How popular is the baby name Venus 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 Venus.

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Popularity of the baby name Venus


Posts that mention the name Venus

Baby name story: Alexis Olympia

Tennis player Serena Williams
Serena Williams

In September of 2017, tennis player Serena Williams — winner of 23 Grand Slam women’s singles titles and four Olympic gold medals — and her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, welcomed a baby girl.

Her name?

Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr.

“Alexis” was passed down from her father, “Olympia” is a nod to her mother, and the initials “A.O.” are a reference to the 2017 Australian Open, which Serena won (by defeating her older sister, Venus, in the women’s singles final) when she was approximately 2 months pregnant.

The couple’s second child, another baby girl, was born in August of 2023 and named Adira River.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Williams S. RG18 (17) by si.robi under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Money for V-names in South Africa

springboks

Do you live in South Africa? Do you have a baby with a v-name who was (or will be) born between December 25, 2024, and January 1, 2025 (inclusive)?

If so, you may want to get in touch with Vodacom. For a limited time, the South African mobile communications company is giving away thousands of rand to parents whose newborns have v-names.

Just send your information — full name, province, baby’s birth date, and baby’s v-name — to the company via WhatsApp by January 1.

All who qualify will receive at least R15,000 (about $814 U.S.); parents who happen to be Vodacom customers will receive R25,000 (about $1,357 U.S.).

Though any v-name is acceptable, Vodacom did offer the following list of suggestions:

  • Vuyisile
  • Vuyani
  • Vumani
  • Vuyelwa
  • Vaughn
  • Vincent
  • Virgil
  • Veronica
  • Valeria
  • Venus
  • Virginia
  • Violet
  • Vivienne
  • Valentina
  • Vanessa
  • Vuyo
  • Vusumuzi
  • Vihaan
  • Vaishnavi
  • Vikram

Which of the above do you like most?

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Springbok, Madikwe (52635759990) by flowcomm under CC BY 2.0.

What gave the baby name Shawntel a boost in 1995?

Shawntel Smith, Miss America 1996
Shawntel Smith

The modern name Shawntel, which emerged in the U.S. baby name data during the 1960s, saw a spike in usage in the mid-1990s:

  • 1997: 33 baby girls named Shawntel
  • 1996: 54 baby girls named Shawntel
  • 1995: 63 baby girls named Shawntel (peak usage)
  • 1994: 29 baby girls named Shawntel
  • 1993: 35 baby girls named Shawntel

Why?

Because of beauty queen Shawntel Smith, who was crowned Miss America 1996 on her 24th birthday — September 16, 1995.

Shawntel Smith, Miss America 1996
Shawntel Smith

Shawntel represented the state of Oklahoma, and her pageant platform was “school-to-work education,” which had to do with preparing students to enter the job market.

For the talent portion of the competition, she sang Barbra Streisand’s “The Woman in the Moon” from the 1976 version of the movie A Star is Born.

Shawntel, whose birth name was LaCricia Shawntel Smith, was the second-ever red-headed Miss America. (The first was Venus Ramey, Miss America 1944.)

What are your thoughts on the name Shawntel? (Do you like this spelling, or do you prefer Chantel?)

P.S. The section of US-64 that runs through Shawntel’s hometown of Muldrow is now called Shawntel Smith Boulveard.

Sources:

Images: Screenshots of the TV broadcast of the 69th Miss America pageant

Girl names that end with an S-sound

Girl names that end with an S-sound

In the U.S., most of the names given to baby girls end with a vowel sound. And many of the remaining names end with an N-sound.

So, what about girl names that end with other sounds?

Below is a selection of girl names that end with an S-sound, regardless of last letter. The names are ordered by current popularity.

Grace
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Grace.

Genesis
An Ancient Greek word meaning “origin, creation.” Here’s the popularity graph for Genesis.

Iris
The Ancient Greek word for “rainbow,” as well as an ancient Greek goddess (the personification of the rainbow) and a type of flower (that is often purple). Here’s the popularity graph for Iris.

Reese
An Anglicized form of the Welsh name Rhys, meaning “ardor.” Here’s the popularity graph for Reese.

Frances
The feminine form of Francis, which is derived from the late Roman name Franciscus, meaning “Frenchman.” Here’s the popularity graph for Frances.

Paris
From the capital of France. Here’s the popularity graph for Paris.

Florence
From the late Roman name Florentia, meaning “blooming.” Here’s the popularity graph for Florence.

