Baby Name Analysis: Emily Fell, Sarah Tumbled, Hannah Plummeted

The nostalgia wave among girls’ names appears to be over. About two decades ago, an entire generation of girls’ names — those from the late 19th and early 20th centuries — started coming back into fashion: Grace and Emma, Julia and Anna, Ella and Hannah. Nothing like it had ever happened before. Individual names obviously came back into style. But an entire era’s never had. Now the nostalgia wave, which peaked in 2004, is ending. Emily fell 41 percent between 2004 and 2010, Sarah tumbled 49 percent and Hannah 54 percent. The lack of recent Jane Austen movies has probably played a role.

The New York Times takes a month and a half to consider the Social Security Administration’s recently updated baby-name database, and its report is kind of fascinating if you are fascinated with that stuff, and be honest. There are also graphs and little charts that look like cameo jewelry, so it’s essentially internet witchcraft for women.