Throwback Thursday: Generational Names

Recently, I've stunned friends and colleagues with my ability to guess middle names within one or two guesses - what they don't know is that I survive on statistics! So, to impress your friends and family, memorize these names and dates and start guessing!

I'm also very excited for this post, because it took learning to some early stage programming in order to create a program to calculate name popularity for a date range - while the SSA provides numbers by decade, I wanted a more specific calculation. Shoutout to my coworker Henry for taking the time to painstakingly teach me basic database programming!

The Greatest Generation, 1901-1924    

Mary

Helen

Dorothy

Margaret

Ruth

Mildred

Anna

Elizabeth

Frances

Virginia

John

William

James

Robert

Charles

George

Joseph

Edward

Frank

Thomas

The Silent Generation, 1925-1945

Mary

Barbara

Betty

Patricia

Dorothy

Shirley

Margaret

Helen

Carol

Nancy

Robert

James

John

William

Richard

Charles

Donald

Thomas

George

Joseph

The Baby Boomers, 1946-1964

Mary

Linda

Patricia

Susan

Barbara

Karen

Deborah

Nancy

Donna

Sandra

James

Robert

John

Michael

David

William

Richard

Thomas

Mark

Charles

The Baby Busters, 1965-1980

Jennifer

Lisa

Michelle

Kimberly

Melissa

Amy

Angela

Mary

Heather

Elizabeth

Michael

David

James

John

Robert

Christopher

Jason

William

Brian

Joseph

The MTV Generation, 1975-1985

Jennifer

Jessica

Amanda

Melissa

Sarah

Amy

Heather

Nicole

Stephanie

Michelle

Michael

Christopher

Jason

David

Matthew

James

John

Robert

Joshua

Daniel

The Millennials, 1985-1995

Jessica

Ashley

Amanda

Sarah

Brittany

Jennifer

Samantha

Stephanie

Elizabeth

Emily

Michael

Christopher

Matthew

Joshua

Daniel

David

Andrew

James

Joseph

John

Generation Z, 1996-2010

Emily

Madison

Hannah

Emma

Samantha

Ashley

Olivia

Alexis

Sarah

Abigail

Jacob
Michael
Matthew
Joshua
Christopher
Andrew
Daniel
Joseph
Nicholas
William

Veteran's Day Names

Today, November 11th, is Veteran's Day, where we in the US honor those who have served in the military. I want to extend special gratitude to my own family members who fought overseas.

Today's post will be a simple list of those most popular when WWI ended on November 11, 1918.

Male Names

John
William
James
Robert
Charles 
George
Joseph
Edward
Frank
Thomas
Walter
Richard
Harold
Paul
Raymond
Henry
Arthur
Donald
Albert
Harry

Female Names

Mary
Helen
Dorothy
Margaret
Ruth
Mildred
Virginia
Frances
Elizabeth
Anna
Evelyn
Marie
Alice
Florence
Lillian
Irene
Rose
Louise
Doris
Catherine

Top Baby Names in Sweden

Hallå!

For the next installment in global names, I'll be focusing on the most popular baby names in Sweden. Here are five names each, from the boys and girls side, that are in the top 20 in Sweden but outside the top 400 in the US.

I'll include the English or other known equivalents next to the names for clarification. 

Female names*

*None of the girls' names are in the top 1000!

Maja - Maya
Pronounced the same way as Maya, Maja might prompt a different pronunciation in the US - "Mah-jah" or "Mah-ha", for example. In any case, it's a sweet-sounding name meaning "splendid", with plenty of European namesakes to boot.

Agnes 
While Agnes was last seen on the top 1000 in 1972, I think it's all set for a comeback. The recent little Agnes in Despicable Me and the constant recommendation on baby name sites have primed it well. It means "pure", and Agnes is just old enough to sound cute, not dated.

