How popular is your name?

[7rider]

With so much discussion here lately about names.....

Another forum posted this link to the SSA's popular baby name list: http://ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

Fun links from this site:
See what names were popular the year you were born.
Or.
Check you the popularity of your own name. How has it changed over the years?

Mine? It's been on a steady decline for the past 40 years :( - hasn't been in the top 100 since 1971 and is lately hanging out around the 600 level! :o

[Eden]

hmmm mine has been steadily climbing 958th in 1986 to 257th last year. I guess before 1986 my name wasn't in the top 1000 so no data for those years. I've only met one or two others who share my name, so I know its not that usual - though it sounds like there may be more and more kiddies running around out there with it these days.

[kat_h]

When I lived in England I knew five other people named Kat. In Canada I've only ever met one other.

Someone on this forum uses my surname as her forum name. I wonder about that sometimes.

[Aggie_Ama]

Mine is declining in popularity, 112 last year. The year I was born (1981) it was 3. It started gaining popularity in the 1970's and held strong through the 90's.

[GLC1968]

Mine has dropped a little in the past 10 years or so (to about 100). In the past 100 years, it's been between 20 and 50 pretty consistantly. I saw some other list of records once that showed the popularity of names over the past couple of centuries. Mine's been around for hundredes of years and it's pretty much always been popular.

Related story: When I was in high school, there were 5 girls who went by Cathy in my grade (some were Catherine and some were Kathleen). We all ended up in the same AP biology class. The teacher assigned us seats alphabetically. All 5 of us ended up sitting in a row together because our last names started with Bi, Bo, Ch, De, Fa and there were no other students that fell in between us (in that class). What are the chances?? :eek:

[Pax]

Mine isn't even ranked in the top 1000, it hit it's highest ranking in 1968 at 29th. Cool, I have a relatively unique name! :p

[NoNo]

Annette was in the mid-260's in 1981, and has been on a steady decline since then, now wallowing in the mid-800's. Considering I was supposed to be Rocco and presented a wicked surprise to my parents, I can only assume they pulled my name out of thin air. I only know one other Annette, a family friend. Aside from that, I've never met any, nor can I ever buy those little license plates with names on them:(

[LBTC]

I looked at the last 100 years.

The year of my birth: 28
2007: 548
Best ranking: 18 (1961, 62 & 63)

My DH:
Year of his birth: 2
2007: 19
Lowest ranking: 20 (2006)
Highest ranking: 1 (1908-1923)

Fun thing to look up! Thanks for the link!

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Blueberry]

Wow. Interesting.

My name was 35th the year I was born, but has been on a steady decline and is now 988! Who knew?! Even more interesting...it peaked in popularity the 2 years before I was born. It was my great grandmother's name, so that's not the reason I have it - just a coincidence. I was supposed to be named Courtney, but my Dad nixed that one at the last minute.

[mimitabby]

my name is not in the top 1000 names for any year since it started. my last name and maiden name are rare too. :cool:
my nickname, which you all know, hovers around 900-1000 from year to year.

[milkbone]

Year of my birth: 217

2007: Didn't even make the list of 1000....

Oh well...very interesting though

[indysteel]

My given name, Katherine, has maintained its popularlity fairly steadily since I was born in 1969. My nickname, Kate, has increasingly grown in popularity, however. I don't know many Kates my age, but I know a ton of 5 year olds!

[Chile Pepper]

I rather dislike my name. It was the number one name for girls for 14 years running--from 1970 to 1984. (Have you guessed it yet? Jennifer.) It was number 31 the year I was born. Considering that, I have met surprisingly few Jennifers over the years. Could they all be going by their middle names? I would love to change my name, but I'm not sure how to go about getting people to call me anything else at this point. I also have no idea what I would rather be called.

[F8th637]

My nickname (shortened version of my first name) shows up in the top list but my correctly spelled full first name does not show up on the top list within the past 185 years! Truly unique, I tell ya! ;)

[uforgot]

I rather dislike my name. It was the number one name for girls for 14 years running--from 1970 to 1984. (Have you guessed it yet? Jennifer.) It was number 31 the year I was born. Considering that, I have met surprisingly few Jennifers over the years. Could they all be going by their middle names? I would love to change my name, but I'm not sure how to go about getting people to call me anything else at this point. I also have no idea what I would rather be called.

