How popular is the baby name Spanky 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 Spanky.

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Popularity of the baby name Spanky


Posts that mention the name Spanky

Interesting one-hit wonder names in the U.S. baby name data

single flower

They came, they went, and they never came back!

These baby names are one-hit wonders in the U.S. baby name data. That is, they’ve only popped up once, ever, in the entire dataset of U.S. baby names (which accounts for all names given to at least 5 U.S. babies per year since 1880).

There are thousands of one-hit wonders in the dataset, but the names below have interesting stories behind their single appearance, so these are the one-hits I’m writing specific posts about. Just click on a name to read more.

2020s

  • (none yet)

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

1900s

  • (none yet)

1890s

As I discover (and write about) more one-hit wonders in the data, I’ll add the names/links to this page. In the meanwhile, do you have any favorite one-hit wonder baby names?

Image: Adapted from Solitary Poppy by Andy Beecroft under CC BY-SA 2.0.

[Latest update: Dec. 2023]

Mystery baby name: Spanky

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

In 1979, 6 baby boys got the name Spanky. This has been Spanky’s only appearance on the SSA’s baby name list so far.

What inspired it? I have no idea.

The only famous Spanky I know of, George “Spanky” McFarland of Our Gang, was popular long before 1979.

Do you have any theories about why the number of babies named Spanky went up (slightly) in 1979?

P.S. Two unfortunate Spanky combos I’ve come across: Spanky Bumgartner (b. 1936) and Spanky Bimbo (b. 1978).