Erin writes:
I am not pregnant, nor will I be for quite a while, but names and their popularity fascinate me and I love your blog.
I’ve been thinking. What about the name Linus? I never hear it used. Personally, I think it has an old timey charm without being “too old man”.
The problems I see, however, are the lack of nicknames and the Peanuts connection. Do you think the connection is too strong to make the name useable? In my opinion, I like the connection. Linus is my favorite Peanuts character, especially in the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. But I also LOVE the Sabrina connection. Humphrey Bogart’s character was Linus Larabee. I really like the character, and I’m a huge Audrey Hepburn (who played opposite Bogart as Sabrina) fan, so that even strengthens the connection for me.So, why isn’t this wonderful name being used?
I love the Peanuts character of Linus, too: so sweet, and also smart. And although I do strongly associate the name with him, it’s a fully positive association, and I think it would fade as easily as the Peanuts associations with Charlie and Lucy and Violet did as those names got more popular. In fact, Lucy is a good example: I remember when it first started getting popular again, people would mention that they were nervous about the Peanuts association—but I haven’t heard that mentioned in ages now.
I also associate Linus with the Linux operating system, since that’s what Paul uses.
I thought at first the issue might just be that the sounds of Linus are out of date and we need to wait for them to come back around: we’re not using Lyle much, either, even though the name Kyle was very popular there for awhile. But we ARE using Elias (2,961 new baby boys in 2011), which is so close. And we’re using Lila(h) even more: 5,782 babies named Lila/Lyla/Lilah/Lylah in 2011.
Maybe the popularity of Lila is giving Linus a slightly feminine sound? But if it is, I don’t hear it yet.
Maybe the issue is the second syllable: Magnus is the only other name I can think of that uses it, and that was only given to 152 baby boys last year; Linus was given to 124. Oh, and there’s Dennis, which was given to 678 baby boys in 2011, with another 116 named Denis. Hm, and Adonis, which was given to 332 boys in 2011. Still, it’s not a popular ending right now. (Source of all these numbers: Social Security Administration.)
I have wondered if the issue might be that the name sounds somewhat like a personal male body part. I know! I know, it doesn’t really! The first syllable is totally different! It’s only the second syllable, which isn’t even spelled the same way! I can’t explain it; it’s just my immediate association. Uranus has similar issues, poor planet.
What do you think: Why aren’t we using Linus?
Anecdotal: I know two people with children named Linus (one is in upstate New York, one in Michigan). The first time, it surprised me, but it was not a negative sort of surprise, more neutral–I’d never, ever met a human Linus! The second time, it delighted me.
I know a child named Linus! He’s adorable. When my husband first heard the name (from me, in our living room, NOT in front of the parents) he snickered.
For any Arrested Development fans, Buster does refer to the male anatomy as a Linus., after the Peanuts character. But that’s a pretty specific reference and I doubt most people would make the connection.
Christine
I have a Linus! He was born May 2011 (and has a twin brother, named Ambrose).
My husband suggested the name Linus after he heard it on our local Catholic radio station. (St Linus was the second pope.) I was unsure about the name at first, and we tabled it during that round in favor of the name Blaise (also an early saint) for our twins’ older brother. But two years later, we ended up using it for our Linus, whose middle name is Michael.
We like that the name is short and relatively easy to spell and pronounce. The Sabrina connection is a positive one for me, because the newer version (with Harrison Ford) is one of my favorite movies ever. It was important to us that it’s fairly unusual, and in fact if it was more popular, we probably wouldn’t have found it as appealing. We like the “old man” sound of the name, and names usually lose that connotation once they come back into vogue.
Our Linus is 14 months and so far my husband and I have both been very happy with the name. Of our three boy names, it was probably my least favorite as a potential name, but once we gave it to our baby it started growing on me. I’m pleasantly surprised by how fun it is to use (although I’m guessing Linus won’t appreciate me calling him “Liney-Loo” once he’s older) and it fits our Linus really well.
We do get some tilted-head reactions – especially from people of our generation and older who do, I think, associate the name with Peanuts – but we haven’t gotten any openly negative responses to the name. A lot of people seem to like it when they hear it, actually.
Fun discussion!
I like the names of your children, but are you kidding me? I’m named Linus as my firstname and Mikael (swedish spelling of Michael) in middlename after my dad.
