The two above descendants were listed on page 49 of the book I gave in the title to this post, under the heading "Fourth Generation". I found it in the first place due to Mary who married a man named Lockhart and then moved West (yes, thank you, nice to know, and we have sort of the time frame. Probably no sooner than the late 1780s and no later than.... The book was published in 1875 but I should think they migrated before turning 100 years old! Round about 1800 would be perfect and a time of a lot of migration west, to Ohio, for instance.) But I was more interested than such a scarce reference would normally generate due to her sister Ann who married a man named Benjamin Starr and then moved to PA (admittedly just to Chester County, which is almost like not moving to PA at all). Mom (my mom) in her research met a fellow Lockhart descendant by the name of Starr who lived in PA or OH I think. Though I suppose that Starr was her married name. It's always helpful to know which people married into which families, because, well, it just is. I wanted to keep this information without spending a lot of time on the source, but without losing where to find it, should I find other information I wish to check against this. I know that Parkers married into the Dennys and with the McClures and that Josiah Lockhart of Lancaster's wife was a McClure. But I do not offhand recall if there are any Palmers in our extended relations. Not even relations so much as just 'oh hi, how are you' folk.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of John and Mary Palmer of Concord ...
The two above descendants were listed on page 49 of the book I gave in the title to this post, under the heading "Fourth Generation". I found it in the first place due to Mary who married a man named Lockhart and then moved West (yes, thank you, nice to know, and we have sort of the time frame. Probably no sooner than the late 1780s and no later than.... The book was published in 1875 but I should think they migrated before turning 100 years old! Round about 1800 would be perfect and a time of a lot of migration west, to Ohio, for instance.) But I was more interested than such a scarce reference would normally generate due to her sister Ann who married a man named Benjamin Starr and then moved to PA (admittedly just to Chester County, which is almost like not moving to PA at all). Mom (my mom) in her research met a fellow Lockhart descendant by the name of Starr who lived in PA or OH I think. Though I suppose that Starr was her married name. It's always helpful to know which people married into which families, because, well, it just is. I wanted to keep this information without spending a lot of time on the source, but without losing where to find it, should I find other information I wish to check against this. I know that Parkers married into the Dennys and with the McClures and that Josiah Lockhart of Lancaster's wife was a McClure. But I do not offhand recall if there are any Palmers in our extended relations. Not even relations so much as just 'oh hi, how are you' folk.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
LANDMARKS OF THE SSA LIST OF THE 1000 MOST POPULAR NAMES OF 2015
On your tour of the SSA list of the top 1000 names in America in 2015, be sure to take note of these:
Tristan and Jasmine are no longer ranked 100. Tristan has stayed close to home, falling out of the top 100 but only by one spot, as he is now listed at 101.Jasmine seems to have made a definite move away from 'stardom' as she fell 12 spots to 112. Instead, become at ease with Elias and Khloe. Those are the new residents at 100, though they represent movement in opposite directions. Khloe, like her predecessor Jasmine, has arrived at 100 from a spot 12 spots higher as she was ranked 88 in 2014. It is not premature to suggest that either Khloe as a name is becoming less popular (or is it? Chloe went from 18 in 2014 to 17 in 2015, which suggests relative stability) or it has lost status due to an increase in popularity of another spelling of the name or to a greater variety of spellings becoming more common for the name. Elias is making a slow and steady move up the list, going from 103 in 2014 to 100 in 2015.
