# Names that became popular or unpopular due to pop culture. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2004, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153 "2004-07-21T06:09:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/1 "2004-07-21T06:09:55Z")
There is a set of lists on Wikipedia of the most popular given names in the United States for each year. One thing that caught my attention was how the name Michelle, which doesn’t appear in any previous years’ top ten, becomes very popular from 1966 onward - the year that “Michelle” was ‘Song of the Year’ or something [The most popular names of the 1960s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_popular_names_in_the_1960s_in_the_United_States) I know there were Michelles born before 1966 (Michelle Phillips and Michelle Pfeiffer), but it does seem very much like the Beatles’ song inspired a sudden spike in the name’s popularity, as the name was nowhere in the top ten before, but became among the top five names in the latter 1960s. Are there any instances where a song, movie, or show makes a name popular - or perhaps unpopular? ---
**Author:** ![qubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f07891/32.png) [@qubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qubed)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/2 "2004-07-21T07:51:40Z")
I know Trinity became much more popular after The Matrix. It goes for **555th** most common female name [assigned to newborns] in 1998 to **216th** in 1999 to **74th** in 2000 to **67th** in 2001. In 2002 it was **70th** and in 2003 it was **57th**. Link: [Social Security most common names](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/3 "2004-07-21T07:54:58Z")
I’d wager that there were a lot more “Lukes” after Star Wars came out. And I’d definitely bet that Dustin Hoffman’s popularity caused the boom of boys being named Dustin. Throughout high school I knew many Dustins, and I understand that this was a fairly uncommon name before Dustin Hoffman became a star. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/4 "2004-07-21T10:04:40Z")
I bet Damien took a nose dive after The Omen. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/5 "2004-07-21T10:06:45Z")
Oh and I went through my entire schooling (b 1966) never meeting another Kelly. Seemed to be a ton of them about after Berverly Hills 91210. ---
**Author:** ![lemon\_martini2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3be4f8/32.png) [@lemon\_martini2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lemon_martini2)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/6 "2004-07-21T10:14:05Z")
The number of Kylies and Charlenes leapt after Miss Minogue’s Neighbours adventures.And I’m sure in a few more years,there’ll be a spurt of little Britneys racing about.Although this only really works with unusual names.How can you tell if little Jennifer was named after Miss Aniston,Miss Love Hewitt,Miss Lopez or just cos it was a nice name… ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/7 "2004-07-21T10:29:34Z")
> [@syncrolecyne](#): > > Are there any instances where a song, movie, or show makes a name popular - or perhaps unpopular? How about one better – where the movie apparently _ **created** _ the name from scratch? It seems quite likely that the name **Madison** for a girl was started as a joke in the Tom Hanks / Darryl Hannah movie [Splash](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088161/) (1984). Previous SDMB threads are [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=110436) and [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=133866). ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/8 "2004-07-21T11:23:26Z")
I have a friend whose father’s name is Adolph. He is in his 70s and has stories about how Hitler made his name very unpopular overnight. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/9 "2004-07-21T11:36:53Z")
The name Wendy was popularized by Peter Pan. The trend in names today seems to be anything slightly unusual; “Cadence”, “Gavin”, “Xavier”, “Larissa”. Seriously, it’s been 5 or 6 years at least since I’ve seen a preschool-aged kid with a “common” name. The funny thing is, these kids will grow up in classrooms full of Cadences, Gavins, Xaviers, and Larissas; just like I grew up in classrooms full of Michaels, Justins, Melissas, and Jennifers. Trying to be different by following a trend is self-defeating. They might as well all be naming their kids Bob. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/10 "2004-07-21T11:37:35Z")
Shortly after the 1992 elections, I read an article by a man who bore the name Hillary. He bemoaned the fact that people would now think he had a woman’s name. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/11 "2004-07-21T12:56:59Z")
Alot of people I know take a name out of the Bible for their children, but no one ever picks **Onan** , go figure. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/12 "2004-07-21T13:03:32Z")
I believe the TV show “Dynasty” inspired a bunch of Krystles and Alexises. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/13 "2004-07-21T13:07:14Z")
Wasn’t it olestra that became extremely unpopular after it was \ scientifically proven\ to cause that frightful ailment, “anal leakage”? ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/14 "2004-07-21T13:08:50Z")
D’OH!! You said names, NAMES - for some reason I read it as “ **Things** that became popular or unpopular due to pop culture.” My bad, nothing to see here, move along. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/15 "2004-07-21T13:20:48Z")
Well, so much for my plans to name my first child Olestra. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/16 "2004-07-21T13:27:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, so much for my plans to name my first child Olestra. You could always name her Chlamydia. Chlamydia Boink. Has a nice ring to it. With a new Willy Wonka film coming out, I wonder if anyone will name a daughter Verruca. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/17 "2004-07-21T13:47:36Z")
Well, notwithstanding the whole “made up names” trend, I remember reading about an upswing in parents naming their boys “Gage.” It was apparently the generation that watched “Emergency!,” which featured a technician by that name. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/18 "2004-07-21T15:00:24Z")
I knew a Jeremy who was named after a tv character in the late 70’s. Seemed to be quite a few Jeremys in that age group. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/19 "2004-07-21T15:26:11Z")
I recall reading that Jennifer became popular after the name of a character in a 1960s movie - but damned if I haven’t forgotten which one. As **Antonius Black** notes, the story behind Madison is well known - and so collossally stupid that it’s a very good argument for forced sterilization. On the flip side, Richard is alleged to have plummeted at around Watergate, and the popularization of “dick” as an anatomical reference didn’t help matters. I don’t think Richard will ever be quite as popular again (although variations might take up some slack - Rick, Ricky, Enrique, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/20 "2004-07-21T15:32:13Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > The name Wendy was popularized by Peter Pan. Actually, the name Wendy was **invented** by J. M. Barrie when he wrote Peter Pan. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153.md?page=2)