How popular is the baby name Teal 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 Teal.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Teal


Posts that Mention the Name Teal

Baby names associated with green: Olive, Silvano, Thao

pine trees, green

Looking for baby names that are associated with green — including baby names that mean “green”?

If so, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve collected dozens of options for you in this post.

Before we get to the names, though, let’s take a quick look at what the color green represents…

Symbolism of green

What does the color green signify?

In Western cultures in particular, green can be symbolic of:

  • Nature
  • Growth
  • Wealth
  • Luck
  • Envy
  • Freshness
  • Quality

The overriding association with nature is due to the abundance of green plant life on Earth. Plants contain a green pigment called chlorophyll that allows them to absorb energy from light.

The color can also be associated with safety and permission, thanks to green traffic lights (which signal when it’s safe to proceed).

Top baby names associated with green

Determining the top names in a category isn’t difficult when you’re working with an easily definable category, like PH names. When it comes to names that have a connection to the color green, however, we need to account for the fact that certain names have a stronger connection than others.

With that in mind, here are the top baby names that have an obvious association with the color green:

  1. Ivy
  2. Jade
  3. Olive
  4. Forest
  5. Emerald

Now here are the same five names again, but this time around I’ve added some details (including definitions, rankings, and popularity graphs).

Ivy

The word ivy refers to any of several species of climbing or ground-creeping evergreen plants in the genus Hedera. By extension, it also refers to the deep green color of ivy’s foliage.

Ivy is currently the 49th most popular girl name in the U.S.

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

Jade

The word jade refers to two similar-looking minerals, nephrite and jadeite, that are commonly used as gemstones. By extension, it also refers to the green color of these minerals.

Their common name can be traced back to the 16th-century Spanish term piedra de ijada, meaning “loin stone” (because the stone was thought to help cure loin and kidney ailments).

Jade is currently the 91st most popular girl name in the nation.

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

Olive

The word olive refers to the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea). By extension, it also refers to the dark yellowish-green color of unripened olive fruit. (Ripened olives are black.)

Olive is currently the 182nd most popular girl name in the U.S.

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

Forest

The word forest refers to a dense growth of trees and underbrush that covers a large area of land. It’s based on the Medieval Latin word foresta (or forestis).

The more popular spelling of the name, Forrest, represents transferred usage of the English surname. The surname Forrest originally referred to a person who lived near or worked in a royal forest (that is, a forest owned by the sovereign and used as a hunting ground).

Forest is currently the 715th most popular boy name in the nation. (Forrest ranks 414th.)

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

Emerald

The word emerald refers to a vivid green variety of the mineral beryl. By extension, the word also refers to the green color of these crystals.

The name of the stone can be traced back to the ancient Greek word smaragdos, which referred to any green gemstone (including emerald, beryl, malachite, and jasper).

Emerald is currently the 913th most popular girl name in the U.S.

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

More names associated with green

All the names below are associated with the color green. The names range from common to uncommon, and their associations range from strong to slight.

Those that have been popular enough to appear in the U.S. baby name data are linked to their corresponding popularity graphs.

