Where did the baby name Jexi come from in 2020?

The digital assistant Jexi from the movie "Jexi" (2019)
“Hello, my name is Jexi.”

The rare name Jexi has popped up in the U.S. baby name data just once so far, in 2020:

  • 2022: unlisted
  • 2021: unlisted
  • 2020: 5 baby girls named Jexi [debut]
  • 2019: unlisted
  • 2018: unlisted

Where did it come from?

The romantic comedy Jexi, which was released in October of 2019.

The movie’s main (human) character was a socially awkward, technology-addicted nerd named Phil (played by Adam DeVine).

Its main non-human character, Jexi, was the digital assistant on Phil’s new smartphone.

Unlike Siri and Alexa, Jexi (voiced by Rose Byrne) had both a personality and a mission. She was pushy, raunchy, and specifically programmed to make Phil’s life better. For instance, Jexi “order[ed] kale salad instead of pork noodles for takeout,” and sent an e-mail to Phil’s boss demanding a promotion.

Thanks to Jexi, Phil’s life did begin improving. He made new friends, and even started dating. But Jexi — who had fallen for Phil, improbably — became jealous of Phil’s new romantic interest, and started acting out…

What are your thoughts on the baby name Jexi?

Sources: Jexi – Wikipedia, Jexi review – Variety, Jexi review – Roger Ebert, SSA

Image: Screenshot of Jexi

What gave the baby name Tatum a boost in 1973?

Child actress Tatum O'Neal in the movie "Paper Moon" (1973)
Tatum O’Neal in “Paper Moon

According to the U.S. baby name data, Tatum both re-emerged as a girl name and debuted as a boy name in 1973:

Girls named TatumBoys named Tatum
19759110
19748314
1973259*
1972..
1971..
*Debut

Why?

Because of child actress Tatum O’Neal, one of the stars of the 1973 drama/comedy movie Paper Moon.

The film followed a pair of con artists — a man and a girl — as they roamed through Kansas during the Great Depression. The man, Moses, was played by actor Ryan O’Neal; the girl, Addie, was played by O’Neal’s daughter Tatum.

Child actress Tatum O'Neal in the movie "Paper Moon" (1973)
Tatum O’Neal in “Paper Moon

In April of 1974, 10-year-old Tatum won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. This made her the youngest person ever to win a competitive Academy Award.

How was Tatum O’Neal named? Here’s what the actress said in her memoir:

I was not named for my maternal grandmother, as some accounts have it, but for the great jazz pianist Art Tatum.

The English surname Tatum was derived from the place name Tatham, which originally referred to the homestead of a person called Tata.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Tatum? (Do you like it better for a particular gender, or do you think it works well as a unisex name?)

P.S. The name Addie saw an increase in usage in 1974 — no doubt due to the movie, but perhaps also due to the short-lived TV series Paper Moon, which aired during the last four months of the year. On the show, Addie was played by Jodie Foster.

Sources:

Images: Screenshots of Paper Moon and the trailer for Paper Moon

What gave the baby name Taliana a boost in 2008?

Taliana Vargas, 1st runner-up at Miss Universe 2008
Taliana Vargas

According to the U.S. baby name data, the rare name Taliana nearly tripled in usage in 2008:

  • 2010: 9 baby girls named Taliana
  • 2009: 14 baby girls named Taliana
  • 2008: 23 baby girls named Taliana (peak usage)
  • 2007: 8 baby girls named Taliana
  • 2006: 7 baby girls named Taliana

Why?

Because of Colombian beauty queen Taliana Vargas.

She placed first runner-up at Miss Universe 2008, which was held in Vietnam in July of that year.

Notably, four of the top five finalists at Miss Universe 2008 were Latin American women. The overall winner of the pageant was Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela.

What are your thoughts on the name Taliana?

Sources: Miss Universe 2008 – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Screenshot of the TV broadcast of the 57th Miss Universe pageant

Where did the baby name Johnse come from in 2013?

The character Johnse Hatfield from the TV miniseries "Hatfields & McCoys" (May 2012)
Johnse Hatfield from “Hatfields & McCoys

The curious name Johnse first popped up in the U.S. baby name data in 2013:

  • 2016: unlisted
  • 2015: 9 baby boys named Johnse
  • 2014: 12 baby boys named Johnse
  • 2013: 8 baby boys named Johnse
  • 2012: unlisted

Where did it come from?

The three-part TV miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, which aired on the History Channel in May of 2012.

The Emmy-winning show was (of course) about the legendary feud between the Hatfield family of West Virginia and the McCoy family of Kentucky.

One of the subplots focused on the doomed romance between Johnson “Johnse” Hatfield (played by Matt Barr) and Roseanna McCoy (played by Lindsay Pulsipher). The nickname Johnse was pronounced JAHN-zee.

(Confusingly, the patriarch of the Hatfield clan — William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield [played by Kevin Costner in the miniseries] — had a nickname with a similar ending, but a different pronunciation: Anse rhymed with “dance.”)

What are your thoughts on the name Johnse? Would you use it as a standalone name?

P.S. The Johnse/Roseanna romance was highlighted in the 1949 film Roseanna McCoy

Sources: Hatfields & McCoys (miniseries) – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Screenshot of Hatfields & McCoys