25 November, 2004

Name history

Something I hadn't seen before: type a name into the search box at BirthdayAlarm.com and see not only how common it is now, but how popular it's been for babies born in each decade of the 20th century.

It's USA-based, which rather reduces the relevance to fashions here in the UK, but it's mildly interesting to know that Helen was the second most popular female name 1900-1919 and in third place for the 1920s, but had become more exclusive ;) (241st) by the 1970s when 'my' H was born. Likewise my mother, who was named towards the end of the peak of Jean's popularity in the 1940s (18th in the 1930s, 934th in the 1990s). Me? 194th in the 1970s, though I don't like my given name, so it's of limited interest.

[Via Superflicious]