Slate article p2 - with inter. list

Avatar for sholland47
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Slate article p2 - with inter. list
2
Wed, 04-13-2005 - 10:33am

http://slate.msn.com/id/2116505/

snippet:
"But how does a name migrate through the population, and why? Is it purely a matter of zeitgeist, or is there a more discernible pattern to these movements?

Consider the 10 most popular names given to white girls in California in 1980 and then in 2000. A single holdover: Sarah. So, where do these Emilys and Emmas and Laurens all come from? Where on earth did Madison come from? It's easy enough to see that new names become very popular very fast—but why?

Let's take a look at the top five girls' names and top five boys' names given during the 1990s among high-income white families and low-income white families, ranked in order of their relative rarity in the opposite category. Now compare the "high-end" and "low-end" girls' names with the most popular ones overall from 1980 and 2000. Lauren and Madison, two of the most popular high-end names from the 1990s, made the overall top-10 list in 2000. Amber and Heather, meanwhile, two of the overall most popular names from 1980, are now among the low-end names.

There is a clear pattern at play: Once a name catches on among high-income, highly educated parents, it starts working its way down the socioeconomic ladder. Amber, Heather, and Stephanie started out as high-end names. For every high-end baby given those names, however, another five lower-income girls received those names within 10 years. "

and Most Popular names of 2015?
http://slate.msn.com/id/2116505/sidebar/2116512/

enjoy!

Sarah


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Avatar for devonelisa
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 04-14-2005 - 7:16am

It's called 'aspirational naming' but the writer is clearly not a philologist or mommy or he'd know just how wrong he is on that list.

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Avatar for tgdye
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 04-14-2005 - 11:05pm
I love your analysis! I want to reread it when I get a chance because I know I didn't catch it all. You definitely seem to be passionate about names. And thank you to Sarah (sholland47) for the article -- I do think some valid points were made. I love this stuff...