How popular is the baby name Seth in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Seth.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Seth


Posts that Mention the Name Seth

Popular male names in England, 1560-1621

A while back, I stumbled upon a register of people who were associated with Oxford University in the late 1500s and early 1600s.

Interestingly, the author of the register decided to include a chapter dedicated to first names and surnames, and that chapter included a long list of male forenames and their frequency of occurrence from 1560 to 1621.

The author claimed that, for several reasons, these rankings were “probably…more representative of English names than any list yet published” for that span of time. One reason was that the names represented men from “different grades of English society” — including peers, scholars, tradesmen, and servants.

So, are you ready for the list?

Here’s the top 100:

  1. John, 3,826 individuals
  2. Thomas, 2,777
  3. William, 2,546
  4. Richard, 1,691
  5. Robert, 1,222
  6. Edward, 957
  7. Henry, 908
  8. George, 647
  9. Francis, 447
  10. James, 424
  11. Nicholas, 326
  12. Edmund, 298
  13. Anthony, 262
  14. Hugh, 257
  15. Christopher, 243
  16. Samuel, 227
  17. Walter, 207
  18. Roger, 195
  19. Ralph, 182
  20. Peter (and Peirs/Pers), 175
  21. Humphrey, 168
  22. Charles, 139
  23. Philip, 137
  24. David, 129
  25. Matthew, 116
  26. Nathaniel, 112
  27. Michael, 103
  28. Alexander, 98 (tie)
  29. Arthur, 98 (tie)
  30. Laurence, 90
  31. Giles, 88
  32. Stephen, 86
  33. Simon, 83
  34. Daniel, 79
  35. Joseph, 78 (tie)
  36. Lewis, 78 (tie)
  37. Andrew, 69
  38. Roland, 65
  39. Griffith (and Griffin), 60
  40. Evan, 55
  41. Abraham, 54 (tie)
  42. Leonard, 54 (tie)
  43. Owen, 53
  44. Gilbert, 52
  45. Morris (and Maurice), 51
  46. Bartholomew, 46 (3-way tie)
  47. Oliver, 46 (3-way tie)
  48. Timothy, 46 (3-way tie)
  49. Morgan, 45
  50. Martin, 44 (tie)
  51. Rice, 44 (tie)
  52. Gabriel, 41
  53. Benjamin, 40
  54. Jeffrey/Geoffrey, 38
  55. Ambrose, 36
  56. Adam, 35
  57. Toby (and Tobias), 34
  58. Jerome, 33
  59. Ellis, 30
  60. Paul, 29
  61. Bernard, 28 (3-way tie)
  62. Gregory, 28 (3-way tie)
  63. Isaac, 28 (3-way tie)
  64. Jasper (and Gaspar), 26 (3-way tie)
  65. Josiah (and Josias), 26 (3-way tie)
  66. Randall (and Randolph), 26 (3-way tie)
  67. Miles, 24
  68. Lancelot, 23
  69. Austin (and Augustine), 22 (tie)
  70. Jarvis (and Gervase), 22 (tie)
  71. Brian, 21
  72. Matthias, 20 (tie)
  73. Reginald (and Reynold), 20 (tie)
  74. Jeremy, 19
  75. Theophilus, 19
  76. Joshua 18 (3-way tie)
  77. Marmaduke, 18 (3-way tie)
  78. Valentine, 18 (3-way tie)
  79. Fulke, 17 (tie)
  80. Sampson (and Samson), 17 (tie)
  81. Clement, 16 (4-way tie)
  82. Ferdinando, 16 (4-way tie)
  83. Herbert, 16 (4-way tie)
  84. Zachary, 16 (4-way tie)
  85. Cuthbert, 15 (3-way tie)
  86. Emanuel, 15 (3-way tie)
  87. Vincent, 15 (3-way tie)
  88. Adrian, 14 (3-way tie)
  89. Elias, 14 (3-way tie)
  90. Jonah (and Jonas), 14 (3-way tie)
  91. Tristram, 13
  92. Allan, 12 (6-way tie)
  93. Ames, 12 (6-way tie)
  94. Barnaby (and Barnabas), 12 (6-way tie)
  95. Gerard (and Garret), 12 (6-way tie)
  96. Lionel, 12 (6-way tie)
  97. Mark, 12 (6-way tie)
  98. Abel, 11 (3-way tie)
  99. Erasmus, 11 (3-way tie)
  100. Roderic, 11 (3-way tie)

Did the relative popularity of any of these names surprise you?

