WHAT BABY NAMES TELL US - Sisense...of the female baby names were ethnically neutral baby names...
23
About Ethnic and Gender Trends WHAT BABY NAMES TELL US About Ethnic and Gender Trends WHAT BABY NAMES TELL US
Transcript of WHAT BABY NAMES TELL US - Sisense...of the female baby names were ethnically neutral baby names...
About Ethnic and Gender Trends
WHAT BABY
NAMES TELL USAbout Ethnic and Gender Trends
WHAT BABY
NAMES TELL US
1
Over the last 70 years, for example, researchers have tried to gauge the effect of having an unusual
name on a person. It is thought that our identity is partly shaped by the way we are treated by other
people - a concept psychologists call the "looking-glass self" (2) - and our name, therefore, has the
potential to color our interactions with society (3,4). More recent studies present a mixed picture
(1,3,4), showing children with unusual names may learn to control impulses because they may be
teased and then get used to people repeatedly asking them about their name. Some scholars have
explained that children with unusual names actually benefit from that experience by learning to
control their emotions or their impulses (1,3,4).
Various names are popular among different social classes, and these groups have different
opportunities and goals (1). The name we give our baby can stem from traditional, regional, historical
or religious sources (5). In addition, a child's name can also hint at what his or her parents’
expectations are for their children within the particular society in which they live. Therefore, it is very
interesting to explore baby names in a multi-cultural society like New York City, which has distinct
ethnic groups: White, Hispanic, Black, and Asian. Baby names in a multi-cultural society reflect the
sociological process of integration or segregation between minority ethnic groups and the majority
ethnic group (in New York City’s case, the White ethnic group) (5). Also, it is enlightening to reflect
upon the popularity of male and female baby names during this period of progression in gender
equality (6).
Our name tells a story about us. It can determine our
career. It can influence how smoothly we navigate through
life or, alternatively, how hard it can be for us to get
ahead (1,4).
View our interactive dashboard
to explore the baby names in a
multi-cultural society.
2
This report sheds light on the following questions:
Do parents of different ethnic groups choose specific ethnic names for their children or do they
prefer more ethnically neutral names for their descendants? Which minority ethnic group -
Hispanic, Black or Asian - chooses neutral names for their children and to what extent does the
majority ethnic group, the White ethnic group, choose distinct names for their children?
To what extent are the children’s names in New York City mostly ethnically specific or
ethnically neutral?
Which are the names that are given equally between White, Hispanic, Black and Asian ethnic
groups (ethnically neutral names), and which are mostly given to children of a specific ethnic
group; White, Hispanic, Black or Asian (ethnically specific names)? The ethnically neutral and
specific names can indicate to what extent social integration or segregation is taking place
among the next generation raised in New York City.
Do parents choose specifically female or male names, or do they prefer unisex names for children
of each gender? Does gender equality start with children’s names? Is it a popular trend to give
unisex names?
Which are the names that are mostly gender neutral or the most gender specific? Which are
the names that were given almost equally to both males and females? These measurements can
indicate to what extent names are unisex.
To answer these questions, we analyzed a data set from Kaggle that included 1,571 names of
164,965 female babies, and 1,417 names of 207,569 male babies born in New York City between
2011 and 2016 (7). The dataset included the ethnic group of each baby.
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
Asian
Black
Hispanic
White
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female Total
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male Total
Total
286
282
463
536
973
262
290
400
460
829
1,802
Ethnicity Number ofDifferent Names
22,105
22,981
52,225
67,654
164,965
28,580
31,000
70,580
77,409
207,569
372,534
Number ofChildren
13%
14%
32%
41%
44%
14%
15%
34%
37%
56%
% ofChildren
77
81
113
126
170
109
107
176
168
250
207
Avg. Num ofChildren per Name
3
Variables
Ethnically Neutral and Specific Name Index
1 – (PWhite Male +PHispanic Male +PBlack Male +PAsian Male ),
Ethnically specific male names: Baby names given to males in one ethnic group only
(White, Hispanic, Black or Asian).
Ethnically specific female names: Baby names given to females in one ethnic group
only (White, Hispanic, Black or Asian).
Ethnically neutral male names: Baby names that were chosen for males in two or
more ethnic groups.
Ethnically neutral female names: Baby names that were chosen for females in two or
more ethnic groups.
