Popular Girls Names: Their ups and downs

Very fascinating! You’re right, I was surprised by some of those inclusions. For one, I hadn’t realised that Avery had been on the girl’s list since the 1980s. Having grown up on Charlotte’s Web, it still reads boy to me.

I’m looking forward to that article on name constants!

In a weird way, it makes me feel better about naming my daughter Zoe – knowing that her name has been a popular one over a century and not just a blip on the Popular Name Radar lately. I love her name, but was hesitant to name her something so “trendy”. Now I wouldn’t change it, but I like knowing it’s come and go so frequently throughout time.

I love the posts analyzing the name stats. Thanks!

I love this blog! I’d love to see more like this. It’s all so interesting that I don’t even know where to begin! I was definitely surprised by a LOT of these stats. Like the fact that most of the names that entered the top 1000 since the 60s have never left.

I can’t imagine an Alexis or Kimberly born in the 40s, or a Kayla in the 50s. And I can’t believe Layla didn’t come around until the 70s! I had a great-great aunt Layla born in the 1890s…

Also find it interesting that the 70s had Destiny and Trinity, the 80s had Genesis, the 90s had Serenity, and now we have Nevaeh… It’s like every generation wants to find it’s own new spiritual name… And I don’t want to step on any toes, but I think it’s strange that most of those names have a bit of a trashy-stripper vibe… Maybe that’s why we always try to find a new one that doesn’t come across that way? And maybe that’s part of why everyone hates Nevaeh already and calls it trashy, when obviously the little babies with the name aren’t trashy… But we connect it to the others? I don’t know, just thinking…

Amazing the amount of boy names the girls have stolen over the years. Pretty impressive. And it just means that the unisex trend will never end, because as some names fade away, others rise up.

I’ve never understood the concept of girls “stealing” names from the boys camp. Names will only become lost for boys if parents of boys stop using them. For example, Jordan and Cameron have remained primarily boys names over the last decade although both names have increased for girls.

I would love to see the same with Names from England!

We would too, May — wish there were enough statistics to make it possible.

It seems odd that Jennifer isn’t anywhere on this list since it seems like every other person in their 30s has the name.

I was born in the 50s and don’t remember any girls with the names posted as 50s names when I was in school, though I do remember a lot of Susans (seems I was never in a class when I was the only Susan), Kathys, Karens, Lisas, Sharons, Sandys, and Tracys, none of which appear on the list.

I was the only Susan in my class/year until another one moved to my school in 5th? 6th? grade. I lived in an area where there was a large Italian population, so the girls who had names like Anna, Maria, Lisa, … were the ones who had their last initial or full surname used to distinguish who the teacher was calling on. Later on, in bigger schools and other areas, I was one of a herd of Susans.
I was born in the late 60s.