How popular is the baby name Tiffany 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 Tiffany.

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Popularity of the baby name Tiffany


Posts that mention the name Tiffany

Growing up with the name Bich

What was it like to grow up in the U.S. in the ’70s and ’80s with a Vietnamese name like Bich?

Here’s an excerpt from Stealing Buddha’s Dinner: A Memoir by Bich Minh Nguyen, who moved to Michigan with her family as a 1-year-old in 1975.

In Vietnamese [Bich] meant jade, which was all well and fine in Vietnam but meant nothing in Michigan. It was pronounced with an accent tilting up, the tone leading almost toward a question, with a silent h. Bic! I hated the sound–too harsh, too hard, and the c so slight that it evaporated in the air. I preferred to hear it as Bit. The sound seemed tidier, quieter. So that’s what I made my name over to be, and it was fine until my classmates learned to read and swear. By second grade I was being regularly informed that I was a bitch. I started fantasizing then about being Beth, or maybe Vanessa or Polly. I longed to be Jenny Adams with the perfect simple name to match her perfect honeyed curls. […] I felt I could judge the nature and compassion of teachers, especially substitutes, by the way they read my name. The good ones hesitated and gently spelled it, avoiding a phonetic pronunciation. The evil ones simply called out, Bitch? Bitch Nu-guy-in?

Bich wasn’t allowed to use an American name, but other kids she knew were allowed to:

Their parents were anxious for them to fit into Grant Rapids and found the three quickest avenues: food, money, and names. Food meant American burgers and fries. Money meant Jordache jeans and Izod shirts. Names meant a whole new self. Overnight, Thanh’s children, Truoc and Doan, became Tiffany and David, and other families followed. Huong to Heather, Quoc to Kevin, Lien to Lynette. Most of the kids chose their own names and I listened while they debated the merits of Jennifer versus Michelle, Stephanie versus Crystal. They created two lives for themselves: the American one and the Vietnamese one–Oriental, as we all said back then. Out in the world they were Tiffany and David; at home they were Truoc and Doan. They mothers cooked two meals–pho and sautes for the elders, Campbell’s soup and Chef Boyardee for the kids.

In primary school, Bich knew one other Vietnamese girl, Loan, who also continued to use her original name. They became friends.

Bitch and Loan, some of the kids said on the playground. Hey, bitch, can you loan me some money?

Nowadays, Bich Minh Nguyen tends to go by the name Beth.

I wonder what proportion of the Vietnamese-American kids in Bich’s generation went by an “American” name outside the home. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any data on this, have any of you guys?

Source: Nguyen, Bich Minh. Stealing Buddha’s Dinner: A Memoir. New York: Penguin, 2008.

Popular baby names in New York City, 2011

Flag of New York
Flag of New York

Last year — for the third year in a row — New York City’s most popular baby names were Jayden and Isabella.

More than 800 baby boys were named Jayden and more than 600 baby girls were named Isabella in 2011.

Here are more of the top boy names:

RankOVERALLAsian &
Pacific
Islander		BlackHispanicWhite
1JAYDENEthanJaydenJaydenMichael
2JacobJaydenAidenJustinJoseph
3EthanRyanElijahJacobJacob
4DanielJustinJeremiahMatthewDavid
5MichaelLucasJoshuaAngelBenjamin
6MatthewJasonEthanEthanMoshe
7JustinAidenJosiahChristopherDaniel
8DavidKevinIsaiahDanielAlexander
9Aiden*EricTylerAlexanderMatthew
10Alexander*DanielMichaelAnthonyJack

*Aiden and Alexander are new. They replaced Joseph (#13) and Joshua (#14).

And here are the rest of the top girl names:

RankOVERALLAsian &
Pacific
Islander		BlackHispanicWhite
1ISABELLASophiaMadisonIsabellaEsther
2SophiaChloeLondonMiaEmma,
Olivia
3OliviaEmilyKaylaSophiaLeah
4EmmaOliviaChloeAshleySophia
5MiaEmmaAaliyahCamilaChaya
6EmilyIsabellaMakaylaSofiaSarah
7MadisonTiffanyNevaehEmilyRachel
8LeahAshleyGabrielleHaileyAva
9ChloeFionaTaylorLeahIsabella
10Sofia*AngelaJada,
Olivia,
Serenity		MadisonChana

*Sofia is new. It replaced Sarah (#11).

Source: Mayor Bloomberg Announces Isabella and Jayden Are 2011’s Most Popular Baby Names for Third Year in a Row

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

How have perfumes influenced U.S. baby names?

We all know that brand names are being used more and more often as baby names, and that brands associated with luxury or high status (e.g., Bentley, Tiffany) are particularly enticing to expectant parents.

