In this final installment of "one-hit wonder names" (see parts, 1, 2 and 3) we take a names-eye-view tour through history.
Baby names act as a cultural mirror, reflecting the mood and obsessions of every age. Sometimes it's a whole style, like the girls given boyish names (Frankie, Tommie) in the 1930s. Sometimes it's personality driven, like the Shirley surge in that same decade. And sometimes a specific historical moment is memorialized in names. The one-hit wonder names are a treasure trove of these cultural moments. Some of the moments were momentous, others pop-culture trifles. A few were completely unknown to me until the names themselves led me to them, and a few frankly shocked me as name inspirations. Check them out yourself in this arbitrary, capricious One-Hit Timeline of History.
1895: Trilby
George du Maurier's novel Trilby, first published serially in 1894, was a popular sensation. Filled with romance, horror, plucky heroes and supernatural villainry, Trilby became one of the most popular books (and later plays) of its time. The novel's longest-lasting contribution to our language comes from its villain, the all-powerful Jewish hypnotist Svengali, but during the book's heyday the beautiful Irish heroine Trilby made her naming mark as well.
1898: Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone was one of the leading political forces of 19th-century England, serving several terms as Prime Minister between 1868 and 1894. The "gladstone bag" and "gladstone carriage" took their names from him. Gladstone died in 1898.
1898: Schley
The 1898 Battle of Santiago de Cuba was the largest naval engagement of the Spanish-American War. The destruction of the Spanish fleet was a milestone in the decline of Spanish influence in the Americas. The United States squadron was commanded, somewhat controversially, by Rear Admiral Winfield Scott Schley.
1900: Goebel
William J. Goebel was a controversial figure in Kentucky politics. Goebel was a populist, a foe of big business and an advocate of civil rights, and the consummate practitioner of machine politics. In 1895 he killed political adversary John Sanford in a duel, but plead self-defense and was acquitted. In 1899 he won a disputed election to become governor of Kentucky. On January 30, 1900 Goebel was shot in the chest by an assassin; the next day he was sworn in as governor; two days later he was dead. He remains the only U.S. state governor to be assassinated in office.
1918: Foch
Ferdinand Foch was a distinguished general of the French Army and Marshal of France. In the Spring of 1918 he was named Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, leading the international armies which turned back the last major German advance of WWI. Foch accepted Germany's surrender on November 11, 1918.
1954: Rahn
In 1954 the German soccer team was unseeded entering the World Cup tournament in Bern, Switzerland, the first World Cup they were permitted to compete in after World War II. In the finals against heavily favored Hungary, Germany trailed until Helmut Rahn scored both tying and winning goals. Rahn became a national sporting legend and the game came to be known as the "Miracle of Bern," a turning point in post-war German identity.
1964: Destry
The TV Western "Destry" which premiered in 1964 was a spinoff of the classic film Destry Rides Again. It didn't last a full season.
1972: Jabbar
In 1971 basketball great Lew Alcindor, who had led the Milwaukee Bucks and UCLA Bruins to championships, changed his name to the Arabic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem debuted on the popular name charts in 1972 at #407 and has become an African-American standard. Jabbar was propelled to popularity the same year but quickly faded.
1977: Amin
In 1976 Ugandan president Idi Amin allowed a hijacked airplane originating from Israel to land at the Entebbe airport. The event turned international attention toward his violent regime which was blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths. By 1977, Amin was a global larger-than-life villain. As other nations broke off diplomatic ties he bestowed extravagant titles on himself and attracted a swirl of rumors of personal atrocities.
1977: Kunta, Kinte
The 1977 miniseries "Roots," based on the novel by Alex Haley, was a cultural phenomen. An overwhelming popular and critical success, "Roots" turned a generation of Americans--especially African-Americans--toward the study of geneology and family history, and helped encourage a trend toward African-styled baby names. The lead character, Kunta Kinte, was a Mandinka boy in Gambia who was kidnapped by slave traders and taken to America. Both Kunta and Kinte made the 1977 name charts.
Comments
I love Rose and Henry together. For Aaron, I like Claire and Catherine with Aaron, I wouldn't go with Anna although I love it because of them both starting with A, but if that doesn't bother you, they work together (same with Amelia). Other suggestions:
Aaron and
Isabel
Olivia
Hannah
Rachel
Beatrice
Julia
Charlotte
Madeleine
Elise
Celeste
Nina
Cecily
Lydia
Laura
Chloe
Lucy
Celia
Eliza
Eleanor
Theresa nn Tess, maybe?
