# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/61 "2004-07-22T02:20:49Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > There were certainly many Jennifers before Erich Segal’s “Love Story” was published, but that book and the ensuing Ali McGraw film made Jennifer the most popular girls’ name of the 1970’s. Another possibility that could have also contributed: Jennifer O’Neill in 1971’s “Summer of '42” ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/62 "2004-07-22T03:21:19Z")
Not to many Hortences out there. Precious few Engleberts. I have yet to meet a Ruprecht. Nor do I know many Wilhelminas. What’s the matter with this crazy world, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/63 "2004-07-22T03:44:32Z")
> [@screech-owl](#): > > As for naming girls after cities: Dallas, Phoenix, and Helena on my class lists at two different schools (Dallas and Phoenix at one school, Phoenix and Helena at the others, and as I found out, they _were_ named after the cities (at least with the middle on, I would have claimed the creature!). I overheard someone at work yesterday calling for a little girl. Named Savannah. I assume it’s after the city, but I just felt so sorry for the poor thing. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/64 "2004-07-22T04:11:28Z")
No cite, but I heard a while back that post Jacqueline Kennedy, the popularity of every first lady’s name has taken a nose dive as soon as her husband took office, particularly the name ‘Hillary.’ ---
**Author:** ![RindaRinda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RindaRinda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RindaRinda)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/65 "2004-07-22T06:00:56Z")
> [@stuyguy](#): > > Maybe it was this: > > And a-one. And a-two… > > _When I go to sleep, > I never count sheep. > I count all the charms about Linda…_ What is that song? You mean, there’s _another_ song to torment us Lindas with? FWIW, I’ve met exactly one other Linda in my entire life. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/66 "2004-07-22T06:15:47Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Seriously, it’s been 5 or 6 years at least since I’ve seen a preschool-aged kid with a “common” name. You must not have been around children lately, or girls at least. The trend as of late is ‘old fashioned’ names. The girls in my daughter’s music class include: Ruth Anne Olivia (2 of them. It’s a hot name now) Emily Sarah Other names I have seen a lot as of late: Sophia Emma Hannah Abigail As to the whole Wendy name thing, being a Wendy I’ve researched my name. The oldest use of it, that people can document, is that it was a nickname for Wendell. Add Wendy to the list of names that were once masculine. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/67 "2004-07-22T06:35:17Z")
> [@Bad News Baboon](#): > > You must not have been around children lately, or girls at least. The trend as of late is ‘old fashioned’ names. The girls in my daughter’s music class include: > Ruth > Anne > Olivia (2 of them. It’s a hot name now) > Emily > Sarah > > Other names I have seen a lot as of late: > Sophia > Emma > Hannah > Abigail > > As to the whole Wendy name thing, being a Wendy I’ve researched my name. The oldest use of it, that people can document, is that it was a nickname for Wendell. > Add Wendy to the list of names that were once masculine. If you look at the top ten names for children in the past few years, it does seem that traditional names are making a comeback. > **[List of the most popular names in the 2000s in the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_popular_names_in_the_2000s_in_the_United_States)** > > These are the most popular given names of newborns in the United States for all years of the 2000s. \* Females (2003) 1. Emily 2. Emma 3. Madison 4. Hannah 5. Olivia 6. Abigail 7. Alexis 8. Ashley 9. Elizabeth 10. Samantha ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/68 "2004-07-22T06:59:23Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Or **Judas**. 😃 True. My co-worker, however, recently named his son **Cain**. And yeah, he has a brother, but he’s not Abel. Would that make him Unable? ---
**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 22, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/69 "2004-07-22T13:11:09Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > True. My co-worker, however, recently named his son **Cain**. > > And yeah, he has a brother, but he’s not Abel. Would that make him Unable? No, but naming him Abel might have made him Unstable. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/70 "2004-07-22T13:11:59Z")
> [@RindaRinda](#): > > What is that song? You mean, there’s _another_ song to torment us Lindas with? _Linda, oh Linda, Have you met Linda, Linda the Tattooed Lady…_ A colleague of my father’s named his sons Thor, Sigurd and Tyr. ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/71 "2004-07-22T13:37:51Z")