Which names are 'waiting in the wings'? Or have experienced a growth in popularity that suggests they may soon enter the top 100? And which names are 'on their way out', showing a decrease in their popularity? Some names tend to hover around a certain level of use or familiarity. Which names are relatively well-used names but just not 'the most popular'? Also remember that this is NATIONAL data. But all of these people live in certain places where a name may be experiencing something different from the national trend, it contributes to the overall situation of the name, but it is not what you experience in any given place that you go.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
Jayce (in 2014: 150 in 2015: 132, rose 18 spots)
Emmanuel (in 2014: 165 in 2015: 150, rose 15 spots)
Bradley (in 2014: 183 in 2015: 173 rose 10 spots)
Leilani (in 2014: 218 in 2015: 178, rose 40 spots)
Everly (in 2014: 178 in 2015: 138, rose 40 spots)
Adalyn (in 2014: 153 in 2015: 132, rose 21 spots)
Isla (in 2014: 150 in 2015: 141, 9 rose spots)
ON THEIR WAY OUT
Kaleb (in 2014: 147 in 2015: 165, fell 18 spots)
Richard (in 2014: 141 in 2015: 155, fell 14 spots)
Ivan (in 2014: 132 in 2015: 138, fell 6 spots)
Maxwell (in 2014: 107 in 2015: 113, fell 6 spots)
Kendall (in 2014: 132, in 2015: 147, fell 15 spots)
Brooke (in 2014: 138 in 2015: 150, fell 12 spots)
Reese (in 2014: 165, in 2015: 173, fell 8 spots)
THE GRASS IS NOT GREENER
Jonah (in 2014: 138 in 2015: 143, fell 5 spots)
Jesse (in 2014: 174 in 2015: 178, fell 4 spots)
Kyle (in 2014: 178 in 2015: 175, rose 3 spots)
Ashton (in 2014: 143 in 2015: 141, rose 2 spots)
Miles (in 2014: 108 in 2015: 107, rose 1 spot)
Micah (in 2014: 109 in 2015: 108, rose 1 spot)
Gracie (in 2014: 165 in 2015: 163, rose 2 spots)
Lyla (in 2014: 141 in 2015: 142, fell 1 spot)
Tristan seems to be comfortable where he is, at 100. He only rose 1 spot from 101 in 2014. Camden also, at 104, has only dropped 3 spots from 101. Alexandra, also 101 in 2015, is on her way out, dropping 9 spots from 92 to 101. Kayla, a name ranked at 102 in 2014 has fallen to 115 this year, dropping 13 spots. Morgan has fallen further, going from 101 in 2014 to 120 in 2015.
Some names have 'crossed the barrier' or entered the top 100 names this year. Cora did it, leaving her spot at 109 for a spot in the sun up at 88 (that's 21 spots she skipped over!) Theodore did as well, slipping into the top 100 at 99, leaving his place at 126 wide open, he moved 27 spots! Sawyer did the same, leaving his spot at 110 to jump in the 100 at 94 (so only 16 spots ahead).
Hazel made herself NOTEWORTHY by swooping in and capturing a seat at 63 from her niche on the sidelines at 105 in 2014. Which is to say that she sailed over 42 spots to wind up where she is now. Along with Leilani and Everly, she's among the 'movers and shakers' crowd of the top 100.
Tristan and Jasmine are no longer ranked 100. Tristan has stayed close to home, falling out of the top 100 but only by one spot, as he is now listed at 101.Jasmine seems to have made a definite move away from 'stardom' as she fell 12 spots to 112. Instead, become at ease with Elias and Khloe. Those are the new residents at 100, though they represent movement in opposite directions. Khloe, like her predecessor Jasmine, has arrived at 100 from a spot 12 spots higher as she was ranked 88 in 2014. It is not premature to suggest that either Khloe as a name is becoming less popular (or is it? Chloe went from 18 in 2014 to 17 in 2015, which suggests relative stability) or it has lost status due to an increase in popularity of another spelling of the name or to a greater variety of spellings becoming more common for the name. Elias is making a slow and steady move up the list, going from 103 in 2014 to 100 in 2015.