Gender-specific names: Baby names given only in one gender group (male or female).
Gender neutral names: Baby names given to both female and male babies.
In order to understand if a name was ethnically neutral or specific, we created a neutrality index
(8,9) and defined this index as:
where P White Male is the proportion of White male baby names in the whole group of babies
with the same name. The ethnically neutral baby name index can range from 0.00, when a male
(or female) name was given in one ethnic group (Ethnically specific names), to 0.75, when a male
name appeared equally in each one of the 4 ethnic groups (Ethnically neutral names, 25% in each
one of the ethnic groups). This ethnically specific name index was computed for males and females.
2
Gender Neutral and Specific Name Index
1 – (PMale +PFemale ),
In order to understand if a name was gender neutral or specific, we created a neutrality index
(8,9) and defined this index as:
where P Male is the proportion of male baby names in all the population of babies with the
same name. The gender-neutral baby names index can range from 0.00, when a baby male
(or female) name has appeared only in one given gender group (Gender specific names),
to .50, when a baby name has appeared equally in both gender groups (Gender neutral
names where 50% of the given name is female, and 50% of the same name is male).
2 2
2 22
4
Main Findings
Most Popular Male Baby Names
In New York City during the researched years, the top 5 most popular names for males were Jacob, Ethan (more than 3,000 names), Matthew, David,
and Liam (2500-2750 names). (See Graph 1.1).
Graph 1.1: Popular Male Baby Names New York City 2011-2016
JACOB
ETHAN
MATTHEW
DAVID
LIAM
NOAH
MICHAEL
AIDEN
DYLAN
DANIEL
RYAN
MASON
LUCAS
JOSEPH
JAMES
ALEXANDER
ANTHONY
SEBASTIAN
JAYDEN
CHRISTOPHER
BENJAMIN
JUSTIN
JOSHUA
SAMUEL
GABRIEL
JOHN
AARON
KEVIN
WILLIAM
JONATHAN
ADAM
CHRISTIAN
NICHOLAS
ANDREW
ELIJAH
NATHAN
JASON
HENRY
BRANDON
1,000 2,000 3,000 4 ,000
1,847
1,290
1,297
1,298
1,367
1,421
1,445
1,464
1,499
1,502
1,534
1,559
1,594
1,594
1,714
1,716
1,742
1,750
1,799
3,104
1,270
3,140
2,798
2,759
2,6682,543
2,509
2,508
2,450
2,327
2,286
2,279
2,246
2,233
2,167
2,137
2,116
2,039
1,909
5
Graph 1.2: Popular Female Baby Names New York City 2011-2016
Most Popular Female Baby Names
Emma
Olivia
Emily
Mia
Sophia
Leah
Isabella
Ava
Sarah
Chloe
Sofia
Madison
Victoria
Esther
Abigail
Rachel
Maya
Ashley
Ella
Grace
Zoe
Elizabeth
Samantha
Chaya
Charlotte
Amelia
Gabriella
Hailey
Kayla
Brianna
Camila
Alexandra
Hannah
Valentina
Arianna
Ariana
Anna
Miriam
Scarlett
1,000500 2,000 2,5001,500
795
798
813
842
850
860
872
877
887
887
920
940
944
965
1,019
1,061
1,069
1,076
1,090
1,096
2,025
2,148
2,323
2,248
2,078
1,957
1,954
1,795
1,792
1,743
1,672
1,660
1,467
1,450
1,446
1,247
1,203
1,138
1,099
The top 5 female names were Emma, Olivia, Emily, Mia, and Sophia (more than 2000 names) (See Graph 1.2).
