How popular is the baby name Uhura 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 Uhura.

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Popularity of the baby name Uhura


Posts that mention the name Uhura

Shahna, Philana, Kelinda: More “Star Trek” baby names

We’ve already looked at Uhura, and Jeanluc…so are you ready for the next three Star Trek baby names?

Today we’ve got Shahna, Kelinda, and Philana — each of which came from single episodes of the original TV series, which ran from 1966 to 1969.

shahna, star trek, television, 1960s
Shahna (not Lady Gaga)

The baby name Shahna debuted in 1968:

  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: 9 baby girls named Shahna
  • 1968: 15 baby girls named Shahna [debut]
  • 1967: unlisted

The character Shahna (played by Angelique Pettyjohn) was in the season 2 episode “The Gamesters of Triskelion,” which first aired on January 5, 1968. The setting of the episode was the planet Triskelion, where the rulers — disembodied entities called the “Providers” — forced their captives to fight against one another, gladiator-style, for their own entertainment.

kelinda, star trek, television, 1960s
Kelinda

The baby name Kelinda debuted in 1968:

  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: unlisted
  • 1968: 7 baby girls named Kelinda [debut]
  • 1967: unlisted

The character Kelinda (played by Barbara Bouchet) was in the season 2 episode “By Any Other Name,” which first aired on February 23, 1968. The episode starts with the U.S.S. Enterprise responding to fake distress call from a small planet on which encounter a strand group of Kelvans, who plan to hijack their ship in order to find planets to colonize.

philana, star trek, television, 1960s
Philana

The baby name Philana debuted in 1969:

  • 1972: 12 baby girls named Philana
  • 1971: 20 baby girls named Philana
  • 1970: 19 baby girls named Philana
  • 1969: 10 baby girls named Philana [debut]
  • 1968: unlisted
  • 1967: unlisted

The character Philana (played by Barbara Babcock) was in the season 3 episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” which first aired on November 22, 1968. The setting of the episode was the planet Platonius, where they encounter the sadistic leader of a psychokinetic society modeled after ancient Greece. (This also happens to be the infamous “interracial kiss” episode.)

No doubt Philana’s name was based on the ancient Greek word philos, meaning “friend” or “lover.”

So, which of these three single-episode Star Trek names do you like more: Shahna, Kelinda, or Philana?

Where did the baby name Jeanluc come from in 1987?

The character Jean-Luc Picard from the TV series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994).
Jean-Luc Picard from “Star Trek“

The compound French name Jeanluc first appeared in the U.S baby name data in 1987:

  • 1993: 63 baby boys named Jean-Luc
  • 1992: 65 baby boys named Jean-Luc [peak usage]
  • 1991: 46 baby boys named Jean-Luc
  • 1990: 26 baby boys named Jean-Luc
  • 1989: 21 baby boys named Jean-Luc
  • 1988: 14 baby boys named Jean-Luc
  • 1987: 8 baby boys named Jean-Luc [debut]
  • 1986: unlisted
  • 1985: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Captain Jean-Luc (pronounced zhon look) Picard of the starship Enterprise.

Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, was the central character of the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, which premiered in late 1987 and ran until mid-1994.

The character, though born and raised in 24th-century France, was a native English speaker. How? According to the show, French had become an obscure language by the 2300s. And yet, interestingly, the people of English-speaking future-France were still getting very traditional French names. Picard’s parents were named Maurice and Yvette, for instance. (Do you think this is a believable scenario?)

The names Geordi and Riker also debuted during the years TNG was on the air. They were likely influence by the characters Will Riker (the first officer) and Geordi La Forge (the chief engineer, played by LeVar Burton).

The only other Star Trek name I’ve blogged about so far is Uhura, but there are more on the way…

In the meanwhile, what do you think of the name Jean-Luc?

Sources: Picard – Star Trek, SSA

Image: Screenshot of Star Trek

What popularized the baby name Nichelle in the late 1960s?

The character Lt. Uhura from the TV series "Star Trek" (1966-1969)
Lt. Uhura from “Star Trek“

Gene Roddenberry’s science-fiction TV series Star Trek was set on a spaceship in the 23rd century. The show wasn’t very popular (when it originally aired during the second half of the 1960s), but it was very progressive.

Star Trek‘s diverse set of characters included Japanese-American helmsman Lt. Sulu, half-human, half-Vulcan first officer Mr. Spock, and Russian navigator Ensign Chekov.

Perhaps the most eye-catching character, though, was African-American female communications officer Lt. Uhura.

Uhura — who, like Sulu, wasn’t given a first name — was played by actress Nichelle Nichols. (The character’s surname was based on the title of the 1962 Robert Ruark book Uhuru, which Nichols happened to have with her the day she read for the part. The Swahili word uhuru means “freedom.”)

Thanks to the role, Nichols became “one of the first African American women to be featured in a non-menial role on television.”

In January of 1967, just five months after the show premiered, she was celebrated on the cover of Ebony magazine:

Actress Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura
Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura

Nichelle Nichols’ newfound fame brought attention to her rare first name — which was nearly identical to the then-trendy name Michelle — and, as a result, the usage of Nichelle increased dramatically:

  • 1969: 331 baby girls named Nichelle [rank: 540th]
  • 1968: 395 baby girls named Nichelle [rank: 486th]
  • 1967: 361 baby girls named Nichelle [rank: 500th]
  • 1966: 33 baby girls named Nichelle
  • 1965: 14 baby girls named Nichelle

The actress was born Grace Dell Nichols in Illinois in 1932.

At 13 or 14, tired of being called Gracie by her friends, she requested a different name from her mother, who liked Michelle but suggested Nichelle for the alliteration.

Star Trek ran for three seasons before being canceled due to low ratings. The final episode was broadcast in June of 1969.

After being put into syndication during the 1970s, however, the series became an unexpected hit. This success led to a handful of U.S. baby girls being named Uhura during the 1970s, and eventually to the franchise’s first movie, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which was released in late 1979 (two and a half years after Star Wars).

What are your thoughts on the name Nichelle? How about Uhura?

Sources:

Images: Nichelle Nichols, NASA Recruiter (NASA); Clipping from the cover of Ebony magazine (Jan. 1967)

[Latest update: Jan. 2025]