How popular is the baby name River 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 River.

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 River


Posts that mention the name River

Mason Dixon: Good baby name?

An Ann Landers column from 1995 featured a letter from one Mrs. Dixon, whose husband wanted to name their child Mason — “Mason Dixon” (as in, the Mason-Dixon line).

“I’m afraid our son would be made fun of throughout his life,” Mrs. Dixon said.

Ann agreed: “I’m on your side. To saddle a child with the name Mason Dixon would surely make him a lifelong butt of jokes.”

The reader responses printed a few months later, though, tended to be more supportive.

  • From Rose Rose: “I attribute my sense of humor to the fact that I had such an unusual name.”
  • From Mason Dickson: “Go for it. I’ve had a lot of fun with this name, and people always remember me.”
  • From Janice Mason Jarr, formerly Janice Mason Dixon: “No great improvement.”

Where do you stand on the name Mason Dixon — thumbs up or thumbs down?

Source: “Unusual name is just fine.” Portsmouth Daily Times 19 Jun. 1995: B4.

What was River Phoenix’s birth name?

River Bottom. Really! The family’s original surname was Bottom.

River Jude Bottom was born in a log cabin in Oregon in 1970. His parents named him River after the “river of life” in Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. His middle name came from the Beatles song “Hey Jude.”

After the family joined and then left a religious cult, they “changed their name to Phoenix, after the mythical bird that rises from its own ashes” to symbolize their new beginning.

Sources:

  • Boyd, Blanche McCrary. “Ahead of the Pack.” Premiere Apr. 1988.
  • Wake, Jacqueline. “Face of the Day.” Herald [Glasgow] 20 Jul. 2000: 40.

It’s not Zowie Bowie, it’s Duncan Jones

Those of us who follow celebrity baby names know all the oldies: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet, Diva…Fifi, Peaches, Little Pixie…River, Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, Summer…and, of course, Zowie.

Zowie Bowie, the son of singer David Bowie, was born in 1971 in London.

As it turns out, though, he’s not really named Zowie. His legal name is Duncan Zowie Hayward Jones. (His father’s name is also not original: David Bowie was born David Jones.)

Duncan went by “Zowie” as a child, “Joe” or “Joey” as a teen, and has been called Duncan ever since.

Duncan’s mother invented the name “Zowie” by altering the spelling of Zoë to make it seem more masculine.

How does Duncan sum up the media’s obsession with his name?

They latched on to Zowie and the fact it rhymed with Bowie. Easy laughs.

Despite this, he seems to have adjusted well, though. He’s now a movie director, and his debut film, Moon, is currently out in theaters.

Source: There is rhyme — and reason — to Duncan Jones’ name