Okie is a unique and distinctive given name of American origin. It is believed to have been coined by the famous author William Faulkner in his novel "The Sound and the Fury," published in 1929. In the book, Okie is used as a nickname for one of the characters, Thomas Snopes.
While there is no specific meaning or derivation associated with the name Okie, it has been interpreted by some as a playful or affectionate shortening of names such as Oklahoma or Oklahoma City, reflecting the author's roots in the southern United States. Others suggest that Faulkner might have created the name based on his experiences with the Oklahoma natives and their culture.
Despite its origins, Okie is not a particularly popular given name today. However, it remains an uncommon and memorable choice for parents looking for a distinctive name for their child. It is important to note that this name has been associated with derogatory terms used to refer to individuals from Oklahoma during the Great Depression era, such as "Okie" or "Oke," which could potentially cause unwanted associations.
Overall, Okie is an uncommon yet memorable given name of American origin, created by William Faulkner in his novel "The Sound and the Fury." While there is no specific meaning associated with the name, it has been interpreted as a playful shortening of Oklahoma-related names or a reference to the author's experiences with Oklahoma natives.
Based on the statistics provided for the given time period, the name Okie had a varying level of popularity in the United States between 1913 and 1967. During this span of 54 years, there were a total of 124 births registered with the name Okie.
The most popular years for the name appear to be from 1920 to 1933, with the highest number of births recorded in 1932 at 10. After this peak, the popularity of the name began to decline steadily over time, with only five births each year between 1948 and 1967.
It is interesting to note that despite its fluctuations in popularity, the name Okie maintained a consistent presence throughout the entire period analyzed, demonstrating that while it may not have been one of the most common names during this time, it was still used periodically.