How popular is the baby name Thomas 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 Thomas.

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Popularity of the baby name Thomas


Posts that mention the name Thomas

Popular baby names in the Channel Islands, 2022

Flag of Jersey
Flag of Jersey

The Channel Islands are an archipelago located in the English Channel, close to the coast of France. They are divided into two territories, Jersey and Guernsey, and residents of both regions are considered British citizens (even though the regions themselves are not officially part of the UK).

The territory of Jersey coincides with the archipelago’s most populous island, Jersey, while the territory of Guernsey includes several of the less populous islands: Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Herm.

Jersey

Last year, Jersey welcomed a total of 835 babies — 371 girls and 464 boys. Here are Jersey’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2022:

Girl names

  1. Willow
  2. Mia
  3. Aria
  4. Sienna
  5. Lily
  6. Daisy
  7. Olivia
  8. Emily
  9. Florence
  10. Valentina

Boy names

  1. Arthur
  2. Noah
  3. Luca
  4. Leo
  5. Lucas
  6. Oliver
  7. Theodore
  8. Frederick
  9. Finn
  10. Albert

A year earlier, the top names in Jersey were Sienna and Arthur.

(In future years, baby names in Jersey may be affected by an amendment enacted in March of 2023 that allows the island’s Superintendent Registrar to refuse to register any name that “might cause mistake, confusion, or embarrassment to the child.”)

Guernsey

Last year, Guernsey welcomed “just over 500 babies.” Here are Guernsey’s top girl names and top boy names of 2022:

Girl names

  1. Ava, 9 baby girls
    • “In three cases it was hyphenated with another name.”
  2. Daisy, 6
  3. Evelyn, 5 (tie)
  4. Isabelle/Isabella, 5 (tie)
  5. Beatrice/Beatrix/Beatrise, 4 (7-way tie)
  6. Eden, 4 (7-way tie)
  7. Emilia, 4 (7-way tie)
  8. Isla, 4 (7-way tie)
  9. Ivy, 4 (7-way tie)
  10. Phoebe, 4 (7-way tie)
  11. Orla, 4 (7-way tie)

Boy names

  1. Freddie, 5 baby boys (tie)
  2. Jack, 5 (tie)
  3. Finley/Finlay, 4 (5-way tie)
  4. Jackson, 4 (5-way tie)
  5. James, 4 (5-way tie)
  6. Oscar, 4 (5-way tie)
  7. Rory, 4 (5-way tie)
  8. Alexander, 3 (12-way tie)
  9. Alfie, 3 (12-way tie)
  10. Arlo, 3 (12-way tie)
  11. Arthur, 3 (12-way tie)
  12. Elijah, 3 (12-way tie)
  13. Ethan, 3 (12-way tie)
  14. Harry, 3 (12-way tie)
  15. Leo, 3 (12-way tie)
  16. Noah, 3 (12-way tie)
  17. Rudy, 3 (12-way tie)
  18. Theo, 3 (12-way tie)
  19. Tommy/Tommie, 3 (12-way tie)

A year earlier, the top names in Guernsey were Olivia and a tie between Luca and Theodore. (In 2022, Olivia was given to 3 girls, Luca to a single boy, and Theodore wasn’t used at all.)

My source also mentioned that…

  • Poppy, Emily, Edie, Luna, Imogen, and Tilly were given to 3 baby girls each, Charlotte was given to 2 baby girls, and Amelia and Penelope were given to 1 baby girl each.
  • Archie and Frederick were given to 2 baby boys each, and Henry and Thomas were given to 1 baby boy each.

Finally, here’s a link to the Channel Islands’ 2021 rankings, if you’d like to compare.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Jersey (public domain)

Baby names with ZEN: Zenaida, Azeneth, Hazen

zen garden

Looking for baby names that contain the word ZEN?

If so, here’s a long list of enlightened options to choose from!

Top baby names with ZEN

First, a quick rundown of the most popular names with the letter sequence “z-e-n,” according to the current U.S. baby name data.

