays/Maze, Meade/Mead, Merle, Mike, Mills, Mitch, Moe/Mo, Moss, Myles/Miles
  • Nash, Nate, Naz, Neil/Neal, Neils, Nels, Ness, Nick, Nile, Niles/Nyles, Nils, Nir, Noel, Noor, North, Noyes
  • Oak, Oakes/Oaks, Om, Or, Oz
  • Pace, Page, Park, Parks/Parx, Parth, Patch, Paul, Pax, Paz, Peace, Peer, Penn, Pierce, Piers, Praise, Pratt, Pride, Priest, Prime, Prince, Psalm, Psalms
  • Quaid/Quade, Quest, Quill, Quinn, Quint
  • Ra, Race, Rage, Raines, Raj, Ralph, Ram, Rance, Rand, Range, Ray, Raz, Reece/Reese/Rhys, Reef, Reeve, Reeves, Reid/Reed, Reign, Rell, Ren, Rex, Rey, Rhett, Rhodes, Ridge, Riggs, Rip/Ripp, Roche, Rock, Rogue, Rolf/Rolfe, Rome, Ross, Roth, Rowe, Roy, Royce, Rudd, Rune, Rush, Rye/Ry, Ryne
  • Sage, Saint, Sam, Saul, Sayre, Scott, Seth/Set, Shade, Shane/Shayne/Shaine, Shaw, Shawn/Shaun/Sean, Shay/Shaye, Sky, Slate, Sloan/Sloane, Smith, South, Spade, Sprague, Steel, Stone, Storm, Styles/Stiles/Stylez, Suede, Swain/Swayne, Swan, Sway, Swift
  • Tad, Tadhg, Taft, Tai, Taj/Tahj/Tajh, Tal, Tank, Tate/Tait/Tayt, Tay/Taye, Taz, Teague, Tex, Thad, Thane/Thaine, Thames, Thor, Thorn/Thorne, Tighe, Todd, Tom/Thom, Townes/Towns, Trace, Track, Trent, Trey, Trigg, Tripp, Tris, Troy, Troyce, True/Tru, Truce, Trust, Truth, Twain, Ty/Tye
  • Val, Vale, Van, Vance, Vane, Vaughn, Vic/Vick, Vince, Von, Voss
  • Wade/Wayde, Wales, Ward, Wayne, Webb, Welch, Wells, West, Wilde, Wilks, Will, Wing, Witt/Whitt, Wolf/Wolfe, Wood, Woods, Worth, Wraith, Wray, Wren, Wright, Wynn/Winn
  • Yale, Yann, Yates, York, Young, Yves
  • Zack/Zach/Zac, Zade/Zaide/Zayde/Zayd, Zale, Zam, Zane/Zain/Zayne/Zaine/Zayn, Zeal, Zed/Zedd, Zell, Zen, Zeth, Zeus, Zev, Ziv, Zvi, Zyn

Please note that I did include names in the gray area between one syllable and two syllables. The deciding factor on these particular names (such as Charles, Miles, and Noel) will be your own interpretation/accent, so be sure to test the names out loud before making any final decisions.

Many of these names also happen to be unisex, so they appear on the one-syllable girl names list as well.

What’s your favorite one-syllable boy name?

Image: Adapted from 1 Drvo 06241 by Olja Simovic under CC BY-SA 4.0.

[Latest update: July 2023]