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Baby names in a multi-cultural society
Graph 2.0: % Ethnically Specific Names vs. % Ethnically Neutral Names by Ethnic Group and Gender
Ethnically Neutral Names
Ethnically Specific Names
White Male Hispanic Male Black Male Asian Male Total Male White Female Hispanic Female Black Female Asian Female Total Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
28%
20% 20%
32%
18% 17%12%
23%
11% 12%
72% 80% 89% 88% 80% 68% 82% 83% 88% 77%
The choice of baby names within ethnic groups hints that parents from distinct ethnic groups
would prefer their descendants to integrate socially into the mainstream population rather than have
them identify specifically and exclusively in their ethnic groups. 80% of the male baby names and 77%
of the female baby names were ethnically neutral baby names (names have appeared in two or more
ethnic groups (see Graph 2). Only 20% of the male baby names and 23% of the female baby names
were specific in a given ethnic group. The findings also reveal that Black and Asian parents have a
stronger intention to choose ethnically neutral female baby names than Hispanic parents. 88% of
Asian male babies and 89% of the Black male babies, compared to 80% of Hispanic male babies, were
given ethnically neutral male baby names. Indeed, most White parents (72%) choose neutral names
for their male babies. However, 28% of their baby names were specific to a White ethnic group. We
found the same trends for female baby names, except for the Asian ethnic group which chose more
neutral names (88%) for their female babies than Black and Hispanic ethnic groups (82%-83%).
7
Popular ethnically neutral baby names that crossed ethnic groups
(each appeared at least once in a given ethnic group):
The top 5 most popular ethnically neutral male baby names that appeared (at least for one baby) in all ethnic groups -
White, Hispanic, Black and Asian - were Jacob, Ethan, Matthew, David, Liam, and Michael.
Graph 2.1: Popular Ethnically Neutral Male Names by Ethnic Group
Asian Male
Black Male
Hispanic Male
White Male
JACOB
ETHAN
MATTHEW
DAVID
LIAM
NOAH
MICHAEL
AIDEN
DANIEL
RYAN
MASON
LUCAS
JOSEPH
JAMES
ALEXANDER
ANTHONY
SEBASTIAN
JAYDEN
CHRISTOPHER
BENJAMIN
3,140
3,104
2,798
2,759
2,668
2,543
2,509
2,508
2,327
2,286
2,279
2,246
2,233
2,167
2,137
2,116
2,039
1,909
1,847
1,799
0% 25% 75% 100% 50%
24%
13%
10%
12%
7%
14%
6% 13% 29% 51%
26% 35% 16% 23%
26% 35% 30% 9%
36% 24% 11% 30%
38% 39% 13% 10%
56% 24% 7% 13%
9% 40% 24% 26%
50% 35% 9% 6%
25% 43% 18% 13%
25% 65% 6% 4%
22% 44% 5% 29%
22% 48% 21% 9%
32% 51% 10% 8%
41% 32% 18% 9%
13% 27% 47%
18% 49% 26%
6% 19% 63%
14% 48% 28%
11% 26% 49%
22% 36% 18%
8
Graph 2.2: Popular Ethnically Neutral Female Names by Ethnic Group
Asian Female
Black Female
Hispanic Female
White Female
EMMA
OLIVIA
EMILY
MIA
SOPHIA
LEAH
ISABELLA
AVA
SARAH
CHLOE
SOFIA
MADISON
VICTORIA
ESTHER
ABIGAIL
RACHEL
MAYA
ASHLEY
ELLA
GRACE
ZOE
2,323
2,248
2,148
2,078
2,025
1,957
1,954
1,795
1,792
1,743
1,672
1,660
1,467
1,450
1,446
1,247
1,203
1,138
1,099
1,096
1,090
0% 25% 75% 100% 50%
15%
26%
19%
17%
23%
7%
12% 10% 47% 31%
43% 21% 24% 12%
8% 64% 8% 21%
69% 12% 2% 17%
65% 16% 9% 10%
31% 22% 18% 29%
41% 52% 2% 5%
25% 42% 25% 9%
36% 48% 6% 10%
38%
34%
21% 13% 29%
16% 15% 35%
88% 7% 2% 3%
36% 37% 17% 11%
79% 7% 1% 13%
57% 21% 10% 12%
10% 23% 61%
9% 37% 31%
8% 44% 31%
9% 36% 36%
14% 21% 40%
6% 42% 37% For female baby names, the top
5 most popular ethnically neutral
names that appeared (at least for
one baby) in all ethnic groups
were Emma, Olivia, Emily, Mia,
and Sophia (See Graph 2.2).
9
Each name has a different distribution
across ethnic groups. We computed the
ethnic neutrality and specificity index
for each one of the male and female
baby names. Table A presents the most
ethnically neutral male baby names
(on a scale of 0-0.75, where 0.75 = very
ethnically neutral male names), and
Table B presents the most ethnically
neutral female baby names (on a scale of
0-0.50, when 0.50 = very ethnically
neutral female names).