Ebba
E-names for the win! Ella, Emma, Emily et cetera have been on top for awhile. Why not add in a Scandinavian sound? Ebba means "strength of a boar", and fits in nicely with the simple vowel-consonant-vowel trend - Ada, Isla, Eva.

Linnaea 
Also known as a twinflower, Linnaea is a beautiful, hardly-used flower name. I think it sounds more classic next to the trendy Lilianna, and it's softer than Violet. The name also honors Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern ecology.

Wilma 
Even I surprised myself by choosing this name. On the outside, Wilma is the name of the mom on The Flintstones, a grandma's name at this point. But I think it's just clunky enough to be cool - the -ma ending like Emma and the Wil- beginning like Willow connect it to the present.

Male names

Hugo - Hugh
This name isn't unheard of - it's currently at #438 in the US - but it's still not quite as appealing to US audiences as it is elsewhere. Meaning "mind" or "spirit", Hugo has grown in popularity thanks to the recent children's movie, as well as literary connection to the author of Les Mis, Victor Hugo.

Ludvig - Louis
Oh so Scandinavian, but oh so unusable in the US. The g-ending and "dv" consonant combo have kept this name from migrating properly. Stick with Louis or Louie.

Arvid
I hadn't heard of this name before researching, but I'm now very intrigued by Arvid. It means "eagle-tree" and seems like a really unusual and strong alternative to Arnold or Arthur. The V in the middle adds a little pizzazz, but Arvid is out-and-out powerful.

Alfred 
Currently at #799 on the US list, Alfred may be moving up thanks to its European counterparts - it's at #19 in Sweden, and Alfie is at #12 in the UK. Alfred means "wise counselor", and seems to follow the retro trends - also a great way to honor any familial Fred's!

Nils - Nicholas
While I myself prefer the English variation, I think Nils or Nel could be a cool nickname for those who are sick of Nick. Similar-sounding Niles of Frasier fame is actually from a different root - "son of Neil".

What countries would you like to see next?

Throwback Thursday: Presidential Names #1

As the race for the 2016 election revs up, I've decided to devote two Throwback Thursdays to presidential baby names. While it's also probable that the presidents' first names were given a boost during or after their terms, I'll be focusing on presidential last names found in the 2014 top 1000.

I've decided to go in chronological order, so none of the names this week have correlating data (Grant was president until 1877, three years before the top 1000 data began to be collected). November 5th, we'll be able to see if presidential terms line up with popularity - stay tuned!

#609 - Jefferson 
As the Jeffrey's of yesteryear become fathers and grandfathers, Jefferson might be a great way to honor a paternal relative. Sure, the nickname Jeff could still be used, but why not try Sonny to ensure some uniqueness? Jefferson has been hanging low on the list for awhile, but it's a well-established formal name that deserves some use. 

#9 - Madison
While this name is connected more to the movie Splash than the fourth president, Madison is much more than a trend. It was a well-used name for boys between 1880 and 1940, returning briefly in the 1990's. I think the name still works for any gender - see the above nickname Sonny - but the girls have claimed Madison wholeheartedly for the time being. 

#787 - Monroe
This name has gotten a lot of buzz recently, with a few celebrities choosing Monroe for their daughters. Like Madison, it was on the list for boys for awhile but dropped off in the 1970's. Another multi-gender name, it's connected to the Roe river in Ireland, and might be a great heritage choice. Check out Monroe's write-up in Nameberry's Hello, Baby! O-Ending Surname Names for Girls.

#17 - Jackson
With Jack, Jaxon and Jaxson following Jackson on the top 1000, it seems that parents are more interested in the sound of the name over the connection to Andrew Jackson. Jack was originally a nickname for John, but has now created a class all its own. Jackson has been steeply climbing upwards since the 1990's, and I don't expect it to drop anytime soon. 