I always wanted a popular name when I was growing up. And for the record, I think Jennifer is a beautiful name. I have met maybe 3 other Claudias in my entire life. None of those cute little "name" things you see in stores has Claudia on them. Now, I rather like it. It's different. For the past 50 years it has always ranked around 200 until last year and jumped to 404. Even MORE unpopular than ever!

Fun thread!

[hermitclub]

No surprises here. I have only met a handful of people with my name over the years. Maybe there will be a resurgence now that Paul McCartney named his daughter Beatrice.

Year of my birth: 359
2007: 899
2002 - 2005: not in the top 1000

[NJBikeGal]

Pretty cool. My name was #8 when I was born, and has stayed in the top 10 every decade since then until 2003. It dropped to #12 and now sits at #18. I knew my name was popular, but I had no idea it was that popular!

[Flybye]

Cynthia - not so popular now but is was #25 the year I was born.

Cindy - my less favorite out of Cynthia and Cindy, but nevertheless what I am called by the masses :rolleyes: - even less popular.

The name thing reminded me of a couple of things-

When I was little I wanted to be called Eileen because of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z9bPrUark4
Now I am thankful my mom refused to change my name. Whew.

I also wanted to be a long haul truck driver because of this TV show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AsqKQptTdQ
Anyone remember that hit? We used to sneak out to my dads old chevy and mess around on the CB for hours. :D

It really is good that some of our youthful desires don't work out for us!!

[divingbiker]

My name was #26 when I was born, and has steadily declined to #946 now. If they went by the pronunciation of my name in addition to the spelling, it would never make the list.

[tulip]

My name has not been in the top 1000 for the last 100 years. I'm the only one I know. It's a double name--one word, two names. The subnames are popular by themselves, though. It's Juliellen.

[HillSlugger]

Nicole:
When I was born my name was ranked 615. It peaked 21 years later at 6 in 1982. It's been in a slow decline ever since and is now at 87.

[Trek420]

It says Trek420 is not in the top 1000 female names for any year of birth in the last 18 years. ;) :rolleyes:

[Voodoo Sally]

I also wanted to be a long haul truck driver because of this TV show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AsqKQptTdQ


I just got up off the floor from laughing so hard - I watched the whole clip. I definitely remember BJ and the Bear! So funny I just sent it to DH for his amusement. I know he remembers it too.

[GLC1968]

I just got up off the floor from laughing so hard - I watched the whole clip. I definitely remember BJ and the Bear! So funny I just sent it to DH for his amusement. I know he remembers it too.

Ha! I didn't even click on the clip and I just knew that was the show she was talking about! My brother and I used to love watching that show!!

[Pascale]

Mine isn't listed in the top 1000 in the past 100 years in the US either.

[maillotpois]

My daughter's name has been #1 since 1996 (the year she was born). :rolleyes: Crazy. We'll just say she's a trend setter.

[callmecrazy]

Mine was only at 154 when I was born, but it has maintained top ten for quite a few years now. I guess my parents were ahead of the trend... for once.

[Midmichigangal]

My name (Elizabeth) ranked 15 in 1975 the year I was born.
In 2007 my name ranked 10th.
Highest ranking: 7 (1908-1911)
Lowest ranking: 26 (1945)
I am surprised at how popular my last name is being used as a girl’s first name.

[Zen]

******** "is not in the top 1000 female names for any year of birth in the last 18 years.
Please enter another name."

Why would I want to enter another name?
Yay me!

[Geonz]

SNork. Mine is beyond popular - it's downright *common.* A pain when Mom mails me my taxes and it gets sent to the five *other* people with the same name and then returned to her... but kinda handy when I can be somewhat anonymous... unless you know aboud the siouxgeonz version ;)

[Mr. Bloom]

Year of my birth: 217

2007: Didn't even make the list of 1000....

Oh well...very interesting though

Yep, milkbone is an unusual name...:D


My first name was in the 20's in 1963; my middle name (which I hate) was in the 220's; my last name has about 2,000 representatives in America. Highly unlikely my name will get confused with anyone else.

[colby]

Nicole:
When I was born my name was ranked 615. It peaked 21 years later at 6 in 1982. It's been in a slow decline ever since and is now at 87.