Cora
Molly
Mara
Good luck!
Maybe if "Linus" is a little too trendy, too Peanuts or too rhymes-with-Sinus (all good points, though they wouldn't be dealbreakers for me), try "Lionel" instead. Reasonably similar sound, without either "problem."
Hmm...wonder if JK Rowling's characters have anything to do with the surge in -us names!
Linus was a name my husband and I loved, but didn't have the courage to use.
We particularly liked the Linus Pauling association (famous chemist) and for us, the Peanuts character had some appeal.
We used Timothy instead. Now two, the almost-Linus does in fact take blankey everywhere.
Fantastic crop of names in the Telegraph birth announcements today.My favourite is a family called Edwards who have had a son Frank John - a brother for Agnes, Wilfred, Edith, Albert and Gertrude.
Then there are the de Courcy-Ireland family - a daughter Olive Eid.
Two sets of twins: The McGowan family had Flora Marina Fox and Isla Cory Fox - sisters for Martha and Sophie.
The Richards family had Matilda and Poppy.
Then there are the Hammonds - a daughter Kezia Mariette, a sister for Jemima (I hope they have aother daughter and call her Keren, because they have chosen two out of three of the daughters of Job in the bible, and my name is the third)
Other names today:
Baring, Scarlett Emma
Clifford, Daisy May Argent
Cox, Eloise Elizabeth
Kings, Kaitlyn Rose
Maynard, Isabel Iona
Waley-Cohen, Alice Rachel
(the parents are called Octavia and Lionel, so maybe they were reacting against their own names and wanted something plainer)
Wrigley, Darcey Amelia Ann, a sister for Morgan Louise
I know a 4 year old named Cedar. It suits him, though it took me a while to get used to hearing it as a name.
I think Linus is adorable. I wouldn't mind the association with the peanuts character. Also it is the name of Matt Damon's character in the Ocean's 11, 12, 13 movies.
I like Linus, too. Even with the blanket, he's still a sympathetic character and perhaps the most philosophical? Ashley, I love your list of potential sisters to Aaron! I vote for Rachel or Eleanor. I also like the spelling Elinor.
I actually like the sound of the name Cedar, but it still strikes me as odd that it's a tree.
"Frank John - a brother for Agnes, Wilfred, Edith, Albert and Gertrude." Wow. That's a family who went old-fashioned all the way. I can't say that they're my taste, but I have to admire their consistency in naming.
RobynT,
Noni is pronounced with a long "o"--Noanie. She is African-American. I'm not sure if Noni is a nickname or not. If I can figure out a way to ask, I will! (I've never talked to her parents and there's only one game left, so it's not likely...)
Zephelia?
He sure DOES!
RobynT,
I know of a Noni, it is a nickname for Dionne. (she is white).
Ashley, that's a great list of names, thanks!
Ashley, that's a great list of names, thanks!
From a quick google the name Noni is an African name.
In Australia it's a familiar name because of the TV personality Noni Hazlehurst. I didn't realise until I looked it up then but she uses it as a nickname for Leonie. I doubt that an Australian born after 1978 would think twice upon meeting a Noni because we grew up with the name. She was one of the presenters on the children's show Playschool, which is like Sesame Street but far more popular. Almost every child in Australia since 1966 has watched Playschool. It's so ingrained into my childhood that it wasn't until it was mentioned on this board that I realised it wasn't a common name and that Noni Hazlehurst was the only one I'd ever heard of.
Linus. I love the name! Named my cat Linus Pauling. Called him Linus Pauling.
Everyone would say "oh, the guy from Peanuts." (No, that would be Linus Van Pelt).
I would not have used it for my child... There is a softness to it, that concerns me with a boy, especially if he inherited my geeky genes.
But if you love the name, go for it.
I have been reading the posts for the last few days tonight, and thought I would add in re: names that travel well in the United States.
With media, and the way that people move around, are there really alot of names that would play well in New York City but not Fargo or vice versa?
List 10.
There is a pretty well-known Arab-American writer/speaker named Nonie Darwish. She was born in Cairo.
Personally, I think anyone who would name their child Gennaveece, Dra'Kkar, ZyeShaune, Draxxis, or Aleasya has a few screws loose
Sorry, but I think that accusing parents who name kids Gennaveece or Aleasya of "having screws loose" shows a bit of parochialism and an inability to try to understand people who come from a different culture or class background and so have different tastes or values from yours.