So if some of the personallity comes with the name your son will one kind, happy and a really handsome man some day!
Regards Linus of Sweden
I love the name Linus. It’s was my Dad’s name and he was kind, considerate, generous, funny, warm, intelligent and just all around wonderful. Anyone with the name Linus is a special.
I think of Benjamin Linus from Lost and that’s a negative association.
I remember that hesitation with Lucy and now I wouldn’t think of it. I’m sure the same is true of Linus.
I love the name Linus and was going to bring up the Michael Emerson character Ben Linus from Lost as well–man he was evil! But I think of Peanuts first, Lost second. I think it’s a fun name.
Linus is a VERY common boys’ name where I live, in Sweden, as is Magnus. Magnus is a name that has been used frequently and lots since like the beginning of Scandinavia, and is still. It basically doesn’t really go out of fashion. Linus is newer, and to me as a Swede, is the name of a baby boy. I know at least fifteen Linuses myself, and there’s always one in your class and living on your street. It’s very common, especially amongst boys born 1980-now.
I just heard a little Linus being called at the beach today! It is a name that fits in perfectly well in my hipstery naming pocket.
The -us ending is shared by Atticus and Augustus so it seems like it would fit in fine with existing trends there… it wouldn’t even have occurred to me to worry about the nus ending, as I say the male anatomy very differently in the last syllable.
Here are all the nus ending names in the SSA data:
yob2011.txt:Venus,F,66
yob2011.txt:Magnus,M,152
yob2011.txt:Linus,M,124
yob2011.txt:Yunus,M,20
yob2011.txt:Dominus,M,5
yob2011.txt:Sylvanus,M,5
yob2011.txt:Younus,M,5
Sylvanus – unusable! But Linus – very very usable!
I love the name Linus! and I kind of hope to use it myself…so in that selfish sense, I hope that it doesn’t become too popular!
I just want to say that I watched all of Lost and it didn’t occur to me to even think of Benjamin Linus. Also, I love all things Peanuts so Linus is a positive association for me first, and foremost. Love Linus, I hope it catches on!
I know a new baby Linus and a grown up Magnus. I loved it when my friend chose it, and did think of Peanuts and Linux, but love both so it’s all good :D
I love the idea of Linus, but I don’t love the sound of the name. I hear both “lie” and “sinus”! That’s why I wouldn’t consider the name, though I love Atticus and Magnus.
It’s my grandfather’s name, although he spells it Linas, which I actually prefer. I would definitely put it on my list, after checking with my brothers (especially the one who has it as a middle name.) It’s also a strong middle name contender for me.
Matt Damon’s character in Ocean’s 11 is named Linus, which is a neutral to positive association for me. However, like anon said above, I think of “sinus” when I hear this name, so it’s not a name I’d personally consider.
I realize this is six years old but others may be reading. As I’m typing my four year old, Linus, is sitting next to me munching on a snack. We heard the name from Matt Damon’s character and loves it’s uniqueness. We get tons of compliments and only one snooty old lady comment because of course her being old she’s thinking of Peanuts. Our Linus is a very mischievous little boy.
I’ve met a couple of little Linuses here in urban West Coast neighborhood too–though I will say that it was on our initial list and didn’t make the short list because of Peanuts and Lost. (But Swistle, it was on our list in the first place largely because of Linux!) I do think it falls squarely into the “hipster” names that are everywhere in our city, so the little Linuses invariably go to playground with babies named Hazel, Otis, Malcolm, Vera, Opal, Silas, etc.—not a lot of top 20 names here. But definitely not off the radar; just very concentrated in specific demographics.
Linus Pauling is another positive association (for people who have heard of him…he was a scientist, Nobel Prize winner, and peace activist, what more could a hipster ask for?). We have one couple in our childbirth class who are planning to us it for their little boy.
Lucas has always been off the table for me because it reminds me of mucus. Linus has a similar feel to me, but I must say I never thought of the male anatomy. Strangely, I have a positive feeling with Atticus, despite the similar sounds. It just doesn’t sound phlegmy to me.
I bet there aren’t many Linuses for the same reason that there aren’t very many Oprahs…for a lot of people, at least people who don’t have a connection to Swedish communities, it’s a completely unique, one time use name. But it sounds like that’s about to change…
I love Linus! My husband didn’t love it, so it was taken off the list.