The author did note that “the more common names occur more frequently than they ought to…from the tendency to confuse less common names with them.”

For example, a person called ‘Edmund,’ if he is frequently mentioned in the Register, is almost certain to be somewhere quoted as ‘Edward,’ ‘Gregory’ as ‘George,’ ‘Randall’ or ‘Raphael’ as ‘Ralph,’ ‘Gilbert’ as ‘William,’ and so on.

Now here are some of the less-common names, grouped by number of appearances in the register:

10 appearancesIsrael, Luke
9 appearancesCadwalader, Jenkin, Percival
8 appearancesBennet/Benedict, Godfrey, Howell, Jonathan, Raphael, Theodore
7 appearancesBaldwin, Gawen/Gavin, Hercules, Job, Kenelm, Meredith, Silvester, Solomon, Watkin
6 appearancesAlban, Basil, Caleb, Cornelius, Dennis, Guy, Jacob, Patrick
5 appearancesDudley, Edwin, Eustace, Ezechias/Hezekiah, Ezekiel, Hannibal, Joel, Moses, Peregrine, Simeon, Thurstan, Zacchaeus
4 appearancesFelix, Maximilian, Phineas
3 appearancesAaron, Abdias, Amos, Arnold, Baptist, Barten, Devereux, Diggory, Eleazer, Elisha, Ely, Ephraim, Euseby, German, Hamnet, Hilary, Hopkin, Jevan (“a form for Evan”), Justinian, Lemuel, Osmund, Pexall, Shakerley, Swithin
2 appearancesAngell, Audley, Avery, Bruin, Caesar, Calcot, Carew, Carr, Cecil, Cheyney, Clare, Collingwood, Conon/Conan, Darcy, Dominic, Elkanah, Emor, Ethelbert, Fitz-William, Frederic, Gamaliel, Gideon, Gifford, Goddard, Gray, Hamlet, Hammond, Harvey, Hastings, Hatton, Hector, Isaiah, Jethro, Joscelyn, Julius, Knightley, Mordecai, Morton, Nathan, Nevell, Obadiah, Otho, Pascho, Philemon, Polydor, Price, Raleigh, Raymond, Reuben, Rouse, Sabaoth, Sebastian, Seth, Silas, Silvanus, Tertullian, Umpton, Warren, Wortley, Zouch

Finally, lets check out some of the single-appearance names.

Over 250 names were in the register just once. I won’t include all of them, but here are about half:

  • Accepted, Aegeon, Albinus, Alford, Algernon, Ammiel, Arcadius, Arundel, Atherton, Aubrey, Aunstey, Aymondesham*
  • Bamfield, Beauforus, Bezaliel, Blaise, Bulstrod, Burgetius
  • Cadoc, Calvin, Candish, Cannanuel, Chiddiock, Chilston, Chrysostom, Conrad (“probably a foreigner”), Cosowarth, Creswell, Cyprian
  • Dabridgcourt, Darby, Delvus, Deodatus, Dier, Donwald, Dunstan
  • Elihu, Erisy, Esdras, Everard
  • Fernand, Fettiplace, Fines, Florice, Fogge, Fulbert
  • Geraint, Gerald, Glidd, Gourneus, Granado, Grange, Gratian
  • Hattil, Haut, Hercius, Hodges
  • Jarniot, Jephson, Jerameel, Jeremoth, Jolliffe
  • Kelamus, Killingworth, Kingsmell
  • Lambard, Leoline, Levinus, Leyson, Livewell
  • Maior, Maniewe, Marchadine, Mardocheus, Mattathias, Moyle
  • Nargia, Nizael, Norwich, Noye
  • Ogier, Olliph, Otwell
  • Pancras, Peleger, Periam, Person, Phatnell, Poynings, Purify
  • Renewed, Rheseus (“a Latinism for Rice”), Rimprum, Rollesley, Rotheram, Rumbold
  • Sabinus, Scipio, Sefton, Slaney, Snappe, Southcot, St. John, Stockett, Stukeley
  • Tanfield, Thekeston, Thrasibulus, Timoleon, Tournie, Tupper
  • Ulpian, Utred
  • Wallop, Walsingham, Warian, Warnecombe, Whorwood, Willgent
  • Yeldard
  • Zorobabel

*Could “Aymondesham” be a typo for Agmondesham?

Which of these uncommon names do you find the most intriguing?

Source: Register of the University of Oxford, vol. 2, part 4, edited by Andrew Clark, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1889.

