Tag Archives: name popularity

Famous Names: Blake

09 Wednesday May 2012

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Comedian Hamish Blake has cropped up several times on the blog. His name was included in the post Boys Names That Only Chart in Australia, and we also took a look at how successful his name is. He’s had a dream run in the not-usually-lucrative field of comedy ever since he dropped out of a double degree in Science and Commerce to buddy up with Andy Lee as a comedic duo. Together they have had a ratings winning drivetime radio show filled with prank calls and the like, and several successful TV shows, most recently, Hamish and Andy’s Gap Year. Eventually it all paid off for at least one of them when Hamish won the Gold Logie for being the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television at this year’s Logie Awards.

Blake is an English surname which has two different origins of opposing meanings. Both of them began as nicknames. One is the Old English blæc, meaning “black”, referring to someone with black hair or a dark complexion. The other is from blāc, meaning “pale”, referring to someone with very blond hair or a fair complexion. One theory is that the two nicknames were ethnically based, with the first denoting the dark Celts, and the second denoting the fairer Jutes, who were from Jutland (today it’s Denmark, and the bits of Germany that join on to Denmark).

Although you’ve no doubt twigged that blæc became our English word black, it may not have immediately occurred to you that blāc is related to our English word bleak. Late in the Middle Ages, the two words were merged into blake, moving us closer toward the modern word black, but somehow immersing in it a word meaning the opposite. However, if you consider black and bleak together, they don’t seem quite so contradictory.

The Blakes are an Irish aristocratic family, dating back to the Norman Conquest of Ireland, so you could see the first name Blake as derived from this aristocratic surname. However, those of a literary bent are more likely to see it as honouring William Blake, the visionary English poet and painter who was a seminal influence on the Romantics. If you are something of a sci-fi fan, the name may remind you of Roj Blake, from the popular 1970s and ’80s TV series, Blake’s 7.

Blake reminds me of the much-loved illustrator Quentin Blake, as I was raised reading Roald Dahl‘s books, with the enchanting Mr Blake’s humorous drawings, which convey life and movement so effortlessly. My childish desire was to look as cheerfully plain and lank as the children that Quentin Blake drew; however to my disgust, my parents insisted on lots of fresh air, exercise and home grown produce, so that I remained obstinately tanned, rosy-cheeked and sturdy. Luckily I didn’t know enough about genetics to realise it was also their fault I wasn’t plain!

Another Blake from the era of the 1980s was Blake Carrington from American soap opera, Dynasty. This ruthlessly wealthy oil tycoon, whose life revolved around kidnappings, comas and the search for Nazi gold, seems to have given the name a rather “preppy” image in the United States. We don’t have the word preppy here, but as far as I can work out, it means “offensively middle-class”. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can enlighten me on this one? I suspect that here its image is a bit more relaxed (although rebel Blake Dean from Home and Away managed to have a rather tortured time in Summer Bay, even without any Nazi gold).

Blake is often listed as a unisex name on international sites, although it is Top 100 for boys, and the only female Blake ever mentioned is actress Blake Lively from Gossip Girl. There is nothing especially boyish about the meaning of the name Blake, but its consonant-vowel-K sound has the same pattern as names such as Jack, Luke and Jake, giving it a masculine intonation (although it is a bit like Brooke, too). Although I could accept it as unisex, it’s seen as a male name in Australia, and you may get some resistance to using it for a girl. The similarity between Blake and the word bloke could well be keeping it in the boy’s club.

Blake first entered the charts in the 1950s, and took off in the 1970s (hmm, Blake’s 7, anyone?), so that it was Top 100 by the 1980s. It reached its peak in the 1990s, just outside the Top 20. Since then, it has fallen in popularity, although it is still in the Top 50 (and more popular in Australia than anywhere else in the world). Perhaps surprisingly, Hamish Blake doesn’t seem to have helped the popularity of the name, even though the name Hamish is doing pretty well for itself in the charts.

Although statistically Blake has passed its prime, to many it fits into that handy category of Popular But Not Too Popular Names, and has many namesakes from popular culture which have garnered it affection. It’s a nice, short, simple name which sounds sporty, surfer and skater, but still has some room for art and poetry. I tend to think its real strength is as a middle name, however.

Popular Names for Boys

06 Sunday May 2012

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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Follows on from Popular Names for Girls.

William

William is a solidly classic name which has never left the Top 50. It was the #1 name of the 1900s, and gradually decreased in popularity, hitting its lowest point during the 1970s, at #48. However, its fortunes were soon to recover, because in 1982, heir to the British throne Prince Philip, and his then wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, welcomed their first child and eldest son, William Arthur Philip Louis. Prince William was named after his father’s cousin and personal hero, Prince William of Gloucester, who died in an air crash ten years earlier. Prince William made his first visit to Australia as a baby, and this was an immediate help to the name’s popularity. By the time Prince William began university in 2001, the name was already in the NSW Top 10. It reached #1 in 2009, the year after Catherine Middleton began accompanying Prince William to official functions, and there it has remained. In 2011, Prince William made a much-appreciated visit to flood-affected areas of Australia, and shortly afterwards treated the world to a slap-up royal wedding. It’s likely this princely name will remain at the top for at least another year.

Jack

Jack is a classic name which has never left the charts. Top 100 during the 1900s-30s, it sunk to its lowest point in the 1970s, at #269. However, so rapid was its growth that it joined the Top 100 again during the 1980s – the same decade that pop singer John Farnham released his Whispering Jack album. Whispering Jack went to #1, and is the highest-selling album ever in Australia, having gone platinum 24 times over. By the 1990s, Jack was already Top 10, a decade when Leonardo di Caprio played water-logged lover Jack Dawson in the romantic movie Titanic, and teen heartthrob Daniel Amalam played bad boy Jack Wilson in soapie Home and Away. By the start of the 2000s, Jack was #2. It made #1 by 2004, the year that the TV show LOST began, with its hero Dr. Jack Shephard, and the year after Johnny Depp played Captain Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. Jack remained in first place until 2008, the year that AC/DC released their single Big Jack. Jack the Lad may have had his day, but won’t be going anywhere fast, and is still the #1 name in some states.

