A frivolous poll.

[rivka]

The Social Security Administration, bless their hearts, keep a record of baby name popularity by year. That's how I know that my personal baby name preferences ranged in 2003 popularity from #1 (Emily) to #388 (Genevieve) on the girls' side, and from #12 (Ryan) to #231 (Miles) on the boys' side.

That's also how I know a lot of things about Americans' preferences in baby names that I would rather not have known.

Is there an actor or athlete or singer or something named Jayden/Jaiden/Jaden/Jaydon/Jadon? There must be a reason why a name I've never heard of inexplicably appears half a dozen times in the top 500 baby names. Is there any rational reason to name your baby Jazmine or Jazmin? Is everyone who names their baby "Tatum" a Tatum O'Neill fan, or is there a darker explanation? How come "Annie" is more popular than "Anne?" How come "Bailey" is more popular than "Lisa?" What keeps "Matthew" in the top ten when "Edward" has dropped down below "Landon" and "Tristan?"

I couldn't resist turning this whole mystery into a poll. All questions are based on the 2003 popularity of baby names for boys and girls. No fair looking it up. I'll post the correct answers tomorrow night, with popularity rankings.

[Poll #352842]

Comments

[castiron.livejournal.com]

I spend a lot of time with the Frederick County, Maryland censuses (1850-1910), and I've rarely seen the name Mark in them. Plenty of Matthews and Lukes, and of course a gazillion Johns, but rarely a Mark (no, no Marcuses either). Clearly it wasn't a popular gospel among the good Frederick folk.