Parents who give their children names like Tyranny or Lethal (and who understand the meaning of those words) may have some sort of problem. A parent who names her child Gennaveece today is no different from one who named her child Cheryl 100 years ago. Creating new names by blending sounds or syllables has a long tradition, and having tastes which line up with that tradition has nothing to do with either intelligence or mental health.
Laurie Anne:
One Aaron I know -- age 24 -- has a sister named Sarah, actually. And a Sarah can always be a Sadie or a Sally, too. So consider that an endorsement. (This has little relevance to anything, but I am curious nonetheless: how do you pronounce "Aaron"? Is it distinctly not "Erin"-like?)
If you're not looking for Hebrew names alone, I'd second many of Ashley's. Also, perhaps: Naomi, Tessa (as a variation on Theresa/Tess, and a name belonging to two babies whose parents are friends, funnily enough, with that Sarah/Aaron set mentioned above), or Susanna (and, to keep the sibling pair on its toes, call her Zsa-Zsa or Zanna, from one end of the alphabet to the other).
I know a Cedar, also. He's a toddler whose father works in the renewable energy field, so it just seemed to fit. They're expecting their second child now, and I'll be interested to see what they name him/her.
Even though the only Cedar I know is a boy, it does seem like a girl's name to me, perhaps because the other tree name I've encountered is Aspen, and I've met a handful of girls with that name.
I completely agree! When "we" judge people for giving a child a really trendy name, like Jayden or K8tive like Aleasya , We have to stop and think, that parent gave that child a name that is a "name"(and one I am sure the parents loved from the first time they heard it) and it is not a negative word like "Lethal,Burdyn(yep I have heard of one) and Grave" And people will have a negative first impression of that child just from reading their names.
Hannah -- thanks for the input! Most people do pronounce Aaron like Erin, but I grew up in SC and tend to use a long A: AY-ron. Some of my family does the same thing, and Aaron himself says AAY-won. (He'll figure out the R later, lol.) It's just a regional thing. We sound very Southern, no doubt, but at least it doesn't sound like a girl's name that way. :) Incidentally, I tend to pronounce Sarah, Karen, and Sharon with long A's too, or something close to it.
Do you guys actually know or know of someone named Lethal?
I don't know anyone named Lethal. I thought the Burdyn thing was awful This woman came into the Daycare I was working at and two boys Bowyn and Burdyn and I thought what an awful thing to call a child.
I like Linus. Remember the old movie (and its re-make) *Sabrina* - Linus, the older and wiser brother wins the girl from the younger brother David!
Regarding Cedar - I posted on a previous thread about a new baby named Seadar Shannon, spelled with an S to go with a common last name beginning with S. The mother's name was Jayde Jasmyne :-)
I have to say the only Oliver I have ever met is a 19 yr old NRA card carrying, hunting, fishing, member of the "Future Farmers of America." And actually he's one of the nicest kids I ever met. And Oliver works well for him. This is in a very conservative community with lots of "good old boys." I'd have to ask him but I'm not aware that he's ever been teased about his name.
Would love some input on names for a boy. I have a 2 1/2 year old named Jasper, and I'm having trouble deciding on his little brother's name. Here are some of my ideas:
Owen
Nigel
Simon
Elias/Eli
Leo (Leander?)
Ezra
Theo
Ivan
Forrest
Elliot/nn.Eli
Oliver
Noel
James
I know some of them are pretty varied... is Nigel too British (I'm in the states)? Would it be weird to choose a name with wildly different popularity than Jasper (i.e. Owen)? Too cutesy to have two names ending in "er" (Oliver or Leander)? Too cutesy to use another J name (James)? Too casual to use Leo or Theo without a more full/formal name? Can anyone think of a nn. for Forrest? I also like Gabriel, but I hate the nn. Gabe, so I've crossed it off my list -- any other nns. for Gabriel? I'd love some more suggestions or feedback!
I recently went through my baby book and found a newspaper clipping that contained my birth announcement, along with the birth announcements of 4 other babies born at the same hospital around the same time. The following are the names of the babies (all girls) in this clipping:
Keirith
Laura
Michelle
Dannel
Brandyn
I was born in 1974, so "Michelle" and "Laura" certainly seem appropriate for this list, but I don't think the other names have ever been popular girl names. Does anyone else find this interesting?
Yes F.O.O., I know exactly what you mean. I think there is sort of a tradition of (for lack of a better word) "agrarian" traditionalist "Olivers" and they would be completely accepted in a conservative community, perhaps in the same way that a rhythmic three syllable Biblical name would, like "Gideon". Think Oliver North and Oliver Twist, NOT Oliver Stone! This is just instinctive on my part, and subject to challenge...
