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Help[Opinions] Re: American Names
in reply to a message by Felie
Interesting question. It's complicated! Regions within the US are really diverse, so you'll often see more difference between people living right next to each other, if they're from different classes or ethnic backgrounds, than you see between regions. But there are always regional stereotypes :).
Some states certainly have unique naming cultures. Alaska, Utah, Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico all have totally different and unique name styles. The state rankings can show you just how much popularity varies from state to state, and can help you see some regional trends: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/state/.
Laura Wattenberg has also written some thoughtful posts about the reasons baby names vary by region, particularly on red states vs. blue states.
- http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2009/1/red-and-blue-baby-naming-inauguration-2009-edition
- http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2008/9/of-names-and-politics-the-palin-story
To answer some of the questions you asked initially (and to indulge in stereotypes), here are some names that I would associate strongly with each region:
- New England: preppy, WASPy names, like Crichton Banks Ludworth, III (definitely some overlap with the aristocratic Southern naming style)
- Midwest: short, plain, middle-aged names like Bob, Carl, Craig, Derek, Sue, Pam, Jen, Carrie.
- West Coast: hippie word names (maybe w/ quirky spellings) like Starr, Phoenix, Skye, Bleu.
Some states certainly have unique naming cultures. Alaska, Utah, Hawaii, New Mexico, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico all have totally different and unique name styles. The state rankings can show you just how much popularity varies from state to state, and can help you see some regional trends: https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/state/.
Laura Wattenberg has also written some thoughtful posts about the reasons baby names vary by region, particularly on red states vs. blue states.
- http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2009/1/red-and-blue-baby-naming-inauguration-2009-edition
- http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2008/9/of-names-and-politics-the-palin-story
To answer some of the questions you asked initially (and to indulge in stereotypes), here are some names that I would associate strongly with each region:
- New England: preppy, WASPy names, like Crichton Banks Ludworth, III (definitely some overlap with the aristocratic Southern naming style)
- Midwest: short, plain, middle-aged names like Bob, Carl, Craig, Derek, Sue, Pam, Jen, Carrie.
- West Coast: hippie word names (maybe w/ quirky spellings) like Starr, Phoenix, Skye, Bleu.
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