Name Guides
Understanding baby names, one guide at a time
Ten guides covering how name popularity actually works, where names come from, and how to make sense of a century of SSA data.
The History of American Baby Names: A Century of SSA Data
How the Social Security Administration's baby name records came to be, and what a century of data reveals about naming in America.
How Baby Name Trends Rise and Fall: What the Data Shows
A look at the general patterns behind why some names climb the popularity charts quickly while others fade slowly, based on decades of naming data.
Understanding Name Popularity Rankings: What the Numbers Actually Mean
A plain-language guide to reading name popularity rankings and counts without over-interpreting what they actually represent.
Unisex and Gender-Neutral Names: A Growing Trend
How names used across both sexes have become more common in recent decades, and what the data shows about this shift.
Where Do Baby Names Come From? A Guide to Name Origins
An overview of the major categories names typically come from, and how understanding origin adds context to popularity data.
Nostalgia Names: Why Old-Fashioned Names Keep Coming Back
Exploring the well-documented pattern of names cycling back into popularity roughly a century after their earlier peak.
Celebrity and Pop Culture Influence on Baby Naming Trends
How much influence celebrities, films, and television actually have on baby naming trends, according to patterns visible in the data.
Sibling Names: How Parents Choose Names That Go Together
Common approaches parents take when choosing names for multiple children, and what that pattern looks like in naming data.
Regional and Cultural Naming Traditions Around the World
A brief overview of how naming customs vary across cultures, and how that context relates to U.S. naming data.
How to Use Historical Name Data When Choosing a Name
Practical tips for getting the most out of historical baby name data without over-relying on any single number.