Dallas
From either the Scottish surname (derived from a place name meaning “meadow dwelling”) or the English surname (derived from a place name meaning “valley house”). Here’s the popularity graph for Dallas.

Mavis
From the type of bird. Here’s the popularity graph for Mavis.

Ellis
From the English surname, which is derived from the name Elias. Here’s the popularity graph for Ellis.

Promise
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Promise.

Anaïs
May be a French variant of the name of the Iranian goddess Anahita. Here’s the popularity graph for Anaïs.

Cadence
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Cadence.

Justice
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Justice.

Artemis
From the name of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis. Here’s the popularity graph for Artemis.

Amaris
Might be based on Amaro, the name of a legendary 13th-century Catholic saint. Here’s the popularity graph for Amaris.

Princess
The feminine form of the royal title prince. Here’s the popularity graph for Princess.

Joyce
From an Old Breton word meaning “prince, ruler, lord.” Here’s the popularity graph for Joyce.

Essence
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Essence.

Memphis
From the name of the ancient Egyptian city Men-nefer. Here’s the popularity graph for Memphis.

Agnes
From the Ancient Greek word for “chaste.” Here’s the popularity graph for Agnes.

Patience
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Patience.

Venus
From the name of the Roman goddess Venus. Here’s the popularity graph for Venus.

Milagros
A Spanish word meaning “miracles” (from the Marian title La Virgen de los Milagros). Here’s the popularity graph for Milagros.

Damaris
May be derived from an Ancient Greek word meaning “calf.” Here’s the popularity graph for Damaris.

Eris
From the name of the ancient Greek goddess Eris. Here’s the popularity graph for Eris.

Hollis
From the English surname, which originally referred to a person who lived by holly trees. Here’s the popularity graph for Hollis.

Temperance
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Temperance.

Daenerys
Invented by writer George R. R. Martin for a character in the high fantasy book series A Song of Ice and Fire (upon which the TV series Game of Thrones was based). Here’s the popularity graph for Daenerys.

Lois
An Ancient Greek name of unknown meaning. Here’s the popularity graph for Lois.

Constance
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Constance.

Empress
The feminine form of the royal title emperor. Here’s the popularity graph for Empress.

Lotus
From the type of flower. Here’s the popularity graph for Lotus.

Isis
From the name of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis. Here’s the popularity graph for Isis.

Eunice
From an Ancient Greek name made up of elements meaning “good” and “victory.” Here’s the popularity graph for Eunice.

Karis
May be based on the Welsh name Carys or the Ancient Greek name Charis. Here’s the popularity graph for Karis.

Yehudis
From the Hebrew name Yehudit, meaning “Jewish woman.” Here’s the popularity graph for Yehudis.

Inés
A Spanish form of the name Agnes. Here’s the popularity graph for Inés.

Alanis
A feminine form of Alan. Here’s the popularity graph for Alanis.

Tess
A nickname for Theresa. Here’s the popularity graph for Tess.

Prudence
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Prudence.

Janice
Based on Jane, which can be traced back to a (masculine) Hebrew name meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” Here’s the popularity graph for Janice.

Doris
An Ancient Greek name meaning “Dorian woman.” Here’s the popularity graph for Doris.

Precious
From the English vocabulary word. Here’s the popularity graph for Precious.

Dolores
A Spanish word meaning “sorrows” (from the Marian title La Virgen de los Dolores). Here’s the popularity graph for Dolores.

Kelis
Popularized by singer Kelis. Here’s the popularity graph for the name Kelis.

Bryce
Might be based on the Gaulish name Briccus, meaning “speckled.” Here’s the popularity graph for Bryce.

Amaryllis
From the type of flower. Here’s the popularity graph for Amaryllis.

Candace
From Kandake, the title of the queen in the ancient Kingdom of Kush (in northeastern Africa). Here’s the popularity graph for Candace.

Gladys
Based on the Welsh name Gwladus (which belonged to a legendary Welsh saint). Here’s the popularity graph for Gladys.

Less-common girl names that end with an S-sound include Clarice, Bliss, Lamees, Solstice, Maris, Briseis, and Cypress.

Which of the above do you like most? What others can you think of?

P.S. Here are lists of girl names that end with D-, K-, L-, M-, R-, T-, V-, and Z-sounds.

Sources:

  • SSA
  • Behind the Name
  • Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources: Jodocus & Brice
  • Hanks, Patrick, Kate Hardcastle and Flavia Hodges. (Eds.) A Dictionary of First Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
  • Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2022.