Ethan

Ethan is a name from Hebrew which means “solid, enduring”. In the Old Testament, Ethan is said to have been a very wise man who wrote Psalm 89. Ethan first entered the charts in the 1970s, and took off during the 1980s, as film-maker Ethan Coen began his career, working in tandem with his brother Joel. At the end of the 1980s, actor Ethan Hawke got his big break in Dead Poets’ Society. By the 1990s, Ethan was a Top 100 name, and it was in this decade that Tom Cruise first played Ethan Hunt, the hero of the Mission Impossible films, Ethan Philips joined the cast of TV show Star Trek, and Ethan Rayne was introduced as a character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was also during the 1990s that surfing champ Wendy Botha welcomed a son named Ethan. In 2006, Ethan joined the Top 10 – the year after the Ethan Group, an Australian IT company, won the BRW Fast 100. Singer Dannii Minogue, Kylie’s sister, welcomed a son named Ethan in 2010, and that probably won’t hurt the chances of this strong yet gentle-sounding name going higher still.

Oliver

Oliver is the English form of French name Olivier, but it’s unclear whether it’s the Norman form of Germanic Alfher, meaning “elf warrior”, or Old Norse Aleifr, meaning “ancestor’s descendant” (related to Olaf). The spelling was altered to make it seem as if the name came from the Latin oliva, meaning “olive tree”. A classic which has never left the charts, Oliver was Top 100 in the 1900s, but then sank into rare use. It recovered during the 1970s, the decade after the release of Oliver!, the musical based on Dickens’ novel, Oliver Twist. In this decade, actress Goldie Hawn welcomed a son named Oliver. The name gained ground during the 1980s, and was Top 100 during the 1990s. Late in the ’90s, the first Harry Potter book was published, featuring Harry’s Quidditch captain, Oliver Wood. In the 2000s, the books were turned into films, with Oliver Phelps playing the role of George Weasley. By 2006, the debut of TV show Hannah Montana, where Oliver Oken is the best guy-friend of the heroine, it was Top 20, and by 2008 it was Top 10. By 2010 it was Top 5; Oliver may go higher if you want some more.

Lucas

Lucas is the Latin form of Greek Loukas, on which English Luke is based. Lucas first entered the charts in the 1950s. There was noticeable growth during the 1970s, the decade that George Lucas made the first Star Wars movie, and then it remained stable for several decades in the very low 100s. However, in the 2000s it made the Top 100, and at this point it fairly raced up the charts. A possible help to the name was the television drama series, One Tree Hill, in which Chad Michael Murray plays the main protagonist, Lucas Scott. This brooding, blue-eyed, sporty yet bookish hero proved something of a hit with the female demographic. Meanwhile, Lucas Holden on Australian soap Home and Away was also a literary teenager, who ended up having a controversially steamy scene with his onscreen girlfriend. By 2006, the year that soccer star Lucas Neill played for Australia in the World Cup, it was in the Top 50. By 2007 it was Top 20, and by 2010 it was Top 10. The 2000s were kind to Lucas, and at this point, lucky Lucas seems almost certain to go to #1.

Noah

Noah is derived from the Hebrew name Noach, meaning “rest, comfort”. Noah is well known from the Old Testament story, where he builds an ark which saves his family and the animals of all species to survive the Great Flood, sent by God as a one-off punishment to wicked humanity. The name Noah entered the charts in the 1980s, the decade when Noah Hathaway gave an award-winning performance as boy-warrior Atreyu, in the fantasy film, The Neverending Story. Also in the 1980s, Australian actor Noah Taylor made his film debut as the main character in the critically acclaimed The Year My Voice Broke. Noah climbed steadily, then suddenly shot up during the 1990s, the decade that Boris Becker welcomed a son named Noah, so that it was in the Top 50 by the 2000s. Noah joined the Top 20 in 20005, the year after Ryan Gosling played the young version of Noah Calhoun, the devoted lover from romantic film, The Notebook. In 2006, Noah was in the Top 10. However, Noah has remained reasonably stable, with no signs of moving significantly up or down, and we must wait to see whether it sinks or swims.

Lachlan

Lachlan is a Scottish name which began as a nickname for someone from Norway. In Scotland, Norway was known as the “the land of the lochs”, or Lochlann. Lachlan Macquarie was born in the Hebrides, and became Governor of New South Wales in 1809. To the British government of the time, Australia was a penal colony for offloading the dregs of their society; convicts must be treated cruelly, former convicts exploited, and little money spent. The government fretted as Macquarie pardoned convicts, employed freed convicts in important positions, put up beautiful Georgian buildings, and spent lavishly on public works. Eventually the British booted him, but for giving us a future and sticking up for us, he is considered the father of our nation. Lachlan has been almost continuously in the charts, only dropping out in the 1930s, but was in rare use until it began rising in the 1960s. In 1971, media magnate Rupert Murdoch chose this name for his eldest son, and the name rose significantly. It was Top 100 by the 1980s, Top 20 by the 1990s, and Top 5 by the early 2000s. The position of this patriotic favourite has been stable for more than a decade.

Cooper

Cooper is an English surname which means “barrel-maker”. One of the most famous rivers in Australia is Cooper Creek, where doomed explorers Burke and Wills met their end, and Australian racing car driver Jack Brabham drove for the Cooper Car Company. Cooper first entered the charts in the 1980s, and made good ground during the 1990s, a decade when Bill Murray and Hugh Hefner both welcomed sons named Cooper. By the 2001, the name was in the Top 50, and then it soared. It got some serious sporting muscle as Quade Cooper joined the national men’s rugby union team, the Wallabies, and Cooper Cronk joined the national rugby league team. Cronk was also part of the Melbourne Storm team which won five Premierships or Minor Premierships within four years. Originally from Brisbane, he plays for the Queensland state side, which insists on winning the State of Origin series every year. Handsome, athletic and an extremely talented player, Mr Cronk seems like a big part of the reason the name Cooper is #1 in Queensland. Cooper made the Top 10 in 2007, and the Top 5 the following year, but now seems to be falling without reaching the top spot.