The most ethnically neutral male baby
names are Richard, Marcus, and
Nathan (neutrality index 0.75-0.74).
Following those are Ethan, Aiden, Caleb,
Timothy, and Nathaniel (Table A).
Table A: Most Ethnically Neutral Male Baby Names
(on a scale of 0-0.75, where 0.75 = very ethnically neutral male names)
NameNumber of Babies
514
458
1,298
3,104
2,508
864
301
1,019
560
1,742
639
747
287
2,286
1,184
1,594
2,543
528
572
392
1,909
1,155
497
1,297
2,668
538
1,246
2,509
221
1,534
810
1,499
254
650
3,140
2,327
2,246
780
207,569
AsianMale %
28%
34%
22%
23%
24%
15%
26%
13%
12%
13%
15%
12%
34%
30%
14%
18%
9%
24%
40%
31%
26%
36%
23%
39%
13%
28%
12%
9%
12%
25%
46%
12%
27%
44%
10%
14%
29%
29%
14%
BlackMale %
20%
26%
22%
16%
22%
33%
19%
29%
28%
25%
38%
36%
19%
11%
40%
14%
30%
9%
11%
29%
24%
7%
20%
12%
18%
9%
27%
18%
46%
8%
14%
14%
4%
31%
13%
13%
5%
5%
15%
HispanicMale %
29%
22%
21%
35%
36%
31%
18%
33%
26%
36%
27%
27%
33%
24%
23%
39%
35%
30%
27%
7%
40%
31%
14%
33%
43%
21%
44%
32%
22%
22%
24%
45%
40%
10%
39%
27%
44%
44%
34%
WhiteMale %
24%
18%
36%
26%
18%
22%
37%
25%
34%
27%
21%
24%
14%
36%
23%
29%
26%
37%
22%
33%
9%
26%
43%
16%
25%
42%
17%
41%
20%
44%
15%
29%
29%
14%
38%
47%
22%
22%
37%
TotalMale %
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
Ethnic Neutrality Index of Male Babies' Names
0.75
0.74
0.74
0.73
0.73
0.73
0.73
0.73
0.73
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.71
0.71
0.71
0.71
0.71
0.71
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.69
0.69
0.69
0.69
0.68
0.68
0.68
0.68
0.68
0.67
0.67
0.67
0.67
0.70
RICHARD
MARCUS
NATHAN
ETHAN
AIDEN
CALEB
TIMOTHY
NATHANIEL
HUNTER
JOSHUA
TRISTAN
JORDAN
DEVIN
RYAN
TYLER
AARON
NOAH
AIDAN
BRIAN
KAI
JAYDEN
EVAN
SEAN
JASON
LIAM
GAVIN
LOGAN
MICHAEL
PRESTON
WILLIAM
AUSTIN
JONATHAN
BRAYDEN
KYLE
JACOB
DANIEL
LUCAS
ALEX
Overal Male Names
10
On the other hand, the most ethnically
neutral female baby names are Aria,
Michelle, Chloe, and Isabelle
(index 0.75-0.73) (Table B).
