How popular is the baby name Susan 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 Susan.

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Popularity of the baby name Susan


Posts that mention the name Susan

Edward Gorey names: Basil, Neville, Zillah

Edward Gorey book cover

Author Edward Gorey, born on February 22, 1925, would have been 86 today. To celebrate his birthday, let’s check out the names he used in his most famous book, The Gashlycrumb Tinies (1963):

Boy NamesGirl Names
Basil
Desmond
Ernest
George
Hector
James
Leo
Neville
Quentin
Titus
Victor
Xerxes
Yorick		Amy
Clara
Fanny
Ida
Kate
Maud
Olive
Prue
Rhoda
Susan
Una
Winnie
Zillah

He used interesting (sometimes odd) names in his many other books/stories as well, such as Ortenzia, Gertrúdis, Jasper, Ambrogio, Herakleitos, Agnes and Basil in The Blue Aspic (1968), Embley and Yewbert in The Epiplectic Bicycle (1969), Lambert, Amanda, Augustus, Emily and Neville in The Dwindling Party (1982), and Theoda in The Tuning Fork (1983).

Do you happen to own anything by Gorey? If so, please comment with a few character names!

Image: Cover of The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey

What popularized the baby name Tana in the 1940s?

The character Tana Mason from the movie "The Forest Rangers" (1942).
Tana Mason from “The Forest Rangers“

In 1943, usage of the baby name Tana suddenly surged, and the name entered the U.S. top 1,000 for the very first time:

  • 1945: 108 baby girls named Tana [rank: 720th]
  • 1944: 117 baby girls named Tana [rank: 693rd]
  • 1943: 124 baby girls named Tana [rank: 685th]
  • 1942: 28 baby girls named Tana
  • 1941: 18 baby girls named Tana

What caused the surge?

An action movie called The Forest Rangers, which was released in October of 1942. One of the main characters was a female lumber mill owner named Tana “Butch” Mason (played by Susan Hayward).

Do you like the name Tana? Would you use it?

Source: The Forest Rangers – Wikipedia

Baby girl gets 139 names: Tracy Mariclaire Lisa…

John and Margaret Nelson of Chesterfield, England, welcomed a baby girl at the very end of 1985. They named their daughter Tracy, but that’s not all they named her. This is Tracy’s full name:

Tracy Mariclaire Lisa Tammy Samantha Christine Alexandra Candy Bonnie Ursala Zoe Nichola Patricia Lynda Kate Jean Sandra Karren Julie Jane Elizabeth Felicity Gabriella Jackie Corina Constance Arabella Clara Honor Geraldine Fiona Erika Fillippa Anabel Elsie Amanda Cheryl Alanna Louisa Angie Beth Crystal Dawn Debbie Eileen Grace Susan Rebecca Valerie Kay Lena Margaret Anna Amy Carol Bella Avril Ava Audry Andrea Daphne Donna Cynthia Cassie Christabel Vivien Wendy Moira Jennifer Abbie Adelaide Carrissa Carla Anne Astrid Barbara Charissa Catalina Bonny Dee Hazel Iris Anthea Clarinda Bernadette Cara Alison Carrie Angela Beryl Caroline Emma Dana Vanessa Zara Violet Lynn Maggie Pamela Rosemary Ruth Cathlene Alexandrina Annette Hilary Diana Angelina Carrinna Victoria Sara Mandy Annabella Beverly Bridget Cecilia Catherine Brenda Jessica Isbella Delilah Camila Candace Helen Connie Charmaine Dorothy Melinda Nancy Mariam Vicki Selina Miriam Norma Pauline Toni Penny Shari Zsa-zsa Queenie Nelson

That’s 139 given names and 1 surname.

Why did John and Margaret do this to their daughter? According to John, “We just wanted to give her something for when she grows up.”

A reason that makes complete sense, of course.

Speaking of things that make sense, let’s pick out some of the needless repetition:

  • Alexandra (#7) and Alexandrina (#103)
  • Amanda (#36) and Mandy (#111)
  • Angela (#89), Angie (#40) and Angelina (#107)
  • Anna (#33), Anne (#74) and Annette (#104)
  • Bella (#56), Annabella (#112), Arabella (#27) and Isbella (#119)
  • Bonnie (#9) and Bonny (#79)
  • Candace (#122) and Candy (#8)
  • Carrissa (#72) and Charissa (#77)
  • Clara (#28) and Clarinda (#84)
  • Constance (#26) and Connie (#124)
  • Corina (#25) and Carrinna (#108)
  • Elizabeth (#21) and Beth (#41)
  • Margaret (#52) and Maggie (#98)
  • Mariam (#129) and Miriam (#131)
  • Victoria (#109) and Vicki (#130)
  • Zara (#95) and Sara (#110)

If you could go back in time and rename this baby, which two names (out of the 139) would you choose as her first and middle names?

Source: “Tracy for short.” Reading Eagle 24 Jan 1986: 1.

Where did the baby name Bathsheba come from in 1951?

The character Bathsheba (played by actress Susan Hayward) in the movie "David and Bathsheba" (1951)
Bathsheba from “David and Bathsheba“

The Biblical name Bathsheba appeared for the first time in the U.S. baby name data in 1951:

  • 1953: 14 baby girls named Bathsheba
  • 1952: 12 baby girls named Bathsheba
  • 1951: 9 baby girls named Bathsheba [debut]
  • 1950: unlisted
  • 1949: unlisted

What put it there?

The historical epic David and Bathsheba, which was released in mid-1951 and ended up becoming one of the top-grossing movies of the year. (It was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, father of Darrylin.)

The film, a retelling of the Biblical story, starred Gregory Peck as King David, whose “lust for a married woman [had] disastrous consequences for Israel.” The other star was Susan Hayward, who played Bathsheba, the wife of ill-fated soldier Uriah.

The name Bathsheba is an Anglicized form of the Hebrew name Bat Sheva, which means “daughter of the oath.” In the movie, it’s pronounced BATH-shee-bah.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Bathsheba?

Sources: David and Bathsheba (1951) – TCM, SSA

Image: Screenshot of David and Bathsheba