How popular is the baby name Tiger 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 Tiger.
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The surname-name Trevino first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1969. It reached peak usage two years later:
1972: 12 baby boys named Trevino
1971: 17 baby boys named Trevino [peak]
1970: 5 baby boys named Trevino
1969: 5 baby boys named Trevino [debut]
1968: unlisted
1967: unlisted
Where did the name come from?
Mexican-American professional golfer Lee Trevino, who was born in Texas in the late 1930s.
In the summer of 1968, Trevino won the U.S. Open. He finished five under par — four strokes ahead of defending champion Jack Nicklaus, who placed second.
In the summer of 1971, Trevino not only won the U.S. Open again, but also won the Canadian Open and the British Open — becoming the first golfer to win these three particular tournaments in the same year. (Tiger Woods would repeat the feat in 2000.) Trevino was named PGA Player of the Year, Associated Press Athlete of the Year, and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.
The Spanish surname Trevino can be traced back to either of two locations in northern Spain called Treviño. What are your thoughts on Trevino as a first name?
A couple of years ago, we talked about how the baby name Tiger saw higher usage in the U.S. in 1998, 2010, and 2022 — the three most recent Tiger years, according to the Chinese zodiac.
Since writing that post, I’ve found three more names that track with Tiger years. One of them saw higher usage during the early 20th century, while the other two (like “Tiger” itself) were more popular during the early 21st century.
Torao
The Japanese name Torao is based on the traditional Japanese word for “tiger,” tora.
Torao was the highest-debuting baby name of 1914. During the next Tiger year, 1926, the name saw peak usage.
Usage of the baby name Torao
Here’s the data on Torao for those specific years:
In 1926, 27 U.S. baby boys were named Torao.
19 [70%] were born in Hawaii, 6 in California
In 1914, 17 U.S. baby boys were named Torao.
11 [65%] were born in Hawaii, 5 in California
The territory of Hawaii and the state of California both had relatively large numbers of Japanese-Americans at that time.
Other tora-names were also being bestowed during the early 1900s. In the Social Security Death Index, for instance, I found dozens of people — many born in 1902, 1914, or 1926 — with names like Toraichi, Torajiro, Torako, Toraki, Toraji, Torami, Torayo, Toragusu, Toramatsu, and Torashige.
Taiga
The pronunciation of the Japanese name Taiga (which can mean various things, depending upon the kanji being used the write the name) is similar to that of the English word tiger.
After debuting in the U.S. baby name data in 1997, Taiga saw an initial spike in usage in 1998. Twelve years later, it spiked again.
Usage of the baby name Taiga
Here’s the data on Taiga for those specific years:
(Incidentally, this name coincides with the Russian word taiga, which refers to a biome.)
Kotaro
The Japanese name Kotaro can be created from various combinations of kanji, and the first element is sometimes written with a character (ko) that means “tiger.”
Kotaro saw its highest-ever usage (15 baby boys) in the Tiger year 2010.
(I discovered this name while writing about Japan’s top baby names of 2022; names pronounced “Taiga” and “Kotaro” saw elevated usage in Japan that year.)
Looking for baby names that are associated with the color orange — including baby names that mean “orange”?
If so, you’re in luck — I’ve collected dozens of ideas for you in this post.
But, before we get to the names, let’s take a look at what the color orange represents…
Symbolism of orange
What does the color orange signify?
In Western cultures in particular, orange can be symbolic of:
Warmth
Creativity
Adventure
Freshness
Happiness
Attraction
Success
It can also be associated with safety. A vivid reddish-orange — one that contrasts well with the blue of the sky — is used to make clothing and equipment highly visible in certain circumstances (e.g., at construction sites, during hunting season).
In Eastern cultures, orange is considered a sacred color. In Hinduism, for example, orange represents fire and, thereby, purity (as impurities are burned away by fire).
Baby names associated with orange
All of the names below have an association with the color orange. 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.
Aethon and Aithon Aethon, also spelled Aithon, is derived from the Ancient Greek word aithon, which means “burning, blazing.”
Aki Aki is a Japanese name that can mean “autumn,” depending upon the kanji being used to write the name. Here’s the popularity graph for Aki.
Alba Alba is a feminine name meaning “dawn” in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian, and other Romance languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Alba.
Amber The word amber refers to fossilized tree resin that is commonly used as a gemstone. By extension, the word also refers to the yellowish-orange color of this material. The fossilized resin, which washes up on the seashore in the Baltic region, came to be called “amber” during the Middle Ages — likely due to an association with ambergris (a material produced by sperm whales that also washes up on the shore). Here’s the popularity graph for Amber.
Anatole Anatole is the modern French masculine form of Anatolius. Here’s the popularity graph for Anatole.