Thomas

Thomas is from an Aramaic word meaning “twin”, and in the New Testament, Saint Thomas was one of the Twelve Apostles. Thomas was his nickname; his real name was Judas. Presumably he was the twin of someone in the Biblical stories, or just a lookalike or kindred soul, but frustratingly, the Bible neglects to explain whose “twin” he was. People who like logical explanations for things often cite Thomas as their favourite Apostle, because when he heard that Jesus had been resurrected, he refused to believe it until he could see and touch Jesus for himself – hence the phrase, Doubting Thomas for a sceptical person. Thomas is a classic which has never left the Top 100. In the Top 5 of the 1900s, it gradually declined, and reached its lowest point in the 1970s, at #68. It climbed smoothly through the 1980s, the decade that saw Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks become stars. By the 1990s, it was in the Top 5, and maintained position in the 2000s as Tom Felton played Draco in the Harry Potter films, making many a teen girl switch to Team Slytherin. However, it may be very gradually going down now.

James

James is the Latinised form of Jacob, and must be one of the most successful names from the New Testament. The name of two of the apostles, this doubly saintly name is also a royal one in Britain, where there have been seven Scottish kings called James. The King James Version of the Bible was commissioned by King James I of England (James VI of Scotland), giving it yet another tie to this sacred book. In Australia, the most famous James is Captain James Cook, the explorer who discovered our continent. A classic which has never left the Top 20, James reached its lowest point in the 1960s and ’70s at #19. Recovery was so swift that it was Top 10 in the 1980s, and Top 5 in the 1990s. Since the 1970s, there have been many Jameses in the public eye, real and fictional. Actors James Woods, James Spader, James Marsters, and James Phelps; singers James Blundell, James Morrison and James Blunt (not to mention the band James); Captain James Kirk from Star Trek; and the inimitable James Bond. James is the name of Harry Potter’s father – his mum’s name Lily is also Top 10. Cool James is falling again, at glacial speed.

(Picture shows Prince William as a baby with his parents, Prince Philip and Diana, Princess of Wales; image from Royal Wedding)

Famous Name: Molly

02 Wednesday May 2012

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Early in his career, music guru Ian Meldrum was dubbed “Molly” by a DJ who enjoyed giving men female nicknames. Oddly enough, Ian comes from the Mallee district of country Victoria, and his nickname at school had been Malleeroot (a malleeroot is the underground trunk of a mallee tree). He seems to have found the nickname familiar enough to keep, or been too good-natured to reject it.

Shortly before Christmas last year, Australia was shocked to learn that Molly Meldrum had fallen from a ladder while putting up decorations, and been found unconscious. He was taken to Alfred Hospital, where his life hung in the balance. He lay in an induced coma with serious head injuries, a broken shoulder, broken ribs, a punctured lung, and cracked vertebrae.

While Molly lay unconscious in intensive care, there was an outpouring of concern for him – not just from stars like Kylie Minogue, Elton John, Darren Hayes, Russell Morris, Michael Buble, Cher and Madonna, but from thousands of his fans in Australia.

For almost half a century, Molly has been a key figure in the Australian music industry, and for decades, the key figure in the industry. A music journalist, band manager and music producer, he went on to host a seminal and wildly popular music show called Countdown, which a generation grew up watching. He became instantly known for his cowboy hat, rambling discourse, and his catchphrase, “Do yourself a favour”. For viewers, he felt like one of the family – maybe a slightly eccentric uncle whose visits were always fun, if unpredictable.

The wonderful thing about Molly’s career is that he is the epitome of the passionate amateur, who started at the bottom as a roadie, and, being a natural networker, built up a worldwide list of contacts that saw him working at Abbey Road, becoming a media icon, making friends with some of the biggest pop stars in the world, and winning many awards, including an Order of Australia.

As I read through the tributes pouring in on Twitter or to the newspapers, it struck me that he is a person who had touched many people’s lives, and a person with a remarkable talent for engendering love and respect from others. People remembered him from years ago – some of them had only had a single telephone conversation with him, or once sat next to him on a plane, but he had won them over with his unpretentious friendliness. He treated everyone, not just as an equal, but as his best mate.

Others had worked with Molly decades earlier, and recalled with great fondness how kind he had been to them. For someone to charm the rich and famous is no great feat – I’m sure most of us could suck up to celebrities if our careers depended on it. But to consistently show courtesy to everyone, to chat for hours with an elderly lady he would never see again and who had no idea who he was, to be solicitous to people who could not possibly aid his rise to the top – that is something much rarer and more extraordinary.

Molly was moved to a rehabilitation centre just prior to Australia Day, and in March was allowed to go home, while continuing daily rehab as an outpatient. Not long before ANZAC Day, he felt well enough to give his first interview. He appeared hospital-pale, and had the slight slur in his voice common to the brain-injured, but strangely, intensive speech therapy had removed his characteristic umming and aahing in conversation! Thank goodness he still had the hat.

He expressed enormous surprise and gratitude that so many people, friends and strangers alike, had cared for his safety and well-being, and announced that he was giving up drinking. Molly is now convalescing in Thailand, where his partner is from, and hopefully going from strength to strength.

Molly is a pet form of the name Mary which developed from the medieval diminutives Malle and Molle. Molly seems to have existed as an independent name since the 16th century. People often think of it as a very Irish name, because of the folk song Molly Malone, where Molly is a fishmonger from “Dublin’s fair city”. Although Dublin does have a statue of a rather bosomy Molly Malone in honour of this mythical lady, the song seems to have been written in Scotland. Nonetheless, the name Molly is currently more popular in Ireland and Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the British Isles (although not as popular as in Sweden, for some reason).

