13 of Taylor Swift's love interests, ranked by how popular their names are
Taylor Swift may never, ever be getting back together with her exes, but their names live on as inspiration to parents-to-be.
Taylor Swift has the name "Travis" on everyone's lips right now. The world just can't stop talking about the new 'ship between Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, and Taylor, everyone's favorite 12-time Grammy winner. The couple has inspired sportscasters to learn the singer's discography, and Swifties to send jersey sales skyrocketing.
But if you ask BabyCenter parents, Travis falls firmly in the middle of the list of Taylor's lovers. That is, when it comes to his name and how popular it is among babies born in 2023. Parents have been registering their babies' names in the BabyCenter app in real time since the 1990s (not quite 1989, but close enough). That means that BabyCenter has the most up-to-date insight into how popular different baby names are at any given moment, including those of Swift's love interests. Here's a look at the top names from every Taylor era, ranked from least to most popular among BabyCenter parents.
13. Matty
Taylor dated The 1975 frontman Matty Healy briefly this year after her breakup with Joe Alwyn. Swifties may not be fans of Healy due to some problematic comments he made about rapper Ice Spice, and his name coincidentally ranks pretty low – #1,989 among BabyCenter parents right now.
Matty is short for Matthew, a name with enduring popularity – it currently sits at #47 among BabyCenter parents, though the name has been on a slow decline in the past two decades. Matthew is derived from a Hebrew name that means "gift of God."
12. Karlie
Once BFFs who shared a Vogue cover, Victoria's Secret runways, and tour stages, Swift and supermodel Karlie Kloss regularly called themselves "sisters." Yet if you ask "Kaylor" supporters, there's hard evidence that proves they dated. It's even rumored that the song "Cruel Summer" is written about their romance – the "garden gate" Swift sings she snuck into could be the one at Kloss' West Village apartment. But their relationship has now dwindled to the point that Kloss didn't even sit in the VIP tent at a recent "Eras" tour show.
Karlie as a name is on the outs, too. It currently sits at #1,867, down 339 spots from last year. Karlie likely is a feminine version of Karl, which itself is a Germanic variant of Charles, a French name meaning "free man."
11. Cory
It was never officially confirmed that Swift dated actor Cory Monteith, but the two were seen out and about together in the spring of 2010. It's also rumored that she wrote the song "Mine" about the Glee star – the man she just wasn't ready to get into a relationship with.
It's more commonly spelled Corey, but even then, it isn't a very popular name. Cory isn't even in the top 1,000 names, at #1,057, and Corey isn't much further ahead, at #686.
Cory has uncertain origins. It could be a variation of Cora, which is rooted in a Greek word meaning "maiden;" it may come from the Gaelic word coire, meaning "in a cauldron" or "in a hollow;" it may come from the Old Norse name Kori, which has unknown meaning; or it could derive from the Irish surname O'Comhraidheh.
10. Conor
Swift dated Conor Kennedy, who's the grandson of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, during the summer of 2012. (They first met after Kennedy's aunt reached out to the singer for concert tickets.) Their breakup inspired the Red track "Begin Again."
The name Conor is beginning to get less popular. It's been on a downward trend since 2016 and currently sits at #827. Meanwhile, the traditional spelling of Connor ranks #159; it was in the top 100 names from 1995 until 2020. Conor is the anglicized version of an Irish name that means "lover of wolves" or "master of hounds."
9. Taylor
Swift and Taylor Lautner met while filming Valentine's Day in October 2009. Their relationship may have only lasted until the end of that year, but fans believe it lives on eternally in her song "Back to December." There's no bad blood between the two, however. The duo recently reunited for the 2023 music video "I Can See You" – and Lautner's wife, also named Taylor, is a huge fan and a friend of Swift's.
Taylor started out as an English surname for someone who tailored clothes for a living, but has been used as a first name since at least the 1880s. As a boys' name, it's plummeted in popularity since the 1990s: Once a fixture in the top 100 baby names, it's currently #686.
8. Harry
Harry Styles and Swift officially dated from late 2012 until early 2013. More than a few of Swift's songs are about Styles, including the aptly named "Style" and "Out of the Woods" from 1989. He's also rumored to have written a couple of songs about her, including "Two Ghosts" on his self-titled album.
Unlike Styles' surging career, the name Harry has been low-key since the '90s, and currently ranks #612. It's a variant of Henry, which comes from a Germanic name meaning "home ruler" – and is extremely popular among BabyCenter parents right now, at #14.
