How did Jess Willard influence baby names in the 1910s?

Heavyweight boxer Jess Willard (1881-1968)
Jess Willard

In late 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion.

During Johnson’s reign, promoters actively searched for a “great white hope” — a white contender to defeat him.

Several white boxers (including former title holder James Jeffries) challenged Johnson, but were unsuccessful.

The one who finally triumphed? Jess Willard.

In April of 1915, Willard — a six-and-a-half-foot-tall Kansas-born wheat farmer — fought Johnson in Havana, Cuba. Upon knocking Johnson out in the 26th round, Willard became the new heavyweight champion.

Boxing match between Jack Johnson and Jess Willard in Cuba (Apr. 1915)
Jack Johnson vs. Jess Willard

The same year, the baby names Jess and Willard both reached peak usage (and Willard its highest-ever ranking) among U.S. babies:

Boys named JessBoys named Willard
1917352 (rank: 273rd)2,188 (rank: 80th)
1916485 (rank: 220th)2,413 (rank: 69th)
1915577† (rank: 193rd)2,889† (rank: 58th)
1914258 (rank: 271st)1,302 (rank: 92nd)
1913180 (rank: 296th)926 (rank: 99th)
†Peak usage

(The rise of both names during first half of the 1910s was also likely fueled by Jess Willard, who’d been boxing professionally since early 1911.)

“Jess” and “Willard” were particularly popular in a handful of U.S states:

Rank of Jess in 1915Rank of Willard in 1915
West Virginia64th (35 boys)19th (117 boys)
Oklahoma71st (56 boys)33rd (100 boys)
Kentucky89th (37 boys)36th (113 boys)
Virginia200th (13 boys)39th (90 boys)
Kansas120th (20 boys)40th (82 boys)
Tennessee78th (41 boys)41st (89 boys)
Missouri108th (40 boys)42nd (134 boys)

According to records, hundreds of the baby boys named Jess in 1915 were also given the middle name Willard. Some examples…

Many other babies were also given the first-middle combo “Jess Willard” during the ensuing years of Willard’s reign, which ended in July of 1919 (when Willard was knocked out by Jack Dempsey).

What are your thoughts on the boy names Jess and Willard? (Which one do you prefer?)

P.S. The second African-American to win the title of world heavyweight boxing champion was Joe Louis, in 1937.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Jess Willard 1915 (LOC) and Knockout – Willard-Johnson fight, Havana (LOC)

What gave the baby name Savvy a boost in 2017?

Savannah "Savvy" Shields, Miss America 2017
Savannah “Savvy” Shields

According to the U.S. baby name data, the modern name Savvy saw an uptick in usage in 2017:

  • 2019: 34 baby girls named Savvy
  • 2018: 31 baby girls named Savvy
  • 2017: 40 baby girls named Savvy (peak usage)
  • 2016: 29 baby girls named Savvy
  • 2015: 22 baby girls named Savvy

Why?

My guess is beauty queen Savannah “Savvy” Shields, who was crowned Miss America 2017 in September of 2016.

Savvy represented the state of Arkansas, and her pageant platform was “eat better, live better.”

For the talent portion of the competition, she danced to the song “They Just Keep Moving the Line” from the NBC series Smash.

Assuming that she is the reason behind the higher usage of “Savvy” a few years ago, it’s possible that she will be the last Miss America winner to influence U.S. baby names, as the pageant’s popularity (both in terms of participation and viewership) has been in decline “since its 1960s heyday.”

What are your thoughts on the name Savvy? (Would you use it as-is, or do you prefer it as a nickname for Savannah?)

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of the 90th Miss America pageant

What popularized the baby name Mya in the late 1990s?

Mýa's self-titled debut album (1998)
Mýa album

Mononymous R&B singer Mýa (pronounced MIE-uh) became famous in the late 1990s, when her songs started popping up on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart:

  • “It’s All About Me” (with Sisqó) peaked at #6 in May of 1998
  • “Ghetto Supastar” (with Pras Michel and Ol’ Dirty Bastard) peaked at #15 in August of 1998
  • “Movin’ On” (with Silkk The Shocker) peaked at #34 in September of 1998
  • “Take Me There” (with Blackstreet, Mase, and Blinky Blink) peaked at #14 in January of 1999
  • “My First Night With You” peaked at #28 in April of 1999

Mýa sang the hook on “Ghetto Supastar,” which has been described as “the most deliriously irresistible song of the summer of ’98.” The single became a worldwide hit, and was nominated for a Grammy Award (for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group) in early 1999.

As a result of Mýa’s success, the baby name Mya — amid the ongoing rise of the like-sounding name Maya — saw a swift increase in usage during the last two years of the century. In fact, Mya’s rise seems to have accelerated Maya’s rise in 1998 specifically.

Girls named MyaGirls named Maya
20001,839 [rank: 175th]3,019 [rank: 113th]
19991,885 [rank: 166th]2854 [rank: 113th]
19981,284 [rank: 238th]2685 [rank: 123rd]
1997196 [rank: 995th]1675 [rank: 182nd]
19961511,445 [rank: 201st]

But the influence doesn’t end there. A number of names ending in “-mya” also saw higher usage during those years. (The same can be said for names ending in “-maya,” such as Amaya, Jamaya, and Tamaya.)

199719981999
Amya1042168
Jamya1376163
Shamya2260131
Tamya1474127
Kamya102157
Lamya82051
Ramya182438
Samya72232

Dozens of other “-mya” and “-myah” names (like Damya, Zamya, Camya, and Amyah) appeared for the very first time in the U.S. baby name data during the late 1990s.

Mýa was born Mya Marie Harrison in Washington, D.C., in 1979. Curiously, she was more interested in dancing than in singing as a child. She even studied under tap dancer Savion Glover for a time.

What are your thoughts on the name Mya? Do you like this spelling, or do you prefer Maya?

P.S. Intriguingly, the rise of Mia (pronounced MEE-uh) — which went on to become a top-10 girl name — slowed down in the late 1990s. Did Mya steal some of Mia’s thunder, I wonder…?

Sources:

What popularized the baby name Mandy in the mid-1970s?

Barry Manilow's album "Barry Manilow II" (1974)
Barry Manilow album

According to the U.S. baby name data, Mandy more than sextupled in usage in 1975:

  • 1977: 3,100 baby girls named Mandy [rank: 94th]
  • 1976: 2,924 baby girls named Mandy [rank: 100th]
  • 1975: 2,710 baby girls named Mandy [rank: 106th]
  • 1974: 446 baby girls named Mandy [rank: 435th]
  • 1973: 384 baby girls named Mandy [rank: 473rd]

Amanda — the name from which Mandy derives — also saw a discernible increase in usage in 1975.

What gave these names a boost?

The Barry Manilow song “Mandy,” which was released in October of 1974. It reached the top spot on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in January of the following year.

Here’s what it sounds like:

Interestingly, “Mandy” is a cover of a song called “Brandy” that was first recorded by Scott English and released in early 1972. The single became popular in both the UK and Australia, but was only a minor hit in the U.S.

When Barry Manilow recorded his version in mid-1974, he (and Bell Records president Clive Davis) decided to change the title from “Brandy” to “Mandy” so as to avoid confusion with the Looking Glass song “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl).”

The baby name Mandy went on to see peak usage several years later — either in 1977 (highest ranking) or in 1978 (highest number of babies), depending on how you look at it.

What are your thoughts on the name Mandy?

P.S. The similar name Mindy was also most popular in the late 1970s…

Sources: Mandy by Barry Manilow – Songfacts, Barry Manilow – Billboard, Brandy (Scott English song) – Wikipedia, SSA