Molly was in use in the 1900s, although it wasn’t a very common name, and only dropped off the charts completely during the 1960s. The name took off in popularity during the 1990s, and was Top 100 in the early 2000s. It’s currently #53 in New South Wales, and fairly stable.

I can’t help noticing that Molly only became a popular girl’s name once the TV show Countdown had finished, in 1987. Perhaps a weekly reminder that a man could be called Molly was not helpful to the parents of baby girls.

However, if you were going to name your little girl after an elderly gentleman, you really couldn’t find a nicer one than Molly.

Popular Names for Girls

29 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in Name Themes and Lists

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In honour of the name data being released, I thought I’d do lists of the most popular names in Australia for last year. I admit this was something of a last-minute decision, but it seemed like a good opportunity to cover some of the best-loved names.

People often ask how popular names got to be popular. I’m not sure there’s really a good answer to that – clearly people like the sound of them, and they fit in with current trends. Yet there must be many names, equally as nice-sounding and trend-friendly, that lurk around the 200s and don’t seem as if they are going anywhere much.

Although I cannot tell you what events caused these names to become popular, I can tell you some of the events which accompanied their rise. I’m definitely not trying to say that they were the cause of a name’s popularity, just that they coincide with it (and really sometimes it seems more than merely coincidental). Feel free to add other events you can think of, or any theories of your own!

Note: I’ve used data from New South Wales, but it must be broadly accurate for the rest of the nation too.

Lily

Lily seems to have begun as a pet form of Lilian, but must soon have become thought of as a flower name. The lily is sacred to the Virgin Mary, and Jesus urged his followers to “consider the lilies of the field” as a model in trusting Divine Providence. Lily has been almost continuously in the charts, only dropping out during the 1960s. It began rising in the 1980s – a decade when Princess Lily was the main female character in fantasy film Legend, and when Phil Collins and Kevin Costner welcomed daughters named Lily. A Top 100 name in the 1990s, it continued climbing, as Kate Beckinsale welcomed a daughter named Lily, while Johnny Depp named his baby girl Lily-Rose. By the early 2000s, Lily was already a Top 20 name, and during this decade, Lilly was the main character’s best friend in The Princess Diaries movie, Lily Potter was Harry’s mum in the Harry Potter movies, and pop singer Lily Allen released her first hit. Last year Lily was the most popular name for girls, once combined with the spelling Lilly. Delicate and pure, yet with several spunky namesakes, pretty Lily became a favourite.

Ruby

Ruby is named after the precious gemstone, whose name from Latin simply means “red”. Retro Ruby was popular during the 1900s, then dropped out completely during the 1960s and ’70s, despite being a popular name in songs; notably Ruby Tuesday and Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town. It began rising in the 1980s, as comedienne Ruby Wax barged her way onto our TV screens, and singer Rod Stewart welcomed a daughter named Ruby. The name climbed steeply during the 1990s, and turned up in more songs: Ruby Soho by Rancid, Thru’ the Eyes of Ruby, by The Smashing Pumpkins, and Ruby Wednesday by Eskimo Joe. By the early 2000s, Ruby was a Top 50 name, and by the late 2000s, it was Top 20. During this decade, the song Ruby was a hit for The Kaiser Chiefs, Renee Zellweger played Ruby in the movie Cold Mountain, and Ruby Buckton was a free spirited teen on popular soap, Home and Away. Charlotte Church, Tobey Maguire, and Harry Kewell all welcomed daughters named Ruby. Last year it was #2 for girls, once combined with the spelling Rubi. Flaunting Ruby sparkles, and is a name worth singing about.

Chloe

Chloe means “young green shoot” in Greek, and was one of the epithets of the earth goddess Demeter. From early on, it was a favoured literary name; Chloe is the heroine of the pastoral romance Daphne and Chloe, by the Ancient Greek writer Longus. The name was also considered suitable for use by the Puritans, because Chloe is an early Christian mentioned in the New Testament. Chloe first appeared on the charts in the 1970s; a decade when an arty French film, re-titled Chloe in the Afternoon, was released to English-speaking audiences. Chloe stormed up the charts and was Top 100 by the 1980s. During this decade, actress Candice Bergen and singer Olivia Newton-John both welcomed daughters named Chloe, and Chloe Jones was one of the characters in long-running soap, A Country Practice. By the 1990s it was Top 20, and Logie-winning actress Kristy Wright played the tragically troubled Chloe Richards on popular soap, Home and Away. Chloe was Top 5 by the early 2000s; it reached #1 in 2006. Fresh and spring-like, Chloe has been recommended at Appellation Mountain, and Linda Rosenkrantz from Nameberry named her daughter Chloe – some serious name-guru approval.

Mia

Mia seems to have become popularly known through actress Mia Farrow, the daughter of Australian film director John Farrow, and Irish actress Maureen O’Sullivan. Mia is short for Ms Farrow’s real name, Maria. Mia first appeared on the charts in the 1960s, after Mia Farrow began her career, but rose in popularity very gradually. An interesting link with another name on the list is that Princess Lily in Legend was played by actress Mia Sara; is it a coincidence that both names began climbing at the same time? It started making significant gains in the 1990s, a decade when Uma Thurman played Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction. Although not yet Top 100 in the 1990s, by the early 2000s it was already Top 20. In this decade, we met Amelia “Mia” Thermopolis, heroine of The Princess Diaries movie, and Mia Toretto from The Fast and the Furious films. It was chosen as the name for their daughter by actress Bec Cartwright and tennis champion Lleyton Hewitt. Top 10 by the late 2000s, it reached #1 in 2008. Simple and cute, Mia has another Australian connection – it is an acronym for Made in Australia.