Anatolia Anatolia is a feminine form of Anatolius. Here’s the popularity graph for Anatolia.
Anatolios Anatolios was an Ancient Greek name derived from the word anatole, meaning “sunrise.”
Anatolius Anatolius is the Latinized form of Anatolios.
Anatoliy Anatoliy is the modern Russian and Ukrainian masculine form of Anatolius. Here’s the popularity graph for Anatoliy.
Apricot Apricot fruits are yellowish-orange. Apricot trees are part of the genus Prunus.
Aurora Aurora, the Latin word for “dawn,” was the name of the Roman goddess of dawn. Here’s the popularity graph for Aurora.
Autumn The word autumn refers to the season during which the leaves of deciduous trees turn various colors, including orange. Halloween — a holiday strongly associated with the color orange — is also celebrated during Autumn (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). Here’s the popularity graph for Autumn.
Azar Azar is a Persian gender-neutral name meaning “fire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Azar.
Blaze The vocabulary word blaze refers to a fire, particularly one that’s burning intensely. Blaze is also a homophone of the (more traditional) name Blaise, which ultimately derives from the Latin word blaesus, meaning “lisping.” Here’s the popularity graph for Blaze.
Canna Canna flowers are sometimes orange. The genus name Canna is derived from the Latin word canna, meaning “reed.” Here’s the popularity graph for Canna.
Carnelian Carnelian, a variety of the mineral chalcedony, is frequently orange. The name of the stone ultimately comes from the Latin word cornus, which refers to a type of berry, altered by the influence of the Latin word carneus, meaning “flesh-colored.”
Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemum (pronounced krih-SAN-thuh-muhm) flowers are often orange. The genus name Chrysanthemum is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words khrysos, meaning “gold,” and anthemon, meaning “blossom, flower.” Here’s the popularity graph for Chrysanthemum.
Citrine Citrine, a variety of the mineral quartz, is usually orange. The adjective citrine can be traced back to the Latin word citrus. Here’s the popularity graph for Citrine.
Clementine Clementine fruits are a cross between mandarin orange and sweet orange. They were named after French priest Clément Rodier, who discovered the cultivar while in Algeria. The name Clément is derived from the Latin word clemens, meaning “merciful.” Here’s the popularity graph for Clementine.
Copper Copper is a metallic element with a lustrous orange-brown color. Here’s the popularity graph for Copper.
Dahlia Dahlia flowers are sometimes orange. The genus Dahlia was named in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. Here’s the popularity graph for Dahlia.
Dawn Dawn refers to the period of time in the early morning (before sunrise) when the sky begins to brighten with daylight. This light at dawn tends to have an orange hue. The word dawn can be traced back to the Old English verb dagian, meaning “to become day.” Here’s the popularity graph for Dawn.
Dysis Dysis, the Ancient Greek word for “sunset,” was the name of the Greek goddess of the hour of sunset.
Ember The word ember refers a glowing, slowly burning piece of solid fuel (like wood or coal). It’s often used in the plural to refer to the smoldering remains of a fire. Here’s the popularity graph for Ember.
Eos Eos, the Ancient Greek word for “dawn,” was the name of the Greek goddess of dawn.
Fajr Fajr is an Arabic feminine name meaning “dawn.” Here’s the popularity graph for Fajr.
Fiamma Fiamma (pronounced FYAM-ma) is an Italian feminine name meaning “flame.” Here’s the popularity graph for Fiamma.
Fox Fox fur, if you’re talking about the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), is largely orange. The word fox is ultimately derived from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning “tail.” Here’s the popularity graph for Fox.
Gaeul Gaeul is a Korean gender-neutral name meaning “autumn.”
Gladiola Gladiola refers to Gladiolus, a genus of plants with flowers that are sometimes orange. The genus name, meaning “little sword” (a diminutive of the Latin word gladius, “sword”) refers to the shape of the leaves. Here’s the popularity graph for Gladiola.
Helen Helen is a form of the Ancient Greek name Helene, which is likely based on the word helene, meaning “torch.” Also, plants of the genus Helenium have flowers that are sometimes orange. The genus was named in honor of Helen of Troy. Here’s the popularity graph for Helen.
Honey Honey can be orange. The Old English word for “honey” was hunig. Here’s the popularity graph for Honey.
Iskra Iskra is a feminine name meaning “spark” in Russian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Iskra.
Jack Jack is part of “Jack-o’-Lantern” — a term that, since the 1800s, has referred to a carved pumpkin used as a lantern during Halloween. It originated as “Jack of the lantern” in 17th-century England, where it was used as a generic term for any lantern-carrying night watchman. Here’s the popularity graph for Jack.
