Jerome

Jerome has held a position on the American male naming charts since the U.S. government first began tracking naming trends (1880). Although we can say with confidence the name was used in the United States well before that. Since the 20th century Jerome was never a Top 100 favorite choice except for briefly between 1935 and 1940, but he did hover around that level for 40 some odd years. By the 1970s, Jerome was declining ever so slowly on the charts; during the 1990s those drops became more pronounced. In this new century alone Jerome has plummeted over 300 positions down to his lowest levels of usage ever. This “holy name” is barely on anyone’s radar anymore making him an original name choice today. There are a few illustrious American name bearers you may be unaware of. For instance, reclusive author J.D. Salinger was born Jerome David. Jerome is also the first name shared by comedian Jerry Seinfeld and musician Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Ok, so maybe these Jeromes aren't exactly "holy" they are certainly iconic figures in our culture! And if that isn't enough to get your attention maybe this will: Chef on South Park is really named “Jerome McElroy”.