Olivia

Olivia is a name invented by William Shakespeare for a character in Twelfth Night. Olivia is a beautiful noble lady in mourning for her brother; through an amusing misunderstanding, she falls in love with a woman named Viola disguised as a man. Through another amusing misunderstanding, she marries Viola’s twin brother Sebastian by mistake, but fortunately he is so much like his sister in looks and personality that she is happy with the outcome. Famous Olivias include actress Olivia de Havilland and Olivia Arias, the widow of Beatle George Harrison. Olivia first appeared on the charts in the 1960s, just as singer Olivia Newton-John began her career, and rose steadily. Her popularity took off in the 1980s (perhaps by coincidence, the era when Ms Newton-John enjoyed her greatest success), and by the 1990s she was already a Top 20 name. During the 1990s, Denzel Washington and Lance Armstrong welcomed daughters named Olivia. In the early 2000s, Mariska Hargitay was playing Olivia Benson on Law and Order: SVU, and by 2005 Olivia had reached #1. Shakespeare had a knack with names, and this one is elegant; I picked it to be the Jessica of our time, and equally resilient.

Isabella

Isabella is a Latinate form of the name Isabel; it was a favourite amongst European royalty from the Middle Ages onwards. Isabella is a stock character in the Italian commedia dell’arte, the flirtatious and alluring female lover that men make fools of themselves over. She is named in honour of the actress, playwright and poet Isabella Andreini, who became famous in the role. Isabella has been on the charts almost continuously, although her last time in the Top 100 was in the 1900s. She dropped out completely during the 1950s, and then again in the 1970s. She made a recovery in the 1980s just as Italian actress Isabella Rosselini became internationally known, and then skyrocketed. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise adopted a daughter in the early 1990s and named her Isabella, and the name was comfortably Top 50 for that decade. When Stephenie Meyer’s novel Twilight was published in 2005, its heroine named Isabella “Bella” Swan, Isabella was already #7; Isabella reached #1 in 2009, the year after the Twilight film was released. Ornate and ultra-feminine, it is an Australian royal baby name, as Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark named their first daughter Isabella.

Charlotte

Charlotte is a French feminine form of Charles; a common name amongst European royalty, it was introduced to Britain in the 17th century by the Hanoverians. The Charlotte was one of the ships of the First Fleet, who reached Australia in 1788. Charlotte has been almost continuously on the charts, only disappearing in the 1950s. She began climbing gradually in the 1960s, a decade when English actress Charlotte Rampling’s film career began. The name grew steeply in the 1980s, a decade in which Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood, played by Kelly McGillis, is the love interest to Tom Cruise’s Maverick in the movie Top Gun. It made the Top 100 by the 1990s, when actress Sigourney Weaver welcomed a daughter named Charlotte, and when the band Good Charlotte began their career. It was Top 20 in the early 2000s, while we got to know the romantically optimistic Charlotte York in Sex and the City, played by Kristin Davis; by the end of the decade it was Top 10, as as singer Charlotte Church progressed her career from classical to pop. Sophisticated yet sensible, with the option of a tomboy nickname, Charlotte has yet to make #1.

Sophie

Sophie is the French form of Sophia; the name was used in several European royal families. Sophie first entered the charts in the 1950s, and through steady growth, made the Top 100 by the 1980s. It was during this decade that William Styron’s Sophie’s Choice was made into a film; Meryl Streep won an Oscar for her performance as Zofia “Sophie” Zawistowski, the beautiful Polish immigrant with a tragic secret. The same year the film came out, Roald Dahl‘s book, The Big Friendly Giant was published; the heroine is called Sophie, named after Roald Dahl’s grand-daughter (later fashion model Sophie Dahl). During the 1990s Sophie took off, and was a Top 20 name during that decade. It was during the ’90s that the best-selling novel, Sophie’s World, was published, and actress Sophie Lee and singer-actress Sophie Monk both began their careers this decade. At the end of the 1990s, Sophie Rhys-Jones joined the British Royal Family when she married Prince Edward. Sophie was Top 10 by the early 2000s, and many are tipping sweet and simple Sophie to become the #1 name within the next few years.

Sienna

Sienna is the English name for the Italian city of Siena,in Tuscany. As a word, it refers to a type of clay used to make oil paints, and a shade of yellow-brown, after the hue of said clay. The city’s name comes from the Etruscan tribe who originally inhabited the area, the Saina, but the Romans derived it from the Latin for “old” (the same Latin root which gives us the word senile). Sienna first entered the charts in the 1980s, and climbed steeply during the ’90s. I think the name suited the aspirational nature of that era. Italy was very “big”; pizza was becoming a mainstream food, and the adults around me were guzzling Chianti and buying time-shares in Tuscan villas. British model-actress Sienna Miller is not responsible for the name’s popularity, because it had been climbing for some time, but can it be purely coincidental that it first joined the NSW Top 100 in 2002, the year after Ms Miller’s career began? From that point, its climb was so vertiginous that it was Top 10 by 2006. Smooth, modern Sienna seems certain to go higher still.

Ella

Ella is the Norman form of the Germanic name Alia, a short form of names with the element ali, meaning “other”. However, it can also be used as a short form for Eleanor, Ellen, Elizabeth or any name starting with El, and also the many names ending with -ella. It’s hard not to connect this name with jazz great, Ella Fitzgerald. Ella has been on the charts almost continuously, with her last time in the Top 100 in the 1900-10s. She was soon in rare use, although she only disappeared completely during the 1960s. She climbed slowly during the 1980s, and steeply during the 1990s. It was during the ’90s that Ella got a new singing namesake – Ella Hooper from rock band Killing Heidi. Ella was Top 20 by the early 2000s. She received several boosts around this time, for the movie Ella Enchanted was released, a re-telling of the Cinderella story. Warren Beatty, John Travolta, Mark Wahlberg and Ben Stiller all welcomed daughters named Ella, giving the name a distinct celebrity flavour. Top 5 in the second half of last decade, Ella feels as if she may have peaked, and is possibly on her way down again.

