Video
The latest FREAK-TV video features Levitt discussing the ever-interesting topic of naming your kid. We have had many people write to us since the book came out to say they chose their baby’s name (or, just as often, rejected a name they were considering) based on the data in our book.
What nobody knows (until now) is that one of Levitt’s own kids was named according to these data sets. After we’d worked up the list of “high-end” girls’ names that we thought might tip into the mainstream within 10 years (p. 187 of revised edition), Levitt gave his wife Jeannette that list of names to consider for their forthcoming kid. But he didn’t tell her what the list was; he just said they were some names he liked. Sure enough, she went for one of the names on the list: Sophie.
Sophie is a beautiful name, to be sure, but the big lesson here is more important: don’t ever marry an economist.
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My daughter is named Claudia. I wonder where that falls. According to some latino friends Claudia is very popular in Colombia. So I wonder if that has any effect on how “high end” the name is.
My daughter is named Claudia. I wonder where that falls. According to some latino friends Claudia is very popular in Colombia. So I wonder if that has any effect on how “high end” the name is.
Sophie, Abigail, Emma – these are names that were big, what 150 years ago?
Now they are coming back
Sophie, Abigail, Emma – these are names that were big, what 150 years ago?
Now they are coming back
You can find more about which names are popular today vs which names were more popular say 100 yrs ago at
http://www.babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html
This is a cool application of data visualization to a a very different field.
You can find more about which names are popular today vs which names were more popular say 100 yrs ago at
http://www.babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html
This is a cool application of data visualization to a a very different field.
Fortunately two of our kids names aren’t on any of the lists (high or low end). Unfortunately our son’s shortened name, Harley is that the bottom of the list you don’t want to be on. Given that his name is Harland (our oldest daughter called him Harley from 18 weeks being pregnant and when it came time to name him officially, we couldn’t change his name too much), we can rest easy.
But, I do actually agree with the Freakonomics boys on this one – when you spend hours pouring over the name book to give your child a perfect name – you are more likely to put effort into being a parent.
What does that say about Mr Levitt – no effort in naming………….
Another thing – what about the “other children with same name” factor – if every name in the top 10 was the name of a little brat you already knew – there is no way you would name your child that…..it’s the story behind the name and the meaning of the name that is important – at the same time not giving your child a name that will mean torment for childhood years.
Fortunately two of our kids names aren’t on any of the lists (high or low end). Unfortunately our son’s shortened name, Harley is that the bottom of the list you don’t want to be on. Given that his name is Harland (our oldest daughter called him Harley from 18 weeks being pregnant and when it came time to name him officially, we couldn’t change his name too much), we can rest easy.
But, I do actually agree with the Freakonomics boys on this one – when you spend hours pouring over the name book to give your child a perfect name – you are more likely to put effort into being a parent.
What does that say about Mr Levitt – no effort in naming………….
Another thing – what about the “other children with same name” factor – if every name in the top 10 was the name of a little brat you already knew – there is no way you would name your child that…..it’s the story behind the name and the meaning of the name that is important – at the same time not giving your child a name that will mean torment for childhood years.