How popular is the baby name Wilson in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, check out all the blog posts that mention the name Wilson.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Wilson


Posts that Mention the Name Wilson

Where did the baby name Mcadoo come from in the 1910s?

Politician William Gibbs McAdoo (1863-1941)
William Gibbs McAdoo

The name McAdoo surfaced in the U.S. baby name data in the 1910s:

  • 1919: 12 baby boys named Mcadoo
  • 1918: 26 baby boys named Mcadoo [peak usage]
  • 1917: 11 baby boys named Mcadoo [debut]
  • 1916: unlisted
  • 1915: unlisted

The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) data shows a similar pattern of usage:

  • 1919: 11 people with the first name Mcadoo
  • 1918: 24 people with the first name Mcadoo
  • 1917: 6 people with the first name Mcadoo
  • 1916: no people with the first name Mcadoo
  • 1915: 2 people with the first name Mcadoo

What was drawing attention to the Irish surname McAdoo at that time?

Businessman and politician William Gibbs McAdoo (1863-1941), who served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1913 to 1918 under Woodrow Wilson (who, incidentally, was his father-in-law). McAdoo became relatively famous during WWI:

[A]s chair of the War Finance Corporation, he basically set up the policy for how to fund World War I by raising taxes and instituting gold savings bonds called “Liberty Loans,” a money-raising and propaganda tool. When German submarine attacks made transatlantic trade dangerous and expensive, he created the U.S. Shipping Board in 1916. And he served as director general of U.S. railroads when the government started controlling the railroads to make sure military supplies and personnel got transported in a timely manner … [P]eople thought so highly of McAdoo at the time that they equated him to Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. TIME summed up his accomplishments in 1932 by quoting a jingle: “He’s always up and McAdooing / From Sun to Star and Star to Sun / His work is never McAdone.”

William G. McAdoo also campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination twice, in 1920 and 1924, but lost both times. (The surname’s final appearance in the baby name data was 1924, in fact.)

Here are several interesting examples of “McAdoo” being used as either a first or a middle name:

  • McAdoo Pershing McBride (b. 1919 in Texas)
  • McAdoo Wilson Clouser (b. 1918 in Indiana)
  • William Gibbs Mcadoo Stoffel (b. 1918 in Texas)
  • Woodrow McAdoo Miles (b. 1917 in North Carolina)

The surname McAdoo is an Anglicized form of Mac Conduibh, Gaelic for “son of Cú Dhubh,” with cú dhubh meaning “black hound.”

Do you like McAdoo as a given name? Why or why not?

Sources:

Numerology & baby names: Number 2

Baby names with a numerological value of 2

Here are hundreds of baby names that have a numerological value of “2.”

I’ve sub-categorized them by overall totals, because I think that some of the intermediate numbers could have special significance to people as well.

Within each group, I’ve listed up to ten of the most popular “2” names per gender (according to the current U.S. rankings).

Beneath all the names are some ways you could interpret the numerological value of “2,” including descriptions from two different numerological systems.

2 via 11

The following baby names add up to 11, which reduces to two (1+1=2).

  • “11” girl names: Adea, Fe
  • “11” boy names: Aj

2 via 20

The following baby names add up to 20, which reduces to two (2+0=2).

  • “20” girl names: Jade, Dana, Jia, Deja, Ara, Nada, Amada, Hiba, Ena, Jai
  • “20” boy names: Abel, Gage, Adan, Kace, Ean, Jai, Chace, Fahad, Jade, Able

2 via 29

The following baby names add up to 29, which reduces to two (2+9=11; 1+1=2).

  • “29” girl names: Aria, Diana, Alana, Nadia, Ann, Asha, Dania, Sia, Adina, Kacie
  • “29” boy names: Beau, Aidan, Dax, Khai, Isa, Kael, Alek, Lake, Sai, Abiel

2 via 38

The following baby names add up to 38, which reduces to two (3+8=11; 1+1=2).

  • “38” girl names: Sadie, Alaina, Paige, Amina, Nina, Aisha, Hanna, Cecelia, Jamie, Chaya
  • “38” boy names: Noah, Max, Bodhi, Jared, Jaime, Jamie, Jair, Amare, Isai, Deon

2 via 47

The following baby names add up to 47, which reduces to two (4+7=11; 1+1=2).