(Picture shows Princess Lily and unicorn, from Ridley Scott’s 1985 cult fantasy film Legend)

Emily and William – #1 in the Northern Territory

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Name Data

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In 2010, Emily did not even make the Top 20, and last year she made the #1 position. In 2009 she was at #7. Isabella and Olivia were joint winners of 2010, and last year they were bumped down to #9 and #6 respectively.

The biggest riser was Amelia, who went up 7 places. Chloe, Ruby and Lily also rose significantly, while Mia and Sophie made modest gains.

The name which fell the most was Isabella; Charlotte and Olivia also fell several places, while Ava, Hannah and Matilda fell slightly.

Grace and Ella were the only names which remained stable.

There were several new names on the list. Sienna, Bella and Scarlett are Top 20 for the first time, while Zoe was last seen in 2009, and Hayley reappeared after five year’s absence.

Layla, Jessica, Alexis, Lucy, Isla and Jade disappeared from the Top 20.

A familiar pattern for the boys, with Jack being toppled from first place, to be overtaken by William; we’ve seen this in several other states also.

Liam rose the most, at 5 places, with William and Ethan also rising.

Jacob was the anti-Liam, falling 5 places (Jacob and Isabella falling the most! Please insert Twilight theory here!). Lachlan fell slightly.

Much more stability on the boy’s list, with Jack, James, Thomas, Lucas, Noah, Ryan and Cooper remaining stable, and Joshua and Samuel not changing position at all.

Although there were several new names on the list, only Alexander was appearing for the first time. Oliver and Tyler were last seen in 2009, Cameron in 2007 and John and Benjamin all the way back in 2005.

Gone from the list are Charlie, Isaac, Max, Riley, Xavier and Michael. Another area where Riley did poorly; however, the Northern Territory is unusual that Charlie fell here. Could both names now seem too feminine?

The Northern Territory may be the most conservative of all states and territories when it comes to boy’s names, with far less change than on the girl’s list – the opposite to most states and territories, who seem to be hanging onto girls’ names and changing their minds when it comes to boys.

With the publication of the Northern Territory data and the Top 100 for Australia being released, that’s it for the 2011 name data! Now to wait and see what 2012 will bring.

If you are still hungry for name data and want more, the US will release theirs in the next few weeks, I believe.

NOTE: I used absolute positions based on overall births when analysing the data for the Northern Territory, due to the small population and many names sharing position.

 

Lily and William – #1 in Australia

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Name Data

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McCrindle Research has released its Top 100 baby names for 2011, a project which has been in abeyance for a few years; its return is very much welcomed.

They basically take all the data released by each state and territory and collate it into a national Top 100.

McCrindle count combined spellings, and as you can see, although Lily and Lilly are both declining, once you add the two together, Lily/Lilly is the most popular name for girls in Australia. I believe this is also the case in England/Wales, when spellings are combined.

Unfortunately, they have also combined Mila and Milla, which are two separate names – yet Jackson and Jaxon are not combined.

William is the #1 boy name, so there is a strong ILL sound in both top names.

After reading all the state and territory Top 100s, I don’t think much on this list will come as a huge surprise, but it is fantastic to have everything collected into one list, and this is an invaluable reference tool.

I have uploaded the original document onto the Links to Name Data page as a permanent resource.

 

Top 100 Baby Girl Names in Australia for 2011

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Name Data

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1. Lilly/Lily
2. Ruby/Rubi
3. Chloe
4. Mia
5. Olivia
6. Isabella
7. Charlotte
8. Sophie
9. Sienna
10. Ella
11. Emily
12. Ava
13. Amelia
14. Grace
15. Sofia/Sophia
16. Zoe
17. Madison/Maddison
18. Isabel/Isabelle
19. Matilda
20. Lucy
21. Hannah/Hanah
22. Emma
23. Isla
24. Georgia
25. Scarlett
26. Jessica
27. Eva
28. Abigail
29. Evie
30. Jasmine
31. Zara
32. Summer
33. Chelsea
34. Sarah
35. Holly
36. Alexis
37. Layla
38. Ivy
39. Maya
40. Imogen
41. Hayley
42. Stella
43. Mila/Milla
44. Savannah
45. Charli/Charlie
46. Alice
47. Addison
48. Elizabeth
49. Bella
50. Molly
51. Paige
52. Willow
53. Harper
54. Ellie
55. Alyssa
56. Annabelle
57. Mackenzie
58. Poppy
59. Mikayla/ Makayla
60. Claire
61. Madeline/Madeleine
62. Indiana/Indianna
63. Tahlia
64. Amber
65. Audrey
66. Jade
67. Piper
68. Violet
69. Eliza
70. Phoebe
71. Evelyn
72. Lara
73. Lola
74. Anna
75. Samantha
76. Alexandra
77. Eden
78. Amelie
79. Amy
80. Abbey/Abbie/Abby
81. Aaliyah
82. Rose
83. Lillian
84. Caitlin
85. Alana
86. Victoria
87. Leah
88. Kayla
89. Eve
90. Erin
91. Heidi
92. Madeline
93. Eloise
94. Angelina
95. Tayla/Taylah/Taylor
96. Natalie
97. Gabriella
98. Ashley
99. Stephanie
100. Rachel

