Main contributor: Cynthia Gardner

Baby naming trends are often influenced by popular culture. There have been many great love songs that have inspired parents around the world when selecting a name for baby. Some of these favored names were featured in songs that found considerable success, thereby escalating their popularity exponentially.

Delilah

Biblical Delilah, cutting the hair of Samson

The name Delilah saw a significant increase in popularity in both the U.S. and England and Wales after the release of “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s in May 2006.

History and meaning

The name Delilah is Hebrew in origin, meaning "one who weakens".[1] This characteristic is illustrated in the biblical story of Samson and Delilah, in which Delilah betrays and weakens Samson by cutting his hair, wherein his power lies. Regular use of the name Delilah began in the late 17th century.

Inspiration for song

Plain White T’s guitarist, Tom Higgenson’s inspiration for the song was Delilah DiCres­cenzo, a professional steeplechase runner, introduced to him by a common friend a few years prior to the song’s release.

Statistical popularity

In the U.S., Delilah wasn’t a popular name prior to the song's release, its highest rank since 1900 had never crossed #500.[2]

  • 2006 ranking was #547, with 539 American baby girls named Delilah
  • 2007 ranking was #297, 1,136 baby girls were named Delilah that year
  • 2008 ranking was #193, an increase in popularity of 223%
  • 2012 ranking was #154
  • 2016 ranking was #115, with 2,735 baby girls named Delilah
  • 2022 ranking was #58, 3,853 baby girls named Delilah

In England and Wales the “Delilah effect” was also felt.[3]

  • 2006 ranking was #816, only 37 baby girls were named Delilah
  • 2007 ranking was #504
  • 2008 ranking was #408, an overall increase of 184%
  • 2012 ranking was #238
  • 2016 ranking was #142, 399 baby girls were given the moniker
  • 2021 ranking was #50

Mandy

1975 vinyl single of Barry Manilow's "Mandy"

The name Mandy became popular in the mid 1970s when the song of the same name was released in October 1974 by the artist Barry Manilow. By January 1975 the song had reached number one on the popular music charts, thus began it's impact on the name’s popularity.

History and meaning

The name Mandy, diminutive for Amanda, is Latin in origin.[4] The meaning "she must be loved" lends itself well to becoming a favored name for baby girls. Use of the name Mandy peaked in the late 1970s.[5]

Inspiration for song

In an interview with Parade magazine in 2023, Manilow describes "finding a love song" within the lyrics of another artist's song titled "Brandy".[6] While he was not inspired by anyone named Mandy to write the song, the song itself inspired him.

Statistical popularity

Before the release of the hit song, the name Mandy ranked at #473, with 384 baby girls bearing name in 1973.

  • But from 1974 to 1975, when the song was released, the popularity of the name Mandy increased by 508%! In
  • 1975 ranking was #106, with 2,710 baby girls given the name Mandy
  • 1976 ranking was #100
  • 1977 ranking was #94
  • 1978 ranking was #96, slowing in popularity
  • 1988 ranking was #322
  • 1998 the name Mandy was no longer in the top 1,000 girls names

Angie

Another name peaking in popularity in the 1970s was Angie. While the name had been in use, the release of the Rolling Stones hit song "Angie" in August 1973 triggered an increase in that use.

Sculpture of an angel

History and meaning

Greek in origin, the name Angie is the diminutive of Angela.[7] Rooted in the word angel, the name means "messenger of God". The name Angie saw it's peak in popular use in the mid 1970s.

Inspiration for song

The inspiration for the Rolling Stones' "Angie" is unclear. Cowritten by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the lyrics may refer to a girlfriend of the former, or the daughter of the latter.

Statistical popularity

Since 1920, the only decade in which the name was among the 200 most popular names in the U.S. was the 1970s.[2]

  • 1972 ranking was #260, with 1,016 baby girls named Angie
  • 1973 ranking was #254
  • 1974 ranking was #170, with 1,590 baby girls being given the name
  • 1975 ranking was #140, reaching it's peak with 1,947 baby girls named Angie
  • 1985 ranking was #476
  • 2022 ranking was #719

Michelle

The Beatles at a press conference in 1965

The name Michelle had long been a chosen name in France when the Beatles’ song was released in late 1965. The song, although combining both English and French lyrics, had a decisively French flavor.

History and meaning

Originating as the French female variant of the name Michael, Michelle means "who is like God".[7] The name Michelle also saw it's peak in baby name popularity in the 1970s.

Inspiration for song

In his 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, McCartney wrote that his inspiration for the song actually came from a 1950s song by country artist Chet Atkins in which he used a particular guitar picking style.

Statistical popularity

The name Michelle already ranked #18 in U.S. baby girl names in 1965 before the release of the hit song.

  • 1967 it was ranked as one of the top ten girls’ names in the U.S.
  • 1968 ranking was #2
  • 1969 ranking was #2 as well
  • The name remained one of the top ten for 14 consecutive years

In England and Wales the name Michelle did not find itself among the top 100 baby girl names throughout the first half of the 20th century.

  • 1964 ranking was #31
  • 1974 ranking was #7
  • 1984 ranking was #18, and continued to decline

In France the name Michelle peaked in popularity in 1945. The hit song seemingly had no positive impact on the name as a choice for parents.

Nathalie

The name Nathalie, while already popular, was boosted in trendiness by not just one song, but two. The first was “Nathalie” by Gilbert Bécaud, released in February 1964; then in 1982 Julio Iglesias release his song of the same name in Spanish.

History and meaning

Nathalie is derived from the Latin phrase natale domini, meaning "birth of the Lord".[4] It has traditionally been a favorite choice for parents of baby girls born in December.[8]

Statistical popularity

Nathalie was a popular name in France before the original song’s release, afterward it grew steadily to become #1.

  • 1960 ranking was #34
  • 1961 ranking was #19
  • 1962 ranking was#13
  • 1963 ranking was #7
  • 1964, the year of the song’s release, ranking was #2
  • 1965-1971 ranking was #1

Curiously the release of the Julio Iglesias song in 1982 correlated with a sharp decline in the name's popularity in France. In other countries, most significantly the U.S., the increase in the name’s popularity jumped in 224.5% from 1934, when it was last on the top 1000 names. In 1982 the name Nathalie did not appear in the top 1000 girls’ names in the U.S.

  • 1983 ranking was #935
  • 1984 ranking was #810
  • 1988 ranking was #650
  • 1998 ranking was #445, it's peak with 581 baby girls given the name

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