  • “47” girl names: Sarah, Rachel, Kamila, Hallie, Leona, Adley, Reina, Galilea, Myah, Leanna
  • “47” boy names: John, Isaiah, Adrian, Malachi, Legend, Omar, Cody, Shane, Damon, Callen

2 via 56

The following baby names add up to 56, which reduces to two (5+6=11; 1+1=2).

  • “56” girl names: Ivy, Norah, Charlie, Aliyah, Selena, Dylan, April, Elianna, Maisie, Emmy
  • “56” boy names: Lucas, Dylan, Nolan, Oscar, Charlie, Felix, Mario, Armani, Omari, Pierce

2 via 65

The following baby names add up to 65, which reduces to two (6+5=11; 1+1=2).

  • “65” girl names: Rylee, Isabelle, Eloise, Alondra, Carter, Kelly, Palmer, Bridget, Vienna, Chandler
  • “65” boy names: Carter, Andrew, Javier, Prince, Conor, Collin, Shawn, Uriel, Chandler, Dennis

2 via 74

The following baby names add up to 74, which reduces to two (7+4=11; 1+1=2).

  • “74” girl names: Aurora, Audrey, Madelyn, Melody, London, Marley, Daleyza, Zuri, Lucille, Margot
  • “74” boy names: Joshua, Easton, Jesus, Myles, Matteo, Messiah, Desmond, Muhammad, Ryland, Tony

2 via 83

The following baby names add up to 83, which reduces to two (8+3=11; 1+1=2).

  • “83” girl names: Evelyn, Violet, Margaret, Catherine, Emmalyn, Addilynn, Giovanna, Valery, Yuliana, Memphis
  • “83” boy names: Jonathan, Jaxson, Bentley, Memphis, Alonzo, Shepherd, Branson, Thatcher, Brysen, Judson

2 via 92

The following baby names add up to 92, which reduces to two (9+2=11; 1+1=2).

  • “92” girl names: Sydney, Kaitlyn, Mckinley, Oaklynn, Madilynn, Marilyn, Estrella, Sylvie, Heavenly, Rilynn
  • “92” boy names: Julius, Porter, Santino, Yusuf, Wilson, Salvador, Watson, Tyrell, Zakariya, Ozzy

2 via 101

The following baby names add up to 101, which reduces to two (1+0+1=2).

  • “101” girl names: Josephine, Christina, Jaylynn, Kristina, Brynley, Murphy, Sherlyn, Kiersten, Christian, Kylynn
  • “101” boy names: Christian, Tristan, Forrest, Kristian, Brentley, Murphy, Garrison, Jovanny, Marquez, Tyrion

2 via 110

The following baby names add up to 110, which reduces to two (1+1+0=2).

  • “110” girl names: Loyalty, Stormy, Sullivan, Sparrow, Amaryllis, Rozlyn, Kynsleigh, Paislynn, Brylynn, Justus
  • “110” boy names: Alexzander, Justus, Youssef, Tyshawn, Octavius, Joseluis, Loyalty, Torryn, Arlington, Suleyman

2 via 119

The following baby names add up to 119, which reduces to two (1+1+9=11; 1+1=2).

  • “119” girl names: Gwendolyn, Josselyn, Serinity, Carrington, Jessalynn, Pressley, Suttyn, Samyuktha, Pryncess, Sirenity
  • “119” boy names: Kingstyn, Treyvon, Aristotle, Tyberius, Carrington, Marcellous, Thorsten, Theodoros, Romulus, Grayston

2 via 128

The following baby names add up to 128, which reduces to two (1+2+8=11; 1+1=2).

  • “128” girl names: Kensington, Jazzlynn, Scottlyn, Yuritzi, Remmington, Oluwanifemi, Courtlyn, Josslynn, Mattilynn, Averyrose
  • “128” boy names: Remmington, Huckleberry, Vittorio, Kensington, Treyvion, Florentino, Quintrell, Patterson, Pratyush, Oluwanifemi

2 via 137

The following baby names add up to 137, which reduces to two (1+3+7=11; 1+1=2).

  • “137” girl names: Riverlynn, Savannahrose, Taylormarie
  • “137” boy names: Konstantin, Joseantonio, Kentavious, Toluwanimi

2 via 146

The following baby names add up to 146, which reduces to two (1+4+6=11; 1+1=2).

  • “146” girl names: Oluwadarasimi, Winterrose, Scarlettrose
  • “146” boy names: Oluwadarasimi, Jontavious

2 via 155

The following baby names add up to 155, which reduces to two (1+5+5=11; 1+1=2).

  • “155” boy names: Krystopher, Chrystopher, Muhammadmustafa

What Does “2” Mean?

