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Forgive Me, Eleanor

July 30, 2019 LauraWattenberg 2 min read 5 Comments

I have a confession to make. It has been weighing on me, a dreadful little tingle of guilt every time I look at the new 4th edition of the Baby Name Wizard book. Now it’s time to come clean and try to make amends. Readers, I left out Eleanor. It’s […]

Where Are the Classic Names Now?

July 23, 2019 Namerology 2 min read 1 Comment

The mighty have fallen. The names that ruled over the English-speaking world for centuries have been deposed, and I can prove it with a single chart. Take a look at this past vs. present view of some classic names, 1900 vs. 2018: The 2018 column shows the number of American […]

A Tale of Two Halles

July 10, 2019 Namerology 2 min read 1 Comment

It was the “huh?” heard ’round the world. For half a day, reports spread that actress Halle Berry had been cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. The response was global bafflement. Some was surely directed at Berry’s race (though “outrage” over a black Ariel turned […]

Photo of jock, cheerleader and nerd movie stereotypes

Why Do Incels Obsess Over Chad and Stacy?

July 2, 2019 LauraWattenberg 5 min read 5 Comments

How do you name an archetype? An idealized concept should feel realer than reality, summing up your whole image of a slice of the world. Whatever name you choose, it will reveal a lot about your worldview. That’s certainly the case with the online subculture of “incels” and the two […]

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