Top 100 Baby Boy Names in Australia for 2011

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in Name Data

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  1. William
  2. Jack
  3. Ethan
  4. Oliver
  5. Lucas
  6. Noah
  7. Lachlan
  8. Cooper
  9. Thomas
  10. James
  11. Joshua
  12. Liam
  13. Jacob
  14. Samuel
  15. Benjamin
  16. Riley
  17. Max
  18. Alexander
  19. Charlie
  20. Xavier
  21. Tyler
  22. Mason
  23. Aidan/Aiden
  24. Ryan
  25. Jayden
  26. Harrison
  27. Harry
  28. Levi
  29. Isaac
  30. Daniel
  31. Oscar
  32. Henry
  33. Jake
  34. Jackson
  35. Luke
  36. Blake
  37. Matthew
  38. Logan
  39. Hunter
  40. Sebastian
  41. Connor
  42. Eli
  43. Hayden
  44. Michael
  45. Elijah
  46. Nate
  47. Flynn
  48. Zachary
  49. Joseph
  50. Dylan
  51. Patrick
  52. Mitchell
  53. Archie
  54. Nicholas
  55. Jordan
  56. Hamish
  57. Caleb
  58. Chase
  59. Angus
  60. Ashton
  61. Finn
  62. Bailey
  63. Edward
  64. Beau
  65. Jaxon
  66. Nathan
  67. Andrew
  68. Leo
  69. Ryder
  70. George
  71. Owen
  72. Adam
  73. Jett
  74. Charles
  75. Luca
  76. Adam
  77. Jasper
  78. Cameron
  79. Alex
  80. Austin
  81. Marcus
  82. David
  83. Christian
  84. Zac
  85. Toby
  86. Lincoln
  87. Hugo
  88. Jesse
  89. Anthony
  90. Gabriel
  91. Archer
  92. Seth
  93. Hudson
  94. Darcy
  95. Andrew
  96. Declan
  97. Dominic
  98. Aaron
  99. Jonathan
  100. John

MYTH: Your Child is More Likely to be Successful if They Have a Name Similar to That of Successful People

22 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in Baby Name Mythbusters

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Several months ago, I read a baby name blog (can’t recall where) which had re-posted a list of names of the most common names of CEOs around the world. As it often takes a long time to become a CEO, these tended to be slightly dated sounding names such as Don, Janet, Bill and Cheryl.

This particular blogger went on to say that it showed successful people all had “regular” names. Their suggestion was that you utilise this list to give your children solid citizen names like Bruce and Sally to ensure their future worldly success. (The original report made no such claim, I should point out).

Now I’m not going to try to bust this myth, but I did think I might give it a little tweak of my own. It occurred to me that the successful people of the future probably won’t all be named Debra and Ron, but will have names that were current in the year they happened to be born. It also occurred to me that while being a CEO is one measure of success, it isn’t the only one, and that it would really be more interesting to look at people who had gained fame, wealth, and success in a range of careers.

So I took ten Australian men and women who are successful in their chosen fields, noted how popular their name was when they were born, and then looked up what the popularity equivalent was for 2011. To make it slightly more fun, I decided to choose famous Australians who had been mentioned on my blog, and for data gathering purposes, restricted it to Australians born in this country after 1928, but before 1982, who are still living.

And so, just for laughs if you will, here are the names of the famous Australians of the future; the babies born last year who will become celebrities, gain awards, win hearts, and reach the top.

MEN

Father Robert “Bob” Maguire b. 1934 Victoria

  • Claim to fame: Retired Catholic priest with his own charity, also a popular media personality
  • Honours: The Order of Australia, Victorian of the Year
  • Popularity of name when born: #2
  • Current popularity: Stable in the mid 100s
  • Today’s equivalent: ETHAN or “Father Eeth”

Albert “Bert” Newton b. 1938 Victoria

  • Claim to fame: Showbiz icon with a lifetime entertaining people on stage, radio and TV.
  • Honours: Order of Australia, Order of the British Empire, Hall of Fame, four Gold Logies
  • Popularity of name when born: #46
  • Current popularity: Stable in the low 300s
  • Today’s equivalent: MICHAEL or “Mick”

Russell Morris b. 1948 Victoria

  • Claim to fame: Rock musician with ground-breaking hit The Real Thing (1969)
  • Honours: Hall of Fame
  • Popularity of name when born: #29
  • Current popularity: In rare use
  • Today’s equivalent: HARRISON

Kevin Rudd b. 1957 Queensland

  • Claim to fame: Politician for the Australian Labor Party
  • Honours: Elected 26th Prime Minister of Australia in 2007
  • Popularity of name when born: #22
  • Current popularity: Stable in the mid 100s
  • Today’s equivalent: HARRISON or “The Honourable Harrison”

Glenn Stevens b. 1958 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Economist who has held many important government positions
  • Honours: Currently the Governor of the Reserve Bank
  • Popularity of name when born: #40
  • Current popularity: In rare use
  • Today’s equivalent: JACKSON

Hugh Jackman b. 1968 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Singer, dancer and actor on stage and screen
  • Honours: Hollywood Walk of Fame, Tony, Emmy, voted Sexiest Man Alive
  • Popularity of name when born: #175 for that decade
  • Current popularity: Stable in the mid 100s
  • Today’s equivalent: VINCENT (also a classic in the 100s, although I could have used Hugh again)

Anthony Bell b. 1972 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Known as the “accountant to the stars”
  • Honours: Net worth of $70 million, BRW Young Rich List
  • Popularity of name when born: #15
  • Current popularity: #66 and gently declining
  • Today’s equivalent: LIAM

Darren Lockyer b. 1977 Queensland

  • Claim to fame: Former rugby league player, considered the greatest player of all time
  • Honours: Team of the Century, life-sized bronze statue, road named after him
  • Popularity of name when born: #37
  • Current popularity: Gently declining in the low 400s
  • Today’s equivalent: AIDEN

Harold “Harry” Kewell b. 1978 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: International soccer star
  • Honours: UEFA Champions League, Oceania Footballer of the Year
  • Popularity of name when born: #482 for the decade
  • Current popularity: In rare use.
  • Today’s equivalent: WESLEY or “Wes” (also in low 400s)

Hamish Blake b. 1981 Victoria

  • Claim to fame: Popular comedian on radio and television
  • Honours: Logie, Gold Logie, Comedian of the Year, Most Powerful Celebrity, Who’s Who
  • Popularity of name when born: #187 for the decade
  • Current popularity: #50 and rising
  • Today’s equivalent: RORY (also a British-style name in the 100s)

Future famous trends: We can expect to see today’s Irish-influenced boy’s names, such as Liam and Aiden, on tomorrow’s celebrities. Old Testament names for boys are very “in”, but to my surprise Ethan was the only one which turned up on a future famous person. Hugh is apparently evergreen, and romantic Vincent seems like a worthy successor for a Hollywood heartthrob. Harrison was the surprise celebrity success, being used on both a rock star and a Prime Minister. If you named your baby son Harrison last year, you may well see him leading the country one day.