Which names are 'waiting in the wings'? Or have experienced a growth in popularity that suggests they may soon enter the top 100? And which names are 'on their way out', showing a decrease in their popularity? Some names tend to hover around a certain level of use or familiarity. Which names are relatively well-used names but just not 'the most popular'? Also remember that this is NATIONAL data. But all of these people live in certain places where a name may be experiencing something different from the national trend, it contributes to the overall situation of the name, but it is not what you experience in any given place that you go.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
Jayce (in 2014: 150 in 2015: 132, rose 18 spots)
Emmanuel (in 2014: 165 in 2015: 150, rose 15 spots)
Bradley (in 2014: 183 in 2015: 173 rose 10 spots)
Leilani (in 2014: 218 in 2015: 178, rose 40 spots)
Everly (in 2014: 178 in 2015: 138, rose 40 spots)
Adalyn (in 2014: 153 in 2015: 132, rose 21 spots)
Isla (in 2014: 150 in 2015: 141, 9 rose spots)
ON THEIR WAY OUT
Kaleb (in 2014: 147 in 2015: 165, fell 18 spots)
Richard (in 2014: 141 in 2015: 155, fell 14 spots)
Ivan (in 2014: 132 in 2015: 138, fell 6 spots)
Maxwell (in 2014: 107 in 2015: 113, fell 6 spots)
Kendall (in 2014: 132, in 2015: 147, fell 15 spots)
Brooke (in 2014: 138 in 2015: 150, fell 12 spots)
Reese (in 2014: 165, in 2015: 173, fell 8 spots)
THE GRASS IS NOT GREENER
Jonah (in 2014: 138 in 2015: 143, fell 5 spots)
Jesse (in 2014: 174 in 2015: 178, fell 4 spots)
Kyle (in 2014: 178 in 2015: 175, rose 3 spots)
Ashton (in 2014: 143 in 2015: 141, rose 2 spots)
Miles (in 2014: 108 in 2015: 107, rose 1 spot)
Micah (in 2014: 109 in 2015: 108, rose 1 spot)
Gracie (in 2014: 165 in 2015: 163, rose 2 spots)
Lyla (in 2014: 141 in 2015: 142, fell 1 spot)
Tristan seems to be comfortable where he is, at 100. He only rose 1 spot from 101 in 2014. Camden also, at 104, has only dropped 3 spots from 101. Alexandra, also 101 in 2015, is on her way out, dropping 9 spots from 92 to 101. Kayla, a name ranked at 102 in 2014 has fallen to 115 this year, dropping 13 spots. Morgan has fallen further, going from 101 in 2014 to 120 in 2015.
Some names have 'crossed the barrier' or entered the top 100 names this year. Cora did it, leaving her spot at 109 for a spot in the sun up at 88 (that's 21 spots she skipped over!) Theodore did as well, slipping into the top 100 at 99, leaving his place at 126 wide open, he moved 27 spots! Sawyer did the same, leaving his spot at 110 to jump in the 100 at 94 (so only 16 spots ahead).
Hazel made herself NOTEWORTHY by swooping in and capturing a seat at 63 from her niche on the sidelines at 105 in 2014. Which is to say that she sailed over 42 spots to wind up where she is now. Along with Leilani and Everly, she's among the 'movers and shakers' crowd of the top 100.
More Fun With the SSA List of Names from 2015
First, a little history.
Liam seems to me the name in the top 10 that is newest to U.S. name royalty. This is not his first year ranked #2, but it is only his 4th year to be among the 10 most popular names for boys. It's only his 5th year to be in the top 20 names. Liam has only been ranked among the top 50 names for 7 years now. He has spent a total of 10 years ranked in the top 100. But that's just how long he's been among the MOST popular names given. He's been among what I call 'the most familiar' names given since 1994, which rather corresponds to the time since actor Liam Neeson became 'a household name'. Personally. I don't recall ever having heard of Liam as a name until I became familiar with Liam Neeson due to movies like Rob Roy (with one of my favorite actresses, Jessica Lange). That is to say, Liam has been one of the top 500 names given since then. So how long has he been in the top 1000 baby names given? Once you leave the top 500 and start talking about the top 1000 names given you are talking about names like:
