Baby Name Guides
In-depth guides to help you choose the perfect baby name. Explore naming trends, understand name origins and meanings, and discover timeless and unique options.
How SSA Baby Name Data Works: Sources, Limits, and What It Actually Measures
The Social Security Administration has tracked US baby names since 1880. Learn how the data is collected from birth certificates, what the 5-occurrence threshold means, and what the dataset cannot tell you.
The 100-Year Name Cycle: Why Your Grandmother's Name Is Trending Again
Baby names follow a roughly 100-year popularity cycle. Learn why names like Evelyn, Hazel, and Theodore are back, how phonetic trends spread, and what predicts the next wave.
Cultural Naming Traditions in the US: Hispanic, Asian-American, African-American, and Jewish Patterns
How cultural heritage shapes baby naming in the US. From compound Hispanic names and Asian-American dual naming to African-American linguistic innovation and Jewish memorial naming.
Does Your Baby's Name Affect Their Future? What the Research Actually Says
From the Figlio teacher-bias study to the Freakonomics chapter, here is what peer-reviewed research actually shows about how names influence life outcomes.
Choosing a Baby Name with Data: Sound Symbolism, Initials, and Practical Factors
A research-backed guide to the practical science of choosing a baby name. Covers sound symbolism, the initials myth, spelling considerations, and international compatibility.