Top girl names with “z-e-n”Top boy names with “z-e-n”
Zendaya
Azeneth
Zena
Zen
Zenaida
Zenovia
Zenobia
Zeniyah
Zenith
Chozen		Kaizen
Zen
Aizen
Chozen
Kyzen
Hazen
Kaiyzen
Zenith
Mazen
Zeno

Now here are the same names again, this time with links to popularity graphs and, in some cases, explanations/definitions. (Many of these are modern names without a distinct origin, so I can’t add as much extra information as I did in similar posts, e.g., VAN, ICE, CAR.)

  • Aizen
  • Azeneth is likely based on Asenath, a feminine Biblical name derived from an ancient Egyptian name meaning “belonging to (the goddess) Neith.”
  • Chozen is based on the vocabulary word chosen.
  • Hazen comes from the Dutch surname Hazen, which was based on the Middle Dutch word hase, meaning “hare.”
  • Kaizen, Kaiyzen
  • Kyzen
  • Mazen
  • Zen comes from the vocabulary word zen, which (in English) often refers to enlightenment. The word is ultimately based upon the Sanskrit word dhyana, meaning “meditation.”
  • Zena
  • Zenaida is derived from the ancient Greek name Zenais, which is based on the name of the god Zeus.
  • Zendaya
  • Zenith comes from the vocabulary word zenith, meaning “highest point” or “peak.”
  • Zeniyah
  • Zeno is derived from the ancient Greek name Zenon, which is also based on Zeus.
  • Zenobia and Zenovia are forms of an ancient Greek name meaning “life of Zeus.”

More names with ZEN

So, what other names have ZEN in them? Here are some less-common choices. (Nearly all of these come directly from the SSA’s baby name data.)

  • Azen, Ayzen
  • Alzena
  • Alzenia
  • Amazen
  • Asuzena, Azuzena
  • Autzen
    • Used mostly in the state of Oregon. The University of Oregon’s football team plays in Autzen Stadium, which was named after Danish-American lumberman/philanthropist Thomas J. Autzen.
  • Azena
  • Azende
  • Azenet
  • Blazen
  • Blazena
  • Bozena
  • Brazen, Brayzen
  • Caizen
  • Chayzen
  • Drazen
  • Drazenka
  • Dzenan
  • Dzeneta
  • Dzenita
  • Eizen
  • Eizens
  • Elzena
  • Haizen, Hayzen
  • Izen
  • Izena
  • Jakzenny
  • Jantzen
  • Janzen
  • Jaxzen
  • Jazen, Jayzen, Jaizen
  • Jentezen
  • Jentzen
  • Jenzen
  • Jezenia
  • Kazen, Kayzen
  • Kreszentia
  • Kreszenz
  • Khyzen, Khaizen
  • Lozen
  • Luzena
  • Marzena
  • Maizen
  • Nazenin
  • Ozena
  • Roczen
  • Rozen
  • Rozena, Rosezena
  • Rozenia
  • Ruzena
  • Ryzen
  • Suzen
  • Tamzen
  • Tayzen
  • Tyzen
  • Vinzent
  • Vinzenz
  • Yazen
  • Yezen
  • Yezenia
  • Zenab
  • Zenae
  • Zenah
  • Zenai
  • Zenaide
  • Zenaido
  • Zenais
  • Zenani
  • Zenas
  • Zenaura
  • Zenaya, Zenayah, Zenaiya
  • Zenayda
  • Zenda
  • Zendayah, Zendaiya
  • Zende
  • Zendell
  • Zenden
  • Zender
  • Zendeya
  • Zendiya
  • Zendra
  • Zendre
  • Zendy
  • Zene
  • Zeneida
  • Zenen
  • Zeneth
  • Zenetta
  • Zeni, Zeny, Zennie, Zenni
  • Zenia, Zeniah, Zennia
  • Zenida
  • Zenita
  • Zeniya, Zenniyah
  • Zenja
  • Zenley
  • Zenna
  • Zenoba
  • Zenobios
  • Zenola
  • Zenolia
  • Zenon, Zennon
  • Zenona
  • Zenora, Zenorah
  • Zenos
  • Zennith
  • Zentavious
  • Zenus
  • Zenya
  • Zenzele
  • Zenzile

Several of the above are non-traditional spellings of more common names, such as Susan and Yesenia.

