August Name Sightings!

These are all of the rare names I’ve “collected” during the month of August. Amazingly, only one was a men’s name and only three even charted in the SSA extended data for 2016. Remember, these are real people!

From Facebook:

• Neileen – I wonder how it’s pronounced. Nayleen? Nyleen?
• Mainie – German.  

I met:

• Iryna – I mostly found this interesting because she transliterates it into English with a “y” instead of an “i.” Iryna has never charted, but Irina is increasingly popular here (possibly due to Twilight). In 2016, 96 girls were named Irina in the U.S.  Maybe we’ll start to see Iryna too?
• Pia – in her 20s or 30s. 105 girls were named Pia in 2016, which is coincidentally the most Pia‘s born in the U.S. in a single year. Feminine form of Pius. 
• Titania – named after the fairy queen in A Midsummer Night’s Dream! 2010 was the last year Titania appeared in the extended data, but several girls were given this name every year between 1967 and 2002. I reckon this one was born in the 80s. 
• Coffee – Late 30s or early 40s. Hilariously, she worked in hospitality! Indeed, Coffee was the name on her name tag.  Whether or not it’s her real name is another story; this spelling’s never charted (though Coffy appeared in the 70s).  Anyways, now I need to update my “coffee-inspired baby names” post!
• Halesha – 30s. 
• Cheyney – female, mid-twenties. For girls, the name Cheyney both debuted and peaked in 1989.

Seen in newspapers or advertisements:

• Pepsi – yup, there are people named Pepsi. In the U.S., it sporadically charted as a women’s name between 1970 and 1989.
• Juvenal – 9 boys were named Juvenal in 2016.

Thoughts? I can’t get over how apt Coffee’s name was…and if there’s a Pepsi out there, I really want to meet someone named Royal Crown. Have you met or encountered anyone with a very unusual name this month?

Previous rare name round-ups:

1. Name Spotting! (March/April 2017)
2. Rare Name Round-Up! (May-July 2017)