Rank in 2015 1994 1967 1916 Year Rank was Highest
(year Liam 1st entered
the top 1000 names) with rank in ( )
Darius 501 155 590 -- 1991 -1992 (152)
Douglas 618 156 33 151 1942 (23)
Briggs 745 -- -- -- 2015 (745)
Reginald 875 295 126 346 1968 (118)
Yehuda 953 -- -- -- 2012 (897)
Liam seems to me the name in the top 10 that is newest to U.S. name royalty. This is not his first year ranked #2, but it is only his 4th year to be among the 10 most popular names for boys. It's only his 5th year to be in the top 20 names. Liam has only been ranked among the top 50 names for 7 years now. He has spent a total of 10 years ranked in the top 100. But that's just how long he's been among the MOST popular names given. He's been among what I call 'the most familiar' names given since 1994, which rather corresponds to the time since actor Liam Neeson became 'a household name'. Personally. I don't recall ever having heard of Liam as a name until I became familiar with Liam Neeson due to movies like Rob Roy (with one of my favorite actresses, Jessica Lange). That is to say, Liam has been one of the top 500 names given since then. So how long has he been in the top 1000 baby names given? Once you leave the top 500 and start talking about the top 1000 names given you are talking about names like:
Rank in 2015 1994 1967 1916 Year Rank was Highest
(year Liam 1st entered
the top 1000 names) with rank in ( )
Darius 501 155 590 -- 1991 -1992 (152)
Douglas 618 156 33 151 1942 (23)
Briggs 745 -- -- -- 2015 (745)
Reginald 875 295 126 346 1968 (118)
Yehuda 953 -- -- -- 2012 (897)
Monday, May 9, 2016
My Top Ten Names of the Top 100
From the SSA's list of the top 100 baby names of 2015, these are the 10 I like the best (their actual rank on the list is in parentheses):
James (9)
Matthew (16)
Alexander (8)
Aaron (50)
Thomas (54)
Michael (7)
Benjamin (12)
Nathaniel (94)
Jonathan (44)
Henry (33)
-------------
Elizabeth (14)
Katherine (82)
Alice (98)
Lily (27)
Julia (86)
Ellie (55)
Ella (17)
Anna (34)
Lucy (61)
Annabelle (57)
James (9)
Matthew (16)
Alexander (8)
Aaron (50)
Thomas (54)
Michael (7)
Benjamin (12)
Nathaniel (94)
Jonathan (44)
Henry (33)
-------------
Elizabeth (14)
Katherine (82)
Alice (98)
Lily (27)
Julia (86)
Ellie (55)
Ella (17)
Anna (34)
Lucy (61)
Annabelle (57)
The One Hundred Best Names of the Year (2015)
Thank you, Social Security Administration, for this data.
| Rank | Male name | Female name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | Emma |
| 2 | Liam | Olivia |
| 3 | Mason | Sophia |
| 4 | Jacob | Ava |
| 5 | William | Isabella |
| 6 | Ethan | Mia |
| 7 | James | Abigail |
| 8 | Alexander | Emily |
| 9 | Michael | Charlotte |
| 10 | Benjamin | Harper |
| 11 | Elijah | Madison |
| 12 | Daniel | Amelia |
| 13 | Aiden | Elizabeth |
| 14 | Logan | Sofia |
| 15 | Matthew | Evelyn |
| 16 | Lucas | Avery |
| 17 | Jackson | Chloe |
| 18 | David | Ella |
| 19 | Oliver | Grace |
| 20 | Jayden | Victoria |
| 21 | Joseph | Aubrey |
| 22 | Gabriel | Scarlett |
| 23 | Samuel | Zoey |
| 24 | Carter | Addison |
| 25 | Anthony | Lily |
| 26 | John | Lillian |
| 27 | Dylan | Natalie |
| 28 | Luke | Hannah |
| 29 | Henry | Aria |
| 30 | Andrew | Layla |
| 31 | Isaac | Brooklyn |
| 32 | Christopher | Alexa |
| 33 | Joshua | Zoe |
| 34 | Wyatt | Penelope |
| 35 | Sebastian | Riley |
| 36 | Owen | Leah |