To show how subjective this all is, though, for some reason I don't really like "Julian". It DOES somehow strike me as effete and a bit snide, even. I wonder if that's the influence of literature? No offense to Julian-lovers, of course....
I've loved Oliver and Henry for decades, back when they were considered more "nerd-like", and I'm alarmed at how popular they've become. The same people who used to admire them are moving on to those "-us" names we discussed, "Titus" and "Cassius" and "Linus", as Henry and Oliver become more and more mainstream....
Before I saw the bottom paragraph, my first question was going to be if you are British. Nigel does seem like a very British name to me. The ones on your list that I like the most are Theo, Ezra, and Simon. I really like your picks!
Jasper's Mom: I like Owen and Oliver (I like the nn Ollie, too). Personally, I'm not one to take into consideration my first child's name when thinking what I'd like to name my second child (other than the fact that I won't give them the SAME name), so I wouldn't worry about popularity or rhyming issues...
Jasper's Mom: I agree that it seems pretty hard to find another name to harmonize with Jasper. Out of your list, I personally think Theo and Simon are the best.
Other ideas: Sebastian, Henry, Charles, Ferdinand (wow, where did that come from?), Max, Frederick...
Jasper's Mom-- I just noticed your list. It could have been mine, with just a few additions! Wonderful names.
I love Theo, Nigel, Simon, Noel. All are great with Jasper. Owen is starting to seem a bit shop-worn to me, unfortunately. There no doubt WILL be some nay-sayers who say they're too British, but that wouldn't deter me at ALL. (But then, I'm a partisan of "Peregrine" and "Barnabas"!) Your taste is your taste.
Nicknames for "Gabriel"? I would go with the unexpected-- "Gibbs" or "Gibb". That would also be in sync with your Anglophile leanings... Or maybe "Gil"?
I agree with what Owen and Ollie said. I don't think you should choose or not choose a name based on what the sibling is named. If you like it, go for it. Jasper and sibling won't be attached at the hip for life, so give them each an individual name, as you can be sure that they will most likely have very different personalities to fit their names.
To Jasper's Mom--As I was reading your list-I was going to suggest Gabriel...and then, there it was in the reject pile! For what its worth, my son Gabriel(age 33!!) has never for a second allowed himself to be called any name other than his full name--and it was never a big problem. Well, maybe, with one high school coach, but that's it. And today, it is a more popular name and we live in an era where, I think, more boys go by their full names,for instance James, Henry, etc. I love the name Jasper.And I still love the name Gabriel--and the son,as well.
Instead of Simon, What about Silas? Jasper and Silas sound good together, I think,
and like Jasper its not mainstream.
Jasper's Mom--More suggestions: Adrian, Dominic, Benedict,Emmett and Silas.I like Theo--but like it better as a nn.
When I see "Jasper" I immediately think of the artist Jasper Johns (and, subsequently, the choreographer John Jasperse). Don't know who or what inspired the naming of your son, but I'll stick with my impulse and say, well, "Leo" is good on its own, seeing how the gallery owner who discovered Johns went by that very name. Secondly, I'll suggest "Robert" (for Rauschenberg) and "Merce" (for Cunningham). Why not, yeah? I do think "Simon" is a good match, too.
And, Laurie Ann: Funny, I pronounce "Aaron" as you do, or at least differently than I do "Erin," but I definitely say "Sharon" and "Sarah" closer to the "Er" (rhymes with "stair" and "bear") sound in "Erin." I'm from the New York City area.
Jasper's Mom--A few more suggestions: Sterling,Vincent,Dimitri, Gideon, Ezra and Everett. Sterling because it is a "nature" name like Jasper and Forrest.And Vincent and Jasper sound like artists. Gideon and Jasper sound like older gentlemen. The same vibe exists with Jasper and either Everett or Ezra, I think. I think Everett is a banker--and Ezra is a suave,native Bostonian who orders a very dry martini.I'm not sure how Dimitri got into this party, but I somehow feel that he fits, as well.
Jasper's mom - love Owen and Theo from your list. Nigel and Simon sound a bit middle-aged to me (I'm British) - especially Nigel. I'd stay clear of -er names, just because they sound a bit samey, but otherwise almost anything sounds good with Jasper and anyway it doesn't really matter. Some more suggestions: Milo, Luke, Matthew and Pierce.
