Jezebel has an interesting series of maps up showing the most prominent names in all 50 states from 1960 through 2012 based on Social Security Administration records. Here’s the map for 1960, when Mary pretty much ruled the land: 
And here’s 2012,which shows Emma predominating but Sophia holding out on the West Coast, with small pockets of support in the East: 
There’s also an animated GIF at the link that tells the tale. It’s like watching the advance and retreat of armies across a battlefield.
The Advance And Retreat Of Girls Names 1960-2012
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23 responses to “The Advance And Retreat Of Girls Names 1960-2012”
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In 1993 my husband wanted our daughter to have the name Jennifer-i remember telling him everyone was named Jennifer (and in my age cohort they were). I gave in and she is a Jennifer-and was the only one in her grade and the surrounding grades.
In 1995 I chose the name Emily thinking it would be unique-and of course it wasn’t-there are Emily’s everywhere.
Moral to the baby naming story-if you want your child to have a unique name among her peers-choose one of the most popular names from your own age cohort.
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And here’s 2012,which shows Emma predominating but Sophia holding out on the West Coast, with small pockets of support in the East
Emma has the support of lots of flyover states, so the name may have won the most States, but it didn’t win the popular vote (nor the Electoral Collage outright, which turns out stands at 252 for Sophia, 250 for Emma, 29 for Isabella, 4 for Olivia, and 3 for Ava… Need better data to find out who actaully won that, which names did the congressional districts choose?)
In 2012, 20791 girls were named Emma, but 22158 girls were named Sophia.
(Isabelle, the third most popular name, only won one state, but, being given to 18931 girls, it’s only 1860 behind Sophia.) -
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Mary, on the other hand, will never go out style. Gotta go Biblical. Jezebel knows that.
Mary was given to every 687th newborn girl in 2012, which makes it the 123rd most common name.
Not sure I’d call it in style. Not compared to 1960, when it was given to every 39th newborn girl, or 1880 when it was given to every 13th newborn girl…But then, individualism and choice has won.
In 2012, the most common name was given to every 7869th newborn girl, which makes it about 600 times less common among newborn girls then Mary was in 1880…
In 2012 19380 different names were given to at least 5 newborn girls, in 1960 that number was 7334, in 1880 942…
(* All statistics based on names given to more than four newborn girls)
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Slightly OT, but years ago, I read an article in one of the Sunday supplements about people who claimed to have been abducted by space aliens, and all the women who had these alleged extraterrestrial adventures were named names like “Skye,” or “Amber,” or “Caresse,” or “Jewel.” I wondered if the aliens deliberately avoided snatching women named, say, “Elizabeth,” or “Jane,” or “Anne,” or “Sally.” Not to speak of “Susan,” “Mary,” or “Donna.” Or even “Kim” and “Lisa.”
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@PJ:
In 2012, the most common name was given to every
7869th79th newborn girl, which makes it about6006 times less common among newborn girls then Mary was in 1880…FTFY…
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@CSK:
There’s a chapter on baby names in Freakonomics, I think that one is highly relevant here. -
I don’t know why some parents want unique names for their children. But if you’re going to give your child a unique name, make it a good one. Someone, whose surname is “West”, named his daughter “North”. So her name is North West. Why would anyone want to give their daughter a weird name? I don’t understand that.
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@PJ:
It is. Johnny Carson once asked Frank Zappa why he’d named his daughter “Moon Unit.” Zappa snarled, “Well, what was I supposed to call her—D**chebag?” Well, no, Frank, but there’s a host of other possibilities.
The point about weirdo names is that they’re commonplace now, hence, mainstream. On the other hand, if you’d named your kid “Blue Ivy” in 1955, she’d either be in intensive therapy by age fifteen or stripping in Vegas.
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@Barfour: It must be something about the surname West. I know a couple named West with three sons: Wylde, Easton, and Rydon.
/smh
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James my sister and I are both born in the late 60’s I am a Kim and her name is Lisa. Indont recall that many Lisas but there were a ton of Kims (Jennifers and Michelles) and it didn’t help to have a popular first name paired with a common last name. My college screwed paperwork because there were at least 5 of us with the same name.
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@Franklin:
I was born a little late for that phase, but I’m surprised that Lisa once completely and unanimously ruled the United States. Seems like there should be a bunch of 50-year-olds named that but I don’t know any.
It didn’t completely and unanimously rule the United States, about 2.3-3.4% of newborn girls were named Lisa during those years.
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A few years ago I took my daughter went to a children’s park-playground in my town, and while I was watching her play and run around from a distance, I started counting the names I heard the moms and dads called out for their kids.
in 90 minutes I counted 4 Taylors (2 boys 2 girls), 3 Zoes, 2 Macies, 3 Sophias, and 3 Emilys.
That’s when I realized that the names of my youth were gone.