Was Thor the firstborn? Unexpected set of triplets, perhaps? Seems a lot more recognizable to the masses than the other two. I’m trying to find some factors like this on my own, but it’s not going too well. The name ‘Vincent’ goes _down_ several spots after the release of Pulp Fiction, but I’ll assume it’s unrelated. However, in 1994, ‘Forrest Gump’ came out, and the name appeared as the 226th most popular name. It was at 303 the previous year. 😉 Then clearer heads prevailed, or maybe someone somewhere got that ‘Forrest Gump’ was a comedy-- Forrest dropped all the way to 313. I’ll look for more substantial name-movie links. 🙂 Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/72 "2004-07-22T14:58:47Z")
> [@Morelin](#): > > I overheard someone at work yesterday calling for a little girl. Named Savannah. I assume it’s after the city, but I just felt so sorry for the poor thing. I would have named my boy Savannah had he not been, well, a boy. I didn’t get it from the city, though. I picked it up reading Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides (way better than the movie, BTW.) Savannah was a truly screwed up book character, but she did have a lovely Southern-belle name, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/73 "2004-07-22T15:10:40Z")
> [@screech-owl](#): > > As for naming girls after cities… Haven’t met anybody named Saint Paul. Yet. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/74 "2004-07-22T16:29:35Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > _Linda, oh Linda, > Have you met Linda, > Linda the Tattooed Lady…_ That’s “Lydia” the Tattoed Lady 🙂 But, speaking of Lindas, I remember reading that Jack Lawrence wrote the song “Linda” for the daughter of Lee Eastman (an entertainment lawyer) and Linda Eastman later grew up to be Linda McCartney. It was a Top 10 record twice in 1947 and was remade by Jan and Dean in 1963. ([cite](http://www.bobshannon.com/stories/Linda.html)) This explains **Exapno’s** info: > [@](#): > > But Linda dived to #310 in the 1940s. > > It was #2 in the 1950s. > > Seems like something well after Holiday was the reason for its popularity. > > And it’s gone from #170 in 1990 to #412 in 2003. Now’s a good time to name a daughter Linda if you want her to be different in school. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/75 "2004-07-22T16:39:03Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > That’s “Lydia” the Tattoed Lady 🙂 That’s a joke, son. Try and catch some of these. I swear, that boy’s about as sharp as a bowling ball… ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/76 "2004-07-22T17:03:17Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > That’s a joke, son. Try and catch some of these. I swear, that boy’s about as sharp as a bowling ball… I’ll try to be less literal (tough seeing as how I’m an engineer :)) if you’d consider that if I’m named after an Elven princess, I’m probably not a boy… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/77 "2004-07-22T17:08:01Z")
Well, them elves can be kinda funny that way… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/78 "2004-07-22T17:41:58Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > That’s “Lydia” the Tattoed Lady 🙂 > > But, speaking of Lindas, I remember reading that Jack Lawrence wrote the song “Linda” for the daughter of Lee Eastman (an entertainment lawyer) and Linda Eastman later grew up to be Linda McCartney. It was a Top 10 record twice in 1947 and was remade by Jan and Dean in 1963. ([cite](http://www.bobshannon.com/stories/Linda.html)) This explains **Exapno’s** info: This was the reference that **stuyguy** made earlier, when he posted part of the lyrics. I have my doubts, though. Linda was a very minor hit, as culture-changing hits go. There have been dozens of other songs with girls’ names in the titles that were far huger but never jumped the name 308 spots. And **Ethilrist** , I thought you were serious too. I still do. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/79 "2004-07-22T18:23:29Z")
How did this Thread get this longer without a mention of _Chelsea_? If it wasn’t for Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning,” even Ms. Clinton the daugher wouldn’t have the name. I know someone who named her son “Savion” (after naming her daughter “Savannah”) after Savion Glover, whose mother made up the name. ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153/80 "2004-07-22T18:24:41Z")
1995 – Jack is number #112 1996 – #92 1997 – #77 ← 'Titanic’s release 1998 – #61 1999 – #54 So the movie furthered a trend that was already on its way. And oddly enough, the name ‘Ryan’ leapt five spots forward to 12th after ‘Saving Private Ryan’ came out. Of course, Private Ryan’s first name is James-- which has been sliding out of the top 20 very slowly. 😛 I would have though Osment’s character in ‘The Sixth Sense’ would have helped out the name “Cole” a bit, but not more than a few slots, which is really negligible. In fact, it actually was part of a trend promoting the name ‘Haley’-- for girls. :o Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/names-that-became-popular-or-unpopular-due-to-pop-culture/256153.md?page=5)