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Help[Facts] Middle names and statistics
Hi!
Here in Italy double names (fn + mn) are rare while First name only is still the most used style.
I'm wondering: in the Anglosphere where middle names are normal, how statistics are collected?
For example: Liam and Olivia are the 2022 top choices but I guess that the most of them have a middle name.
In Italy double names are recorded separately. For example Francesco is #2 but Francesco Pio (the most popular masculine double name in Top200) is #100.
The same occurs for Maria that was #43 but Maria Vittoria (the most popular feminine double name in 2022) was #107.
How does it works where Anglosphere where everyone has a MN? I guess that middle names are never listed in statistics.
Personal Name Lists https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/125456
Here in Italy double names (fn + mn) are rare while First name only is still the most used style.
I'm wondering: in the Anglosphere where middle names are normal, how statistics are collected?
For example: Liam and Olivia are the 2022 top choices but I guess that the most of them have a middle name.
In Italy double names are recorded separately. For example Francesco is #2 but Francesco Pio (the most popular masculine double name in Top200) is #100.
The same occurs for Maria that was #43 but Maria Vittoria (the most popular feminine double name in 2022) was #107.
How does it works where Anglosphere where everyone has a MN? I guess that middle names are never listed in statistics.
Personal Name Lists https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/125456
This message was edited 1/3/2024, 9:57 AM
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Replies
My understanding is that statistics are not officially collected for middle names. The U.S. Social Security Administration publishes data about first-name usage only.
In addition, the SSA data does not allow non-alphabetic characters or spaces in a first name, nor capital letters apart from the first letter.
So, if parents give their child a first name such as Mary-Ann, it will be recorded as Maryann, with the hyphen and capital A removed.
If they name her Mary (first name) Ann (middle name), even though they intend to call her by the double name Mary Ann, it will be recorded as Mary.
In addition, the SSA data does not allow non-alphabetic characters or spaces in a first name, nor capital letters apart from the first letter.
So, if parents give their child a first name such as Mary-Ann, it will be recorded as Maryann, with the hyphen and capital A removed.
If they name her Mary (first name) Ann (middle name), even though they intend to call her by the double name Mary Ann, it will be recorded as Mary.
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