I’m 33 weeks pregnant with a boy I’m naming Linus Theodore. It’s always been a favorite name of mine. My husband agreed to it because of the connection with Pope St. Linus. I also have a 17 mo old named Polly. She was named for St. Polycarp. We just love older/uncommon names and try to use names of saints.
I also love Linus for the Sabrina reference. (Audrey Hepburn fans represent!) It is my favorite Hepburn movie and in my top 5 favorite all time movies.
However, I do think it still has an “old man” feel to it, like Bogart’s character, kind of stodgy and unfun, but smart and reliable. But that may be because I always initially associate it with the movie.
I really like the name Linus. But, as a preschool teacher I came across this name in my classroom a few years ago and the family, being German, pronounced the name “Leenus”, which unfortunately rhymes with said male anatomy. I wouldnt use this name, just as I wouldnt use Regina. Or Amos.
oh, linus was on my list. i love it, i love the peanuts associations (and others). but my husband did not like it, and thought it was an ‘old man’ name. (this is what he thought of many of my faves.)
i know an american linus and a linus in switzerland (leenus). (i only realized what it rhymes with after reading the comment above.)
in any case, it’s a great name and SHOULD be used more.
and let us not forget Linus Pauling, genius and nobel peace prize winner!!!
I too instantly think of Buster from Arrested Development referring to his male parts as his Linus …. so instantly for me this name is out.
We have a lovely 4 month old Linus! :0)
We, with the help of Swistle readers, have a boy named Linus. He is three years old and so far we’ve only met one Linus randomly while out in public and know of one other one in a neighboring town. I love how it’s not that popular but it’s a “normal” name. (Most people don’t think about Peanuts because it isn’t as much a part of the popular culture.)
Occasionally I do cringe that in the teenage years Linus may be teased with pe*nus and a*nus jokes. I’m hoping it will all be OK. For now, however, he is awesome. And we get recognized everywhere we go because his name is so memorable.
We have a son called Linus. He is ten years old. Here in the UK it’s an unusual name. Infact we don’t know of another Linus. I’ve loved the name my whole life and fortunately my husband felt the same so we had no hesitation in giving him his name. Another famous Linus is Linus Yale (inventor of Yale locks…not sure if that’s already been mentioned?!)
I have a 12 year old Shih-Tzu/poodle mix named Linus. I never met another Linus until a month ago at the vet. A dog that looked remarkably like mine. I think it makes a better small dog name than boys name. Especially in North America. My sons still make fun of his name…I love it though.
My chiweenie is named after Linus due to his love of his blankie. He has always liked to suckle on his blankie since he was a puppy and is fiercly protective of it.
My son is named Linus. 4 months old. I never watched Charlie Brown and don’t associate the name with the Peanits character at all. Of course, everyone else does which is kind of annoying, but to be expected I guess. I always think Matt Damon’s character in Oceans Eleven. His nickname is Liney. I also love the name Silas, but that one seems to be more popular (Im a labor & delivery nurse, I know what’s popular) If I ever had another son I will probably make him Silas.
My son’s name is Linus he was born in december 2010, my family all hated it when we picked it lol he is named after Linus Torvalds, my hubby is a programmer and a OS user.
I haven’t met any other kids with that name, but I know there a quite a few out there!
We are from Australia too and it’s not common there at all
My 16 year old is Linus. I watched the film
“Sabrina” on tv when heavily pregnant, and the name just hit me, 4 weeks later I gave birth to my very own Linus. I didn’t even think it through until my mother said she felt embarrassed telling her friends she had a grandson called Linus!!!!! Anyway, 16 years on, he LOVES his name – his mates think it’s really cool, and his surname is seldom used at school – he is the one and only Linus (i live in the uk, and have only ever heard of one other Linus here).
I’m in the UK and also have a son called Linus who is nearly 15.
The Peanuts character reference is definitely old school and none of his friends would ever know who ‘Charlie Brown’ was. But it’s a cool and unique name,
At his christening, a friend of mine (aware of Peanuts) did say: “His namesake is going to be great role model for him”. And I agree. Because Linus (& his comfort blanket) is both young and old at the same time. Innocent (and why wouldn’t you be if you had the chance) and wise.
I live in the UK and have a 23 year old son named Linus. His name is very unusual in the UK – I have met no other Linuses in the 23 years of knowing mine! I love the fact that his name is unusual and unique – something that Linus himself is also pleased about.