Jasper's Mom--Sorry, I forgot that Ezra was already one of your names! Well, here is another vote!
Jasper's mom,
I like your whole list pretty much, although I wouldn't personally go for Nigel or Ezra, and I do think Leo/Theo are nice, but don't sound like whole names, esp. next to Jasper. I think Jasper and James sound cute, but not too cute, because they are fairly different in style. I also think the -er ending is fine to stick with. Off of your list, I personally love Owen, Oliver, Forrest, and Simon--I don't think you could go wrong there. I like Leander a lot, too.
Jasper's mom,
I like your whole list pretty much, although I wouldn't personally go for Nigel or Ezra, and I do think Leo/Theo are nice, but don't sound like whole names, esp. next to Jasper. I think Jasper and James sound cute, but not too cute, because they are fairly different in style. I also think the -er ending is fine to stick with. Off of your list, I personally love Owen, Oliver, Forrest, and Simon--I don't think you could go wrong there. I like Leander a lot, too.
sorry for the double post...
I was thinking today, and noticed that an disproportionate number of my favorite names for both genders have the letter "V" in them. It's not intentional--just worked out that way. Do you guys have subconscious (or not so subconscious) quirky thing like this? Here's my list of "v" names:
Ivy
Oliver
Averil
Sylvie/Sylvan
Everett
Avery
Lavender
Ivan
Cavan
Weird....
:)
hyz- I also noticed that you favor 'van' 'vee' and 'ver' as sounds.Fascinating. I'll have to think if I do anything similar!
This is a bit 'out there', but just for fun: more names with those sounds include
Denver, Dover, Everest, Vernon, Versa (my cousin vernon is married to a Versa, in case you think I invented the name),Jenevora (Jen-EH-ver-ah),Van, Evan,Bevan, Vitellia...
wow, you're right, "ver" especially appears in a lot of them! Your list (Dover) made me remember another one I always liked--Devon! It is the name of a major horse show, and one of my old riding instructors named her little daughter that (girl is now about 20 years old). I've loved that name since I was about 8--unfortunately DH knew an awful guy named Devin, so it's definitely out. :(
Hyz, it seems like you like "v" more in the middle of names -- not one on your list begins with a "v"! Similarly, I'm indifferent to "th" as an sound, but I love it at the middle or end of a name: Seth, Ruth, Elizabeth, Nathan, Althea. It seems like a completely different sound depending on its placement in the name. Interesting how even though we might not set out to have a name based on certain sounds, our preferences still reveal themselves.
Sorry, that should have been "indifferent to 'th' as an opening sound." I agree it would be nice if one could preview comments here before posting ...
Hannah and Laurie Ann--
I'm also from the NYC area, and I pronounce Aaron as if the first syllable were "air," but Erin with the same vowel sound as in "pet." Sharon and Sarah have completely different sounds to me: Sarah has the "hair" sound you mention, but Sharon rhymes with baron. Incidentally, Aaron was my grandfather, after whom I was named; Sharon is dd's mn, and Sara is my oldest niece! (When Sara was born, dh had a huge problem w/ her name for some reason: he kept saying "Sehra.")
Also, re sibling names: in at least one specific situation, how they go together should be a consideration. Our older daughter has a rather unusual name; when we chose it, we had never heard of anyone else named that. (It's Hebrew and is in the Bible as a man's name but sounds completely feminine.) What we wanted to avoid with a second daughter was this:
Me: This is D____[unusual name]...
Listener, interrupting: Oh, what a beautiful name!
Me:...and this is Jane.
(Nothing against Jane, but you get the point.)
lizpenn--it's true! I acutally tend to be partial to names beginning with vowels, and I can't think of any names that start with V that I particularly love. TH is another good one--I think it has a nice, soft, smooth sound, wherever it is in a name (I keep mentioning my friend Thistle, whose name I now love, after getting used to it).
Arlene, as far as I'm concerned, Sharon, baron, Aaron, Erin, hair, and Sarah all have the same A! :) I'm having fun trying to imagine how your hair A and baron A are different. Also, I have a friend from the DC area named Sarah, and pronounces it "seh-ra" like you mentioned, very distinctly--her family is all pretty much from NYC (Jewish, if that matters), though, so I thought seh-ra was a NY thing, Also on the NY accent--I knew a girl from NYC named Dawn, and she and the other NYers had the strangest pronunciation of the word I'd ever heard--something like "doo-un". For me, Dawn rhymes with pawn, Don, and gone. :)
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