So here’s my question. I love browsing through Nameberry and editing my list of favorite names. [name]One[/name] thing I want to avoid is giving my future kids a name that’s epidemically popular, but what do the rankings really mean? For example, I know [name]Clara[/name] - one of my favorites - was ranked #167 in the US in 2010. What does that translate to in real numbers…like how many thousands, what percentage, what ratio?? Does anyone know how to find out that information?
On the SSA site (Popular Baby Names), you can check a box to find out the number of births or percent total births for any name in the top 1000. So [name]Clara[/name], at #167, was given to 1,822 babies, representing .0939% (a bit less than 1 in 10000) of all baby girls born in the United States in 2010. That’s a lot fewer Claras than #1 ranked [name]Isabella[/name], which was given to 22,731 baby girls, representing 1.1709% (more than 1 in 100) of all births.
And remember, 1 in 100 girls seems like a lot, but you’re not statistically likely to have two Isabellas in a classroom of 20 kids. It will certainly happen, but it’s far less common than in say, 1975, when a full 4% of children were given #1 names [name]Michael[/name] and [name]Jennifer[/name]. I’d also recommend checking your state’s popularity ranking- some names are top 10 in certain states but not even top 100 nationally, and regional popularity is often far more relevant.
Although I look into all these rankings too, you also have to consider that in some states, some names are trendier then others. So while a name like [name]Emerson[/name] #315 in 2010, I have heard like 10 little girls named it!! So I think locational trends make a difference and are important to account for. (And I’ve never met a [name]Clara[/name] even though it’s “more popular” than [name]Emerson[/name]).
As PP said, some names are more popular in one area over another. For example, the top 10 names in my state are totally different than the USA top 10 (a few overlap but some surprises are in there!). Check out Popular Names by State to find out what the popularity is in your state. Your location says Ohio so I checked out your state’s list… [name]Clara[/name] is not in the top 100. #100 on the list is [name]Mary[/name], which was given to 112 babies. That means there were definitely less than 112 Claras born in Ohio in 2010. Not bad odds [name]IMO[/name].
Thanks, berries…this is great info!!
Yeah it is hepful! Thanks! I love some of the names that are “over-used” but then read a blog post that basically said what daisy said. The popularity fear has gotten to us because of how popular the number one names were in our day, when really the percentage of people who use the number one names is much smaller than it was then - phew! I think looking at a state index is a great idea. Good luck!