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NY 2005 Male Names: Michael 2,057, Matthew 1,814, Joseph 1,638, Anthony 1,604, Ryan 1,582
Note on data limitations:
Please note that name data are not edited. For example, the sex associated with a name may be incorrect. Entries such as "Unknown" and "Baby" are not removed from the lists.
Different spellings of similar names are not combined. For example, the names Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaitlynn, Katelin, Katelyn, Katelynn, and Katlyn are considered separate names and each has its own rank.
There are variants of my name sprinkled among the 400s and 500s and topping out at 243, but I'm pleased to say that my spelling is not represented in the top 1000 for 2005. (Though there are a few AKC-registered dogs with my name in Google Images.)
these are all very boring, unimaginative white-sounding names. not just "white", but 'crackerassed honky white'.
although, it is somewhat ironic i think... the inevitable self-fulfilling fate of growing up to be a stripper when your parents name you "destiny" (#32).
and "angel" (also #32)?! wtf? that's almost as retarded as "nevaeh" (#70!) (zomg it's 'heaven' spelled backwards! wow that is, like, so deep!)
What is with the "Madison" craze...? It's clever the very first time you think: "hey, cool, it's like a fairly masculine name, but totally repurposed. Interesting!" But I am so over that at this point. What's next? 60 million girls named "Douglas" by 2035?
Oh well, it can't be worse than the tsunami of Kristen/Kiersten/Kristy/Karsten that I was drowned by in high school. Fuck if I could keep them all straight.
Mine is #69. It peaked in 1998, when I was 18 and at my most virile. Though I hope I don't actually have thousands of bastard children out there named after me. Because if they're named after me, it means the mothers think I'm the daddy, and that means impending lawyers, child support, and other assorted babymamadrama.
42. But I was number one during the seventies and eighties. I guess people burnt out on Jennifers, hence a pretty steady decline since 85. How the mighty have fallen?
During my college orientation I was told that if you can't remember a girl's name, call her Jenny and you'll probably be right. For guys, go with Jeff or Eric. It was the second most important tip I got. (The first was to bring a rectangular laundry basket, not round, as the rectangular ones are the perfect size for sneaking a case of beer into the dorms. )
I've never had an issue with having an uncommon name. Of course if by unusual you mean something like Trixibelle Moon Unit Satchel Hirani then some day they will put you in that home featured on 60 Minutes.
OK, the biggest gainer among boys names was Braylon, up 340 to #363. (I'm guessing that's one of them ethnic names...)
The biggest gainers in the top 100:
* Brayden +27 to 80
* Landon +25 to 61
* Carter +12 to 76
etc. for Angel, Aiden, Diego, Hayden, Sebastian, Mason, Lucas, Wyatt, Jack, Jayden, Adrian, Noah, Owen, Dominic, Caden, Gavin, Jesse, Gabriel, Jackson .... at the top of the list, names only moved up to 3 spaces, though.
Biggest losers:
* January -518 to 852
* Kanye -401 to 488 (I guess there was a short fad for College Dropout)
Biggest female winner:
* Emerson +460 to 442
* Nevaeh, Mariah, Brooklyn, Gracie, Gabrielle, Mya, Lillian, Gabriella, Kaylee (Firefly?!)
Vaulting into the top 20 (more variation for girls):
* Ava +16 to 9
* Mia +13 to 17
Biggest female losers:
* Charlize -282 to 907
So both boys and girls are seeing a lot more of the last-name-as-first-name phenomenon. Black kids are getting more new names and retiring old names faster (perfume and liqueur names like Amaris falling quickly).
Oh, and don't forget the other new statistic -- that 45% of kids under 5 are non-white. I think I see in these raw names a trend toward last-names-as-first-names that are black-identified. It would be interesting if there were parallel trends like that. I'm also curious to know how assimilated Hispanics are becoming.
The "name by region" map of the U.S. from babynamewizard is interesting (my favorite, "Zoe", is in "Creative Fringe", yo, yo). I also find the blog a good read, even though I'm not interested in namin' no babies.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