First, we’ll look at the significance assigned to “2” by two different numerological sources. Second, and more importantly, ask yourself if “2” or any of the intermediate numbers above have any special significance to you.

Numerological Attributes

“2” (the dyad) according to the Pythagoreans:

  • “The dyad is the first to have separated itself from the monad, whence also it is called ‘daring. ‘ For when the monad manifests unification, the dyad steals in and manifests separation.”
  • “Among the virtues, they liken it to courage: for it has already advanced into action. Hence too they used to call it ‘daring’ and ‘impulse.'”
  • “They also gave it the title of ‘opinion,’ because truth and falsity lie in opinion. And they called it ‘movement,’ ‘generation,’ ‘change,’ ‘division,’ ‘length,’ ‘multiplication,’ ‘addition,’ ‘kinship,’ ‘relativity,’ ‘the ratio in proportionality.’ For the relation of two numbers is of every conceivable form.”
  • “Apart from recklessness itself, they think that, because it is the very first to have endured separation, it deserves to be called ‘anguish,’ ‘endurance’ and ‘hardship.'”
  • “From division into two, they call it ‘justice’ (as it were ‘dichotomy’)”
  • “And they call it ‘Nature,’ since it is movement towards being and, as it were, a sort of coming-to-be and extension from a seed principle”
  • “Equality lies in this number alone…the product of its multiplication will be equal to the sum of its addition: for 2+2=2×2. Hence they used to call it ‘equal.'”
  • “It also turns out to be ‘infinity,’ since it is difference, and difference starts from its being set against 1 and extends to infinity.”
  • “The dyad, they say, is also called ‘Erato’; for having attracted through love the advance of the monad as form, it generates the rest of the results, starting with the triad and tetrad.”

“2” according to Edgar Cayce:

  • “Two – divided” (reading 261-14).
  • “Two – the combination, and begins a division of the whole, or the one. While two makes for strength, it also makes for weakness” (reading 5751-1).
Personal/Cultural Significance

Does “2” — or do any of the other numbers above (e.g., 38, 47, 83, 101) — have any special significance to you?

Think about your own preferences and personal experiences: lucky numbers, birth dates, music, sports, and so on. Maybe you like how “101” reminds you of education and learning new things, for example.

Also think about associations you may have picked up from your culture, your religion, or society in general.

If you have any interesting insights about the number 2, or any of the other numbers above, please leave a comment!

Source: Theologumena Arithmeticae, attributed to Iamblichus (c.250-c.330).

Pop culture baby name game results, 2016

Here are the results of Pop Culture Baby Name Game 2016!

As usual, the disclaimer: Some of the names below were already on the rise. Others may have been influenced by more than just the single pop culture person/event listed. I leave it up to you to judge the degree/nature of pop culture influence in each case.

On to the names…

Luna, +849

  • Up from 2,796 baby girls in 2015 to 3,645 in 2016.
  • 6th-highest raw-number increase on the girls’ list in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Luna Simone, daughter of singer John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen.

Camila, +765

Greyson, +704

  • Up from 3,591 baby boys in 2015 to 4,295 in 2016.
  • 8th-highest raw-number increase on the boys’ list in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Greyson Valor, son of reality TV star Jenni “JWoww” Farley.

Adonis, +443

Kehlani, +272

Wade, +232

  • Up from 553 baby boys in 2015 to 785 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Prince, +187

  • Up from 820 baby boys in 2015 to 1,007 in 2016.
  • The name Princess also saw a jump in usage: 268 baby girls in 2015 to 369 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Prince.

Lyanna, +154

  • Up from 62 baby girls in 2015 to 216 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV show Game of Thrones.

Alessia, +130

Wilder, +122

  • Up from 215 baby boys in 2015 to 337 in 2016.
  • 9th-highest ranking increase on the boys’ list in 2016.
  • Wilder also saw higher usage among baby girls: 22 in 2015 to 38 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Gene Wilder.

Canaan, +99

  • Up from 283 baby boys in 2015 to 382 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: son of Oprah Winfrey (she announced this name in late 2015).
    • According to a 2010 biography, Winfrey’s son’s legal first name was Vincent.

Cyrus, +91

  • Up from 631 baby boys in 2015 to 722 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV mini-series Roots (2016).

Creed, +78

Bowie, +77

  • Up from 53 baby boys in 2015 to 130 in 2016.
  • Bowie also saw higher usage among baby girls: 43 in 2015 to 75 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of David Bowie.

