Baby names: The latest partisan divide

[heightsyankee]

Evan, Elizabeth, Rachel, Abigail and John all have something in common. They were born this spring at Fletcher Allen hospital in Burlington, Vt.

Around the same time, a group of babies named Paislee, Liberty, Rykan and Scottlynn were all born in and around North Platte, Neb.

Styles of baby names, it seems, are nearly as different in various parts of the country as voting habits. "There is an enormous red state and blue state divide on names," says Laura Wattenberg, founder of BabyNameWizard.com and author of The Baby Name Wizard, which claims to be "the expert guide to baby name style."

But this doesn't play out the way you might expect. More progressive communities, Wattenberg says, tend to favor more old-fashioned names. Parents in more conservative areas come up with names that are more creative or androgynous.

"Sometimes people have a naive expectation that people who are politically conservative on social issues would name their kids in traditional ways, and it doesn't always happen that way," says Andrew Gelman, a professor of statistics and political science at Columbia University and author of Red State, Blue State, Rich State, Poor State.


The reason for more outlandish-sounding names cropping up in conservative quarters is simple, Wattenberg says. Women in red states tend to have their first children earlier than women in blue states. A 23-year-old mom is more likely to come up with something out of the ordinary than one who is 33.

That's not to say all baby names in places like Mississippi sound much different from those in Massachusetts. Fashionable names such as Emma, Jacob and Jayden are about equally popular all over the country.

But, as demonstrated by the Social Security Administration's latest annual list of the most popular monikers, the percentage of newborns given the trendiest names is much smaller than it was a generation ago.

At the height of the baby boom, nearly 25 percent of all boys and girls had the 10 most popular names. Now, only about 8 percent of all children are given one of the 10 most popular names.

So, there likely will never be as many Isabellas and Wyatts running around as there were Marys and Jims.

"As it becomes more important to differentiate yourself, for jobs and getting into college, people are looking for any way to accomplish that" — including baby names, says Bill Bishop, author of The Big Sort, a book about how Americans are increasingly living among people who share their cultural and political preferences.

Whether the greater number of stand-out names in Republican-leaning states will ultimately afford those children any real advantage remains to be seen, however.

"My parents said the most important thing in a name was picking something that nobody could make fun of," Bishop says.

www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/14/152487425/baby-names-the-latest-partisan-divide?sc=fb&cc=fp

[heightsyankee]

May 14, 2012 10:40:23 GMT -5 heightsyankee said:

"My parents said the most important thing in a name was picking something that nobody could make fun of," Bishop says.

www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/14/152487425/baby-names-the-latest-partisan-divide?sc=fb&cc=fp

Have to add this makes me laugh. If adults think we can out think kids, we are so wrong. My husband's name is Ray and he was still made fun of. By the time we are old enough to have children (responsibly), schooling has beat most of the creativity out of us. Kids are always going to be more clever. We can not outsmart them, especially in the cruelty arena.

[heightsyankee]

May 14, 2012 10:42:34 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

I also thought the less educated you were, the more creative your name choice?

I think there is a direct correlation there...

[msmerymac]

May 14, 2012 10:42:34 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

I also thought the less educated you were, the more creative your name choice?

I think that was a chapter in Freakonomics. There was a whole list in the back and both my name and my husband's name indicated a high level of maternal education.

[charminglife]

What kind of name is Rykan?

[marie427]

May 14, 2012 11:02:27 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

May 14, 2012 10:42:34 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

I also thought the less educated you were, the more creative your name choice?

I think that was a chapter in Freakonomics. There was a whole list in the back and both my name and my husband's name indicated a high level of maternal education.

My mom has an eighth-grade education (from another country) and thankfully my siblings and I ended up with normal names. We dodged a bullet there!

I agree that this might also be more of an age thing too rather than a blue state-red state thing. Admittedly, I live somewhere where most of my peers don't have kids until their late 20s at the earliest (but mostly 30s), but I have yet to meet someone who had their first kid at 30+ and named their kid something like Paislee. If I were to meet a kid named Paislee, I'd automatically assume she has a mother no older than her mid-20s. Maybe that's an unfair assumption, but it's just what I'm used to.

[heightsyankee]

May 14, 2012 11:15:41 GMT -5 marie427 said:

I agree that this might also be more of an age thing too rather than a blue state-red state thing. Admittedly, I live somewhere where most of my peers don't have kids until their late 20s at the earliest (but mostly 30s), but I have yet to meet someone who had their first kid at 30+ and named their kid something like Paislee. If I were to meet a kid named Paislee, I'd automatically assume she has a mother no older than her mid-20s. Maybe that's an unfair assumption, but it's just what I'm used to.

I agree there is probably an age component to it but from where I sit, I see a lot of 30+ moms who name their kids things like Paislee. Around here there is a definite stereo type for moms who pick names like that and it has little to do with age. They are typically suburban and, in Houston, chances are that definitely means conservative.

[Deleted]

Red states tend to be poorer and less educated. I think this goes back to Freakonomics and naming.