olives, green
  • Alder trees have green foliage. The word alder is derived from the Old English word for the tree, alor.
  • Aran is a Thai masculine name meaning “forest.”
  • Aranya is a Hindi gender-neutral name based on the Sanskrit word aranya, meaning “forest.”
  • Ash trees have green foliage. The word ash is derived from the Old English word for the tree, æsc.
  • Aspen trees have green foliage. The word aspen is derived from the Old English word for the tree, æspe.
  • Aurora is part of both “aurora borealis” and “aurora australis” — the names of the polar lights, which are predominantly green. The polar lights are caused by solar wind (that is, charged particles emitted by sun) striking the Earth’s magnetic field. The word aurora means “dawn” in Latin.
  • Balsam fir trees have dark green foliage. The name of the tree can be traced back to the Hebrew word basam, meaning “spice, perfume.”
  • Beryl is a mineral that can be green. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the ancient Greek word beryllos. (Green beryl is a paler green than emerald.)
  • Birch trees have green foliage. The word birch is derived from the Old English word for the tree, beorc.
    • Björk is the Icelandic word for “birch.”
  • Blerim is an Albanian masculine name based on the word blerim, meaning “greenness, verdure.”
  • Blerta is an Albanian feminine name based on the word blertë, meaning “green.”
  • Burkni is an Icelandic masculine name meaning “fern.”
  • Cactus plants are typically green. The name of the plant is derived from ancient Greek word kaktos.
  • Cedar trees have dark green foliage. The name of the tree ultimately comes from the ancient Greek word kedros.
  • Celadon is a pale grayish-green color. The name of the shade was inspired by a character named Céladon — a shepherd who wore pale green clothing — in the popular 17th-century French novel L’Astrée by Honoré d’Urfé.
  • Chloe (or Chloë) is derived from the ancient Greek word khloe, which referred to “the first green shoot of plants in spring.”
  • Chloris, based on the ancient Greek word khloros, meaning “pale green” or “greenish-yellow,” was the name of several figures in Greek mythology.
    • Chlora is a variant of Chloris.
  • Clover leaves are green. The word clover is derived from the Old English word for the plant, claefre.
  • Codrin is a Romanian masculine name based on the word codru, meaning “forest.”
  • Cyan is the bluish-green color halfway between green and blue on the visible spectrum. The name of the shade comes from the ancient Greek word kyanos, meaning “dark blue.”
  • Cypress trees have dark green foliage. The word cypress is derived from the ancient Greek word for the tree, kyparissos. (In Greek mythology, a grieving boy named Kyparissos was transformed into a cypress tree.)
  • Douglas is part of Douglas Fir — the name of a species of tree with dark green foliage. The tree was named in honor of Scottish botanist David Douglas.
  • Emeraude is the French word for “emerald.”
  • Esmeralda is the Spanish word for “emerald.”
  • Evergreen trees retain their green foliage year-round.
  • Fern fronds are green. The word fern is derived from the Old English word for the plant, fearn.
ferns, green
  • Giada is the Italian word for “jade.”
  • Green, of course, refers to the color green. :)
  • Greenlee comes from a habitational surname that can be traced back to the Old English words grene, meaning “green,” and leah, meaning “clearing, meadow.”
  • Gretna is part of Gretna Green — the name of the Scottish village that became famous in the late 18th century as an elopement destination for young English couples. The village name originally referred to the “green by Gretna,” with the word Gretna meaning “gravelly hill” (from the Old English elements greot, “grit,” and hoh, “heel” — denoting a hill shaped like the heel of a foot).
  • Haljand is an Estonian masculine name based on the word haljas, meaning “green, verdant.”
  • Holly trees have green foliage. The word holly is derived from the Old English word for the tree, holen.
  • Hunter is a dark yellowish-green color. It was the shade of green worn by hunters during the 19th century.
  • Ivik is a Greenlandic masculine name meaning “(blade of) grass.”
  • Jandi is a Korean feminine name meaning “grass.”
  • Kelly is a bright green color. The Irish surname Kelly can be traced back to the Old Irish personal name Cellach.
  • Khidr (also spelled Khadir) is an Arabic masculine name meaning “green.”
  • Lakhdar is an Arabic masculine name based on al-akhdar, meaning “the green.”
  • Leaf green is the bright yellowish-green color typical of plant leaves (due to the presence of chlorophyll).
  • Laurel trees have green foliage. The word laurel is derived from the Latin word for the tree, laurus.
  • Levert comes from the French surname LeVert, which is based on the Old French word vert, meaning “green.”
  • Lin (second tone) is a Chinese name that can mean “valuable jade,” depending upon the character being used to write the name.
  • Linden trees have green foliage. The word linden is derived from the Old English word for the tree, lind.
  • Malachite (pronounced MAL-uh-kiet) is a mineral that is green. The name of the mineral ultimately derives from the ancient Greek word malache, meaning “mallow” — a reference to the resemblance between the color of malachite and the leaves of the mallow plant.
  • Matsu is a Japanese feminine name that can mean “pine tree,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name.
    • Matsuko is a Japanese name that can include the element Matsu.
    • Matsue is another Japanese name that can include the element Matsu.
  • Midori is a Japanese gender-neutral name that can mean “green, verdure,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name.
  • Mint leaves are green. Aromatic mint plants are part of the genus Mentha, the name of which derives from the ancient Greek word minthe.
    • Minttu is the Finnish word for “mint.”
    • Mynta is the Swedish word for “mint.”
    • Mynte is the Danish word for “mint.”
  • Moss are small, flowerless plants that grow in dense green mats. The Old English word for “moss” was mos.
  • Myrtle trees have green foliage. The word myrtle is derived from the ancient Greek word for the tree, myrtos.
malachite, green
Malachite
  • Oak trees have green foliage. The word oak is derived from the Old English word for the tree, ac.
  • Oihan is a Basque masculine name meaning “forest.”
    • Oihana is the feminine form of Oihan.
  • Olivine is a mineral that is usually yellowish-green. The name of the mineral can be traced back to the Latin word oliva, meaning “olive.”
  • Oren is a Hebrew masculine name meaning “pine tree.”
    • Orna is the feminine form of Oren.
  • Qorsuk is a Greenlandic masculine name meaning “green, yellowish-green.”
  • Pallav is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word pallava, meaning “shoot, sprout, young leaf.”
    • Pallavi is the feminine form of Pallav.
  • Panna is a Hindi feminine name that can mean “emerald” or “leaf.”
  • Peridot, a variety of the mineral olivine, is yellowish-green.
  • Phyllis, the ancient Greek word for “foliage” (based on phyllon, meaning “leaf”) was the name of several figures in Greek mythology.
  • Pilutaq is a Greenlandic gender-neutral name meaning “leaf.”
  • Pine needles are green. The word pine is derived from the Latin word for the tree, pinus.
  • Sage leaves are grayish-green. The name of the sage plant (genus Salvia) can be traced back (via Old French sauge) to the Latin word salvus, meaning “healthy.”
  • Sirkka is a Finnish feminine name that can be derived from the word heinäsirkka, meaning “grasshopper” (many of which are green), or from the word sirkkalehti, meaning “cotyledon” (the embryonic leaf of seed-bearing plants).
  • Silvanus, based on the Latin word silva, meaning “wood, forest,” was the name of the Roman god of forests.
    • Silvano (masculine) and Silvana (feminine) are the modern Italian forms of Silvanus.
    • Sylvain (masculine) and Sylvaine (feminine) are the modern French forms of Silvanus.
  • Silvester is derived from the Latin word silvestris, meaning “forested” or “of the forest.”
  • Silvius was a Roman masculine name based on the Latin word silva, meaning “wood, forest.”
    • Silvio (masculine) and Silvia (feminine) are the modern Italian and Spanish forms of Silvius.
      • Sylvia is a variant of Silvia.
  • Talar (also spelled Dalar) is an Armenian feminine name based on the word talar or dalar, meaning “green, verdant.”
  • Teal is a dark bluish-green color. The shade was named after the Eurasain teal (Anas crecca), a type of duck with a teal-colored stripe on its head.
  • Thao is a Vietnamese gender-neutral name meaning “herbs, grass.”
  • Turquoise (pronounced TUR-koyz) is a mineral that is sometimes bluish-green. The name of the stone can be traced back to the Old French term pierre tourques, meaning “Turkish stone.” Though it was mined in Persia, the stone was introduced to Europe in the 13th century by Turkish traders.
  • Vipin is a Hindi masculine name based on the Sanskrit word vipina, meaning “forest.”
  • Viridian is a bluish-green color. The name of the pigment comes from the Latin word viridis, meaning “green.”
  • Willow trees have green foliage. The word willow is derived from the Old English word for the tree, welig.
  • Zumra is a Turkish feminine name based on the word zümrüt, meaning “emerald.”

Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color green?

Sources:

Images by Tony Mucci from Unsplash, forumkrakow from Pixabay, minka2507 from Pixabay, and adapted from Malachite by Didier Descouens under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Inconspicuous anagram baby names: Blake/Kaleb, Hale/Leah

letters

I recently updated my old anagram baby names post to make it much more comprehensive. As I worked on it, though, I noticed that many of those sets of names had obvious similarities, such as the same first letters and/or the same rhythm.

So I thought I’d make a second, shorter list of anagram names that were less conspicuously similar. Specifically, I wanted the second list to feature sets of names with different first letters and different numbers of syllables.

And that’s what you’ll find below — pairs of anagram names that are relatively distinct from one another. So much so that, at first glance (or listen), some might not even strike you as being anagrammatic at all. :)

Click on any name to check out its popularity graph…

Most of the names above have a clear number of syllables, but a few do not. (I categorized them according to my own interpretation/accent.) So, if you’re interested in using any of these pairings, just remember to test the names out loud first!

Which of the pairs above do you like best?

What popularized the baby name Raven?

comic, terry and the pirates, 1941, raven sherman, baby name
The death of Raven Sherman (1941)

The name Raven has been given to babies of both genders for decades, but I find its female usage particularly interesting because girl-name Raven has gotten three distinct boosts from popular culture so far.

The first boost happened in 1941, when Raven debuted as a girl name in the data. (It had already popped up a few times as a boy name.)

Girls named RavenBoys named Raven
194357
194255
19416*.
1940..
*Debut

In October of that year, in the comic strip Terry and the Pirates by Milton Caniff, a female character named Raven Sherman died in a dramatic and memorable sequence.

Raven, “a WASP clearly modeled on Katharine Hepburn” according to one source, was an American heiress who was working at a camp for war refugees in China. She was pushed off a moving truck, died of her injuries, and was buried on an isolated Chinese hillside. “Caniff was flooded with flower deliveries, mock memorial services, petitions of condolence signed by disparate groups as factory workers and entire colleges, as well as a lot of irate letters.”

(Terry and the Pirates also influenced the names Normandie and Merrily.)