Which ZEN name do you like most? Let me know in the comments!

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Sand Garden at Tofukuji Temple by Takashi Tomooka under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Popular baby names (and Maori baby names) in New Zealand, 2022

Flag of New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand

The island nation of New Zealand is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 1,200 miles east of Australia.

Last year, New Zealand welcomed a total of 59,711 babies. What were the most popular names among these babies? Isla and Oliver.

Here are New Zealand’s top 50 girl names and top 50 boy names of 2022:

Girl Names

  1. Isla, 246 baby girls
  2. Amelia, 210
  3. Charlotte, 208
  4. Mila, 182
  5. Lily, 180
  6. Ava, 179
  7. Willow, 177
  8. Olivia, 175
  9. Harper, 167
  10. Sophie, 166
  11. Hazel, 164
  12. Mia, 161
  13. Ella, 157
  14. Isabella, 156
  15. Ruby, 149
  16. Chloe, 144
  17. Millie, 137
  18. Zoe, 130
  19. Grace, 128
  20. Lucy, 117 (tie)
  21. Olive, 117 (tie)
  22. Emily, 116
  23. Aria, 115
  24. Freya, 114
  25. Ivy, 111
  26. Evelyn, 110
  27. Georgia, 105 (tie)
  28. Sienna, 105 (tie)
  29. Layla, 102 (tie)
  30. Poppy, 102 (tie)
  31. Matilda, 101 (tie)
  32. Sophia, 101 (tie)
  33. Frankie, 100
  34. Luna, 96
  35. Mackenzie, 95
  36. Ellie, 94
  37. Sadie, 92
  38. Maia, 91
  39. Florence, 87
  40. Riley, 86
  41. Isabelle, 85 (tie)
  42. Margot, 85 (tie)
  43. Maeve, 84
  44. Evie, 83 (tie)
  45. Violet, 83 (tie)
  46. Aurora, 80 (tie)
  47. Billie, 80 (tie)
  48. Daisy, 78
  49. Sofia, 75
  50. Eleanor, 73

Boy Names

  1. Oliver, 274 baby boys
  2. Noah, 262
  3. Leo, 243
  4. Jack, 234
  5. Luca, 222
  6. Theodore, 219
  7. George, 211
  8. Charlie, 195
  9. Hudson, 169 (tie)
  10. William, 169 (tie)
  11. Oscar, 166
  12. Arthur, 160
  13. Elijah, 158
  14. Arlo, 156
  15. Thomas, 151
  16. James, 150
  17. Archie, 146
  18. Henry, 144
  19. Lucas, 140
  20. Hunter, 138
  21. Liam, 136
  22. Mason, 130
  23. Theo, 124
  24. Ezra, 123 (tie)
  25. Max, 123 (tie)
  26. Levi, 121
  27. Cooper, 120
  28. Carter, 114
  29. Hugo, 112
  30. Lachlan, 110
  31. Asher, 109
  32. Beau, 108
  33. Finn, 104
  34. Archer, 103 (tie)
  35. Felix, 103 (tie)
  36. Benjamin, 100 (tie)
  37. Luka, 100 (tie)
  38. Jasper, 94
  39. Luke, 92
  40. Harry, 91
  41. Ethan, 88
  42. Alexander, 87 (tie)
  43. Roman, 87 (tie)
  44. Grayson, 85 (tie)
  45. Harrison, 85 (tie)
  46. Jackson, 83 (3-way tie)
  47. Lincoln, 83 (3-way tie)
  48. Samuel, 83 (3-way tie)
  49. Jacob, 82 (tie)
  50. Louie, 82 (tie)

This is the tenth year in a row that Oliver has been New Zealand’s #1 boy name.