WOMEN

Hazel Hawke b. 1929 Western Australia

  • Claim to fame: Former Prime Minister’s former wife, social advocate, and patron of the arts
  • Honours: Order of Australia
  • Popularity of name when born: #41
  • Current popularity: Rising steeply in the low 300s
  • Today’s equivalent: ADDISON OR MIKAYLA

Barbara Thiering b. 1930 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Historian and scholar who wrote the bestseller Jesus the Man (1993)
  • Honours: Professorship, many government positions, Jesus Seminar fellowship
  • Popularity of name when born: #21
  • Current popularity: In rare use
  • Today’s equivalent: EVA

Ita Buttrose b. 1942 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Journalist, former editor of Cleo and The Australian Woman’s Weekly
  • Honours: Order of the British Empire, Order of Australia, Centenary Medal
  • Popularity of name when born: Not on the charts
  • Current popularity: Not on the charts.
  • Today’s equivalent: AOIFE (a similar-sounding Irish name that is unranked)

Maureen Caird Jones b. 1951 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Olympic athlete specialising in sprint hurdles
  • Honours: World record, Olympic gold medal
  • Popularity of name when born: #29
  • Current popularity: Unranked since the 1980s
  • Today’s equivalent: JASMINE

Eleanor “Elle” Macpherson b. 1964 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Supermodel, actress, producer and businesswoman
  • Honours: Listed by Forbes as having assets of over $60 million
  • Popularity of name when born: #456 for the decade
  • Current popularity: Rising sharply in the mid to low 100s
  • Today’s equivalent: ROSEMARY or “Romy” (another retro-style name in the mid 400s)

Kylie Minogue b. 1968 Victoria

  • Claim to fame: Pop diva and actress
  • Honours: Ordre de Arts et des Lettres, Order of the British Empire, Hall of Fame, numerous awards
  • Popularity of name when born: #48
  • Current popularity: In rare use
  • Today’s equivalent: LAYLA

Mary Donaldson b. 1972 Tasmania

  • Claim to fame: Crown Princess of Denmark and Duchess of Monpezat
  • Honours: Order of the Elephant, Order of Saint Olav, Order of the Polar Star
  • Popularity of name when born: #70
  • Current popularity: Stable in the low 100s
  • Today’s equivalent: INDIANNA or “Her Royal Highess Indianna”

Lucinda Dunn b. 1974 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Principal artist with The Australian Ballet, the company’s longest-serving ballerina
  • Honours: Australian Dance Award, Green Room Award, multiple scholarships
  • Popularity of name when born: #264 for the decade
  • Current popularity: Stable in the low 100s
  • Today’s equivalent: KATHERINE (also in the 260s)

Amelia Farrugia b. 1977 Victoria

  • Claim to fame: Opera singer with the Metropolitan Opera of New York
  • Honours: NSW Young Achiever of the Year, numerous awards
  • Popularity of name when born: #249 for the decade
  • Current popularity: #8 and rising gently
  • Today’s equivalent: SERENA (also in the mid 200s)

Roxanne “Roxy” Jacenko b. 1980 New South Wales

  • Claim to fame: Started her own PR company at the age of 24
  • Honours: Business now worth many millions
  • Popularity of name when born: #270 for the decade
  • Current popularity: In rare use
  • Today’s equivalent: JESSIE or “Jess” (also in the high 200s)

Future famous trends: Much more variety with the names of famous women of tomorrow, but the current trend for plant and flower names will be evident, as well as short forms and the -ayla names. Although there were one or two unisex names, in general the future famous women will have quite feminine names, and you don’t need to fear that the pretty name you have chosen for your daughter will hinder her success. Famous women seemed to be more likely than famous men to have a non-popular name, so you may be better off choosing a name in the 200s to 400s.

In fact, very popular names were rare on the famous of both sexes – bad news for the Jacks and Mias of today. Equally rare were names in the second half of the Top 100 – the #15-#50 bracket seemed to be where the bulk of names of famous people came from.

Now you may be sceptical of a Prime Minister named Harrison, a Governor of the Reserve Bank named Jackson, or a European princess named Indianna. But consider this: it is just as likely as a Prime Minister named Kevin, a Governor of the Reserve Bank named Glenn, and a Tasmanian princess named Mary – and they all happened!

You may also think this whole entry is rather silly – in which case, that means the original theory of using successful people’s names as a guide is too, which possibly means that this myth is … BUSTED.

On the other hand, I can’t refute the blogger’s assertion that all these famous people’s names, past and present, are “regular” names – nearly all of them are on the popularity charts, for example. In that case, you may decide that the blogger’s theory is PLAUSIBLE.

So what do you think? Busted or plausible?

Note: For reasons of space I could only show ten names of each sex, but I did examine perhaps 30-50 famous men and women from my blog, and found the same patterns existing. In other words, I chose typical rather than extraordinary examples. Harrison actually turned up a third time, and I edited it out in case it should stretch credulity. I suggest keeping your eye on that name!

DISCLAIMER: Results entirely for entertainment purposes; has not been tested under lab conditions; giving your child a name which conforms to popularity of famous people’s names may or may not have desired effect. There is no connection between Baby Name Mythbusters and the TV show “Mythbusters”.