How popular is the baby name Russell 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 Russell.

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Popularity of the baby name Russell


Posts that mention the name Russell

The baby name Thumbelina

Thumbelina
1914 illustration of Thumbelina

In the Danish fairy tale “Tommelise” (1835) by Hans Christian Andersen, Tommelise is a tiny girl who has adventures with a toad, a butterfly, some stag beetles, a field mouse, a mole, a swallow, and finally a tiny prince.

In the earliest English translations of “Tommelise” the main character is renamed Little Ellie, Little Totty, and Little Maja. It wasn’t until 1864 that translator Henry W. Dulcken came up with the name Thumbelina.

(Both names, Tommelise and Thumbelina, were probably influenced by the name of folklore character Tom Thumb.)

Now for the important question: Have any babies ever been named Thumbelina?

Yes, at least a few dozen.

One example is Fabiola Thumbelina Blonigen, born in Minnesota in 1935. She was mentioned in the book Big Pants, Burpy and Bumface…and Other Totally True Names! by Russell Ash. (Her 5 siblings also had interesting names: Elaine Enid, Fabian Adrian, Quentin Phillip, Verdi Georgio and Twyla Delilah.)

Most of the Thumbelinas I’ve found were born in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. The parents of these babies were likely inspired by the song “Thumbelina” sung by Danny Kaye in the movie musical Hans Christian Andersen (1952).

Believe it or not, “Thumbelina” was one of the nominees for Best Original Song at the 25th Academy Awards.

The most interesting Thumbelina name-combo I’ve spotted so far? “Tiny Thumbelina.” It was given to a North Carolina baby born in 1969.

So what do you think of Thumbelina as a baby name?

And, bonus question: At the end of the original fairy tale, the prince tells Tommelise (pronounced tom-meh-lee-seh) that he doesn’t like her name. “It’s an ugly name, and you are so beautiful.” So he gives her a new one: Maja (pronounced mie-ah). Which name do you prefer, Tommelise or Maja?

Source: Tommelise – H.C. Andersen

Where did the baby name Jorel come from in 1979?

The character Jor-El (played by Marlon Brando) in the movie "Superman" (1978)
Jor-El in “Superman“

The name Jorel first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1979:

  • 1981: 27 baby boys named Jorel
  • 1980: 10 baby boys named Jorel
  • 1979: 22 baby boys named Jorel [debut]
  • 1978: unlisted
  • 1977: unlisted

It was highest-debuting boy name of the year, in fact.

Where did it come from?

The movie Superman, which, despite being released in mid-December of 1978, was the second-highest-grossing film of the year. (The highest-grossing film, Grease, came out in June.)

Superman’s father, Kryptonian scientist Jor-El (played by Marlon Brando), wasn’t on-screen long before the planet Krypton was destroyed. Still, he made enough of an impression that nearly two dozen babies were named in his honor.

(The SSA strips hyphens out of the data, so there’s no telling just how many of these baby Jorels were actually named “Jor-El.”)

Interestingly, the name has been in the data every year since:

Graph of the usage of the baby name Jorel in the U.S. since 1880.
Usage of the baby name Jorel

Usage peaked in the mid-1980s, then started petering out…until the early 2000s, when it bounced back. Why? Perhaps the combined influence of the TV show Smallville (2001-2011) and the film Superman Returns (2006).

The name saw it’s second-highest year of usage in 2014, following the release of the movie Man of Steel (2013), in which Jor-El was played by Russell Crowe.

What’s your opinion of the name Jor-El?

Sources: Superman (1978 film) – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Screenshot of Superman

Baby born in Alberta town of Wainwright, named Wainwright

Welcome sign in Wainwright, Alberta

The town of Wainwright in Alberta, Canada, was established in 1908 and named in honor of William Wainwright, a vice-president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. (The town was on the Grand Trunk line.)

The first baby born in the small community was the daughter of Martin L. Forster, proprietor of the Wainwright Hotel. She was named Wainwright Marguerite Forster, after the town.

(Wainwright was the fourth of eight children. Her siblings were named Russell, Claudine, Carl, Jessie, Doris, Eileen, and Jeanette.)

While being interviewed in 1958 — just before the town’s 50th anniversary celebration — Wainwright admitted: “It’s a strange first name for a woman and one that has caused quite a bit of confusion, believe me.”

(Other babies named after towns include Salida, Kelowna, and Nira.)

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Wainwright sign by Awmcphee under CC BY-SA 4.0.