The news release also mentioned that the “most popular gender-neutral name for 2022 was Riley,” which ranked 40th for girls and 51st for boys.

And what about the top Maori baby names?

Maori girl names

  1. Aroha / Te Aroha
  2. Aria
  3. Anahera
  4. Maia
  5. Moana
  6. Kaia
  7. Manaia
  8. Atarangi / Te Atarangi
  9. Ataahua
  10. Marama

Maori boy names

  1. Ariki / Te Ariki / Teariki
  2. Nikau
  3. Wiremu
  4. Rawiri
  5. Mikaere
  6. Manaia
  7. Kai
  8. Manaaki
  9. Kahurangi
  10. Koa

There are a couple of things we need to note about the Maori baby name rankings, though.

First, the Maori rankings don’t cover the same period of time as the national rankings. Instead, they cover births from June 21, 2022, to July 9, 2023. Why? Because these dates are linked to Matariki, or Maori New Year. (The Maori word Matariki refers to both the Pleiades star cluster and to the yearly celebration of the Pleiades’ return to the night sky, in late June or early July).

Second, a more thorough process is now being used to determine which names to include in the Maori rankings. Previously, the only criterion was that the names be made up of letters in the Maori alphabet. Now, on top of that, the names must: end in a vowel, be “carefully considered and checked,” be discussed with a Maori elder, and be reviewed by the Maori Language Commission.

In 2021, the top names overall in New Zealand were Charlotte and Oliver.

Sources: Top Baby Names – New Zealand Government, Aotearoa’s top ten Maori baby names of the year revealed for Matariki, Matariki (the Pleiades) – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Image: Adapted from Flag of New Zealand (public domain)

Name quotes #122: Fingal, Cecil, Madison

double quotation mark

Greetings everyone! Here’s this month’s quote post…

From a 2017 article about the off-Broadway play They Promised Her the Moon (which tells the story of pilot Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb, the first American woman to test for space flight):

“I immediately fell in love with the story,” the show’s director and producer, Valentina Fratti, told Space.com. “I couldn’t believe I didn’t know about Jerrie Cobb.” 

Fratti had been named for the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, but hadn’t known about the “almost first,” her American counterpart. 

From a 1907 article in the Deseret Evening News called “Genealogy“:

A very good guide, in the study of New England genealogy, is given by the Christian name. In some families, Simon, Stephen and Thomas may follow down the line of sons; while others carry only John, James and William. Genealogists have great confidence in this clue, for those Christian old worthies used to name their sons after themselves and their fathers. They had not evolved into the “Vernons” and “Cecils” and “Irvings” of now-a-days; these modern names which mean nothing but a morbid craving for the romantic and unusual. Romances guide the Christian names of babies today, alas, instead of sense of family loyalty. Have we not lost something of the real spirit of genuineness and fealty with the changed nomenclature of our babies?

From a review of the documentary The Ashley Madison Affair in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Ashley Madison launched in 2001 and took its name from the two most popular baby names at the time, “Ashley” and “Madison.” Right away, that’s creepy.

[Not technically true, but close. Ashley and Madison were the 4th- and 2nd-most popular baby girl names in the U.S. that year. In Canada — which is where the dating website is based — they ranked 13th and 4th.]

From a 1964 article in the Eugene Register-Guard called “Quite a Problem, Naming the Baby“:

The American melting pot has made something of a stew of old world cultures. Isaac and Rebecca Goldberg are the parents not of Moses and Rachael, but of Donald and Marie. Hjalmar and Sigrid Johanson are the parents of Richard and Dorothy. It seems rather a shame that Axel and Jens, Helma and Ingeborg, not to mention Stanislaus and Giacomo and Pedro and Vladimir have just about disappeared. The custom seems to be for the first generation to anglicize the given name as soon as possible. The next generation or two branches out and we get Pat Johnson, even Angus Puccini. Then, after a few generations, there is a tentative reach backward for the Shawns or even the Seans. Katy’s real name may again be Caitlin, Pat’s Padriac.

Have you spotted any interesting name-related quotes/articles/blog posts lately? Let me know!