| 37 | Caleb | Audrey |
| 38 | Nathan | Savannah |
| 39 | Ryan | Allison |
| 40 | Jack | Samantha |
| 41 | Hunter | Nora |
| 42 | Levi | Skylar |
| 43 | Christian | Camila |
| 44 | Jaxon | Anna |
| 45 | Julian | Paisley |
| 46 | Landon | Ariana |
| 47 | Grayson | Ellie |
| 48 | Jonathan | Aaliyah |
| 49 | Isaiah | Claire |
| 50 | Charles | Violet |
| 51 | Thomas | Stella |
| 52 | Aaron | Sadie |
| 53 | Eli | Mila |
| 54 | Connor | Gabriella |
| 55 | Jeremiah | Lucy |
| 56 | Cameron | Arianna |
| 57 | Josiah | Kennedy |
| 58 | Adrian | Sarah |
| 59 | Colton | Madelyn |
| 60 | Jordan | Eleanor |
| 61 | Brayden | Kaylee |
| 62 | Nicholas | Caroline |
| 63 | Robert | Hazel |
| 64 | Angel | Hailey |
| 65 | Hudson | Genesis |
| 66 | Lincoln | Kylie |
| 67 | Evan | Autumn |
| 68 | Dominic | Piper |
| 69 | Austin | Maya |
| 70 | Gavin | Nevaeh |
| 71 | Nolan | Serenity |
| 72 | Parker | Peyton |
| 73 | Adam | Mackenzie |
| 74 | Chase | Bella |
| 75 | Jace | Eva |
| 76 | Ian | Taylor |
| 77 | Cooper | Naomi |
| 78 | Easton | Aubree |
| 79 | Kevin | Aurora |
| 80 | Jose | Melanie |
| 81 | Tyler | Lydia |
| 82 | Brandon | Brianna |
| 83 | Asher | Ruby |
| 84 | Jaxson | Katherine |
| 85 | Mateo | Ashley |
| 86 | Jason | Alexis |
| 87 | Ayden | Alice |
| 88 | Zachary | Cora |
| 89 | Carson | Julia |
| 90 | Xavier | Madeline |
| 91 | Leo | Faith |
| 92 | Ezra | Annabelle |
| 93 | Bentley | Alyssa |
| 94 | Sawyer | Isabelle |
| 95 | Kayden | Vivian |
| 96 | Blake | Gianna |
| 97 | Nathaniel | Quinn |
| 98 | Ryder | Clara |
| 99 | Theodore | Reagan |
| 100 | Elias | Khloe |
Sunday, May 8, 2016
2015's Top 50 Names
According to the SSA, these names were the most popular last year:
I enjoy comparing things, so here's the list for 2014
Names that left the top 50 names in 2015:
| Rank | Male name | Female name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | Emma |
| 2 | Liam | Olivia |
| 3 | Mason | Sophia |
| 4 | Jacob | Ava |
| 5 | William | Isabella |
| 6 | Ethan | Mia |
| 7 | James | Abigail |
| 8 | Alexander | Emily |
| 9 | Michael | Charlotte |
| 10 | Benjamin | Harper |
| 11 | Elijah | Madison |
| 12 | Daniel | Amelia |
| 13 | Aiden | Elizabeth |
| 14 | Logan | Sofia |
| 15 | Matthew | Evelyn |
| 16 | Lucas | Avery |
| 17 | Jackson | Chloe |
| 18 | David | Ella |
| 19 | Oliver | Grace |
| 20 | Jayden | Victoria |
| 21 | Joseph | Aubrey |
| 22 | Gabriel | Scarlett |
| 23 | Samuel | Zoey |
| 24 | Carter | Addison |
| 25 | Anthony | Lily |
| 26 | John | Lillian |
| 27 | Dylan | Natalie |
| 28 | Luke | Hannah |
| 29 | Henry | Aria |
| 30 | Andrew | Layla |
| 31 | Isaac | Brooklyn |
| 32 | Christopher | Alexa |
| 33 | Joshua | Zoe |
| 34 | Wyatt | Penelope |
| 35 | Sebastian | Riley |
| 36 | Owen | Leah |
| 37 | Caleb | Audrey |
| 38 | Nathan | Savannah |
| 39 | Ryan | Allison |
| 40 | Jack | Samantha |
| 41 | Hunter | Nora |
| 42 | Levi | Skylar |
| 43 | Christian | Camila |
| 44 | Jaxon | Anna |
| 45 | Julian | Paisley |
| 46 | Landon | Ariana |
| 47 | Grayson | Ellie |
| 48 | Jonathan | Aaliyah |
| 49 | Isaiah | Claire |
| 50 | Charles | Violet |
I enjoy comparing things, so here's the list for 2014
| Rank | Male name | Female name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | Emma |
| 2 | Liam | Olivia |
| 3 | Mason | Sophia |
| 4 | Jacob | Isabella |
| 5 | William | Ava |
| 6 | Ethan | Mia |
| 7 | Michael | Emily |
| 8 | Alexander | Abigail |
| 9 | James | Madison |
| 10 | Daniel | Charlotte |
| 11 | Elijah | Harper |
| 12 | Benjamin | Sofia |
| 13 | Logan | Avery |
| 14 | Aiden | Elizabeth |
| 15 | Jayden | Amelia |
| 16 | Matthew | Evelyn |
| 17 | Jackson | Ella |
| 18 | David | Chloe |
