HAVE YOU MET MY HUSBAND, GABRIEL COSMOPOLITAN? There is a little app floating around Facebook right now that takes a look at your first name and grades your parents on their naming originality. Nothing rocket-sciencey about it -- it takes a look at how popular your name was the year you were born, parses it in a couple of different ways, and that's more or less it. The fun part is that it then tells you what your parents might have named you if you had been born today. (Basically, if your name was #47 in 1975, then your name if born today is the #47 name from 2009.)
While I had no problem with my parents getting an F- for naming me Kimberly in 1971 -- it was the #4 name that year, having peaked in popularity in 1967 -- I feel more than a little besmirched by the suggestion that my 2009 name would be Madison.
I have tried this app several times - even removed it so I could re-allow it. I never get an answer - it just locks up. I guess my parents were ultra-original - Enid doesn't even appear on the radar...
ReplyDeleteMy name was the 2nd most popular name the year I was born. This would make me an Isabella in 2008, according to the Social Security Administration.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
My parents claim they were reading the papers and thought they weren't picking an overly popular name. Even given the fact tha I was born in March, I'd still like to know what papers they were getting. The Sri Lankan Times? The Tokyo Daily Express? Pravda? Betelgeuse Bugle?
They might also have noticed that a popular presidential candidate, who would go on to win the office the year after my birth, had a daughter with my name.
I have a strong feeling that my name will be one of those names that becomes dated and mostly dies with its generation. Like, from my mom's generation: Carol, Linda, Barbara.
Your parents get a C+ for originality.
ReplyDelete<span style="color: gray;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ranking</span></span> - 'Adam' was the 51st most popular boy's name in your birth year.
<span style="color: gray;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rarity</span></span> - 44% of boys had rarer names that year. (Grade: C+)
<span style="color: gray;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Peak year</span></span> - 'Adam' peaked in popularity in 1984.
<span style="color: gray;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Current rank</span></span> - 'Adam' is currently the 72nd most popular boy's name.
<span style="color: gray;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Current name</span></span> - Your parents might name you 'Brayden' today (current #51).
Although Donald has always been, to me, a pretty dorky name (I was born in 1958), in 1934 it was an astonishing sixth-most-popular boy's name. Which also may explain that damn duck, created in 1934.
ReplyDelete--Jesus, look at Susan. It had an 8-year run of being #2 or #3, 1957-64, and is now at 712.
Come on. "Brayden" is not a name.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was born, my name was 69th most popular for females- now it has rested in the 30s for the past ten years. So, I guess my parents weren't too far off. I love my name, so no complaints.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, the 69th most popular male name that year was Russell. Hey Russ!
I just loved my parents getting an "F-". Of course they would with Jennifer being the #1 name for 1970. I'd be Emma today. I like the name fine though it does make me think of Friends every time I hear it.
ReplyDeletei was also and F- earning name and was totally miffed that it told me i would be a madison. for shame! for shame! yes, there were always 5 other jessicas in my class. we were all jessicas and jennifers back then, but it's so hard for me to believe that's really how madison and emma are today.
ReplyDeleteside note, this is a much more interesting facebook app than "what sex and the city character are you" or "put something on my stupid virtual farm"
Can't find the app, but I looked it up. I'd be Addison today (ranked in the Top 20). I agree with Jessica: I have yet to meet any real human beings named Addison. Then again, I finally heard a mother call a toddler Jayden in a store yesterday . . . a real world first.
ReplyDeleteI also did it in reverse. My kids would have been Michael and Dorothy. I know I get an F on my son, but at least I probably score about a B- for my daughter.
Jessica -- you're right. Madison and Emma are not as ubiquitous as Jessica and Jennifer are today. While Madison and Emma are still the most popular names, they aren't as frequently used as the most popular names were in the past. Apparently, more parents are trying to give their kids unique names, which means that even the #1 name is less common than the #1 name was the 70s and 80s.
ReplyDeleteSigned, a 7.5 month pregnant woman getting a little desperate about choosing a name for her impending child.
I already knew some of this because I've been a little obsessed with the Baby Name Wizard blog lately, merely from a statistics nerd point of view, with a side of how it applies to kids/YA literature...so naturally have been researching the popularity of my own name as well.
ReplyDeleteChristy (my full first name, not a nickname) was #99 in 1981, and it's clearly a little lame because my parents chose it on its downswing...it was much more popular in the 70s than any other time. The application gave me Gracie as my today's name, which I think is kind of cool! I could be a Gracie. I could see that. I do like my name how it is, though, as I long-windedly explained in a comments thread sometime last fall.
The most astonishing thing about current name trends is that almost all boys' names end in N now. I literally don't know anyone who has sons under age 10 that don't have at least one son whose name ends in N.
I haven't actually tried the app but I'm guessing that if Enid causes it to shut down, Maret would break it completely.
ReplyDeleteHi, KR. According to FB, I'd be "Jeremiah" today. Which is ironic, because Mrs. Russ is all into those Biblical "-ah" names (and similar, e.g., Nathaniel) and I vetoed them all.