So it’s not too surprising that there are a lot of people out there named after designer fragrances — women’s perfumes in particular, but men’s colognes and unisex fragrances as well.

Here are dozens of examples:

Ajee
1994: Ajee perfume introduced by Revlon.
1994: The baby name Ajee debuted in the U.S. baby name data. Ajee was the top debut name for girls that year.

Allure
1996: Allure perfume introduced by Chanel.
1997: The baby name Allure debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Andron
1981: Andron perfume introduced by Jovan.
1981: The baby name Andron debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Antaeus
1981: Antaeus cologne introduced by Chanel.
1981: The baby name Antaeus debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Aviance
1975: Aviance perfume introduced by Prince Matchabelli.
1975: The baby name Aviance debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Azuree
1969: Azurée perfume introduced by Estée Lauder.
1975: The baby name Azuree debuted in the U.S. baby name data. (Though this debut may have more to do with Kojak than with the perfume.)

Cachet
1970: Cachet perfume introduced by Prince Matchabelli.
1972: The baby name Cachet debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Celisse
1982: Celisse perfume introduced by Dana.
1982: The baby name Celisse debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Cerissa
1974: Cerissa perfume introduced by Charles Revson.
1975: The baby name Cerissa debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Chimere
1979: Chimère perfume introduced by Prince Matchabelli.
1979: The baby name Chimere debuted in the U.S. baby name data. It cracked the top 1,000 for girls in 1980 and 1981.

Cristalle
1977: Cristalle perfume introduced by Chanel.
1977: The baby name Cristalle debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Drakkar
1972: Drakkar cologne introduced by Guy Laroche.
1982: Drakkar Noir cologne introduced by Guy Laroche.
1987: The baby name Drakkar debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Enjoli (pronounced ahn-zho-lee)
1978: Enjoli perfume introduced by Revlon.
1978: The baby name Enjoli debuted in the U.S. baby name data. It was the top debut name for girls that year.

Envy
1997: Envy perfume introduced by Gucci.
1999: The baby name Envy debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Eternity
1988: Eternity perfume introduced by Calvin Klein.
1990: The baby name Eternity debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Euphoria
2005: Euphoria perfume introduced by Calvin Klein.
2007: The baby name Euphoria debuted in the U.S. baby name data. So far, it’s a one-hit wonder.

Florecita
2007: Florecita Shelbie Bruce perfume introduced by Revelations.
2007: The baby name Florecita debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Jadore
1999: J’adore perfume introduced by Christian Dior.
2000: The baby name Jadore debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Jontue
1975: Jontue perfume introduced by Revlon.
1977: The baby name Jontue debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Lahana
1992: Lahana perfume introduced by Avon.
1992: The baby name Lahana debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Lutece
1984: Lutèce perfume introduced by Houbigant.
1986: The baby name Lutece debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Millennia
1996: Millennia perfume introduced by Avon.
1997: The baby name Millennia debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Nahema
1979: Nahéma perfume introduced by Guerlain.
1981: The baby name Nahema debuted in the U.S. baby name data. So far, it’s a one-hit wonder.

Odyssey
1981: Odyssey perfume introduced by Avon.
1982: The baby name Odyssey debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Pavi Elle
1983: Pavi Elle perfume introduced by Avon.
1983: The baby name Pavielle debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Raffinee
1982: Raffinée perfume introduced by Houbigant.
1982: The baby name Raffinee debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Rebelle
2012: Rebelle perfume introduced by Rihanna.
2013: The baby name Rebelle debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Safari
1990: Safari perfume introduced by Ralph Lauren.
1992: The baby name Safari debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Samsara
1989: Samsara perfume introduced by Guerlain.
1991: The baby name Samsara debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

Senchal
1981: Senchal perfume introduced by Charles of the Ritz.
1982: The baby name Senchal debuted in the U.S. baby name data. So far, it’s a one-hit wonder.

Sensi
2003: Sensi perfume introduced by Giorgio Armani.
2006: The baby name Sensi debuted in the U.S. baby name data. So far, it’s a one-hit wonder.

Toccara
1981: Toccara perfume introduced by Avon.
1981: The baby name Toccara debuted in the U.S. baby name data. Toccara cracked the top 1,000 for girls in 1981, 1982 and 1983.

Ysatis
1984: Ysatis perfume introduced by Givenchy.
1988: The baby name Ysatis debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

**Late addition (thanks Julie!):

Charisma
1968: Charisma perfume introduced by Avon.
1968: The baby name Charisma debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

**Another late addition (thanks Blue Juniper!):

Natori
1995: Natori perfume introduced by Avon.
1995: The baby name Natori debuted in the U.S. baby name data.

