Popular Baby Names from 1800s to 2010 – How Names Evolve
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The popularity of baby names has always been a subject of interest among expectant parents, researchers, and curious individuals alike. Understanding the trends and patterns of baby names over time can provide insight into cultural shifts, naming conventions, and even broader societal changes. A Redditorexplored the most popular baby names in the US from 1880 to 2010 and shared their findings. The question that naturally arises from this data is: what factors influence the popularity of baby names? Here are some of the most popular names.
William
One Redditor wrote, “The epic comeback of William.”
Another Redditor added, “I have a William. I’m so original.”
Linda
A user commented, “The epic rise and fall of Linda.”
A second user replied, “Wtf happened with Linda? There and gone, like it had never been.”
Liam
One comment read, “I was named Liam before it became popular.”
A second comment was, “Do people not know Liam comes from William?”
Dorothy
A Redditor replied, “I love the little jump that Dorothy made in the decade immediately following the publication of The Wizard of Oz.”
Jennifer
A comment read, “So many Jennifers. The 1972 data definitely checks out.”
Another comment said, “I was waiting for the Jennifer jump to popularity. Definitely an 80’s name.”
Isabella
One Redditor commented, “Love the rapid dawn and twilight of Isabella. Wonder why that happened ~2010…”
A second Redditor added, “You can see when the Twilight movies become popular.”
Michael
A most-liked comment read, “I’m guessing the popularity of Michael around the 80s may have to do something with Michael Jackson. Just a guess.”
Another popular one said, ‘This explains why everyone born in the 90s has an Uncle Mike (or in my case, 3).”
Emma
One Redditor added, “ Emma never goes out of style for long.”
A second Redditor replied, “Impressive how popular the name Emma got after Friends.”
Jason
A user wrote, “Every classroom in America through the 80s and 90s had 3-4 Jennifers!”
Another person replied, “I’m told Jennifer shot to popularity with the film Love Story.”
Kevin
A Redditor replied, “There were 5 Kevins at my elementary school.”
Mason
One surprised user said, “I was surprised to see Mason make a surge in the early 2010s. Never met or heard of anyone with that name.”
Another user added, “What’s weird is that I really fell in love with the name Mason for a boy after seeing it in a book, and decided if I had a baby boy, that’s what I would name him, and then the next year everyone was naming their sons Mason. It was like we all collectively discovered the name at the same time.”
Sienna
An annoyed Redditor wrote, “Every time I hear someone call out to their kid, it’s fu**ing Sienna.”
John
One comment said, “I have like 3 Uncle Johns.”
Another person said, “I’m surprised John wasn’t part of the final rankings!”
Mary
A user replied, “Michael and Mary top the charts for the longest earlier and later periods.”
Kayla
Finally, a Redditor added, “My extended family has 3 Kayleas (of various spellings).”
There you have it, some of the most popular names from the 1800s to 2010s. Redditors were quick to realize just how common the names of each decade really were by knowing many of them or actually being named one!
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