ReplyDeleteAt bottom, there's something a tad unfair about the meme, because originality isn't necessarily what people go for in choosing a name. When Kim's parents named her Kim in 1971 (and when Mrs. Russ's parents gave her that same name that same year), they knew that it was a popular name, just as JSG knew how popular her son's name was a few years back. They presumably chose it anyway for other reasons.
ReplyDelete(The counterpoint here would be my own case: My parents chose Russell to respect my late grandfather Reuben, but thought it was a rare name. Then, I got to nursery school, where -- no joke -- I was one of 5 Russells in the class.)
It is my completely unbiased opinion that if you want your kid to have the undeniably awesome nickname Maddy, you should name them Madeline and not Madison.
ReplyDeleteMadeline was #138 in 1992. Today (and I had to look it up because the FB app used Maddy and gave my parents an A+, which, no...), I would be Rebecca.
Russ - Indeed. Child #1 is named for grandfathers x2. Child #2 is named for a cartoon fish.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were also not thinking of originality, as there is a roman numeral at the end of my full name. In fact, a little genealogical research indicates that I'm the tenth consecutive generation with my particular first/last name.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, my firstborn son will carry on the family name, so mark me down for F- as well.
Mom and Dad get a C- for naming me Ron. I'd be Ryan today, though, which at least has two benefits: the "Jews give their kids the same first initial as dead relatives" tradition would still hold true, and none of my monogrammed glassware would be obsolete.
ReplyDeleteWow, my parents get a D-. I'm surprised, as I've only met a few other people named Erin in my entire life - and only one was in the same grade and even then not until high school. (Strangely enough, her last name started with the same letter so she sat two seats in front of me in homeroom all through high school - annoying!) Again though, my parents were not thinking of originality, my mom just loved the name and she actually wanted to spell it the Gaelic way: Eireann (with an accent over the "a" I think) but my dad convinced her no one would know how to pronounce it.
ReplyDeleteMy name now would be Taylor which I like and could totally see myself as, but for some reason it seems way more popular than Erin ever was. I know at least three people who had baby girls this year and named them Taylor.
At any rate, I totally dig my name and always have. My only disappointment with it is that if I ever have a daughter I can't name her Erin. Although now that it's at #146 it's actually a really good choice!
Meghan's parents get a B- for originality. <span>Ranking:</span><span>
ReplyDelete'Meghan' was the 270th most popular girl's name in her birth year.</span><span>Rarity:</span><span>
34% of girls had rarer names that year. (Grade: B-)</span><span>Peak year:</span><span>
'Meghan' peaked in popularity in 1985.</span><span>Current rank:</span><span>
'Meghan' is currently the 453rd most popular girl's name.</span><span>Current name:</span><span>
Meghan's parents might name her 'Cecilia' today (current #270).</span>
I'm surprised that Andrew was as high as a D+, but I think it was on the popularity upswing in the late 70's (22nd most popular name) and only really cracked into the big popularity in the 80's.
ReplyDeleteMy parents got an F+ for naming me on the downswing, but I don't recall knowing too many Heather's growing up. It was all Brian and Jennifer. I would be a Sofia today. That seems incorrect.
ReplyDeleteGretchen, I assume you've been to Baby Name Wizard's blog? If not, head there swiftly.
ReplyDeleteHm. My real name is a variant spelling that is more common in Europe (whence came the grandma I was named after). Apparently today I might be "Harley." God.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, according to Baby Name Voyager, Philomena was unaccountably popular in the early part of the century (peaking in the 300s in 1934) but has since dropped off the radar. Can't think why.
And kudos to my parents for giving me the middle name Emma, which was at its nadir of popularity in the 1970s but has had a resurgence.
At #34 for 1974, I'm pretty sure I have the worst 2010 name: Nevaeh. Ye...ah. And it sounds awesome with my last name.
ReplyDeleteWatts: I love your name; it was on my short list for a girl. And someone else who hangs around these parts has a niece with the same name. PS I thought you were a dude. Isn't anonymity fun?
christy in nyc: I was just congratulating myself on having two sons under the age of ten with no names ending in N when I remembered that Nate's name is actually Nathan. So never mind.
gretchen, feel free to float some names our way!
My parents get a D-
ReplyDeleteI was a Mark born in 1964, 6th most popular. Today I would be an Alexander. (Hell NO!)
With a middle name David, here are other famous Mark David's of my generation:
Baseball killer Mark David McGwire
Beatle killer Mark David Chapman
Me? I just kill bottles these days.
I love the Baby Name Wizard Name Voyager which graphs the names over time - http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager
ReplyDeleteGretchen's point is a good one - that ranking only by popularity in terms of comparison doesn't accurately portray the ubiquitousness of a name. I can tell you that on my middle school bus route, there were five of us with my name. That's why I frequently use my surname "Watts" as the name I answer to.
spacewoman, according to this fun little toy: http://www.bookblog.net/gender/genie.html I sometimes write like a dude, so I'm not entirely surprised you got that impression.
