First up: Appellation Mountain is now on Patreon. It’s a mix of naming advice, analysis of naming trends, and exclusive lists. (And yes, bonus analysis of the new data release!)
Plus patrons can access:
- Exclusive discounts on private name consults
- Priority for #namehelp on the site
- Priority for requesting featured names
ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Did you watch the official video the Social Security Administration made to introduce this year’s Top Ten? It’s on the homepage now. It’s introduced and narrated by Kilolo Kijakazi, the acting commissioner of the agency. Isn’t Kilolo the most fascinating name? It’s apparently Swahili and means youthful. And there’s a tiny spike in usage circa 1970, possibly around the time Kijakazi was born. But I can’t tell why. (My best guess is that it appeared on a list like this one, but it’s only a guess.)
Speaking of names data, it’s always a treat to talk with the lovely Caroline Bologna at the HuffPost. You can read all about the rise of the baby name Dutton in her article here.
Medusa, Coyote, Apricity. The bottom of the popularity list can be a free-for-all. Laura at Namerology does a great job rounding up some truly surprising choices. Hoping for the boys’ list next week!
The Well Informed Namer covered names that left the Top 1000. There are always some surprises. (Ellen!) But, of course, there are lots of good reasons names rise and fall. An obvious takeaway: pop culture shelf life can be brief, indeed.
Nancy focuses on the numbers, noting that the most popular length for given names is 5 letters, followed by 6. for both genders. After that, it looks like we have a slight tendency to go shorter for boy names, longer for girls – but the difference is relatively modest.
That’s all for this week! As always, thanks for reading – and have a great week.
