Name of the Day: Cy

November 4

Cy

On November 4th, 1955, legendary baseball pitcher Cy Young passed away at the age of 88, leaving a lasting legacy that is unlikely to ever be matched. Cy won a whopping 511 games in his professional career — over 100 more than any other pitcher in history.

A year after his death, the Major Leagues created the annual Cy Young Award, honoring the best pitcher of that previous year.

Cy was born Denton True Young in 1867 in Gilmore Ohio. In his time playing on a minor league team in Ohio, it was reported that the fences he had destroyed with his fastball resembled those that had been hit by a cyclone — thus inspiring the nickname Cyclone, later shortened to Cy.

While Denton may not quite be ready to re-enter modern society, Cy most certainly is. Two of the most fashionable vintage names today — Silas and Cyrus — are riding the wave of this uber-cool syllable. Rare but appealing long forms include Cypress, Cyril, and Cyan (just maybe not Cyclone).

More parents are beginning to consider “just Cy”, with its punchy single syllable sound and cool, hipster cowboy feel. Jennifer Lawrence and husband Cooke Maroney named their son Cy in 2022, and MTV’s Catfish host Nev Shulman and his wife Laura had a son Cy Monroe in 2021.

Cy was given to just over 50 baby boys in 2022, making it a distinct and unique choice — for now!