I'm a Nicole, too, but when I was born, it was ranked #9. There were a bunch of Nicole/Nicholes in elementary school the same time as me, along with a bunch of Amandas.

It's interesting to see how names cycle... Nicole hasn't come around yet, but the history of "Anna" is interesting.

[Flybye]

I just got up off the floor from laughing so hard - I watched the whole clip. I definitely remember BJ and the Bear! So funny I just sent it to DH for his amusement. I know he remembers it too.


Ha! I didn't even click on the clip and I just knew that was the show she was talking about! My brother and I used to love watching that show!!


Shall we three tour the countryside with a monkey in an 18 wheeler someday? I promise I won't make you call me Eileen!

[shootingstar]

Mine was high 77 during 1959 when I was born. Not surprisingly it fell like a ragdoll mountainbikin'... to 984.

Several Hollywood stars in war & post-war years, had my name.

I would have preferred a French version of my first name. More elegant than the English one..which is 1 syllable and abit thuddish in plainness.

[MomOnBike]

My name was #61 when I was born, but has dropped like a rock and is #981 now.

Younger Daughter's name/spelling don't show up.

Neither one of us likes others to have our names. We haven't met many, but we do get snippy when we meet them. What? Us? Illogical? Never! :rolleyes:

Elder Daughter's name stays around #10, but she insists on all the syllables thankyouverymuch, unlike most.

[wannaduacentury]

I was born in 1972 and my name Jennifer was the top spot. Now it's #64

I wasn't expecting that, although it was popular along with Lisa, Michelle, Jessica etc.

Hubby's name remains popular- David and daughters name Elizabeth is #12 for 2007.

[Deanna]

Since 1936, my name grew in popularity until the year after I was born, when it peaked at 88. It has since steadily declined to 549.

[nancielle]

My name has not been in the top 1000 for the last 100 years. I'm the only one I know. It's a double name--one word, two names. The subnames are popular by themselves, though. It's Juliellen.

Same here, my one word name is two names combined. Most people mangle it when they're calling me (my litmus test that I don't know 'em and probably don't want to talk to them.) First subname has been droppin' like a stone.

[NbyNW]

Mine was 493 the year I was born and ranked 50th last year! I've probably met two other people with my name, and I'm not sure the first one counts, since I was named after her.

[aly]

My name has never been on the list, either. Not a surprise. We're very rare ("aly" is a nickname). My mom always thought she had made up my name, but I actually found one on the internet with the same spelling from the late 1800's. Now, there are a couple of young ones running around (named by people I've known over the years). Once, I met one person who claimed his cousin shared my name, it really bothered me and I'm still a doubter. I used to hate having a "different" name. Now I love it! It's a good name. I can always tell when a telemarketer is calling since they pronounce it wrong. The only time I'm annoyed by it is at places where they want your first name for your drink order. It's too much of a pain to repeat and spell my name and then have them mess it up anyways. I use my last name.

Recently, my name seems to be gaining popularity for characters in online fantasy/ gothic type gaming circles (I google myself sometimes). Strange...

[cyclechick2008]

1971 it was #4.
2007 it was 53.


On the name thing a know a couple who's name are Jo and Shannon.
Jo is the lady, Shannon is the man.

Also I know 3 shannons that are girls, and 6 that are boys.
I also know 3 men named ashley.

[maillotpois]

Yep, milkbone is an unusual name...:D



SNORT!

:D

[Jen-Jen]

My real name is Jennifer. And it has been in the top 100 since 1956. It also was the number #1 name for 15 years.

However, sadly it is declining every year. As of 2007 it was ranked 64.

My sons name has never made the 100 in the last 100 years. His middle name was naotice in the last two years and it didn't make it either. First name Holden: highest rank +/-360 Middle name Beckett: highest rank:+/- 600.

How every interesting. Thanks!

[littlegrasshopp]

mine has not made it on the list for the past 100 years. No surprise. It's Meri. not short for anything. I always thought it was "Mary" spelled differently. Then I met a New Yorker that informed me that I was pronouncing my name wrong. :)

[emily_in_nc]

Not sure what it was my birth year (the site is refusing to load for me at the moment), but much, much lower. I didn't even meet another Emily until college!

Emily