[jessiespano]

May 14, 2012 10:42:19 GMT -5 heightsyankee said:

May 14, 2012 10:40:23 GMT -5 heightsyankee said:

"My parents said the most important thing in a name was picking something that nobody could make fun of," Bishop says.

www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/05/14/152487425/baby-names-the-latest-partisan-divide?sc=fb&cc=fp

Have to add this makes me laugh. If adults think we can out think kids, we are so wrong. My husband's name is Ray and he was still made fun of. By the time we are old enough to have children (responsibly), schooling has beat most of the creativity out of us. Kids are always going to be more clever. We can not outsmart them, especially in the cruelty arena.

My brother chose my nephew's name because he thought no one would mess with it. I told hm the same thing but they had already decided on it. It's pretty unusual but now due to Thor and The Avengers it's out there more.

[meshaliuknits]

May 14, 2012 11:30:05 GMT -5 jessiespano said:

My brother chose my nephew's name because he thought no one would mess with it. I told hm the same thing but they had already decided on it. It's pretty unusual but now due to Thor and The Avengers it's out there more.

Your nephew's name is Thor? Really?

The mythologist in my loves it. But the mythologist in me at one point wanted to name my hypothetical girl children, Inanna, Ishtar, Venus, Freya and Aphrodite, so she can't really be trusted.

I do know a couple of Ajaxes and one Demeter. They're all Greek and named after their grandparents.

[heightsyankee]

May 14, 2012 11:31:14 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

Don't the age and education component usually tie in to each other? The more education one has, the less likely they are to get pregnant younger (b/c they aren't finished with their education, etc.)? It's possible both are at play in choosing crappy names.

W/R/T Houston, it's not Austin, but is it really that conservative? I mean, we have a lesbian mayor and I've heard plenty of people lament at the sad state of trees in Memorial Park. Maybe I'm just in the wrong crowds, but it's actually less conservative than I expected it to be - so long as you take guns and oil out of the equation.

Inside the loop, much more liberal. The suburbs, much more conservative. Houston proper is definitely Liberal by southern standards.

Funny thing is, Austin is no where near as Liberal as people give it credit for. Yes, it has a liberal component, as most college towns and tech hubs will. However, it is also the seat of the conservative TX government. Austin also has a "look" that says Liberal but it doesn't really mean anything. I have a mom friend who is from Austin. She has looong, natural hair, wears Birks, "earth mother" tshirts. Her look is that hippie version of Austin but she is a card carrying member of the NRA and an ultra conservative Christian.

[jessiespano]

May 14, 2012 11:40:04 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

May 14, 2012 11:30:05 GMT -5 jessiespano said:

My brother chose my nephew's name because he thought no one would mess with it. I told hm the same thing but they had already decided on it. It's pretty unusual but now due to Thor and The Avengers it's out there more.

Your nephew's name is Thor? Really?

The mythologist in my loves it. But the mythologist in me at one point wanted to name my hypothetical girl children, Inanna, Ishtar, Venus, Freya and Aphrodite, so she can't really be trusted.

I do know a couple of Ajaxes and one Demeter. They're all Greek and named after their grandparents.

No, we have a Loki. We tried to talk him out of it but failed. It's grown on me so now I like it.

[Deleted]

I hear way more dumb names from moms in their late 20s then I should.

Having the vast majority of people being able to say and spell the name is also important. My friend just named her daughter Linnea which isn't the worst, but certainly doesn't pass this test.

And I agree with Supreme Court appropriate names. Condeleeza Rice may be the only really high visibility person I've heard of with a crazy name.

[meshaliuknits]

May 14, 2012 12:18:10 GMT -5 jessiespano said:

No, we have a Loki. We tried to talk him out of it but failed. It's grown on me so now I like it.

My inner mythologist wouldn't have gone for it. Mostly for fear of him living up to his name in his teens.

[msmerymac]

May 14, 2012 11:15:41 GMT -5 marie427 said:

May 14, 2012 11:02:27 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

I think that was a chapter in Freakonomics. There was a whole list in the back and both my name and my husband's name indicated a high level of maternal education.

My mom has an eighth-grade education (from another country) and thankfully my siblings and I ended up with normal names. We dodged a bullet there!

I agree that this might also be more of an age thing too rather than a blue state-red state thing. Admittedly, I live somewhere where most of my peers don't have kids until their late 20s at the earliest (but mostly 30s), but I have yet to meet someone who had their first kid at 30+ and named their kid something like Paislee. If I were to meet a kid named Paislee, I'd automatically assume she has a mother no older than her mid-20s. Maybe that's an unfair assumption, but it's just what I'm used to.

I'm kind of interested in whether or not there's a generational thing, too. Like the article said, TONS of babies 50+ years ago were named Mary, John, Susan, Nancy, Robert, Thomas. So it makes sense that people of all ages and education levels would give their children those names, right? Rarely do I meet someone born in the 1940s with a really fucking stupid name. Unusual, sure, but not kreatyve.

But since it seems that "uniqueness" and "being special" were so prized and taught to kids in the 70s/80s/90s, people have more of a "My kid needs a SUPER SPECIAL name" mentality and confuse unique with yet another creative spelling of Aidan.

