John Stamos (or as we still like to call him, Uncle Jesse) may not be the only one who is “#heartbroken” that the Olsen twins are reportedly opting out of the Full House reboot, Fuller House. But the 13-episode series is apparently still on track to premiere next year, and that got me wondering: might we start seeing some of the names from the original show rebooting their way into baby names popularity? I lay down the odds.
Michelle The youngest member of the Tanner clan was played in tandem by the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, and scored this feminine variant of Michael. But ever since its top-of-the-charts popularity (in the late 60s to beginning of the 80s,) it’s been on a slow and steady decline. Its odds of resurrection? Not too good for current girls, whose parents are favoring Michaela and its variant spellings, but you might see it come back in style in a generation or two.
D.J. (Donna Jo) Initial nicknames remain in vogue, even if the eldest Tanner daughter’s names, Donna and Jo, aren’t. (Donna, which means “lady” in Italian, dropped out of the top 1000 a few years back.) Like the initials D.J., but not the names? I’d vote for Dahlia Jane for a girl, Declan James for a boy.
Stephanie Middle sister Stephanie scored another hot name for the show’s time period—odds are lots of the kids watching the show shared this feminized take on Stephen. But it’s fallen to a spot just inside the top 200, and it’s doubtful the show will give it anything more than a small bump in popularity.
Rebecca/Becky The wife of Full House rocker Jesse sports a Biblical classic that’s following a similar trajectory to Michelle and Stephanie, though its run near the top was far longer. It may continue its decline for a time, but I don’t ever see it falling out of the top 250.
Danny Patriarch Danny scores a perennial top 50 favorite that just reentered the top 10. Daniel is a Hebrew name that means “God is my judge.”
Jesse Rocker Jesse has a Hebrew name that means gift, and the name bumped in popularity during Full House‘s first run. It’s declined a bit on the charts, though it’s still solidly in the top 200. Perhaps this reboot of the show will reboot interest in the name?
Joey Comedic Uncle Joey has one of the most timeless names of all time—Joseph, which has been in the top 25 forever. Don’t expect it to go anywhere!
Kimmy D.J.’s annoying best bud Kimmy sported a top 10 name from the 1970s, which began its slow decline as soon as the show began to air. (Coincidence?) Despite the current love affair with names that end with the “ee” sound (like Everly, Emily, Avery, Zoe and Lily), I just don’t see Kimberly coming back, either.
Tell us: Did you love Full House? And would you consider any of these names for your new addition?
If you’re looking for the perfect baby name, check out our Baby Name Finder, or email me at lamilbrand@gmail.com for advice. (You could find your question answered here!) And don’t forget to like In Name Only on Facebook to keep up with the very latest in baby names!
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