Table B: Most Ethnically Neutral Female Baby Names
(on a scale of 0-0.75, when 0.75 = very ethnically neutral female names)
NameNumber of Babies
AsianFemale %
BlackFemale %
HispanicFemale %
WhiteFemale %
TotalFemale %
Ethnic Neutrality Index of Female Babies' Names
0.75
0.74
0.74
0.73
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.72
0.71
0.71
0.71
0.71
0.71
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.70
0.69
0.69
0.69
0.69
0.68
0.68
0.67
0.67
0.67
0.67
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.66
0.69
ARIA
MICHELLE
CHLOE
ISABELLE
CHRISTINA
SUMMER
LAUREN
ALYSSA
KAYLA
ZOEY
GRACE
ZOE
OLIVIA
KAITLYN
BELLA
SOPHIA
JASMINE
AVA
NAOMI
ABIGAIL
MADISON
EMILY
AMELIA
ARIANA
ARIANNA
RILEY
FATIMA
HANNAH
MIA
LAYLA
EVA
ARIEL
JESSICA
ANGELINA
ELENA
AVERY
ISABELLA
MILA
HAILEY
EMMA
SAVANNAH
NATALIE
AMANDA
Overall Female Names
561
632
1743
378
265
239
405
636
920
539
1096
1090
2248
383
592
2025
559
1795
681
1446
1660
2148
965
842
850
584
454
872
2078
708
759
424
427
655
381
579
1954
543
940
2323
662
521
342
164,965
26%
29%
29%
23%
35%
19%
12%
16%
11%
16%
29%
16%
26%
29%
26%
23%
30%
12%
7%
11%
9%
19%
19%
18%
10%
8%
39%
28%
17%
5%
20%
17%
44%
21%
28%
17%
12%
17%
19%
15%
5%
26%
29%
13%
23%
17%
18%
20%
25%
37%
36%
21%
34%
31%
13%
15%
14%
21%
9%
9%
29%
24%
30%
17%
25%
9%
11%
15%
27%
31%
38%
10%
8%
19%
5%
49%
5%
4%
0%
13%
10%
6%
15%
6%
41%
0%
8%
14%
21%
26%
22%
21%
12%
15%
23%
39%
31%
37%
21%
35%
21%
38%
38%
37%
34%
21%
26%
37%
42%
36%
28%
46%
43%
21%
11%
16%
44%
37%
31%
21%
32%
44%
37%
20%
47%
32%
51%
42%
39%
34%
48%
32%
30%
28%
31%
37%
28%
29%
29%
23%
24%
16%
38%
34%
40%
11%
28%
31%
7%
43%
38%
36%
25%
36%
43%
21%
20%
41%
12%
46%
31%
39%
44%
12%
19%
31%
35%
50%
31%
45%
15%
37%
15%
41%
15%
41%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
11
Graph 3.0: Gender-Specific Names vs.
Gender Neutral Names for Both Males and Females
The Age of Gender Equality
Gender-Neutral Names
Gender-Specific Names
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
Female
98%
2%
Male
95%
5%
Most parents choose gender-specific names for their babies. 98% of female baby names were
specifically feminine, and 95% of the male baby names were specifically masculine. However, we
found seeds of "gender-revolution" in some baby names. 2% of the baby girls’ names and 5% of
the baby boys’ names were unisex (See Graph 3.0). The most popular babies' names that appeared
at least once amongst boys and girls were; Angel, Avery, Riley, and Ariel. However, Alexis, Tenzin,
and Milan are baby names which were almost chosen equally for baby boys and girls (see Graph 3.1).
Also, Quinn (39% boys vs. 61% girls), Avery (33% boys vs. 77% girls), and Ariel (30% boys vs. 70%
girls) are names given to both boys and girls.
12
Graph 3.1: Popular Unisex Baby Names
% Male Name
% Female Name
90% 10%
86%14%
73%27%
61%39%
27%73%
54%46%
18%82%
51%49%
87%13%
51%49%
70%30%
80%20%
67%33%
11%89%
ROWAN (102)
YAEL (106)
EDEN (182)
QUINN (222)
CHARLIE (237)
MILAN (265)
BLAKE (298)
TENZIN (323)
PEYTON (388)
ALEXIS (435)
ARIEL (610)
RILEY (729)
AVERY (863)
ANGEL (1,220)
13
To discover the most gender-neutral names, we calculated a gender-specific baby name index (see variables, Table C), and found that Alexis, Tenzin, and Milan
are the most gender-neutral baby names, chosen almost equally for baby boys and baby girls. After these, Quinn, Avery, Ariel, and Charlie (index 0.48-0.4) are
names quite popular for both boys and girls.
Baby Names
ALEXIS
TENZIN
MILAN
QUINN
AVERY
ARIEL
CHARLIE
RILEY
BLAKE
PEYTON
ANGEL
JORDAN
DYLAN
TAYLOR
LOGAN
KAI
RYAN
CAMERON
Total
435
323
265
222
863
610
237
729
298
388
1,220
802
2,596
539
1,281
402
2,339
559
FEMALE (%)
51%
51%
54%
61%
67%
70%
27%
80%
18%
87%
11%
7%
6%
96%
3%
2%
2%
2%
MALE (%)
49%
49%
46%
39%
33%
30%
73%
20%
82%
13%
89%
93%
94%
4%
97%
98%
98%
98%
Gender Neutrality Index of Baby Names
0.50
0.50
0.50
0.48
0.44
0.42
0.40
0.32
0.30
0.22
0.19
0.13
0.11
0.07
0.05
0.05
0.04
0.04
Table C: Most Gender Neutral Baby Names
(on a scale of 0-0.5, when 0.5= very gender neutral)
14
Female
Male
Important Insights from the Dataset
Of the 372,534 babies born in New York City between 2011 and 2016, 56% of them were male, and 44% of them were female (Graph 4.0).