| 19 | Lucas | Victoria |
| 20 | Joseph | Aubrey |
| 21 | Anthony | Grace |
| 22 | Andrew | Zoey |
| 23 | Samuel | Natalie |
| 24 | Gabriel | Addison |
| 25 | Joshua | Lillian |
| 26 | John | Brooklyn |
| 27 | Carter | Lily |
| 28 | Luke | Hannah |
| 29 | Dylan | Layla |
| 30 | Christopher | Scarlett |
| 31 | Isaac | Aria |
| 32 | Oliver | Zoe |
| 33 | Henry | Samantha |
| 34 | Sebastian | Anna |
| 35 | Caleb | Leah |
| 36 | Owen | Audrey |
| 37 | Ryan | Ariana |
| 38 | Nathan | Allison |
| 39 | Wyatt | Savannah |
| 40 | Hunter | Arianna |
| 41 | Jack | Camila |
| 42 | Christian | Penelope |
| 43 | Landon | Gabriella |
| 44 | Jonathan | Claire |
| 45 | Levi | Aaliyah |
| 46 | Jaxon | Sadie |
| 47 | Julian | Riley |
| 48 | Isaiah | Skylar |
| 49 | Eli | Nora |
| 50 | Aaron | Sarah |
Names that left the top 50 names in 2015:
Aaron (droppped to 52), Eli (dropped to 53)
Sarah (dropped to 58), Sadie (dropped to 52), Gabriella (dropped to 54), Arianna (dropped to 56)
The names that took their places:
Charles (rose from 51 to 50), Grayson (rose from 63 to 47)
Violet (rose from 67 to 50), Ellie (rose from 55 to 47), Paisley (rose from 53 to 45), Alexa (rose from 63 to 32)
For fun, I made some name combinations with the names on the 2015 list. I liked these best:
James Andrew
Alexander Luke
Matthew Isaac
Benjamin Caleb
Chloe Aria
Elizabeth Natalie
Victoria Leah
Emma Audrey
TOP 20 NAMES OF 2015
Many thanks to the Social Security Administration for giving us this data.
The top 20 names are:
The top 20 names are:
| Rank | Male name | Female name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | Emma |
| 2 | Liam | Olivia |
| 3 | Mason | Sophia |
| 4 | Jacob | Ava |
| 5 | William | Isabella |
| 6 | Ethan | Mia |
| 7 | James | Abigail |
| 8 | Alexander | Emily |
| 9 | Michael | Charlotte |
| 10 | Benjamin | Harper |
| 11 | Elijah | Madison |
| 12 | Daniel | Amelia |
| 13 | Aiden | Elizabeth |
| 14 | Logan | Sofia |
| 15 | Matthew | Evelyn |
| 16 | Lucas | Avery |
| 17 | Jackson | Chloe |
| 18 | David | Ella |
| 19 | Oliver | Grace |
| 20 | Jayden | Victoria |
For comparison, here are the top 20 names of 2014:
| Rank | Male name | Female name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | Emma |
| 2 | Liam | Olivia |
| 3 | Mason | Sophia |
| 4 | Jacob | Isabella |
| 5 | William | Ava |
| 6 | Ethan | Mia |
| 7 | Michael | Emily |
| 8 | Alexander | Abigail |
| 9 | James | Madison |
| 10 | Daniel | Charlotte |
| 11 | Elijah | Harper |
| 12 | Benjamin | Sofia |
| 13 | Logan | Avery |
| 14 | Aiden | Elizabeth |
| 15 | Jayden | Amelia |
| 16 | Matthew | Evelyn |
| 17 | Jackson | Ella |
| 18 | David | Chloe |
| 19 | Lucas | Victoria |
| 20 | Joseph | Aubrey |
The biggest changes are that Joseph and Aubrey dropped out of the top 20 names this year and Oliver and Grace both entered the top 20 at 19, plus the changes with the top 10... Harper and Benjamin rising and Madison and Daniel dropping into the bottom half of the top 20. The other big change was that Jayden dropped 5 places, from 15 to 20
I thought it might also be nice to consider the longterm history of these names. Emma, for instance, has been number 1 for 2 straight years in a row. She may have been that popular in the 1800s. but the SSA data does not go back any further than 1880, when she was ranked 3rd, after Mary and Anna. Victoria, at the bottom of the list, has spent 2 straight years in the top 20. Even though dropping to 20 from 19 may indicate she's on her way out of the top 20 names, the last time she was ranked this high for 2 years in a row, last year's high school seniors were brand-spankin' new in the hospital nursery.
