How popular is the baby name Soda 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 Soda.

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Popularity of the baby name Soda


Posts that mention the name Soda

Popular and unique baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2015

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

According to data from the government of Alberta, the most popular baby names in the province in 2015 were Olivia and Liam.

Here are Alberta’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2015:

Girl NamesBoy Names
1. Olivia, 294 baby girls
2. Emma, 275
3. Emily, 252
4. Sophia, 205
5. Ava, 201
6. Chloe, 179
7. Ella, 167 [tie]
7. Abigail, 167 [tie]
9. Avery, 155
10. Amelia, 142		1. Liam, 301 baby boys
2. Noah, 256
3. Ethan, 233
4. Benjamin, 221
5. Lucas, 218
6. William, 217
7. Oliver, 209
8. Mason, 203
9. Logan, 196
10. Alexander, 193

In the girls’ top 10, Chloe, Avery, and Amelia replaced Isabella, Charlotte, and Hannah.

In the boys’ top 10, Mason and Alexander replaced Jacob and Carter.

Baby names that were bestowed only once last year include…

Unusual Girl NamesUnusual Boy Names
Alastrine, Anarchy, Annayancy, Archa, Black-Feather, Breitling, Christivie, Costandina, Daylight, Drolma, Eallaf, Ehhuphoe, Esquire, Everra, Frozenda, Heledana, Isabeau, Jupiter, Kah, Loklyee-Snow, Lúthien, Mercyfavor, Mixx, Mornin-Starr, Mraeven, Nations, Nelanora, Obsolete, Oromia, Ovee, Patvabelle, Pluriana-Bella, Razbee, Reznor, SaQueira, Soda, Starlight, Sparrows, Surrender, Tayt-Lynn, Temperley, Uairirira, Umnia, Vhylix, Wynstelle, Xyrelle, Yeabkal, Yllethea, Yvriellebon, Zarabeen, ZayabellaArarso, Athanasius, Axtion, Bayou, Boxuan, Bry, Calyx, Clifflen, Coho, Den-Mark, Denzworth, Dezus, Eero, Eisenhower, Fnan, Fortress, Frotan, Galvin, Igloiel, Indus, JMaxx, Jomonosi, Kenardo, Knoll, Knoxin, Larxaniel, Memo, Mercer, Mugsy, Nazarus, Nexland, Nimona, Nuno, Nusetor, Okooc, Orges, Parx, Poncho, Psalmer, Qumbi, Ray-Pio, Reacher, Rook, Ryxer, Sky-Light, Sleem, Snowden, StylesJunior, Turbo, Uzuvira, Vanderjak, Vince-Gil, Wen-Ray, Wrightkin, Yngwie, Yogi, Zackharry, Zaylex, Zyller

Finally, here’s a link to Alberta’s top names of 2014.

Source: Frequency and Ranking of Baby Names by Year and Gender

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)

41 Pun-names for April Fools’ Day (4/1)

painting of a smiling man

I can’t play a prank on you for April Fools’ Day, but I can give you a list of personal names that seem like pranks.

Except, they’re not.

All of the below are legit first & last names that belonged to real people — often multiple people. (In parentheses I’ve added rough estimates of how many instances I’ve come across so far.)

  1. Alma Mater (several)
  2. April Showers (dozens)
  3. Bear Trapp (one)
  4. Candy Cane (several)
  5. Cliff Hanger (several)
  6. Constant Agony (two)
  7. Constant Craps (one)
  8. Crystal Ball (dozens)
    • There’s also Krystal Ball, who ran for office in Virginia a few years back.
  9. Death Knox (one)
  10. Gettysburg Battle (one)
  11. Gold Mine (two)
  12. Green Bean (several)
  13. Hazel Nut/Nutt (dozens)
  14. Ima Hogg (one)
  15. Jed I Knight (one)
  16. London England (dozens)
  17. Mud Brown (three)
  18. Never Fail (two) — father and son
    • The son’s headstone offers context for the name by referencing 1 Corinthians 13: “Love never fails.”
  19. Norman Conquest (two)
  20. North West (hundreds)
  21. Nude Mann (one)
  22. Orbit Moon (one)
  23. Orchestra Harp (one)
  24. Paris France (several)
  25. Preserved Fish (several)
  26. Pullman Carr (several)
  27. Rainy Day (one)
  28. River Bottom (one)
  29. Rocky Mountain (dozens)
  30. Sandy Beach (dozens)
  31. Sea Shore (several)
  32. Seymour Butts (two) — not just a Bart Simpson prank call!
  33. Shanda Lear (one)
  34. Silence Bellows (one)
  35. Soda Popp (one)
  36. Strong Beer (one)
  37. Tell No Lyes (several)
  38. Ten Million (one)
    • He had a daughter named Decillian Million.
  39. Timber Wood (one)
    • He has a sister named Drift Wood.
  40. Truly Wright (several)
  41. Tu Morrow (one)
    • Daughter of actors Rob Morrow and Debbon Ayer (read: debonaire)

Which one do you think is the best? Or should I say, the worst?

Sources:

Image: Falstaff (1921) by Eduard von Grützner

Unusual real name: Soda Popp

soda cans

Clyde and Dorothy Popp of Missouri had a baby boy in 1952 and named him Soda.

Yup — Soda Popp.

When Soda Popp was enrolled in school, it made the news:

Jefferson City, Mo., May 15 (AP) Soda Popp, 5, has been enrolled for kindergarten here next year.

And he’s been in the news quite a bit since, thanks to his memorable name.

In a 2003 interview with the Kansas City Star, he had this to say about it:

“I tell folks I have a sister named Lolly,” he said with a laugh. “And that I have twin sons, Snap and Crackle.”

That’s fiction, of course. But his name? That’s pure fact, he insists.

“My mom wanted to give me a name that would stand out – something unusual; something folks wouldn’t forget,” he said.

It’s worked. “People say, ‘How could your parents name you that?’ But I’m glad they did. My name has opened a lot of doors for me.”

A writer for the Topeka Capital-Journal spent a few days with Soda Popp in 2007. He said Soda was often forced to produce his driver’s license to prove his name really was “Soda Popp.”

What do you think of the name “Soda Popp” — cool, or cruel?

P.S. Soda Popp reminds me of two names I’ve seen on the 1940 census: R C Cola Osbey, a 21-year-old man in Texas, and Seven Up Stubin, a 22-year-old man in South Carolina.

Sources:

  • “A Little Drink.” Milwaukee Sentinel 16 May 1957: 2.
  • Frazee, Brent. “Refreshing Soda: Yes, his name is really ‘Soda Popp.'” Kansas City Star 25 May 2003: C14.
  • Murrell, Marc. “Drinking in Soda’s tales.” Topeka Capital-Journal 13 May 2007.

Image: Adapted from Coca Cola by Håkan Dahlström under CC BY 2.0.

Popular baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2010

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

The most popular baby names in Alberta, Canada, in 2010 were Liam and Emma:

Girl Names

  1. Emma
  2. Olivia
  3. Emily
  4. Isabella
  5. Sophia
  6. Ava and Chloe [tie]
  7. Ella
  8. Abigail
  9. Alexis
  10. Lily

Boy Names

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

Service Alberta’s press release also mentioned some of the more unusual baby names of 2010. These included Soda, Canada, Universe and Duramax.*

*When I saw “Duramax,” I thought of condoms. Turns out Durex is the condom brand, and Duramax is a type of engine. Regardless, the name made me think of condoms. Not a good thing.

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)