The top 5 most popular names for males in New York City between 2011 and 2016 were Jacob, Ethan (more than 3,000 names), Matthew, David, and Liam (2500-2750 names).
For female baby names, the top 5 most popular names, were Emma, Olivia, Emily, Mia, and Sophia (more than 2000 names) (See Graphs 1.1, 1.2 on pages 4 and 5).
Graph 4.0: Babies born in New York City 2011-2016 by Gender (372,534 Babies)
44.3%55.7%
15
Males and Females Born by Ethnic Groups
From 207,459 male babies born in NYC during 2011-2016, 36% of them were White, 34% Hispanic, 15% Black and 14% Asian (See Graph 4.1). A similar distribution
was found for females. From 164,965 female babies, 41% were White, 32% Hispanic, 14% Black, and 13% Asian. (See Graph 4.2).
Graph 4.1: Male Babies by Ethnicity
(207,459 babies, NYC 2011-2016)
Asian Male (28,580)
Black Male (31,000)
Hispanic Male (70,580)
White Male (77,409)
13.8%
14.9%37.3%
34.0%
Graph 4.2: Female Babies by Ethnicity
(164,965 babies , NYC 2011-2016)
13.4%
13.9%41.0%
31.7% Asian Female (22,105)
Black Female (22,981)
Hispanic Female (52,225)
White Female (67,654)
16
The top 5 most popular ethnically neutral names for males that appeared (at least once) in all
ethnic groups - White, Hispanic, Black and Asian - were Jacob, Ethan, Matthew, David, Liam, and
Michael. (See Graph 5.0). The most ethnically specific names were Moshe, Chaim, and Yosef
for White male babies and Jose, Carlos, and Luis for Hispanic male babies. In addition, the most
ethnically specific names were Malachi, Nasir, and Mamadou for Black male babies and Ayaan,
Eason, and Tenzin for Asian male babies (See Graph 5.1 on the next page).
Graph 5.0: Popular Ethnically Neutral Male Names Graph 2.1: Popular Ethnically Neutral
Male Names by Ethnic Group
1,000 2,000 3,000
JACOB
ETHAN
MATTHEW
DAVID
LIAM
NOAH
MICHAEL
AIDEN
DANIEL
RYAN
MASON
LUCAS
JOSEPH
JAMES
ALEXANDER
ANTHONY
SEBASTIAN
JAYDEN
CHRISTOPHER
BENJAMIN
JACOB
ETHAN
MATTHEW
DAVID
LIAM
NOAH
MICHAEL
AIDEN
DANIEL
RYAN
MASON
LUCAS
JOSEPH
JAMES
ALEXANDER
ANTHONY
SEBASTIAN
JAYDEN
CHRISTOPHER
BENJAMIN
3,140
3,104
2,798
2,759
2,668
2,543
2,509
2,508
2,327
2,286
2,279
2,246
2,233
2,167
2,137
2,116
2,039
1,909
1,847
1,799
3,140
3,104
2,798
2,759
2,668
2,543
2,509
2,508
2,327
2,286
2,279
2,246
2,233
2,167
2,137
2,116
2,039
1,909
1,847
1,799
0% 25% 75% 100% 50%
24%
13%
10%
12%
7%
14%
6% 13% 29% 51%
26% 35% 16% 23%
26% 35% 30% 9%
36% 24% 11% 30%
38% 39% 13% 10%
56% 24% 7% 13%
9% 40% 24% 26%
50% 35% 9% 6%
25% 43% 18% 13%
25% 65% 6% 4%
22% 44% 5% 29%
22% 48% 21% 9%
32% 51% 10% 8%
41% 32% 18% 9%
13% 27% 47%
18% 49% 26%
6% 19% 63%
14% 48% 28%
11% 26% 49%
22% 36% 18%
Asian Male
Black Male
Hispanic Male
White Male
17
Ethnically Specific White Male Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
Ethnically Specific Black Male Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
Graph 5.1: Popular Ethnically Specific Names by Ethnic Group - Males
MOSHE
CHAIM
YOSEF
SHIMON
YISROEL
YEHUDA
MENACHEM
MORDECHAI
SHLOMO
YAKOV
ARON
YITZCHOK
YAAKOV
MEIR
ZEV
AVRAHAM
SHMUEL
SOLOMON
ARI
MENDEL
1,217
887
547
497
493
488
429
426
371
347
343
338
309
306
282
280
271
267
242
241
MALACHI
NASIR
MAMDOU
CHANCE
ZAIRE
MEKHI
SINCERE
OMARI
AMADOU
IBRAHIMA
KHALIL
MOUSSA
KAMARI
ALPHA
MAJOR
ABDOULAYE
ABOUL
AMARE
OUSMANE
DARIUS
312
