Blog

Notes on name rarity, popularity, and the quirks of 145 years of U.S. name data.

• The Luna Boom: How an Ancient Moon Name Became One of Today's Most Popular

  Luna is one of the oldest words there is, yet it barely worked as a baby name until recently. Here is the story of its rise, how rare it really is, and why it feels more common than the numbers say.

• The Nevaeh Effect: How Heaven Spelled Backwards Became a Top Baby Name

  Nevaeh barely existed before 2000, then rocketed up the charts after one TV moment. Here is the story of the name, how rare it really is, and why it feels more common than it is.

• Vintage Baby Names Making a Comeback: Names That Peaked in the 1920s and Are Rising Again

  Hazel, Evelyn, Henry, and more. Real vintage names that peaked a century ago and have roared back, shown with the birth data behind the comeback.

• The Rarest Baby Names in America, and the 5-Baby Rule That Hides the Rest

  In 2024 alone, 4,362 names were given to just 5 babies each. Here is how the rarest American baby names work and why the very rarest never show up.

• How Rare Is Your Last Name? A Look at American Surnames

  How common your last name really is, how surname rarity is measured, the most and least common family names in the U.S., and how to check your own.

• The Rarest Names in America, and Why You Cannot See Them

  The truly rarest U.S. names are hidden on purpose. Here is how the data works, what "too rare to count" means, and how rare a name can actually get.

• Why Some Names Feel Rare but Are Not

  A name can feel one-of-a-kind in your class and still be common nationwide. Here is why rarity and trendiness are two different things.

• How Rare Is Your Name? The Simple Math Behind the Number

  The exact method behind a name rarity score, from the "1 in X" formula to the six tiers, explained with real examples like James, Emma, and Nevaeh.

• The Most Common Names in America, and How Common They Really Are

  The most common U.S. first names of all time and today, ranked separately for men and women, with the exact "1 in X" figure behind each one.