#127 - Harrison
The popularity of movie star Harrison Ford pushed this name back up the charts through the 1980's and 1990's, but this name has never left the top 1000. The name started climbing again around the time Showtime's serial killer Dexter named his son Harrison after his father, Harry. It's got multiple positive connotations and some great nicknames, so Harrison will definitely stick around. 

#72 - Tyler
This trend of the 1990's is finally starting to disappear - for the boys, at least. I think the girls could claim Tyler due to its similarity with Taylor and Skyler. Ty, Tyson, Tyrone, and Tyree are moving up the list with a fresher sound, too. I'd skip this name and look for something more unique. 

#77 - Taylor
Another name originally for boys overtaken by the girls, Taylor reached its peak in the 1990's and has started to fall back down the list. Its sound is definitely popular - Baylor and Saylor have recently joined the list. But I think there are are newer occupational names that will fit the bill - Weaver, Fletcher, Jagger, Sawyer, and Draper. 

#470 - Pierce
Pierce has been up and down the top 1000 over the years, but is now hovering in the middle. The strong, single-syllable sound and the dangerous connection to weaponry will appeal to some parents, but I think Pierce is better as a middle name. Sidenote: Pierce is viewed by many historians as one of the worst presidents in American history, so make sure you're not choosing it to be patriotic. 

#87 - Lincoln
One of the nation's favorite presidents, Lincoln is now at the highest it's ever been on the list. The similar sound to other ends-in-N names and the excellent history make it very popular. Abraham is a bit further down the list, at #180, and could also be a great way to honor the sixteenth president. And now that one celeb-baby girl has been christened Lincoln, it might be more accepted as unisex. 

#155 - Grant
With a steady sound, Grant is a name that can transition from childhood to adulthood gracefully. While its etymology connects it to the French for "large", it can also be seen today as an English word name. And it's a much better choice than old-fashioned Ulysses!

Check out the continuation of this list on November 5th!

Next week is Halloween-themed :)

Throwback Thursday #3: 100 Years of Names

How have first names changed over 100 years? The above charts only show us around 80 names out of the thousands that have been used for children in the US since the Social Security Administration began recording births in 1879. The two charts can't show us direct trends, popular names in between, or the context surrounding the shift. But I think, looking closely, we can make our own inferences, find parallels, and think about how names might change in the future. 

Let's start with the names found on both lists. For boys, William, James and Joseph feature on both; for girls, Elizabeth and Evelyn. Three of the five names are Hebrew in origin, the other two are Germanic. We can easily infer that Hebrew names are popular in the US because of the prevalence of Christianity - over 70% of Americans identify as Christian. William, Elizabeth, James and Joseph each have never dipped below the top 30, and have not trended one way or another. Evelyn, on the other hand, has plunged all the way down to #289, and is only recently trending upwards again. So, while the five names listed appear on both lists, only four are consistent - Evelyn is an outlier. 

On the boys' side, types of names have changed less - 5/20 names in 1914 were Biblical derivations, and 13/20 names in 2014 were Biblical derivations. Does this mean that Christianity is rising? That promoting the appearance of Christianity is increasing? Or, that as names become more secular and less attached to their original meanings, parents care less about origin and care more about sound? All but one of the names on the 1914 boys' list were Germanic or Hebrew - George is Greek. The 2014 list, on the other hand, includes more modern English names and even invented names - Jayden. Originality is definitely becoming more desirable. 

Now to the girls! Both sets of names show a higher variety of origins - Old English, Germanic, Hebrew, Latin, Roman and Greek names are represented in both lists. The girls' names include variants of one another as well: Mia, Mary and Marie; Elizabeth, Lillian and Isabella; Helen and Ella; Sofia and Sophia. The most popular first letters for both lists include E, M and A. So while, the origins may be more diverse, the ultimate names haven't changed too much. 

This post is much more academic than previous ones, so I'll stop while I'm ahead. What trends do you see? Based on this knowledge, can you predict what names we'll see rising up the charts? I think Maya and Lucy might be on their way.