Baby and pet name trends can come from both familiar and surprising places.
You’re likely to come across a dog named “Wrigley” while walking down the Southport Corridor, for example.
The name “Ryne” also owes its popularity to America’s Pastime — a once-rare moniker that quietly surged in popularity during the mid-1980s, thanks in large part to Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg.
Ryne, pronounced “rhine,” originated as a shortened form of the Germanic names Reinhold or Reginald. The name first gained modest popularity in the United States with MLB pitcher Rinold “Ryne” Duren, who played for 10 seasons from 1954-65 and won a World Series title with the New York Yankees in 1958.
Duren was known for his wild fastball and thick eyeglasses. His reputation for unpredictability would later inspire the character Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn, played by Charlie Sheen in the iconic 1989 baseball comedy “Major League.”
But it was Sandberg, the Cubs legend, who turned Ryne from a rarity into a cultural trend. The name Ryne saw a dramatic rise in popularity for baby boys in the early 1980s.
Ryne Dee Sandberg was born on Sept. 18, 1959, in Spokane, Washington, and was later affectionately nicknamed “Ryno.” His parents, Elizabeth and Derwent, indeed named him after that Yankees flamethrower Ryne Duren.
As Ryne Sandberg rose to stardom in the 1980s, the baby boy name followed suit, as the data shows.
“Ryno’s” first season on the North Side was in 1982. After not appearing on the charts in 1981, 31 boys were named Ryne in 1982, followed by 38 in 1983. Then, a significant jump to 199 in 1984.
The timing was no coincidence. That was Sandberg’s breakout 1984 season, in which he earned National League MVP honors and led the Cubs to their first postseason berth in 39 years.
Sandberg and the Cubs’ success sparked a surge of popularity both at the ballpark and in baby nurseries across America.
As Sandberg told WGN’s Dan Roan, “Having WGN, Harry Carey, and Steve Stone — being in the national spotlight and having all the games nationally — was obviously a big boost for my career.”
In the 1980s, Michael, Christopher, and Matthew were the most popular names for boys, and Jessica, Jennifer, and Amanda for girls. The year when the name Ryne peaked in popularity was 1985, with 286 according to ssa.gov.
Ryne has seen a steady decline in usage since the late 1990s, eventually falling below 20 births per year.
Catching up with a Ryne
WGN’s Kevin Doellman caught up with one of the millennials named after Sandberg.
George Schrage Jr. was a diehard Cubs fan. In 1984, he bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate what he hoped would be a World Series victory. But the team fell short, losing to the San Diego Padres in fives games in the NLCS, despite being up in 2-0 in that series, and the bottle remained sealed.
After George passed away, the champagne was passed down to his son, Rick, and eventually to his grandson, Ryne.
“I was named after my dad’s favorite player, Ryne Sandberg,” confirms Ryne Schrage, born on March 26, 1988, in Quincy — the west-central region of Illinois that largely supports the rival St. Louis Cardinals.
Despite close calls in 1998 and especially in 2003, when the Cubs fell an agonizing game short of the World Series, the bottle stayed unopened through decades of disappointment.
“My dad unexpectedly passed in 2005,” Ryne Schrage said. “As we were cleaning out his closet, I found the champagne bottle and took over possession of the bottle. It traveled with me through apartments and eventually into my home.”
That all changed in 2016, when the Cubs clinched their first World Series title since 1908 with a dramatic extra-innings win over the Cleveland Indians in Game 7.
Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and the rest of the team finally brought a championship home to the North Side. So Ryne uncorked the bottle, honoring the memory of his father and grandfather.
Of course, the champagne “tasted terrible, like vinegar” after 32 years, but the feeling was bittersweet.
“Being able to open that 1984 champagne bottle was definitely bittersweet,” Schrage said. “I was overly ecstatic about the Cubs winning the World Series, but I did wish my grandpa and dad were able to be there to open it with me.”
Ryne Schrage currently resides in Wentzville, Missouri, but he frequently visits Wrigley Field with his wife and two daughters. His daughters, Quinn and Ivy, were named after the iconic ivy at Wrigley Field.
“After the 2016 season, I bought a Chicago Cubs wine bottle and tucked it away in my closet, saving it for the next time the Cubs win the World Series,” Schrage said.
Needless to say, he hopes the wine won’t be stuck in the bottle for decades this time around.
The following video is Mike Lowe’s piece for WGN-TV that ran the night of Ryne Sandberg’s passing at age 65.