The second pop culture boost happened in the 1970s:

Girls named RavenBoys named Raven
1978342 [rank: 533rd]25
1977299 [rank: 579th]20
197610010
1975179
19741512

In 1976, the soap opera The Edge of Night introduced a female character named Raven Swift (first played by Juanin Clay, then played by Sharon Gabet). She was described as “the show’s delightful young vixen-heroine” in The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. The character remained on the show until it was canceled in 1984.

(The soap also influenced the names Teal and Laurieann.)

And the most recent (and biggest) pop culture boost happened in the early 1990s:

Girls named RavenBoys named Raven
19922,016 [rank: 152nd]89
19912,026 [rank: 150th]53
19901,758 [rank: 166th]62
1989476 [rank: 495th]27
1988327 [rank: 612th]19

It went on to peak at 139th in 1993.

The reason? Actress Raven-Symoné, who first found fame as a four year old when she started playing Olivia (Denise’s step-daughter) on the The Cosby Show in 1989. The compound name Ravensymone debuted in the data in 1990, and the spelling variant Ravensimone followed in 1991. (Her Disney Channel show That’s So Raven didn’t come along until much later.)

What are your thoughts on the name Raven? Would you use it?

Sources:

How did “The Edge of Night” influence baby names?

The characters Sara, Laurie Ann, and Mike Karr from the TV soap opera "The Edge of Night" (1956-1984).
Sara, Laurie Ann, and Mike Karr from “The Edge of Night

The Edge of Night (1956-1984) was a television soap opera with heavy crime drama elements (e.g., courtroom scenes). It was based directly on the radio drama Perry Mason (1943-1955). In fact, the central character of EoN — a police officer/lawyer named Mike Karr — was played by actor John Larkin, who had been the voice of Perry during the last eight years of the radio show.

EoN was a popular soap, ranking anywhere from 2nd to 6th from its inception until the early 1970s. More importantly, though, several EoN characters/actors ended up influencing the U.S. baby name charts.

First we have Teal, which debuted in the data in 1957:

  • 1962: 24 baby girls named Teal
  • 1961: 35 baby girls named Teal
  • 1960: 28 baby girls named Teal
  • 1959: 21 baby girls named Teal
  • 1958: 28 baby girls named Teal
  • 1957: 14 baby girls named Teal [debut]
  • 1956: unlisted

Teal was inspired by actress Teal Ames, who played Mike’s girlfriend/wife Sara Karr on the show from 1956 to 1961. When Teal decided to quit show business, the character was killed off Edge of Night in a car crash. “CBS received so many anxious and hysterical calls after this episode that actress Teal Ames had to go on the air the following day to assure her fans that she was still very much alive.”

(That said, another potential influence on the name was Japanese-American jazz singer Teal Joy — real name Elsie Itashiki — who put out an album and started appearing on TV in late 1957.)

Next is Laurieann, which debuted in 1959. (And, a year later, the similar name Laurieanne popped up.)

  • 1964: 25 baby girls named Laurieann
  • 1963: 39 baby girls named Laurieann
  • 1962: 35 baby girls named Laurieann
  • 1961: 23 baby girls named Laurieann
  • 1960: 21 baby girls named Laurieann
  • 1959: 5 baby girls named Laurieann [debut]
  • 1958: unlisted

No doubt Laurieann and Laurieanne were given a nudge by Laurie, which was at peak popularity in the early ’60s (perhaps thanks to Piper Laurie). But the more direct influence was fictional Laurie Ann Karr, Mike and Sara’s only daughter, who was born in the storyline in September of 1959.

Ratings for EoN weren’t as good from the mid-1970s onward, but by then the show was becoming known for something entirely different: unusual character names. These included Taffy, Lobo, Morlock, Cookie, Gunther, Didi, Smiley, Raven, and Schuyler. (Raven and Sky were a couple, of course.) And several of these unusual names got a boost in real life, thanks to the show.

For instance, character Draper Scott was featured in the storyline from 1975 to 1981. The baby name Draper re-emerged in the SSA data in 1976 and saw peak usage in 1980:

  • 1981: 40 baby boys named Draper
  • 1980: 46 baby boys named Draper
  • 1979: 39 baby boys named Draper
  • 1978: 36 baby boys named Draper
  • 1977: 35 baby boys named Draper
  • 1976: 15 baby boys named Draper
  • 1975: unlisted

And female character Winter Austin, who was on the show from 1978 to 1979, pushed the baby name Winter into the top 1,000 for the first time in the late ’70s:

  • 1980: 140 baby girls named Winter
  • 1979: 241 baby girls named Winter [rank: 705th]
  • 1978: 137 baby girls named Winter [rank: 1,000th]
  • 1977: 29 baby girls named Winter

Were you a regular viewer of The Edge of Night? Did you have any opinions on the character names?

Sources:

Image: from TV Radio Mirror, July 1961

P.S. Here’s a post with a bunch more soap opera-inspired baby names.