“Flaming June”
June June (besides being a month) is part of “Flaming June” — the name of the 1895 painting by Frederic Leighton. “Flaming June” features a red-headed woman wearing a diaphanous orange dress and sleeping by the sea (which reflects the golden rays of the setting sun). Here’s the popularity graph for June.
Keahi Keahi is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name meaning “the fire.” Here’s the popularity graph for Keahi.
Kealaula Kealaula is a Hawaiian gender-neutral name that means “the light of early dawn” or “the sunset glow.” The literal definition is “the flaming road” (ala means “path, road,” and ula means “to flame”).
Marigold The word marigold refers to any flowering plant of either the New World genus Tagetes or the Old World genus Calendula. By extension, it also refers to the yellowish-orange color of these flowers. Here’s the popularity graph for Marigold.
Meli Meli was the Ancient Greek word for “honey.” Here’s the popularity graph for Meli.
Monarch Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have wings that are largely orange. They were named “monarch” in the 1800s, possibly in honor of England’s King William III, who was also the Prince of Orange. The word is derived from a combination of the Ancient Greek words monos, meaning “alone,” and arkhos, meaning “ruler.” Here’s the popularity graph for Monarch.
Neven Neven is a masculine name meaning “marigold” in Serbian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovene, and other Slavic languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Neven.
Nevena Nevena is the feminine form of Neven. Here’s the popularity graph for Nevena.
Orange Orange, of course, refers to the color orange. :) Orange fruits were introduced to Europe by the Moors in the 10th century. The word for the fruit, which can be traced back to Sanskrit, entered the English language (via French) in the late 14th century. The first recorded use of “orange” as a color name in English didn’t come along until the early 16th century. (This explains why many things that are clearly orange — like red hair, red foxes, and the robin redbreast — are called “red”: They were named long before the color-word “orange” entered the English language!) Here’s the popularity graph for Orange.
Orchid Orchid flowers are sometimes orange. Orchids are all members of the Orchidaceae family of plants. Here’s the popularity graph for Orchid.
Oriole Oriole is a type of bird that often has orange plumage. “Oriole” is the common name of birds in the genera Icterus and Oriolidae. The common name is derived from the Latin word aureolus, meaning “golden.” Here’s the popularity graph for Oriole.
Peach Peach fruits are typically orange. Peach trees are part of the genus Prunus. Here’s the popularity graph for Peach.
Pele Pele, the Hawaiian word for “lava flow, volcano, eruption,” was the name of the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. Here’s the popularity graph for Pele.
Pyrrha Pyrrha is the feminine form of Pyrrhus. Here’s the popularity graph for Pyrrha.
Pyrrhos Pyrrhos, meaning “flame-colored,” was an Ancient Greek name derived from the word pyr, meaning “fire.”
Pyrrhus Pyrrhus is the Latinized form of Pyrrhos.
Robin Robin redbreast originally referred to the Old World songbird Erithacus rubecula, which has orange plumage on the face and breast. “Robin” is a Middle English diminutive of the name Robert. Here’s the popularity graph for Robin.
Roth Roth comes from a German surname that can be traced back to the Middle High German word rot, meaning “red.” It was originally a nickname for a red-haired person. Here’s the popularity graph for Roth.
Rowan Rowan is an Anglicized form of Ruadhán. Here’s the popularity graph for Rowan.
Roy Roy is an Anglicized form of Ruadh. Here’s the popularity graph for Roy.
Ruadh Ruadh (pronounced roo-ah) means “red” or “red-haired” in Irish and Scottish Gaelic.
Ruadhán Ruadhán is a diminutive form of Ruadh.
Rufina and Rufino Rufina (feminine) and Rufino (masculine) are the modern Spanish forms of the Roman family name Rufinus, which was based on Rufus. Here are the popularity graphs for Rufina and Rufino.
Rufus Rufus derives from the Latin word rufus, meaning “red” or “red-haired.” Here’s the popularity graph for Rufus.
Rusty Rusty is an adjective referring to rust (iron oxide), which tends to be orange-brown. Here’s the popularity graph for Rusty.
Saffron Saffron is a spice made from the styles and stigmas of Crocus sativus flowers. By extension, the word — which can be traced back to the Arabic name for the spice, za’faran — also refers to the deep yellowish-orange color of fabrics dyed with saffron. Here’s the popularity graph for Saffron.
Seville Seville orange is a variety of bitter orange named after the Spanish city of Sevilla. Here’s the popularity graph for Seville.
Shachar Shachar is a Hebrew gender-neutral name meaning “dawn.”
Shraga Shraga is an Aramaic masculine name meaning “candle.” Here’s the popularity graph for Shraga.