ETA: I apologize if this post came off douchey. I in no way mean to imply that your mom would have named you something dumb today vs. 30 years ago. I am not criticizing your mother, her education, or her name choices in any way!

[teflep]

May 14, 2012 11:02:27 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

May 14, 2012 10:42:34 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

I also thought the less educated you were, the more creative your name choice?

I think that was a chapter in Freakonomics. There was a whole list in the back and both my name and my husband's name indicated a high level of maternal education.

Mine too..top 5.

[marie427]

May 14, 2012 12:28:39 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

But since it seems that "uniqueness" and "being special" were so prized and taught to kids in the 70s/80s/90s, people have more of a "My kid needs a SUPER SPECIAL name" mentality and confuse unique with yet another creative spelling of Aidan.

That's a reallllllly great point.

[heightsyankee]

May 14, 2012 12:21:44 GMT -5 @kcpokergal said:

Having the vast majority of people being able to say and spell the name is also important. My friend just named her daughter Linnea which isn't the worst, but certainly doesn't pass this test.

Is she Scandinavian? It's a traditional name. I don't mind names like that, as long as they are real.

My kids names are Truitt and Mathis. Just out of curiosity WDYT of those names?

[bugandbibs]

May 14, 2012 12:18:10 GMT -5 jessiespano said:

May 14, 2012 11:40:04 GMT -5 meshaliuknits said:

Your nephew's name is Thor? Really?

The mythologist in my loves it. But the mythologist in me at one point wanted to name my hypothetical girl children, Inanna, Ishtar, Venus, Freya and Aphrodite, so she can't really be trusted.

I do know a couple of Ajaxes and one Demeter. They're all Greek and named after their grandparents.

No, we have a Loki. We tried to talk him out of it but failed. It's grown on me so now I like it.

So fun story, I was dating a Loki when I met MH who is Odin.

MH has vetoed any mythology names, he thinks it's too much to live up too.

[heightsyankee]

Just in time

shine.yahoo.com/team-mom/most-popular-baby-names-jacob-sophia-top-latest-154500678.html

[meshaliuknits]

May 14, 2012 12:42:09 GMT -5 bugandbibs said:

May 14, 2012 12:18:10 GMT -5 jessiespano said:

No, we have a Loki. We tried to talk him out of it but failed. It's grown on me so now I like it.

So fun story, I was dating a Loki when I met MH who is Odin.

MH has vetoed any mythology names, he thinks it's too much to live up too.

I got hit on by a Frodo at a Megadeth concert once. I was in the middle of reading LOTR at the time and I almost died when he told me his name.

[terpsfan]

Some of the girls top 100 names shock me...Really that many people are naming their kid Genesis? My DD's shows up in the upper 400s and it's not crazy/strange/unusually spelled.

[Deleted]

May 14, 2012 12:36:29 GMT -5 heightsyankee said:

My kids names are Truitt and Mathis. Just out of curiosity WDYT of those names?

Erm . . . .

I suppose since I think they might be actual names, especially Mathis, they aren't particularly heinous nor do they offend my delicate naming sensibilities. But I'm not fan of Truitt, like at all. It's just overall an unfamiliar name and doesn't lend itself to a more recognizable nickname.

Mathis is fine though.

[ttt]

May 14, 2012 14:38:51 GMT -5 terpsfan said:

Some of the girls top 100 names shock me...Really that many people are naming their kid Genesis? My DD's shows up in the upper 400s and it's not crazy/strange/unusually spelled.

Genesis is a relatively common name for Hispanic girls.

Interestingly enough, my friend in Iowa just had a baby today and named her Kamrynn. Sigh...

[ttt]

May 15, 2012 13:32:53 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

May 14, 2012 12:36:29 GMT -5 heightsyankee said:

My kids names are Truitt and Mathis. Just out of curiosity WDYT of those names?

Erm . . . .

I suppose since I think they might be actual names, especially Mathis, they aren't particularly heinous nor do they offend my delicate naming sensibilities. But I'm not fan of Truitt, like at all. It's just overall an unfamiliar name and doesn't lend itself to a more recognizable nickname.

Mathis is fine though.

Unfamiliar???

[Deleted]

I'm supposed to recognize Truitt? Even the google tells me it's a surname and not one of anyone I recognize off the bat.

[ttt]

May 15, 2012 13:41:48 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

I'm supposed to recognize Truitt? Even the google tells me it's a surname and not one of anyone I recognize off the bat.

Click the link.

[Deleted]

And it's dude's middle name to boot.

Now I want chik fil a and thus, I am obligated to hate your face until I get some.

[KateAggie]

May 15, 2012 13:42:23 GMT -5 ttt said:

May 15, 2012 13:41:48 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

I'm supposed to recognize Truitt? Even the google tells me it's a surname and not one of anyone I recognize off the bat.

Click the link.

I'm not supposed to be laughing at the irony, am I? Can someone come close my mouth?

[ttt]

May 15, 2012 13:47:26 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

And it's dude's middle name to boot.

Now I want chik fil a and thus, I am obligated to hate your face until I get some.

To quote you, I would shank a heifer for this right now: