How popular is the baby name Suave 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 Suave.

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Popularity of the baby name Suave


Posts that mention the name Suave

What turned Suave into a baby name in 1988?

The single "My Girl" (1988) by Suavé.
Suavé single

When I first spotted Suave in the U.S. baby name data, I immediately thought of the Gerardo song “Rico Suave” (1990). But that wasn’t the explanation, because the song was released two years after the name first appeared:

  • 1990: 6 baby boys named Suave
  • 1989: 7 baby boys named Suave
  • 1988: 17 baby boys named Suave [debut/peak]
  • 1987: unlisted
  • 1986: unlisted

So where did Suave come from?

The inspiration was singer Suavé (pronounced swah-VAY), born Waymond Anderson. His cover of the Temptations’ 1964 song “My Girl” reached #20 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in 1988.

The English word suave means “charming, confident.” (It comes from the Latin word suavis, meaning “sweet, pleasant.”) Here’s how Ebony magazine defined Suavé’s name in a late 1988 article about up-and-coming singers:

Suave means sophisticated and urbane, but it is also the name of one of Los Angeles’ hottest solo artists.

What are your thoughts on the name Suave/Suavé?

Sources:

P.S. The 1991 movie My Girl, which takes its title from the same Temptations song, gave a boost to the name Vada