If you’re watching VH-1, today’s choice means “fallen teen idol.”  But if you’re tuned into the History Channel, his vibe is more “intrepid Scandinavian explorer.”

Thanks to Annelise for suggesting Leif as today’s Name of the Day.

In the 1960s, single syllable names for boys were big.  Scott, Todd, Keith and Craig all ranked in the US Top 50, with similar choices like Troy, Dale, Glenn, Shawn/Sean, Jay, Dean, Brad, Kirk, Lance, Chad and Neil also popular.  Little wonder, then, that some parents went looking for similar-but-different choices and arrived at Leif.

After all, Leif Erikson is in all of our history books.  The son of bad boy explorer Erik the Red, he was born in the 970s in Iceland.  Dad had explored Greenland.  Junior bought a boat and sailed even farther.  Many historians believe that he may have landed on Baffin Island.  Most agree that he made it to Newfoundland, the easternmost part of Canada.  Others suggest that he landed as far south as Cape Cod.

Besides Leif fitting in style-wise in the 1960s, he was much in the news.  In 1964 President Lyndon Johnson named October 9th Leif Erikson Day, in commemoration of his landing.  A few years later, the US Postal Service issued a stamp in his honor, featuring a Viking boldly gazing off a precipice.

Today the consensus is that Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot in North America.  Take that, Christopher Columbus!

Of course, the name Christopher is an enduring classic, while Leif peaked at #654 in 1970.  He left the rankings entirely after 1987.  Even during Leif’s heyday, ten times as many boys were named Milton, Wendell or Clyde. 

But one of the boys called Leif was future teen heartthrob Leif Garrett.  From child actor to pop star, the 1961-born Leif could’ve inspired a generation of star-struck future moms.  Except by the late 1970s, he was embroiled in drug-related scandal, including a catastrophic car crash.  He’s back in the public eye now, thanks to nostalgic indulgences like VH-1′s I Love the 70s and celeb editions of reality shows like Fear Factor.  Still, Leif has a whiff of cautionary tale about him.  The star may’ve done more to boost his last name.

Leif Garrett also taught the world that the Norse name is properly pronounced layf, but you’ll still hear plenty of Americans opt to pronounce it like the unrelated word leaf.

The Old Norse name was probably Leifr, and means heir.  Historical accounts list the explorer as Leifr and Leiv.

Despite the lack of etymological connection or shared pronunciation, Leif does have something of a nature vibe.  He sounds like the kind of baby who should be toted around state parks in a frame pack.

He also retains his Scandinavian heartiness, though the name is not popular with modern parents.  Leif still charts in Norway, at the upper reaches.  (About a dozen boys were named Leif in 2007.)  There’s also Leif Segerstam, a Finnish composer and chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic from 1995 to 2007.

Overall, Leif is both simple and exotic, familiar and rarely used – a difficult combination to find, especially for a boy’s name.