Muhammad, +77

  • Up from 881 baby boys in 2015 to 958 in 2016.
  • The name Muhammadali also saw a jump in usage: 12 baby boys in 2015 to 24 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Muhammad Ali.

Ivanka, +74

  • Up from 37 baby girls in 2015 to 111 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s daughter Ivanka.

Cohen, +68

  • Up from 1,017 baby boys in 2015 to 1,085 in 2016.
  • Cohen also saw higher usage among baby girls: 12 in 2015 to 17 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Leonard Cohen.

Queen, +49

  • Up from 148 baby girls in 2015 to 197 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influences: the TV show Queen Sugar (2016-) and the movie Queen of Katwe (2016).

Melania, +41

  • Up from 90 baby girls in 2015 to 131 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s wife Melania.

Moana, +38

  • Up from 18 baby girls in 2015 to 56 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Moana (2016).

Jupiter, +36

  • Up from 42 baby girls in 2015 to 78 in 2016.
  • Jupiter also saw higher usage among baby boys: 25 in 2015 to 41 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter.

Hillary, +34

Simone, +33

  • Up from 340 baby girls in 2015 to 373 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influences: Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and celebrity baby Luna Simone.

Doris, +32

  • Up from 85 baby girls in 2015 to 117 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Hello, My Name Is Doris (2016).

Dream, +30

  • Up from 98 baby _s in 2015 to 128 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Kardashian baby Dream Renée.

Rio, +29

  • Up from 103 baby boys in 2015 to 132 in 2016.
  • Rio also saw higher usage among baby girls: 38 in 2015 to 61 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Malachi, +27

  • Up from 2,558 baby boys in 2015 to 2,585 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the TV mini-series Roots (2016).

Ali, +23

  • Up from 1,060 baby boys in 2015 to 1,083 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the death of Muhammad Ali.

Barron, +20

  • Up from 74 baby boys in 2015 to 94 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Trump’s son Barron.

Miesha, +19

  • Up from 13 baby girls in 2015 to 32 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: MMA fighter Miesha Tate.

Onyx, +18

  • Up from 38 baby girls in 2015 to 56 in 2016.
  • Onyx saw an even higher jump in usage among baby boys: 118 in 2015 to 172 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Onyx Solace, daughter of Alanis Morissette.

Francis, +17

  • Up from 619 baby boys in 2015 to 636 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Merrick, +17

  • Up from 191 baby boys in 2015 to 208 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Judge Merrick Garland.

Ajax, +16

  • Up from 17 baby boys in 2015 to 33 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Juno, +13

  • Up from 86 baby girls in 2015 to 99 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter.

Keanu, +13

  • Up from 197 baby boys in 2015 to 210 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Keanu (2016).

Halsey, re-entered with 12

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 12 baby girls in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Halsey (born Ashley Nicolette Frangipane).

Valor, +12

  • Up from 78 baby boys in 2015 to 90 in 2016.
  • Valor also saw higher usage among baby girls: 6 in 2015 to 14 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Greyson Valor, son of reality TV star Jenni “JWoww” Farley.

Hamilton, +11

  • Up from 86 baby boys in 2015 to 97 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the Broadway musical Hamilton.

Sanders, +11

  • Up from 12 baby boys in 2015 to 23 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Bernie, +10

  • Up from 11 baby boys in 2015 to 21 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Omran, +10

  • Up from 7 baby boys in 2015 to 17 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Syrian boy Omran Daqneesh.

Elle, +9

  • Up from 816 baby girls in 2015 to 825 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Elle King.

Teresa, +9

  • Up from 426 baby girls in 2015 to 435 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: canonization of Mother Teresa.

Dak, re-entered with 8

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 8 baby boys in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NFL player Rayne Dakota “Dak” Prescott.

Wrigley, +8

  • Up from 22 baby boys in 2015 to 30 in 2016.
  • Wrigley also saw higher usage among baby girls: 15 in 2015 to 18 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: Chicago Cubs’ World Series win.

Boomer, +7

  • Up from 5 baby boys in 2015 to 12 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: celebrity baby Boomer Robert, son of Michael Phelps.

Dory, re-entered with 6

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 6 baby girls in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Finding Dory (2016).

Maui, re-entered with 5

  • After an absence, returned to the list with 5 baby boys in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Moana (2016).

Wilson, +5

  • Up from 433 baby boys in 2015 to 438 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Deadpool (2016).