[Latest update: 12/2022]

Baby names from Egyptian gods

Recent posts have mentioned both Isis and Anubis, and these names made me wonder — which other ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses are hiding in the U.S. baby name data?

After some searching, here’s what I came up with:

  • Aker, a god of the earth and underworld.
  • Amun or Amon, king of the gods; later combined with the sun god Ra to become…
  • Amunra (Amun-Ra), chief deity of the Egyptian Empire.
  • Amunet, a primordial goddess.
  • Anat, originally a Semitic war goddess.
  • Ash, the god of oases and vineyards.
  • Aten, a solar deity represented by “the solar disk emitting rays terminating in human hands.”
  • Atum, a god of creation.
  • Horus, the falcon-headed god of the sky; symbol of kingship.
  • Imhotep, a priest of Heliopolis who was later deified.
  • Khepri, the scarab-headed god of the morning sun.
  • Maat (Ma’at), the goddess of truth, justice, and cosmic order.
  • Meret (meaning “beloved”), a goddess associated with rejoicing.
  • Osiris, the (often green-skinned) god of fertility; ruler of the underworld.
  • Ptah, a god of creation.
  • Ra, sun god.
  • Set or Seth, god of storms, disorder, warfare — “in general, a trickster.”
  • Shai, a god of fate.
  • Tayt, goddess of weaving.

Which Egyptian god/goddess name makes the best baby name, do you think?

Sources: List of Egyptian Deities, Egyptian Gods – The Complete List, Aton – Egyptian god – Britannica, Seth – Egyptian God – Britannica

Name quotes #78: Brene, Neal, SanDeE*

The name SanDeE* from LA Story (1991).
SanDeE* from LA Story

From the 1991 movie LA Story, a conversation between Harris (played by Steve Martin) and SanDeE* (played by Sarah Jessica Parker):

H: What was your name again?

S: SanDeE*

H: I’m sorry, Sandy, Sandy… It’s a nice name. Everybody has such weird names now, it’s like Tiffany with a P-H-I, and instead of Nancy it’s Nancine. [He begins to write her name down.]

S: Big S, small A, small N, big D, small E, big E.

H: What?

S: Big S, small A, small N, big D, small E, big E. [She grabs his hand and writes directly on it.] Big S, small A, small N, big D, small E, big E. Then there’s a little star at the end.

Anna Wintour recently talking about her new puppy, named Finch [vid]:

She’s called Finch because we call all of our dogs after characters in To Kill a Mockingbird. So we have had a Scout, a Radley, and a Harper. And let me tell you, they are not happy about Finch’s arrival.

From a 1995 interview with R.E.M. vocalist Michael Stipe, whose paternal grandfather was a Methodist minister:

Well, Methodism was started by John Wesley, who was, in his way, a really radical guy who believed in a lot of individual responsibility. It’s not the kind of religion that’s right around your throat. Actually, I was named after him, John Michael Stipe.

From an article about Lara Prescott, author of the new book The Secrets We Kept, a fictional account of the dangers of publishing Doctor Zhivago in the 1950s:

You could say she was born to write this historical novel: Prescott’s mother named her after the doomed heroine from her favorite movie, the 1965 adaptation of Boris Pasternak’s epic.

A non-edited tweet from Cardi B, whose sister’s name is Hennessy:

Fun fact :Always wanted a daughter and I always used to say imma name her HennyLynn. It’s a cute mix of my sisters name but then I started calling my sister HennyLynn then it became one of the nicknames I gave my sister so it woulda been weird naming my daughter that .

From an article about a Georgia man whose name, Neal, came from a POW bracelet:

His father, the late John Carpenter, was an aircraft mechanic in the Navy and was deployed overseas at the time. He arrived home in time for his son’s birth. When it became necessary to scramble and find a boy’s name, John Carpenter looked down at the POW/MIA bracelet he was wearing.

The engraved name was Neal Clinton Ward Jr. He had been listed as Missing in Action since June 13, 1969. An airman, his plane had been shot down over Laos in the jungles of Southeast Asia, nine days before his 24th birthday.

The Carpenters named their son Neal Ward Carpenter.

(Neal’s mom had been convinced the baby would be a girl. Neal said: “I was going to be April Michelle, and that’s all there was to it.”)