153
142
138
125
123
102
101
97
81
79
79
73
70
61
59
58
55
52
51
18
JOSE
CARLOLS
LUIS
MIGUEL
JUAN
JESUS
ERICK
ALEJANDRO
DIEGO
GAEL
SANTAGO
IKER
CRISTIAN
JADIEL
ALEXIS
JOSUE
JORGE
ANDRES
ADRIEL
JOHAN
700
534
531
444
432
402
374
359
350
277
251
247
230
215
213
212
207
198
192
188
Ethnically Specific Hispanic Male Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
Ethnically Specific Asian Male Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
AYAAN
EASON
TENZIN
SYED
KINGSLEY
ARJUN
CARSON
ARAYAN
ANSON
BENSON
LAWRENCE
AYAN
ROHAN
ROY
AARAV
RAYYAN
KIMI
ZAYAN
RICKY
ARHAM
240
177
157
154
142
120
112
111
109
105
103
88
88
80
72
71
68
63
62
60
Graph 5.1: Popular Ethnically Specific Names by Ethnic Group - Males
19
For female babies, the top 5 most popular ethnically neutral names which appeared (at least once)
in all ethnic groups were Emma, Olivia, Emily, Mia, and Sophia (See Graph 6.0). The most
ethnically specific names were Chaya, Rivka, and Chana for White female babies and Emely, Leslie,
and Andrea for Hispanic female babies. In addition, the most ethnically specific names for Black
female babies were Fatoumata, Aminata, and Amiyah and Tenzin, Selina, and Ayesha for Asian
female babies (See Graph 6.2 on the next page).
Graph 6.1: Popular Ethnically Neutral Female Names Graph 2.2: Popular Ethnically Neutral Female
Names by Ethnic Group
1,000500 2,0001,500
EMMA
OLIVIA
EMILY
MIA
SOPHIA
LEAH
ISABELLA
AVA
SARAH
CHLOE
SOFIA
MADISON
VICTORIA
ESTHER
ABIGAIL
RACHEL
MAYA
ASHLEY
ELLA
GRACE
ZOE
EMMA
OLIVIA
EMILY
MIA
SOPHIA
LEAH
ISABELLA
AVA
SARAH
CHLOE
SOFIA
MADISON
VICTORIA
ESTHER
ABIGAIL
RACHEL
MAYA
ASHLEY
ELLA
GRACE
ZOE
2,323
2,248
2,148
2,078
2,025
1,957
1,954
1,795
1,792
1,743
1,672
1,660
1,467
1,450
1,446
1,247
1,203
1,138
1,099
1,096
1,090
2,323
2,248
2,148
2,078
2,025
1,957
1,954
1,795
1,792
1,743
1,672
1,660
1,467
1,450
1,446
1,247
1,203
1,138
1,099
1,096
1,090
0% 25% 75% 100% 50%
15%
26%
19%
17%
23%
7%
12% 10% 47% 31%
43% 21% 24% 12%
8% 64% 8% 21%
69% 12% 2% 17%
65% 16% 9% 10%
31% 22% 18% 29%
41% 52% 2% 5%
25% 42% 25% 9%
36% 48% 6% 10%
38%
34%
21% 13% 29%
16% 15% 35%
88% 7% 2% 3%
36% 37% 17% 11%
79% 7% 1% 13%
57% 21% 10% 12%
10% 23% 61%
9% 37% 31%
8% 44% 31%
9% 36% 36%
14% 21% 40%
6% 42% 37%
Hispanic Female
White Female
Asian Female
Black Female
20
Graph 6.2: Popular Ethnically Specific Female Names by Ethnic Group - Females
Ethnically Specific White Female Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
Ethnically Specific Black Female Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
CHAYA
RIVKA
CHANA
GITTY
MALKA
MALKY
FAIGY
RAIZY
RIVKY
BAILA
YITTY
DEVORAH
SHANDY
TOBY
CHAVA
DINA
CHANY
MOLLY
HINDY
GUILIANA
1,061
683
589
454
445
411
372
364
321
291
272
260
259
241
230
228
227
227
202
193
FATOUMATA
AMINATA
AMIYAH
ZURI
KIMORA
MARIAMA
SANAA
LYRIC
SANAI
HARMONY
AICHA
TORI
MALIYAH
AISAATOU
MIRACLE
HAWA
OUMOU
DAKOTA
SKYE
KYLA
264
160
120
119
108
106
98
94
93
89
87
82
81
77
77
76
76
75
70
66
21
Ethnically Specific Hispanic Female Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
Ethnically Specific Asian Female Names
Given in NYC 2011-2016
EMELY
LESLIE
ANDREA
VALERIA
AYLIN
JAYLEEN
YARETZI
MELANY
DANNA
BRITTANY
ALISON
JAZMIN
BRIANA
KAMILA
ALAIA
XIMENA
SHERLYN
ESMERALDA
GUADALUPE
JAZLYN
270
247
240
224
173
170
168