7. Travis
Travis Kelce is Swift's new beau, and she absolutely put him on the map. Alright, just kidding. Kelce is the Kansas City Chiefs' star tight end who led the team to a Super Bowl victory earlier this year.
After Taylor appeared at some Chiefs games this season, parents grew increasingly interested in both of their names for their children as page views for Taylor and Travis soared.
- Within the first week of being spotted together after the Jacksonville Jaguars game, page views for the baby name Travis increased 167 percent, and for Taylor they increased 40 percent.
- Within three days of Taylor attending the Chicago Bears game, Travis increased 71 percent and Taylor increased 64 percent.
- Within 24 hours of the New York Jets game, Travis increased 63 percent and Taylor increased 89 percent.
The name Travis is still pretty obscure compared to Kelce, though. It's currently ranked at #365 among BabyCenter parents, and hasn't been in the top 100 names since 1999. Travis derives from the French surname Travers, a locational name given to someone who lived near a bridge or ford.
6. Jake
Jake Gyllenhaal and Swift were on and off from late 2010 through early 2011. It's rumored that their whirlwind relationship cost her a scarf, then inspired several of her hit songs on Red, including the heartbreak ballad "All Too Well."
The name Jake hasn't exactly flown up the charts, but it's sparked some interest lately, perhaps due to the recent release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version). It's up 39 spots from last year, sitting at #330. Jake, often short for Jacob (which is more popular, at #52), comes from a Hebrew name with contested meaning – based on the biblical story of Jacob, it could mean "supplanter," "to follow," or "heel."
5. Calvin
Swift's relationship with Calvin Harris (whose real name is Adam Wiles) was one of her longest. They dated from March 2015 until June 2016. Their breakup took a public turn for the worse, much like the name Calvin.
Since BabyCenter began collecting name data, it hasn't even really appeared in the top 100 names, and it currently sits at #224. (Funnily enough, some fans speculate that Taylor's song "I Forgot That You Existed" is about the EDM superstar.) Calvin derives from a French surname that means "bald."
4. John
Though Swift only dated John Mayer for a few months when she was 19 and he was 32, their breakup inspired "Dear John." When Swift released "Dear John (Taylor's Version)" in 2023, her fans began spamming his social media with messages of support for Swift. During her recent "Eras" tour, she asked that they extend kindness instead.
While the relationship left a bad taste in Swifties' mouths, the name John is another story – it's been in the top 100 names among BabyCenter parents since the '90s, and is currently ranked #55. John derives from a Hebrew name that means "God is gracious."
3. Tom (aka Thomas)
Tom Hiddleston and Swift's romance lasted a mere three months in 2016. Was it all for publicity? They've denied it, but fans may never know for sure. Their relationship started hot, then fizzled when she wanted privacy and he wanted a more public affair – and he sported the "I Love TS" shirt to prove it.
Tom is short for Thomas, which – like many names on this list – is on a downswing and is currently seated at #54. Thomas comes from an Aramaic word meaning "twin."
2. Joe (aka Joseph)
Swift has dated two Josephs – Joe Jonas and Joe Alwyn.
The middle Jonas brother was Swift's first high-profile relationship: They dated for a few months in 2008, with a very public and messy teenage breakup – she even called him out for it on Saturday Night Live!
At the other end of the spectrum, Swift and Alwyn kept their relationship private from 2017 until earlier this year. Their relationship reportedly ended with a slow fade in feelings, quite similarly to what we've seen happen to the name Joseph, which now sits at #50 after a slow decline in popularity since the '90s. Joseph has Hebrew origins and means "God will add."
1. Lucas
Lucus Till might not immediately come to mind when you think of Taylor Swift, but they briefly dated in 2009 after he starred as the boy next door in the music video for "You Belong With Me." While he may not be the most popular ex on this list, his name definitely comes in at the top, with Lucas currently ranking #6 for boys.
Lucas comes from a Greek name that originally meant "from Lucania," a region in southern Italy. It's thought Lucania's name comes from a Greek word meaning "light" or "shining" – so Lucas is often taken to mean "light." It's been gaining popularity since the '90s and has made a home in the top 10 names for boys since 2018.
– Caroline Picard contributed to this report.
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Rebekah Wahlberg is an associate editor and baby name trends specialist at BabyCenter, the world's number one digital parenting resource. She lives in Southern California with her silly dog Booger, where she enjoys hiking, yoga, and watching Netflix when she "should" be reading. Wahlberg is passionate about creating content that helps parents and parents-to-be equip themselves with everything they need to succeed.