Research professor and author Brené Brown on her unique name:

Growing up, every time we drove from San Antonio to Houston, going to Stuckey’s — all these places where you buy monogrammed shirts and glasses — I was so put out because there was never a “Brené.” So I think I made up in my head that it was French. And then I hitchhiked across Europe after high school and I got to France and I was like, “Je suis Brené!” And they were like, “What kind of name is that?” They’d never heard of it. My parents just made it up. I had a whole narrative in high school — “When I bust out of this suburban Spring, Texas, high school I’m going to go back to France where my people are!” But, no, it’s not French — it’s south side San Antonio.

Marketing expert Seth Godin’s take on the best middle name ever:

It’s not Warren or Susan or Otis or Samuel or Tricia.

It’s “The.”

As in Attila The Hun or Alexander The Great or Zorba The Greek.

When your middle name is ‘The’, it means you’re it. The only one. The one that defines the category. I think that focus is a choice, and that the result of appropriate focus is you earn the middle name.

Numerology & baby names: Number 7

Baby names with a numerological value of 7

 

Here are hundreds of baby names that have a numerological value of “7.”

I’ve sub-categorized them by overall totals, because I think that some of the intermediate numbers could have special significance to people as well.

Within each group, I’ve listed up to ten of the most popular “7” names per gender (according to the current U.S. rankings).

Beneath all the names are some ways you could interpret the numerological value of “7,” including descriptions from two different numerological systems.

7

The girl name Aada adds up to 7.

7 via 16

The following baby names add up to 16, which reduces to seven (1+6=7).

  • “16” girl names: Ana, Jada, Alba, Heba, Fia, Jae, Adaia, Adja, Cece, Daja
  • “16” boy names: Chad, Cal, Jae, Cage, Efe, Dak, Che, Adib, Abdi, Ehab

7 via 25

The following baby names add up to 25, which reduces to seven (2+5=7).

  • “25” girl names: Cali, Amaia, Jaida, Baila, Naia, Ahana, Danae, Ania, Laci, Adara
  • “25” boy names: Jack, Gael, Aaden, Aedan, Abbas, Jan, Asad, Saad, Ahaan, Ike

7 via 34

The following baby names add up to 34, which reduces to seven (3+4=7).

  • “34” girl names: Grace, Amara, Lila, Thea, Amanda, Elle, Danna, Anne, Bailee, Della
  • “34” boy names: Micah, Jaden, Chance, Hank, Noe, Carl, Chaim, Canaan, Kacen, Neo

7 via 43

The following baby names add up to 43, which reduces to seven (4+3=7).

  • “43” girl names: Chloe, Ellie, Alexa, Andrea, Gracie, Ember, Annie, Talia, Alanna, Karla
  • “43” boy names: Finn, Mark, Derek, Rafael, Iker, Beckham, Jaiden, Keegan, Erik, Aarav

7 via 52

The following baby names add up to 52, which reduces to seven (5+2=7).

  • “52” girl names: Hazel, Nova, Naomi, Aubree, Reese, Arabella, Dakota, Charlee, Nyla, Jimena
  • “52” boy names: Cayden, Dakota, Seth, Raul, Cason, Jamari, Reese, Marcel, Keanu, Ishaan

7 via 61

The following baby names add up to 61, which reduces to seven (6+1=7).

  • “61” girl names: Isabella, Lucy, Adelyn, Catalina, Mckenna, Luciana, Miracle, Jolene, Aylin, Meadow
  • “61” boy names: Roman, Kevin, Luis, Maddox, Calvin, Richard, Andres, Corbin, Nasir, Remy

7 via 70

The following baby names add up to 70, which reduces to seven (7+0=7).

  • “70” girl names: Eleanor, Ashley, Lilly, Alexis, Lilliana, Kenzie, Alison, Sierra, Francesca, Lilith
  • “70” boy names: Henry, Carson, Ryder, Josue, Simon, Walker, Rylan, Finnegan, Otto, Philip

7 via 79

The following baby names add up to 79, which reduces to seven (7+9=16; 1+6=7).

  • “79” girl names: Rosalie, Maddison, Cheyenne, Ashlyn, Haisley, Evalyn, Adilynn, Harriet, Kyndall, Beatrix
  • “79” boy names: William, Lincoln, Connor, Colton, Xavier, Walter, Gunner, Warren, Harvey, Frederick

7 via 88

The following baby names add up to 88, which reduces to seven (8+8=16; 1+6=7).

  • “88” girl names: Elizabeth, Penelope, Journee, Jazlyn, Madelynn, Sylvia, Katelyn, Karsyn, Poppy, Kassidy
  • “88” boy names: Antonio, Francisco, Kashton, Jaxxon, Karsyn, Terrence, Immanuel, Santos, Brenton, Zephaniah

7 via 97

The following baby names add up to 97, which reduces to seven (9+7=16; 1+6=7).