Shula Shula is an Arabic feminine name meaning “flame.” Here’s the popularity graph for Shula.
Smith Smith comes from a surname that originally referred to a metalworker, such as a blacksmith or a farrier. When heated metal (like iron) comes out of a fire to be forged, it’s often glowing a yellowish-orange color. The smith in “blacksmith” is likely derived from the Old English verb smitan, meaning “to smite” or “to strike” (as with a hammer). Here’s the popularity graph for Smith.
Sunrise and Sunset Sunrise and Sunset are times at which the sun appears reddish-orange. Particles in the Earth’s atmosphere scatter more short-wavelength light than long-wavelength light, so when the sun is low on the horizon — and its light is traveling a longer distance through the atmosphere to reach your eyes — you’ll end up seeing less violet and blue, and more red and orange. Here are the popularity graphs for Sunrise and Sunset
Tangerine Tangerine fruits are orange. Tangerine trees are part of the genus Citrus. Here’s the popularity graph for Tangerine.
Tawny Tawny is an adjective that refers to a brownish-orange color. Here’s the popularity graph for Tawny.
Tiger Tiger (Panthera tigris), the largest living species of cat, has fur that is mostly orange. Here’s the popularity graph for Tiger.
Tigerlily Tigerlily refers to “tiger lily,” the common name of several species of flowering plant in the genus Lilium — particularly the species Lilium lancifolium — that have showy orange flowers. Here’s the popularity graph for Tigerlily.
Ushas Ushas, the Sanskrit word for “dawn,” was the name of the Vedic (Hindu) goddess of dawn.
Valencia Valencia orange is a cultivar of sweet orange named after the Spanish city of València. Here’s the popularity graph for Valencia.
Zinnia Zinnia flowers are sometimes orange. The genus Zinnia was named in honor of German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn. Fun fact: An orange zinnia blossomed in space in early 2016! Here’s the popularity graph for Zinnia.
Zora Zora is a feminine name meaning “dawn” in Serbian, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian, and other Slavic languages. Here’s the popularity graph for Zora.
Can you think of any other names that have a connection to the color orange?
P.S. Want to see more color-related baby names? Here are lists of red, yellow, green, blue, and purple names.
For the longest time, I was mystified by the popularity graph for the baby name Tiger. It shows two distinct spikes in usage: one in 1997/1998, the other in 2010.
The initial spike aligns with the rise of golfer Tiger Woods, who “shot to fame after winning the U.S. Masters at Augusta in 1997 — with a record score of 270 — at the age of 21.” He was both the youngest-ever winner and the first African American winner.
If we stick with the Tiger Woods theory, though, the 2010 spike aligns best with Tiger’s infidelity scandal, which was making headlines from late 2009 until mid-2010. And that certainly could be the explanation…though it seems like a disproportionately steep rise, given the nature of the news.
Usage of the baby name Tiger
When I noticed recently that Dragon-related names were more popular during Dragon years, it occurred to me that another animal of the Chinese zodiac — the Tiger — might be influencing the baby name Tiger in a similar way.
The most recent Tiger years were 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, and 2010. Turns out that the two big spikes, plus the debut (in 1962), match up perfectly with Tiger years:
In 2010, 130 U.S. baby boys were named Tiger.
39 [30%] in California, 10 in Texas, 9 in New York, 8 in Washington, 7 in Florida, 6 in Minnesota, 5 in Pennsylvania.
In 1998, 97 U.S. baby boys were named Tiger.
23 [24%] were born in California, 8 in Texas, 6 in Pennsylvania, 5 in Illinois.
In 1962, 7 U.S. baby boys were named Tiger.
It’s intriguing that the name was absent from the data in 1974 and 1986. Perhaps Tiger Woods’ rise to fame in 1997 not only gave the name an early boost, but primed expectant parents to see “Tiger” as a feasible option — making those big spikes in 1998 and 2010 possible.
What do you think the usage of “Tiger” will look like in the next Tiger year, 2022?
Update (Aug. 2023): We have our answer! The name Tiger saw another spike last year:
Usage of the baby name Tiger (more up-to-date)
Here’s the 2022 data:
In 2022, 64 U.S. baby boys and 9 baby girls were named Tiger.
10 [16%] were born in in California, 8 in Texas, 7 in Florida, 6 in Hawaii, 5 in Georgia.
P.S. Tiger Woods’ birth name is actually Eldrick. His mother invented it, starting it with an “E” because her husband’s name was Earl and ending it with a “K” because her own name is Kultida. Earl Woods nicknamed his son “Tiger” in honor of Col. Vuong Dang “Tiger” Phong, whom he’d known while serving in Vietnam. (The story of the search for Phong is fascinating…)
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