Journey

The usage of the name Journey is very new in the United States. It first appeared on the female naming charts in 1999, so it could really be considered a 21st century modern invention. The usage of English vocabulary words for baby names is not new in America (think: Faith, Hope, Grace and Charity), but they have extended beyond old-fashioned virtue names. American parents are using words like Cadence, Lyric, Melody, Heaven and Trinity. Journey is just another “cool” way of demonstrating individuality. By giving “word-names” to their children, parents are telling the world what values, interests or meanings they hold most dear. Although Journey is not a name that shows up on the male naming charts, the porn-star Jenna Jameson and her mixed-martial artist boyfriend Tito Ortiz named their twin sons Jesse and Journey in 2009. For some people, the process of pregnancy is a ‘journey’ and certainly the raising of one’s children is one of the most profound ‘journeys’ so it’s not altogether a stretch of our imagination to consider why over 700 parents select this name for their baby girls each year. Not to mention that the name appears to be ‘journeying’ up the popularity charts in recent years.