In 1982, Callie was the 489th most popular name, now it's at 233. My 2008 name (according to the ssa) is Taryn, which includes my biggest pet peeve, random y's. I always hated the name Callie growing up, but now I'm good with it.
ReplyDeleteYup, I'm a Susan. :) I think it was a little hard on my parents, giving them a D- for "Susan" in 1974 when the name had peaked 20 years earlier (in the Linda/Carol/Barbara era) and was somewhat out of fashion by then. (Susan was in the top five of names - often #1 - every year from 1945 through 1960, as I've heard it.) Supposedly I would be a "Victoria" now, but... no way.
ReplyDeleteOops, that guest was me. Although I suppose that wasn't hard to figure out.
ReplyDeleteYes, our parents liked the out-of generation names - "Marsha" was a generation late in 1971, having peaked in popularity in 1950, thus giving my parents a B- for originality. Apparently today I'd be "Makenna" (shudder).
ReplyDeleteNeither of my boys' names end in "n" (including their nicknames). I don't know if that makes me feel proud or out of step...
ReplyDeleteI can confirm that Watts is most definitely NOT a dude.
ReplyDeleteOh, and there's no way I'd be "Makenna" today. Based on our parents naming patterns, Sue and I would probably be Jennifer and Michelle.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't resist checking the reverse on my kids names -- I've got names number 721, 157, and 173 for their birth years. Apparently if I was re-naming them all now, I'd have Agustin, Jorge, and Kendra. Which cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteHow do you get it to look up your kids' names? I can't seem to make it do anything other than spacewoman.
ReplyDeleteMy name today would be Isabella, which is funny because I've always loved that name and hated that it's become so popular of late. Maybe by the time I have kids it'll have faded into obscurity and I can have a child named Isabella without her being 1 of the 20 in her class. I wasn't surprised my (real) name was so popular the year I was born - my parents thought they were being original and I ended up being one of three in kindergarten (including one with the same last initial as me, which led to my nickname).
ReplyDelete(I kind of love having this first name conversation on a blog where half the commenters are using pseudonyms).
I'm so boring - just using a patronym.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend two years older than me that also has a very common name from her birth year (Sarah) and when we had a birthday party with a photo scavenger hunt a few years back, we listed the top five names from our years of birth (not quite 10 total since there was some overlap) and told contestants to find someone with one of those names and take a picture of them with some form of their ID (personal details obscured). What made it challenging is that in a college town on a Saturday night, there aren't a whole lot of women with names popular 15 years before they were born. Only 2 of 5 teams got somebody; a Michelle and a seemingly-irritated Kimberly: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amywatts/2374908353/in/set-72157604317131788/
ReplyDeleteThank you, btw. I do say there are worse things than looking to Little Women for naming your girlbaby. Margaret, Josephine, Elizabeth, and Amy are all fine names. Although I don't think I'd stick a boy with the name Laurie these days.
ReplyDeleteAs an Amy with a daugher named Margaret I would heartily endorse the Little Women naming advice.
ReplyDelete"Nothing rocket-sciencey about it -- it takes a look at how popular your name was the year you were born, parses it in a couple of different ways, and that's more or less it. The fun part is that it then tells you what your parents might have named you if you had been born today" ...and then it correllates your name and birthdate with your phone and device number so that the app-writer can sell the information to third parties. Talk about fun!
ReplyDelete<span>spacewoman -- to check kids' names, I just went to the source material. I went to the SS website's name database, found the rank of the names for the year they were born and then found what name ranked there most recently (I think the last year available is 2008). </span>
ReplyDeleteA former co-worker of mine had a daughter named Addison and a son named Jayden.
ReplyDeleteMy parents get an A+, and they can't even give me a current name because my name has NEVER been popular, so it's not on any lists anywhere!
ReplyDeleteMy children, however, are all in the top 20 for the years they were born.
My history class in high school was 25 students in assigned seats in a 5x5 grid. My very mean teacher was too lazy to learn the names of the 5 Amys in class, so he seated us all in a column and we only ever got called on as a unit -- "one of the Amys?" The Amy that sat in front of me was a total gunner, so I never had to answer any questions.
ReplyDeleteI was ill-prepared for my 1L year.
My parents get a D+. Emily has been absurdly popular for years now, but I didn't know that many girls with my name when I was growing up. Accordind to fb, I'd be named Alexa today. My parents were both teachers and had a difficult time picking names for my brother and me because inevitably one of them had had a student that they didn't like with the same name they were considering.<span style="color: gray;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">
ReplyDelete</span></span>
At least it's not Callye.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were exceedingingly uncreative with my older brother and me. Brian was the #8 name for 1970 (when he was born) and Jennifer was #1 for 1972 (when I was born). They got a bit more creative with the younger siblings. Victoria was the #87 name for 1981 (when she was born). And Phillip was the #63 name for 1983 (when he was born).
ReplyDeleteI once sat in a row with 4 other kids whose moms all had the same first name as my mom. Linda Smith, Linda Stone, Linda Summers, Linda Tallent and Linda Watts.
ReplyDelete