165
155
153
150
148
147
145
133
131
129
125
123
123
TENZIN
SELINA
AYESHA
VICKY
ELAINE
JENNY
WINNIE
QUEENIE
SHARON
ALISHA
ELINA
ERICA
MANHA
SYEDA
JANNAT
JANICE
TINA
ANYA
ARISHA
INAAYA
166
138
137
126
109
104
92
86
80
68
68
65
65
63
56
53
52
44
44
44
Graph 6.2: Popular Ethnically Specific Female Names by Ethnic Group - Females
22
Summary
In an age when gender equality is in the spotlight more than ever before, and with the issue of
imposing expectations on boys and girls more widely discussed than ever, it’s surprising to find that
more children don’t have names that are unisex. Maybe it’s something that many parents, consciously
or unconsciously, just aren’t comfortable with yet. Nevertheless, for those less traditional parents who
have entertained the idea of giving their child a gender-neutral name, we’ve identified the most popular.
One of these names is Angel, which is an interesting case in point from an ethnic and cultural
perspective. It’s likely that the masculine version is Hispanic, while the feminine version of the name
is anglicized. However, regarding the way different communities name their children, the trend is
towards names that all groups like and use, although Hispanic parents are a little more inclined to
give their children ethnically specific names than Black or Asian parents.
When it comes to baby naming, like New York City itself, it’s one big melting pot. Our results have
shown that you can no longer assume someone’s background simply by hearing their name because
there is less differentiation between ethnic groups now. The truth is reflected in this research, which
shows that the multi-cultural environment of the Big Apple is one in which assimilation and
integration between communities is an increasing trend, which contributes to such a vibrant
atmosphere in one of the world’s most iconic cities.
Our study has shown a fascinating overarching fact. When
it comes to baby-naming trends, New Yorkers are very sure
about two choices in particular. They want to clearly
differentiate the boys and the girls (the most popular names
are given either to boys or to girls and generally not to both),
but in general, they prefer names that cross cultural
boundaries and don’t differentiate by ethnicity.View our interactive dashboard
for full visualization of the research data.
References:
1. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26634477
2. Cooley, Charles H. (1998) On Self and Social Organization. Ed. Schubert Hans-Joachim. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
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3. Kourtellos, Andros; Marr, Christa; Tan, Chih Ming (2014). "Robust Determinants of Intergenerational Mobility in the Land of
Opportunity." Rochester, NY
4. Clark, Gregory. (2014). The Son Also Rises: Surnames and the History of Social Mobility.
5. Osgood, Robert L. (2005) The history of inclusion in the United States. Gallaudet University Press,
6. England, Paula (2010). The Gender Revolution. Gender & Society, Vol. 24 No. 2, April 2010 149-166 DOI: 10.1177/0891243210361475. 2010 Sociologists
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7. https://www.kaggle.com/new-york-city/nyc-most-popular-baby-names
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