This boy’s name is becoming very popular in Iowa. And a new movie could be the reason why

Maverick is the sixth most popular baby boy name in Iowa this year – and a generation’s “need for speed” may be the reason.

“My husband and I are ’80s babies, and we were having dinner one night when I was early in my pregnancy and we were talking about baby names,” Grimes’ Tiffany Fox said. “Something came up about ‘Top Gun’, and we were thinking about the names that were in ‘Top Gun’ and we were like, ‘Maverick, that’s a cool name.'”

Tom Cruise starred as fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the original 1986 action movie “Top Gun,” which follows Maverick as his reckless confidence puts him at odds with the other people at his fighter school. . More than 30 years later, Cruise reprized his role in the recently released sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick.”

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The sequel is highly anticipated for Fox, who shares a love of “Top Gun” with husband Michael.

“When we were dating, we would dress up as Top Gun’s Maverick and Goose (for Halloween),” Fox said. “And lo and behold, seven years later, we named our child after Maverick.”

According to data from the Social Security Administration, Maverick has been in the top 100 most popular male names in Iowa since 2015, ranking 93rd in 2015, 75th in 2016, 25th in 2017, 23rd in 2018, 11th in 2019, ninth in 2020 and 14th in 2021.

Nationally, Maverick went from the 864th most popular baby boy name in 2000 to 47th most popular last year. Fox thinks at least part of this recent surge in popularity can be attributed to the new movie “Top Gun: Maverick.”

“I just think it’s a really cool name period, even without the ‘Top Gun’ reference,” Fox said. “It was starting to gain popularity when we thought about it, but now it’s really popular. But I’m sure the movie didn’t hurt. I’m sure there’s a lot of 80s babies like us who were huge Top Gun fans and some of it comes from that.”

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For four-year-old Maverick Fox, the “Top Gun”-inspired name couldn’t be more fitting.

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“If you look up the name, ‘independent and strong-willed person’ is the meaning,” Fox said. “We ended up going with that name and he really turned out to be a maverick, he’s the epitome of a boy. He likes loud things, he likes to go fast, he likes dirt, everything. “

The Fox family plans to see the film in theaters, giving Maverick a chance to see his namesake on the big screen.

“We anticipated it all through COVID when they kept delaying it. We couldn’t wait for it to come out,” Fox said. “We’re planning on taking Maverick to see it because he’s loving all that action. He’s already watched [‘Top Gun’] with us, we try to incorporate as many old films as possible.”

Kate Kading of Casey, Iowa may have to wait until her 19-month-old son, Maverick Kading, is older before introducing him to the “Top Gun” movies that inspired his name.

“I think it’s definitely going to be something they all watch together, my four boys,” Kading said. “My husband is a ‘Top Gun’ fan and we both love Tom Cruise, his eldest. I have an older brother, so I certainly watched ‘Top Gun’ a lot and so did my husband.”

Kading has noticed the Maverick name gaining popularity in recent years and is looking forward to seeing “Top Gun: Maverick” in theaters.

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“There’s another little boy I know from our area whose middle name is Maverick and they call him Maverick,” Kading said. “It’s funny how it’s such a trend in names, they’re popping up more and more.”

What are the most popular male names in Iowa in 2021?

According to the Social Security Administration, the top ten baby boy names in Iowa last year were:

1. Olivier

2. Liam

3. Henry

4. Noah

5. Asher

6. Theodore

7. Hudson

8. owen

9. Elijah

10. streams

What are the most popular female names in Iowa in 2021?

The top ten baby girl names from Iowa last year were:

1. Charlotte

2. Olivier

3. Amelie

4. Ava

5. Emma

6. Sophia

7. nora

8. Evelyne

9. harpist

10. willow

What are the most popular male first names in the United States?

Nationally, the SSA reported that the top ten baby boy names in 2021 were:

1. Liam

2. Noah

3. Olivier

4. Elijah

5. james

6. William

7. Benjamin

8. Lucas

9. Henry

10. Theodore

What are the most popular female names in the United States?

The top ten baby girl names nationally were:

1. Olivier

2. Emma

3. Charlotte

4. Amelie

5. Ava

6. Sophia

7. Isabella

8. Mia

9. Evelyne

10. harpist

Grace Altenhofen is a reporter for the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at galtenhofen@registermedia.com or on Twitter @gracealtenhofen.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Baby name gains popularity with release of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’