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HelpRe: Your name popularity + in the media
in reply to a message by ciara23
As an Erica, this should be a fun!
1. My name is, in fact, in a song: "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega, which was everywhere in the late 90s. Everywhere. Despite it being played out, at the time I thought it was fun that my name appeared in a song (although since Lou Bega is German, it's likely spelled "Erika" in the lyrics). It wasn't until about 10 years after the song came out that I realized it was about escorts.
2. Over the years I've met quite a few people with my name, most either my age or ~10 years older (hardly any that were younger - name seems to have started really dropping off after '95). I wouldn't say it's overused, but it is familiar. There also seem to be an almost equal number of Ericas and Erikas (and I've met a couple Erickas as well).
I also have a sister-in-law named Arica.
3. I'm sort of named after a soap opera character: Erica Kane from All My Children. I've never actually sat down and watched the show (don't watch soaps), but from what I understand she's an iconic... villain? My mom didn't admire the character so much as she realized she liked hearing the name said aloud, and she liked the spelling on the show (she'd mostly seen it with a K before).
Also, there is an off-screen character called Erica on BoJack Horseman that's a source of comic relief. We never see her, but every time a character addresses her (usually Mister Peanutbutter) and goes off screen to talk to her, it's usually a declaration of something really outlandish: "Erica! Look at you with the correct number of ears!" or "Erica, who let you out of the burn unit!" or even "Erica, what're you doing here? You know you're not allowed around children!" Stuff like that. And since Erica is not on screen, it often feels like the characters are talking to me, lol!
And every once in a while someone in my family will share the "Airwrecka" meme and tag me in it.
4. This goes along with the previous answer: Erica Kane. My spelling is also part of America, so that's nice I guess.
5. Erica was #40. (Erika was #84 - lower than I thought - and Ericka was #365. These are the only variants I saw that charted.) Factoring in the amount of times the variants were used, the name Erica / Ericka / Erika was used 12,815 times in 1991, which would rank it between Michelle (12214) and Rebecca (13297), putting it at #22. So just outside of the Top 20 names. (Leaving out the vastly less popular Ericka variant, it would be between Heather & Michelle at #23. My spelling of Erica is also the Latin word for heather.)
Edit: Also, the #1 name in 1991, Ashley, was used a whopping 43,479 times. For comparison, Olivia was used in 2019 a total of 18,451 times - quite like Kayla in 1991 at #12 (18,544), its peak of popularity. So there really is more variety now.
***
Please rate my personal name lists:
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/117507
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/109399
hwww.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/132018
http://greens-end.myminicity.com/
1. My name is, in fact, in a song: "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega, which was everywhere in the late 90s. Everywhere. Despite it being played out, at the time I thought it was fun that my name appeared in a song (although since Lou Bega is German, it's likely spelled "Erika" in the lyrics). It wasn't until about 10 years after the song came out that I realized it was about escorts.
2. Over the years I've met quite a few people with my name, most either my age or ~10 years older (hardly any that were younger - name seems to have started really dropping off after '95). I wouldn't say it's overused, but it is familiar. There also seem to be an almost equal number of Ericas and Erikas (and I've met a couple Erickas as well).
I also have a sister-in-law named Arica.
3. I'm sort of named after a soap opera character: Erica Kane from All My Children. I've never actually sat down and watched the show (don't watch soaps), but from what I understand she's an iconic... villain? My mom didn't admire the character so much as she realized she liked hearing the name said aloud, and she liked the spelling on the show (she'd mostly seen it with a K before).
Also, there is an off-screen character called Erica on BoJack Horseman that's a source of comic relief. We never see her, but every time a character addresses her (usually Mister Peanutbutter) and goes off screen to talk to her, it's usually a declaration of something really outlandish: "Erica! Look at you with the correct number of ears!" or "Erica, who let you out of the burn unit!" or even "Erica, what're you doing here? You know you're not allowed around children!" Stuff like that. And since Erica is not on screen, it often feels like the characters are talking to me, lol!
And every once in a while someone in my family will share the "Airwrecka" meme and tag me in it.
4. This goes along with the previous answer: Erica Kane. My spelling is also part of America, so that's nice I guess.
5. Erica was #40. (Erika was #84 - lower than I thought - and Ericka was #365. These are the only variants I saw that charted.) Factoring in the amount of times the variants were used, the name Erica / Ericka / Erika was used 12,815 times in 1991, which would rank it between Michelle (12214) and Rebecca (13297), putting it at #22. So just outside of the Top 20 names. (Leaving out the vastly less popular Ericka variant, it would be between Heather & Michelle at #23. My spelling of Erica is also the Latin word for heather.)
Edit: Also, the #1 name in 1991, Ashley, was used a whopping 43,479 times. For comparison, Olivia was used in 2019 a total of 18,451 times - quite like Kayla in 1991 at #12 (18,544), its peak of popularity. So there really is more variety now.
***
Please rate my personal name lists:
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/117507
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/109399
hwww.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/132018
http://greens-end.myminicity.com/
This message was edited 1/25/2021, 10:05 AM
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