The quick rise of this female given name over the past few years illustrates several factors in American name giving. Nevaeh, which is the word “heaven” spelled backwards, was a very eccentric name choice as recently as 1999, when there were only eight newborn girls given that name in the entire United States. Then in March of 2000 singer Sonny Sandoval, part of the “Christian rock” group P. O. D., named his daughter Nevaeh. On October 11, 2000, Sandoval was featured on the MTV television program Cribs, where he introduced his daughter and explained her name. The name made an immediate impression on expectant parents who saw the program: 86 newborns in the United States were named Nevaeh in 2000; 1,183 in 2001; 1,676 in 2002; and 2,257 in 2003, which made Nevaeh #150 on the Social Security list of names given American girls born that year. The name has also been picked up by a singer in Rhode Island (born Nicole Capostagno) as her stage name, and (embarrassingly for new parents) by an actress in pornographic films who is billed as “Nevaeh Ashton.” Nevaeh’s quick popularity is probably the result of two factors: its fitting in with the fashionable sounds of the moment (other girls’ names fashionable at this time include Ava, Grace, Jada, Aaliyah, and others with similar sounds or forms); and its tapping into pop culture’s interest in spirituality through its obvious origin as a reverse spelling of the word “heaven.” Nevaeh is the perfect example of how a previously eccentric name can become typical overnight in the present climate where parents are searching for individuality and uniqueness in names for their children.