Names Popularity articles

Well, we’re still going through the treasure throve that is the Social Security Administration’s archives, and with 136 years of data, there’s plenty left still to discover! And while some names always stay in fashion – Michael, Emma, John, Anna – others fall in and out, while still more disappear forever. Here are a few that stood out for us from the earliest SSA records of 1880 and which we think could be worthy of resurrection!

Tired of Liam, Noah and James? Want a name that has a bit more uniqueness and character? Well, have no fear! Especially for you, we've compiled an A to Z of some of last year's least used names that definitely have some serious possibility. Enjoy! A is for… Alden – last year less than 400 Aldens were born, but it makes a nice alternative to Alden and has a softer, more poetic sound. B is for… Bode – a robust and firm sounding name, and with only 203 babies given this name in 2016, it's definitely unique!

Yesterday we brought you an A to Z of underused and – in our opinion! – underappreciated boys names. Today? It's all about the girls! A is for Astrid – this is a really cool name with a huge amount of Viking sassiness. It means 'divinely beautiful' and we think it is too! B is for Briar – there's a tomboyish charm to this name, but also simplistically feminine. Your little princess will also share their name with one of the Disney princesses: Briar Rose.

Day 3 of us rooting through the SSA's baby name vault! This time looking at the ten most popular names 100 years ago. Plenty of classics to be found, but do any of them surprise you? John means 'God is gracious' and, if nothing else, it has certainly graced a lot of Social Security cards! After enjoying its first four or so decades at the top spot, the name has seen a very (very!) small, though consistent, drop in popularity. Last year just under 10,000 Johns were born; 100 fewer than the more recent J-name addition, Jayden.

Yesterday we saw the ten most popular names from 25 years ago, and today we're looking even further back, to 1966. One thing we've definitely noticed going through the historic statistics is that while the same names keep on cropping up in the boys' lists, girls' names are very much affected by the fashion of the time. Something we noticed looking through the statistics is that in the past parents seemed far more concerned with fitting in with the current naming trends. Take Michael: in 1966, nearly 80,000 baby boys were given this name.

Confession: we've been completely obsessed with the Social Security Administration's baby name page ever since they released 2016's 1000 most popular names early in May. (As a friendly warning from us to you, do not go onto the website unless you're OK with getting sucked into lists of baby stats for several hours!) After learning everything we could about 2016's list, we thought we'd delve a little deeper and look into the archives to see what's changed of the years. Today, we look back at 1991! Has much changed in the last 25 years?