On the boy's side, let's take a look at William, a perennial classic for, well, hundreds of years now. It has been ranked 5th since 2009, except for 1 year at #3 (in 2011). It has fallen as low as 20th, but it has never fallen lower than that. It was not this popular, though, for a long time, by which I mean, it was not in the top 5 names, from 1950 until '09. But before 1950 it was 4th for 2 1/2 decades, and #3 before that, and #2 before that, in fact, as far back as the SSA data goes.
And Matthew. Though he's at 15 right now, his luck has varied somewhat, from being ranked 2nd in the mid-90s to 209 in 1931. He only entered the top 100 60 years ago in 1956, which surprised me a bit, as I thought Matthew had always been as popular as he was when I was growing up, which is about when he joined the top 10 names. Only since 2008 has he fallen out of the top ten. Matthew is one of my all-time favorite names, so I hope he stops dropping and climbs right back up on top. He's never been #1 and I think it's high time he was!
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Top Baby Names in the U.S.A. for 2015
Every year on the Friday before Mother's Day the Social Security Administration releases the most popular baby names in the United States as calculated through requests for social security numbers of children born here the previous year. Before you look at the top 10 names for 2015, have a look at 2014. |
|---|
|
The main difference, I think you'll notice, is that not much changed. The top 3 names for both boys and girls are exactly the same. Other than losing Daniel, on the boy's side, and Madison, on the girl's side, thereby gaining Harper (for girls) and regaining Benjamin (for boys), the only other difference is that a few names switched spots. The biggest change really is that Ava is now in the top 4 names used for girls last year. Will she make it to #1 someday? Is 4 the highest she'll go? Is she here to stay, a new classic or will she fall out of favor for generations?
| Rank | Male name | Female name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noah | Emma |
| 2 | Liam | Olivia |
| 3 | Mason | Sophia |
| 4 | Jacob | Ava |
| 5 | William | Isabella |
| 6 | Ethan | Mia |
| 7 | James | Abigail |
| 8 | Alexander | Emily |
| 9 | Michael | Charlotte |
| 10 | Benjamin | Harper |
I thought it might be nice to examine the bottom half of the top 20 names in 2015 by just making some name combinations using the first half of the list (names 1-10).
Here's what I came up with:
Noah Jayden
Liam Oliver
Mason Elijah
Jacob Logan
William Jackson
Ethan Lucas
James Matthew
Alexander David
Michael Aiden
Benjamin Daniel
Emma Victoria
Olivia Chloe
Sophia Grace
Ava Madison
Isabella Evelyn
Mia Elizabeth
Abigail Avery
Emily Sofia
Charlotte Ella
Harper Amelia
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
NTMN - 4
BOYS
Ludwell
Templeman
Townshend
I'm familiar with the names, but had not seen them used as first names before. These were all men involved in the Episcopal Church in Virginia at the end of the 18th century.
Well, actually, I don't suppose I ever had seen Templeman either as a name or word before.
Ludwell
Templeman
Townshend
I'm familiar with the names, but had not seen them used as first names before. These were all men involved in the Episcopal Church in Virginia at the end of the 18th century.
Well, actually, I don't suppose I ever had seen Templeman either as a name or word before.
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