One-Person Names Up for Grabs

Updated Mon Nov 17 2008

The Daily Show’s Rob Corddry just named his newborn daughter Marlo, a name invented by or for That Girl Marlo Thomas, born Margaret.

Back in the day, Marlo was considered a one-person name. You know, back when the only Madonna was the one who gave birth to the Baby Jesus.

Not many people are naming their babies Madonna….yet. But other formerly one-person names are now in play.

Elvis, for instance, not to mention Presley. Elvis Costello (born Declan McManus) seemed to break the spell on that one, along with one of the now-grown sons of actor Tony Perkins and photographer Berry Berenson. Today, Presley is the 340th most popular baby girl name, and there are 300 little Elvi born every year.

Other one-person names that are now fair game for baby namers:

ANAIS (Nin)

CHER (Bono Allman)

DEMI (Moore)

DENZEL (Washington)

KIEFER (Sutherland)

MOSS (Hart)

ORSON (Welles)

RING (Lardner)

TALULLAH (Bankhead)

THELONIOUS (Monk)

TRUMAN (Capote)

WEDNESDAY (Addams)

WYNTON (Marsalis)

There is, however, still only one OPRAH.

About the Author

Pamela Redmond

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Pamela Redmond is the cocreator and CEO of Nameberry and Baby Name DNA. The coauthor of ten groundbreaking books on names, Redmond is an internationally-recognized baby name expert, quoted and published widely in such media outlets as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, CNN, and the BBC. She has written about baby names for The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, and People.

Redmond is also a New York Times bestselling novelist whose books include Younger, the basis for the hit television show, and its sequel, Older. She has three new books in the works.

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