I’m a major summer camp lover, so I decided to take a look at names in summer camp songs! I was mostly interested in seeing if there was an obvious pattern. All name statistics are based on US charts. I’m also happy to share lyrics to any of these songs or other songs!
song criteria
- cannot be a religious song or a grace
- cannot be used regularly outside of camp settings (there’s no “There’s a Hole in the Bucket” on this list)
- cannot be a song that inserts nursery rhymes, as those lyrics are never set in stone
- songs made specifically for camps or organizations (i.e. [name_f]Girl[/name_f] [name_u]Scout[/name_u] specific songs) are avoided
- not all of these songs are super well-known and not all of them are at my camp(s)
Here goes!
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
Song: [name_f]Alice[/name_f] the Camel
Details: [name_f]Alice[/name_f] has ten humps all the way down to zero… because [name_f]Alice[/name_f] is a horse.
Name Details: [name_f]Alice[/name_f] is creeping back from a tragic fall in popularity. It ranked 20th in 1930 and is now in the 60s.
[name_u]Boo[/name_u] [name_u]Boo[/name_u]
Song: Yogi [name_u]Bear[/name_u]
Details: [name_u]Boo[/name_u] [name_u]Boo[/name_u] is Yogi Bear’s friend.
Name Details: [name_u]Boo[/name_u] [name_u]Boo[/name_u] is probably unusable for a child, but could make a cute nickname for a pet.
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f]
Song: Old [name_f]Lady[/name_f] [name_m]Leary[/name_m]
Details: This song is about how [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] O’Leary allegedly started the [name_f]Chicago[/name_f] [name_u]Fire[/name_u]. Her first name is never referenced in the song.
Name Details: [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] is still popular in the US despite dropping in recent years. In 2021, the name ranked 325.
[name_f]Cindy[/name_f]
Song: Yogi [name_u]Bear[/name_u]
Details: [name_f]Cindy[/name_f] is Yogi Bear’s girlfriend.
Name Details: [name_f]Cindy[/name_f] ranked 19th in 1957 and has overall heavily dropped in popularity ever since.
[name_u]Drew[/name_u]
Song: The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_u]Pat[/name_u]
Details: [name_u]Drew[/name_u] is [name_f]Princess[/name_f] Pat’s son and he likes to ride kangaroos.
Name Details: Charting at 186th, [name_u]Drew[/name_u] hit its peak in 1985. You can find it now resting in the 500s.
[name_m]Fred[/name_m]
Song: There Was a Great Big [name_m]Moose[/name_m]
Details: [name_m]Fred[/name_m] loves drinking juice, especially in his bed. Unfortunately, he’s sometimes a little clumsy.
Name Details: [name_m]Fred[/name_m] dropped out of the top 50 after 1946 and has plummeted in popularity since.
[name_m]Herman[/name_m]
Song: [name_m]Herman[/name_m] the Worm
Details: [name_m]Herman[/name_m] eats all of his family members and gradually grows larger. He eventually burps them all out.
Name Details: [name_m]Herman[/name_m] last charted in the top 100 in the 1930s. It’s been declining in popularity ever since 1921.
[name_u]Jack[/name_u]
Song: The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_u]Pat[/name_u]
Details: [name_u]Jack[/name_u] is a sailor; [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_u]Pat[/name_u] saves him and his crew.
Name Details: [name_u]Jack[/name_u] is a classic and popular pick, ranking 11th in 2021.
[name_f]Jane[/name_f]
Song: [name_m]Tarzan[/name_m]
Details: [name_m]Tarzan[/name_m] and other characters are doing things when they suddenly get injured. I know it sounds bad. It’s not.
Name Details: Although [name_f]Jane[/name_f] has been more popular in the past, it’s still a classic and ranking high.
[name_u]Joe[/name_u]
Songs: [name_u]Louise[/name_u] the Elephant & Hello, [name_f]My[/name_f] Name is [name_u]Joe[/name_u]
Details: [name_u]Joe[/name_u] is in love with [name_u]Louise[/name_u]. / [name_u]Joe[/name_u] works in a button factory and often overworks himself.
Name Details: [name_u]Joe[/name_u] dropped out of double-digits after 1970 and has continually become less popular.
[name_u]Louise[/name_u]
Song: [name_u]Louise[/name_u] the Elephant
Details: [name_u]Joe[/name_u] is in love with [name_u]Louise[/name_u] in a… more interesting camp song.
Name Details: [name_u]Louise[/name_u] dropped sharply from the 40s to 90s but is gaining traction again.
[name_f]Patricia[/name_f] "Pat"
Song: The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_u]Pat[/name_u]
Details: The song is based on a Canadian military march of the [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] Canadian [name_u]Light[/name_u] Infantry. However, the lyrics have changed over the years: [name_u]Pat[/name_u] now lives in a tree, sails across the entire world, creates a rickabamboo (or rigabamboo, or rickadamdoo), and saves an entire ship crew from drowning! The full name [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] is never mentioned in the song.
Name Details: While [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] was wildly popular in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, it has since seen a sharp decline. [name_u]Pat[/name_u] on its own was never truly significant, reaching its peak in the 1930s and 40s.
[name_u]Percy[/name_u]
Song: [name_u]Percy[/name_u] the Pale-Faced Polar [name_u]Bear[/name_u]
Details: [name_u]Percy[/name_u] lives happily until he’s captured and put into a zoo. There, he remains happy and gets a girlfriend.
Name Details: [name_u]Percy[/name_u] has plummeted down the ranks since its peak at 98; said peak was before the turn of the twentieth century.
[name_f]Sarah[/name_f]
Song: [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] the Whale
Details: [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] the whale likes to eat. A lot. And anything.
Name Details: [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] is a name that has consistently ranked in the top 100, never falling below 119.
[name_m]Tarzan[/name_m]
Song: [name_m]Tarzan[/name_m]
Details: [name_m]Tarzan[/name_m] and other characters are doing things when they suddenly get injured. I know it sounds bad. It’s not as bad as you think.
Name Details: [name_m]Tarzan[/name_m] is one of those names that should never be used for a child. It’s just too attached to its character.
[name_m]Tom[/name_m]
Song: [name_m]Tom[/name_m] the Toad
Details: [name_m]Tom[/name_m] the Toad has been run over by a car and this song is remembering him.
Name Details: [name_m]Tom[/name_m] has only been falling since '59, not even ranking in the top thousand since 1995.
Yogi
Song: Yogi [name_u]Bear[/name_u]
Details: A song about Yogi [name_u]Bear[/name_u] and his friends, enemy, and home.
Name Details: The name Yogi is likely too attached to the character (and others) to use. That said, the name is so underused that it doesn’t have a Nameberry page!
In conclusion, I have determined that all camp song names fall into two categories:
- names of historical figures or notable characters, and therefore set in stone
- names that were popular in the past, no matter if they’re gaining popularity now
Seeing as camp songs are part of a tradition, it makes sense that most of the names were more popular in past years. While most names are “outdated” or unusable, many are still classic or popular.
So, what do you think? Did I miss any well-known names? Which of these names do you like? 
