In the comment section of last week’s post on old & new French names, Bridgett came up with a great idea: Why not do the same thing for a U.S. city?
I checked the online editions of 8 or 9 U.S. city newspapers. Some had birth announcements, others had obits/death notices, the rest had neither. So I gave up on cities, switched to towns, and soon found some useful information for Plymouth, Massachusetts:
| Male Births | Male Deaths | Female Births | Female Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Aidan Alexander Calvin Connor Jayden John Levon Oliver Patrick Souheil William Zachary |
Albert Alfred Carl David James Joseph Joseph Paul Steven |
Ashlynn Brianna Grace Isobel Ivy Kealyn Leila Lila Marlee Molly |
Alice Barbara Beatrice Deanna Elizabeth Elsie Karin Lorraine Marilyn Mirandy Miriam Rose Virginia Virginia |
I couldn’t list two of the babies — Skyler Reece and Riley Paige — because I’m not sure about the gender in either case. (I would guess they’re both female, but who knows.)
Also, I should mention that the average age of those listed in the death announcements is 78.
Now it’s your turn: Which set do you prefer, the “old” names or the “new” names?
Also, if you know of a city newspaper that publishes both birth and death announcements online, I’d appreciate it if you would shoot me an e-mail. Thanks!
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