How popular is the baby name Teddy 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 Teddy.

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Popularity of the baby name Teddy


Posts that mention the name Teddy

Biggest changes in boy name usage (England, 2013)

Here’s another “biggest changes” analysis, but this one is for the England and Wales boy names. (We looked at the girl names yesterday.)

The tables below include two versions of each list. On the left are the top raw-number differences, taking all names into account. On the right are the top ranking differences, taking only the top 1,000 names (roughly) into account.

Biggest Increases in Popularity

Raw Numbers (all names)Rankings (top 1,000)
  1. Oscar, +1,222 babies
  2. Muhammad, +338
  3. Henry, +320
  4. Joey, +288
  5. Oliver, +280
  6. Teddy, +276
  7. Arthur, +249
  8. Archie, +203
  9. Edward, +185
  10. Theodore, +167
  1. Greyson, +1388 spots
  2. Harvey-Lee, +898
  3. Salahuddin, +759
  4. Bernard, +715
  5. Camden, +686
  6. Kayson, +583
  7. Raife, +531
  8. Buster and Abubakr [tie], +517
  9. Jeffrey and Brax [tie], +499
  10. Emre, +492

I think the rise of Oscar can be attributed, at least in part, to Oscar Pistorius. Can you think of explanations for any of the other names? (I’d especially like to know what gave Buster a boost.)

Biggest Decreases in Popularity

Raw Numbers (all names)Rankings (top 1,000)
  1. Riley, -1,703 babies
  2. Harry, -1,280
  3. Tyler, -1,104
  4. Alfie, -705
  5. Ethan, -649
  6. Charlie, -532
  7. Joshua, -471
  8. Callum, -467
  9. Ryan, -441
  10. Dylan, -407
  1. Rylan, -577 spots
  2. Ray, -339
  3. Rylie, -277
  4. Jeevan, -276
  5. Darren, -255
  6. Codey, -252
  7. Chace, -242
  8. Dorian, -239
  9. Kaelan, -231
  10. Riley-Jay, -228

A lot of Ry- and Ri- names took hits last year. Is the sound falling out of the favor? What do you think?

Top Debut Name

Gurfateh.

Fewer than 3 baby boys got the name in 2012, but 12 baby boys were named Gurfateh in 2013. (But keep in mind that I only have the full England and Wales baby name lists going back to 2007.)

Here are the U.S. boy names that changed the most in popularity in 2013, if you’d like to compare.

Source: Baby Names, England and Wales, 2013 – ONS

Will the baby name Toby be getting a boost?

Title of the TV series "Good Luck Charlie" (2010-2014)
“Good Luck Charlie“

The Disney Channel sitcom Good Luck Charlie isn’t just helping to popularize the already-trendy girl name Charlie, but it seems to have single-handedly brought back the girl name Teddy. (On the show, the two sisters in the Duncan family are Charlotte, nicknamed “Charlie,” and Teddy.)

Will Good Luck Charlie (which began airing in April of 2010) now have a similar influence on the baby name Toby?

In December of 2011, Disney announced that the family in the sitcom would be welcoming a fifth child. Fans were given a 2-week window in which to vote for their favorite baby name via the show’s official webpage. These were the choices:

BoErika
Bobby Jr.Jenny
JonahMallory
NoahSydney
TobyTalia

The baby, a boy, arrived during the episode that aired on June 24, 2012. He was born in an ice cream truck and given the name Toby (which had received nearly 26 million votes).

Usage of the baby name Toby has been declining in the U.S. lately:

  • 2011: 291 baby boys & 61 baby girls with the name Toby
  • 2010: 358 baby boys & 50 baby girls with the name Toby
  • 2009: 396 baby boys & 56 baby girls with the name Toby
  • 2008: 440 baby boys & 53 baby girls with the name Toby
  • 2007: 461 baby boys & 51 baby girls with the name Toby

Do you think the popular sitcom could turn this trend around?

Update, 2020: The name Toby ended up rising in usage in both 2012 and 2013 before continuing its downward trajectory. The series itself ended in early 2014.

Sources: Good Luck Charlie – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Screenshot of Good Luck Charlie