  • “97” girl names: Victoria, Stephanie, Evelynn, Jacqueline, Kathryn, Itzayana, Emmalynn, Yvette, Millicent, Josephina
  • “97” boy names: Anthony, Brantley, Bronson, Valentin, Jonathon, Tyrone, Johnpaul, Kentrell, Stephon, Marshawn

7 via 106

The following baby names add up to 106, which reduces to seven (1+0+6=7).

  • “106” girl names: Waverly, Honesty, Anniston, Krystal, Guinevere, Wilhelmina, Precious, Kaitlynn, Yulissa, Skarlett
  • “106” boy names: Russell, Trenton, Westyn, Miguelangel, Deanthony, Aurelius, Robinson, Tayvion, Hendrixx, Keyshawn

7 via 115

The following baby names add up to 115, which reduces to seven (1+1+5=7).

  • “115” girl names: Serenity, Trinity, Remington, Charleston, Brynnley, Winslow, Lilyrose, Everlynn, Yoselyn, Alexzandria
  • “115” boy names: Remington, Triston, Charleston, Trayvon, Winslow, Josemanuel, Reymundo, Whittaker, Tyrique, Trinity

7 via 124

The following baby names add up to 124, which reduces to seven (1+2+4=7).

  • “124” girl names: Rozlynn, Yatziry, Gwynevere, Brynlynn, Yaritzy, Vyolette, Graycelynn, Persayus, Gwendolyne, Maryruth
  • “124” boy names: Harrington, Thornton, Maxximus, Martavius, Treyveon, Winchester, Princetyn, Quinnton, Trayvion, Uchechukwu

7 via 133

The following baby names add up to 133, which reduces to seven (1+3+3=7).

  • “133” girl names: Gwendolynn, Tonantzin, Sigourney
  • “133” boy names: Theophilus, Princeston, Stevenson, Rutherford, Treyshawn, Rodriquez, Zulqarnain, Treyvonn

7 via 142

The following baby names add up to 142, which reduces to seven (1+4+2=7).

  • “142” girl names: Courtlynn, Scottlynn, Iyanuoluwa, Sutherlyn, Christlynn
  • “142” boy names: Huntington, Konstantine, Naetochukwu, Iyanuoluwa, Marquavius

7 via 151

The following baby names add up to 151, which reduces to seven (1+5+1=7).

  • “151” girl names: Montserrath, Victorious

7 via 160

The boy name Arinzechukwu adds up to 160, which reduces to seven (1+6+0=7).

7 via 169

The boy name Somtochukwu adds up to 169, which reduces to seven (1+6+9=16; 1+6=7).

What Does “7” Mean?

First, we’ll look at the significance assigned to “7” by two different numerological sources. Second, and more importantly, ask yourself if “7” or any of the intermediate numbers above have any special significance to you.

Numerological Attributes

“7” (the heptad) according to the Pythagoreans: …

  • “Since everything comes together and is distinguished by coincidence and in a critical manner at the place of the hebdomad [group of seven], they called it ‘critical time’ and ‘Chance,’ and custom has entrenched the habit of saying ‘critical time and Chance’ together.”
  • “Many things, both in the heavens of the universe and on the Earth – celestial bodies and creatures and plants – are in fact brought to completion by it. And that is why it is called ‘Chance,’ because it accompanies everything which happens, and ‘critical time,’ because it has gained the most critical position and nature.”
  • “It is also called ‘that which brings completion,’ for seven-month children are viable.”
  • “Everything is fond of sevens.”
  • “It is called ‘forager’ because its structure has been collected and gathered together in a manner resembling unity, since it is altogether indissoluble, except into something which has the same denominator as itself”

“7” according to Edgar Cayce:

  • “Seven is the spiritual number” (reading 261-15).
  • “As does seven signify the spiritual forces, as are seen in all the ritualistic orders of any nature” (reading 5751-1).
Personal/Cultural Significance

Does “7” — or do any of the other numbers above (e.g., 25, 43, 88, 151) — have any special significance to you?

Think about your own preferences and personal experiences: lucky numbers, birth dates, music, sports, and so on. Maybe you like how “88” reminds you of piano keys, for example.

Also think about associations you may have picked up from your culture, your religion, or society in general.

If you have any interesting insights about the number 7, or any of the other numbers above, please leave a comment!

Source: Theologumena Arithmeticae, attributed to Iamblichus (c.250-c.330).