I found a baby name site that tells you how popular a name was in any decade. It doesn't go back as far as the regency, but is fun and fascinating, nevertheless. You enter a name and it produces a popularity by year graph.
For instance "Anne" hit a peak in 1905 and has been going steadily downhill since. Am I becoming more exclusive... or just more unfashionable?
http://babynamewizard.com/voyager
Posts
My name peaked in the 1940s and it's almost off the chart now. It's funny how the fahions in names come and go. My mum was so shocked when I called my daughter Emma back in 1973. She could only think of Great Aunt Emma.
ReplyDeleteI guess it would be like calling a baby Dorothy or Phyllis today.
Deborah was 5 popular in the 1950s (the decade I was born) but Keziah isn't on the chart. My great, great, gran was a Keziah.
ReplyDeleteThat should read fifth popular ...
ReplyDeleteMine peaked in 1910 with 704 per million babies. It became a big fat zero by the 30's and that was it so, that must mean I'm one in a million!
ReplyDeleteLOL
sorry, couldn't resist that one :o)
I'm thinking we whose name has dropped in popularity are not so much unfashionable, but exclusive and rare. ;)
ReplyDeleteWell, as you can imagine, Eleni is not on that list. :D
ReplyDeleteBut my English equivalent, Helen, peaked second in the 1910's.