Sully, +4

  • Up from 17 baby boys in 2015 to 21 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: the movie Sully (2016).

Teyana, +3

  • Up from 47 baby girls in 2015 to 50 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Teyana Taylor.

Draymond, +2

  • Up from 6 baby boys in 2015 to 8 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: NBA player Draymond Green.

Daya, +1

  • Up from 42 baby girls in 2015 to 43 in 2016.
  • Pop culture influence: singer Daya (born Grace Martine Tandon).

Names that went down in usage from 2015 to 2016:

Names not in the SSA data in either 2015 or 2016:

  • Angel Dust
  • Aroldis
  • Bison
  • Broncs
  • Cubby
  • Curiosity
  • Dopinder
  • Eleven
  • Emayatzy
  • E’myri
  • Esperanto
  • Hermine
  • Ingwen
  • Jikan
  • Jonbenet
  • Lorca
  • Kunta
  • Laremy
  • Linmanuel
  • Maga
  • MacGyver
  • Mountain
  • Moushumi
  • Ode
  • Phiona
  • Regé-Jean
  • Rykiel
  • Trump
  • Usain
  • Voltron
  • Zobrist

Some initial reactions…

I was surprised that Adonis and Wade jumped in usage as much as they did.

I was also surprised that Wrigley barely jumped at all in usage. Maybe “Wrigley” reminds too many people of gum?

usain bolt, race, 100m, rio, olympics
© 2016 Cameron Spencer/Getty

Where the heck is Usain? Why is Usain not in the data yet? Sure, track and field is relatively unpopular in the United States. Still, I thought Rio might do it — with the help of that viral photo of Usain Bolt cheekily grinning at the competition in the middle of that 100 meter sprint.

Finally, as a former ’80s kid, I did have my fingers crossed for Voltron. Oh well…

How about you? Did any of these rises/falls surprise you?

P.S. Some of the names from the 2015 Pop Culture Baby Name Game that have started/continued to do well: Adaline, Arlo, Bjorn, Bryshere, Finn, Furiosa, Gigi, Hakeem, Jedi, Joy, Kylo, Lagertha, Lucious, Margot, Mars, Rey, Saint, and Sullivan. Even more interesting is Atticus, which saw a drop in usage in 2016 after rising steadily for years. (Here’s more about Atticus and the Go Set a Watchman debacle.) The usage of Becky decreased as well — could Beyoncé’s song “Sorry” have anything to do with it?

Baby names from Pullman cars?

train

Years ago I posted about Livonia, a baby both born on and named after a Pullman car. Recently I wondered: What other Pullman car names would have made good baby names?

So I downloaded a big spreadsheet of over 12,000 Pullman car names from The Pullman Project and was slightly surprised to see that thousands of them could have been baby names, if we allow for the splitting of compound car names (like Fort Miley, Glen Norman, Meredith College, and West Willow).

Here are a handful of examples. On the left are relatively common/familiar names, and on the right are some unexpected choices.

Alana, Archer, ArnoldAdriatha, Arundel, Arvonia
Baxter, Becket, BradleyBantry, Bellonia, Besco
Calvin, Catalina, ClydeCadesia, Clarnie, Clymer
Dana, Deborah, DwightDarlow, Dathema, Dodona
Edith, Eileen, ElmoEdminster, Emalinda, Etherley
Finley, Flavia, FloydFithian, Flaxton, Florilla
Gary, Georgette, GraysonGavarnie, Gilia, Gloxinia
Harper, Harriet, HectorHarista, Humela, Hythe
Iona, Isabella, IvanIrvona, Isleta, Ixion
Jessica, Jordan, JuliaJacelia, Jathniel, Justitia
Kara, Keith, KennethKeinath, Kenia, Kittson
Laurel, Lewis, LindenLauveta, Leolyn, Lysander
Madison, Marco, MaudeMardonia, Mayence, Morganza
Nicola, Noel, NoraNarinda, Nasby, Norlina
Olivia, Omar, OtisOaklyn, Olanda, Oxus
Parker, Perry, PhilippaPenlyn, Pipila, Pixley
QuincyQuarren
Rebecca, Riley, RonaldRexis, Risley, Ruxton
Sarah, Scott, SusanneSalphrona, Sarver, Sibley
Thora, Tracy, TylerTascott, Tilden, Tisonia
Vanessa, Vernon, VictoriaVarick, Vinora, Vivita
Wesley, Wilson, WrenWelby, Wescott, Wexford

Which of the names above do you like best?