I’ve been wanting to add baby name popularity graphs to Nancy’s Baby Names for years now.
Finally, that wish has become a reality!
I uploaded tens of thousands of baby name popularity graphs about a week ago.
Each graph shows you the number of babies that got a particular name (e.g., Nancy) every year since 1880.
Why did I use raw numbers instead of rankings? Three reasons:
- Numbers often give you a more realistic picture of name usage. For example, Michael was in the top 2 from 1954 all the way until 2008, but the numbers indicate that Michael was much more popular in the ’50s and ’60s than it was anytime after.
- Numbers allow you to see the usage of rare names that have never “ranked” — names like Olethia, Romulus and Arlandria.
- Number-based graphs aren’t commonly found on baby name websites, and I wanted to offer you guys something you may not have seen before.
How can you view the graphs? Just use the links below to get into the directory, then click any name to be taken to the graph page.
- Girl names: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
- Boy names: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
The baby name popularity graphs are still being perfected, but I think they look good enough now for me to officially announce their arrival. :)
If you like them, dislike them, have questions, have suggestions, etc., I’d love to hear from you. Either leave a comment below or contact me via email.
If you really like them, I’d appreciate it if you would help me spread the word. Please share any of the graph pages (e.g., Quinn), letter pages (e.g., boy names starting with Q), or name list pages (e.g., Boy Names) on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or wherever else you hang out online. Thanks!
Update, 1/11/13: I’ve added length-based name lists!