…And I’m sure that’s not all. Other fragrance names are harder to figure out, though. For instance, the names below were surely given a boost by fragrance, but they also appeared in the SSA data before their corresponding fragrances were introduced:

  • Elan (by Coty, ’68)
  • Jovan (Jovan Musk in ’72)
  • Ciara (by Revlon, ’73) – singer Ciara was named for this one
  • Devin (by Aramis, ’77)
  • Ariane (by Avon, ’77)
  • Tasha (by Avon, ’79)
  • Stetson (by Coty, ’81)
  • Imari (by Avon, ’85)

And names like Armani and Fendi could have been inspired by fragrance, or they could have been inspired by anything else associated with those particular fashion houses.

Can you think of any other perfumes that might have been used as baby names? Let me know and I’ll look them up!

Source: SSA

[Latest update: October 2020]

Was the baby name Kasara influenced by misheard song lyrics in 1987?

Singer Lisa Lisa (born Lisa Velez) in the "Lost in Emotion" video
Lisa Lisa

Do you ever mishear song lyrics?

I do. All the time. (Though I’m not nearly as bad as my husband.)

I ask because I believe today’s baby name(s) can be traced back to a specific set of lyrics misheard by dozens of parents a little more than 20 years ago.

Intrigued?

The Names

Casara, Kasarah, Cassara, and Casarah all debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1987. The same year, Kasara returned to the data after popping up only once before (in the mid-1970s). And, in 1988, Cassarah made its first and only appearance.

1986198719881989
Kasara.2244†18
Casara.17*34†9
Kasarah.10*25†17
Cassara.9*18†10
Casarah.7*12†10
Cassarah..5*.
*Debut, †Peak usage

At first I couldn’t figure them out. They didn’t look like alternative spellings of a more popular name. They all emerged at about the same time, pointing to a single pop culture source, but the origin wasn’t obvious (as it had been with names like Daughtry and Cheetara.)

Finally, months after discovering them, I came up with a decent theory.

The Song

Let’s set the scene. Artists on the radio back in 1987 included U2, George Michael, Whitney Houston, Tiffany, Billy Idol, Madonna, The Bangles, Bon Jovi, Kim Wilde, Los Lobos with “La Bamba,” Belinda Carlisle, Exposé, Atlantic Starr…and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.

In fact, 1987 was a great year for Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. Their second album, Spanish Fly, went platinum in August. Two songs from the album ended up hitting #1 on Billboard‘s “Hot 100” chart — “Head to Toe” in June, and “Lost In Emotion” in October.

Below is the video for “Lost in Emotion.” Pay special attention to the following lines (starting at 1:27):

Que sera, que sera
Baby, whatever will be
Que sera, que sera
Between you and me

(How awesome is all that ’80s fashion/styling, btw?)

The Connection

That “que sera, que sera” in the chorus is a corruption of the phrase “que sera, sera,” which was created for the earlier song “Que Sera, Sera” (1956).

The phrase “que sera, sera” — commonly thought to mean “whatever will be, will be” — is an hispanicized form of “che sera, sera,” which itself is an ungrammatical corruption of the Italian phrase quel che sarà, sarà, meaning “that which will be, will be.”

Anyway…to someone casually listening to “Lost in Emotion” on the radio, the words “que sera” blend together and sound just like Kasara, Casara, and the other names above.

Singer Lisa Lisa (born Lisa Velez) in the "Lost in Emotion" video
Lisa Lisa

The Proof

Well, not “proof” exactly. But an enticing bit of evidence.

I did a search for anyone (a blogger, say) who’d written about mistaking “que sera” for a girl name. Just to see if anyone could back me up.

Check out this comment I found at song site Am I Right:

Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s, “Lost In Emotion”

The Misheard Lyrics:
Kassarah, Kassarah

The Real Lyrics:
Lost in emotion Que sera, que sera.

The Story: My sister named my niece Kassarah after this song. Ooops, oh well a beautifully unique name for a beautiful, unique girl! – Submitted by: Sandee

Jackpot. :)

(Incidentally, the spelling Kassarah has never appeared in the U.S. baby name data.)

Singer Lisa Lisa (born Lisa Velez) in the "Lost in Emotion" video
Lisa Lisa

The Conclusion

So that’s what I suspect — in the late ’80s, dozens of expectant parents heard Lisa Lisa’s “Lost in Emotion,” interpreted “que sera” as a female name, and used the mondegreen as a baby name, spelling it various ways (e.g. Kasara, Casara, Kasarah).

But I’d be happy to hear other theories if anyone out there has a better explanation.

Sources:

Images: Screenshots of Lisa Lisa from the music video for “Lost in Emotion”