
America’s Biggest Celebrity Baby Name? Baby Ruth.
From baby names to brand names, one little girl left her mark.
From baby names to brand names, one little girl left her mark.
What are the most popular baby names of the past 100 years? Trends come and go, but has the big picture changed?
Is there a “before” and “after” moment in modern American history? A time when the trajectory changed, when we started living and thinking differently?
A French genealogy site offers the chance to look at four centuries of baby name popularity. What new questions can such a long view answer?
On this election eve, let’s take a moment to remember some past times when Americans were challenged, or inspired, and some of the values that united us. 1918: PeaceAs Armistice finally brought an end to the horrors of the First World War, parents celebrated with baby names that reflected the […]
There’s nothing subtle about a name like Danger. Its meaning is spelled out right in front of you, with attitude to match. Meaning-first names, drawn straight from the dictionary or from history, are a growing element of contemporary, high-impact name style. They can be as fresh and bold—or as personal […]
He’s a duke, he’s a rake, he’s a Sebastian. Welcome to the world of Regency romance.
My hometown has three colleges, a proud literary heritage, and a really sketchy name. Amherst, Massachusetts was named in 1759 by a colonial governor in honor of Lord Jeffrey Amherst. Lord Jeffrey was a British commander during the French and Indian war whose military techniques included biological warfare and genocide. […]
What will baby names look like for the rest of 2020? It’s a deeper question than it may seem, because names are more than just fashion statements. They’re reflections of parents’ attitudes and obsessions, hopes and dreams. That makes names a barometer of a nation’s state of mind—especially in a […]
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 […]
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