# How popular is your name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2005, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792 "2005-06-10T20:51:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/61 "2005-06-12T03:34:15Z")
Whoa! This [list](http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/4307/names.htm) (scroll down a ways) actually has my name (Osiris) under boys names. So if there was 1 in a 1% sample that means there were about 100 born with that name in the US between January and August of 1997. Way more then I thought there were. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/62 "2005-06-12T03:34:58Z")
This bites. My name has been a dud from _waayy_ back (or at least as far the chart goes), completely bottoming out for decades at a time. It isn’t like I exactly _like_ my name, but at I adapted to it–grudgingly at times–because my mom’s best friend was the inspiration. I grew into it when it wasn’t all that damned easy. I quite literally knew of five people who had my name–and three of 'em were dead. Now it’s trendy–and _I hate it_. Yeah, so that’s contrary. I was X when X wasn’t cool. Nothing like being a doughty name-flatliner who suddenly sees a slash-dotted spike in popularity. Whippersnappers. Bet they don’t even pronounce it right. Gritch, gritch, gritch. Veb\* (\* not my real name) ---
**Author:** ![Frankenbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c0e974/32.png) [@Frankenbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankenbear)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/63 "2005-06-12T06:17:59Z")
My first name wasn’t in the top 1000 for any decade, as I suspected. It’s a rather unique name. My middle name peaked in the 60s at 165. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/64 "2005-06-12T12:38:49Z")
Clint had a wave of popularity in the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/65 "2005-06-12T15:07:41Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > And my dad his 27 in the 30s. He was always one of a million Bobs and didn’t like it. I entered Robert (the formal version of my name, though I generally go by “Bob”) and learned it followed a rise from 9-8-6-4 from the 1880’s to 1910’s, became the top male name for the '20’s and '30’s, slipped to second in the Forties and third the next decade (I was born in '59), and has followed a 5-7-8-20-36 decline since then. My dad’s father was Clarence – 17th in the 1900’s when Grandpa was born, 745th now. His wife was Elizabeth, and thus never saw her name fall too far out of fashion. Mom’s father was Huber, which the site apparently takes as a misspelling of “Hubert” and lumps in with that name. His wife was Miriam, which was never in the top 100 but did peak during the decade of her birth (1910’s). ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/66 "2005-06-12T16:37:13Z")
Michael John Miller The Trifecta of common names. I might as well be Michael John Miller Wong Smith. and I have no real qualms with lettin’ you know my real name caus there’s _so damn many of us!_ ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/67 "2005-06-12T17:19:49Z")
My name in the 70s (Amanda) - 17 (and my mom thought she was being original, because she’d never known anyone else with an Amanda) My name now - 67. I think it was in the top 20 in the 90s, though. Our first daughter will probably be a Miranda, and that’s 127 in 2004, and it was 74 or so in the 90s. So it’s losing popularity, which is good since I won’t name a child anything that’s higher than 50 on the SS name list. E. ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/68 "2005-06-12T18:18:03Z")
My name with the way it’s spelled has never been in the top 1000 in any decade (which I can believe, because in my whole life, I’ve only met one person who knew someone who had it as a middle name), however, Michelle peaked at number 4 in the 70s and was unknown before the 30s. In 2004, it was number 66. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/69 "2005-06-12T18:21:02Z")
> [@Elza B](#): > > My name in the 70s (Amanda) - > > Our first daughter will probably be a Miranda, > > E. Partial to Latin gerundives, are we? “She who must be loved,” “she who must be admired”… ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/70 "2005-06-12T18:40:25Z")
I peaked at #7 in the '40’s. No wonder I feel old! That’s an awesome website. ---
**Author:** ![Aangelica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Aangelica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aangelica)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/71 "2005-06-12T19:42:08Z")
After nearly seven decades off the chart, my name is back up to 231. Go figure - my name got trendy after my mom gave it to me. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/72 "2005-06-12T19:55:17Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Partial to Latin gerundives, are we? “She who must be loved,” “she who must be admired”… Heh - no, just partial to names my husband won’t argue about for a month;). Although she will have a middle name that sounds NOTHING like Elizabeth, as I don’t want her name to sound like her mother’s. E. ---
**Author:** ![popgoesthebaldie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a698b9/32.png) [@popgoesthebaldie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/popgoesthebaldie)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/73 "2005-06-12T20:43:34Z")
Ooo, it’s purdy! My first name: 119 143 190 248 285 350 305 135 35 2 15 64 106, with me being born the decade after its peak. Also ranked as a boy’s name (945th) in the 1970s only, when it peaked as a girl’s name. 😕 My middle name has been in a perfect bell-curve decline since the 1910s, but I know plenty of Louises. Then again, I do live in the UK, which the site doesn’t cover. And I managed to stumble across a thousandth rated name. 😃 Vergil, 1920s. ---
**Author:** ![DirtyHippy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtyhippy/32/107_2.png) [@DirtyHippy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirtyHippy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/74 "2005-06-12T22:41:40Z")
Hey Jacob, I want my spot back. Michael was #2 in the 50’s, when I was born, and has been #1 since. Until 2004, when it dropped to #2. Behind … Jacob. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/75 "2005-06-13T01:38:27Z")
Sally peaked at #65 in the 1940s. It was #380 when I was born in the 1980s and has dropped to #918 as of last year. I don’t know how correct that is, though - the Social Security Web site has my name as not being in the top 1000 for the past few years. ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/76 "2005-06-13T14:28:26Z")
My name - none My wife’s name - none My daughter’s name - none Our soon to be son’s name if a boy (next week) - none Our soon to be daughter’s name if a girl - none Gee, we are really good at unusual names, until it comes to boys - Son # 1 - ranked 49th Son # 2 - ranked 69th - oh well. ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/77 "2005-06-13T14:55:28Z")
Drat. As recently as 1990, my name wasn’t on the chart, but now it’s skyrocketed to 571. I was there first, dammit. At least my full name isn’t in there. ~ Isaac (not real name) ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/78 "2005-06-13T15:06:16Z")
You’re not alone Anaamika. You’d be hard-pressed to find other ppl named Dorjän either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/79 "2005-06-13T20:00:01Z")
My name’s peaked twice: in the 1910’s (#51), and in the 1950’s and 1960’s (#59). When I was born, it was the #110th most popular (boy) name in this country. Now, it’s at #364. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792/80 "2005-06-13T21:51:30Z")
Wow. My name (which is not, of course, actually Audrey) “peaked” at #114 in the fifties. It fell out of favor very swiftly after that and is no longer found in the top 1000. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-popular-is-your-name/307792.md?page=5)