Posted on 03/09/2015 7:42:07 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Well, this is a real head-scratcher — not least because if you want a list of the first and last names of Americans, you'd better have either a lot of time and money or work for the NSA. Unfortunately, I don’t fit either description, so I’m going to try to piece together two separate databases — one for first names and one for surnames. But as I’ll explain, those data sets can’t be stitched together so easily. If they could, we’d be able to say that “John Smith” is the third most common full name in America, but in reality it probably doesn’t even make it into the top 10.
To get you an answer, my colleague Andrew Flowers and I tried a more sophisticated technique that reached a different conclusion: We think the most common name in America might very well be James Smith.
Here’s how we got there.
First off, first names. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a database of all first names back to 1880. That date should tip you off to a problem — sadly none of the 1,746 babies christened “Minnie” in 1880 is still alive today. To take deaths into account, we looked at the number of babies born each year since 1910 and, using actuarial data on life expectancy, tried to figure out how many of them are still around. (Our boss, Nate Silver, used a similar methodology when he looked at the typical age of Americans with various names.)
Factoring in life expectancy also corrects for the varying popularity of first names over time. For instance, women named Brittany tend to be younger than, say, those named Ethel.
(Excerpt) Read more at fivethirtyeight.com ...
Or, Jose... followed closely by Hose B.
(Smiths can be the Anglicization from a lot of other primary names, but I think Williamses are Williamses)
Or Deniece......and Denephew
I like Emily because it’s euphonius and you can make up a lot of rhymes with it, too. I think I have seen quite a few girls in their teens and 20s with it.
Plenty of children are given biblical names nowadays, including many names that were not used in the 50’s and 60’s. Names like Eli, Josiah, and Noah as well as the always popular names like David, Daniel and Joseph.
My great, great grandmother was named “Minnie,” she came over from Germany around 1880.
Sounds complicated, lotsa moving parts. On the new TV comedy/cop series “Battle Creek” last night there was a character named Jose McTavish, or something similar, who was a gangster that controlled the maple syrup market in Battle Creek, Michigan. Unlikely combinations of given and surnames crack me up. This show is pretty funny.
Among the surnames, I'm heartened that Welsh is hanging in there with Williams, Jones and Davis; English with Smith, Johnson, Brown, Miller, Wilson, Taylor, Lee, Moore and Jackson. Thomas surname could be English, French, German, Dutch or Danish. Long-established Hispanic families weigh in with the conquistador names: Garcia, Rodriguez, Martinez, Hernandez, Lopez, Gonzalez and Perez. Scots bring up the rear with Anderson.
Among the top men's first names, 9 are Biblical, and of these, 6 are strongly associated with Christianity: Michael, David, Daniel, James, John, Joseph, Thomas, Matthew, Mark. Also in the top 7 men’s names: Christopher.
Of the remaining 4 men’s names, Robert, William, Charles and Anthony, all are based in European culture.
My guess is that among the untabulated hispanic population, there will also be an even higher percentage of translated or untranslated Biblical and European names.
right ... and Jezabel ?
Sorry, McKinley’s assassin was the anarchist, Garfield’s was just deranged, but the Doctor was almost equally culpable.
It is interesting that ‘Joseph’ has a negative correlation with every common surname.
My guess is that most of them have either Irish or Italian surnames. Joe Grasso? Joe O’Neal?
“.. I’ve long been fascinated by the way that fashion changes...”
Me too. I saw a Civil War monument with names “Robert” and “William” were very prevalent. If you wander through old cemeteries, you will find the same thing... i.e. common/more popular names for the time.
LaQuisha
Some bint.
I was in High School in the 40s and we had a girl named “Dorcas”.
I have never met another one.
.
How many white folks is namin’ they chilluns Barack?
Dorcas was popular among Hispanics, as it is a Catholic name and hearkens to a biblical character.
My daughter, now 40, was named Emily after my Aunt Emily.
I used to have a boss named Jim Smith. Told me there even a club/Organization of Jim Smiths. And they had get togethers. I bet hotel and restaurant staffs had fun dealing with that confusion.
I first heard of “Dorcas” in Cuba.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.