Comments on: My Irresistible Rise

By: Zizka

Zizka — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 13:39:35 +0000

I did something about this awhile back. Since about 1950 names have become more volatile, especially for girls. The top ten girls’ names changed completely every ten years, and only half the top ten names of 1999 were on the 1990-1996 list. In pontificationary terms, it seems that there was a movement from stability and normality as a principle to originality as a principle. Parental drug use are the cause of this. “Michael” rose to “1 during the XXc, after being being #10, whereas Robert rose to #1 and then fell out of the top ten. During the first 70 years of the century Mary and Marie or Maria were in the top ten together, but no more. I suggested the name “Ebola” for my niece’s daughter, but she didn’t like it for some reason. My brother was working in medicalrecords once and came across the newborn name “Darvon”, though it was probably a hoax.

By: maha, aka "Barbara"

maha, aka "Barbara" — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 17:44:36 +0000

A shame about Barbara. It’s the BEST name. Also, I was shocked that the list of Welsh names left out Bronwyn, Blodwyn, and Myfanwy. (So happens I have distant cousins in Wales named Bronwyn, Blodwyn, and Myfanwy.)

By: DCA

DCA — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 17:34:39 +0000

Ella looks like an echo of the even faster-rising Isabella. Explanations welcome.

By: Richard Bellamy

Richard Bellamy — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 16:53:56 +0000

Neither of my daughter’s names made the Top 1000, which means that they finished behind Destiny (37), Destinee (470), Destiney (890), and Destini (892). Also, can anyone account for the sharp drop in popularity in Deborah, which was never Top 10 material, but has been plummeting sharply every year since 1990 from to 200s down into the 600s? Have there be a steady stream of vaguely annoying Deborahs that have turned people off of the name?

By: nate

nate — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 16:08:13 +0000

My daughter (7 months old) is on the Ella bandwagon. But her name was picked out years before she was born, and we had no idea there was an Ella upsurge when she was born. Very strange.

By: q

Thu, 15 Jul 2004 15:59:35 +0000

Monica is on a downer too!

By: cleek

cleek — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 15:34:14 +0000

interestingly, “W” was the 61st most-popular name from 1900 to 1909.

By: Ciar�n Ó hEalaithe

Ciar�n Ó hEalaithe — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 14:07:06 +0000

Don’t get Irisher-than-thou with me.

By: Ken Houghton

Ken Houghton — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 14:06:55 +0000

So I checked “Jenna” and “Barbara,” both of which show a trendline downward since 2000 (the “Barbara” line has been going down since before then; the “Jenna” line peaked in 2001 and remains above its 2000 level). Should we interpret this as a negative for the Bush administration?

By: Ciar�n

Ciar�n — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 13:56:04 +0000

Just a pity they can’t spell it, then…

By: Kieran Healy

Kieran Healy — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 13:40:57 +0000

I laughed my tea out my nose. On the other hand, the attack on Irish names cut close to the bone…

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Thu, 15 Jul 2004 12:17:49 +0000

I note that John is far more popular than in the UK where it’s been totally displaced by Jack. But the crucial link for a post like this is Baby’s Named a Bad, Bad Thing