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Answer key · for teachers
Figures as of November 14, 2026, from each chart's current data.
Chart 1 of 1 · Baby names
The chart's answer: Type any name to see how many U.S. babies were given it each year since 1880, for girls or boys. Emma, shown first, went from 2,003 girls in 1880 down to 414 in 1976, then back up to a peak of 22,719 in 2003; in 2025 it was 12,754. The counts come from Social Security card applications, so the early years undercount everyone. A year with fewer than 5 babies of a name shows as 0, because Social Security leaves those names out for privacy.
Look up your own name or a friend's. When was it most popular, and what might explain that?
Answers depend on what each student looks up on the chart.
Why are counts from the 1880s lower than counts today, even for names that were very popular then?
Answers depend on what each student looks up on the chart.
How could you change these counts to fairly compare a name's popularity in 1900 with today?
Answers depend on what each student looks up on the chart.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications (national data) (Public domain (U.S. government work)) · Data as of Dec 31, 2025 · chart.ly/charts/baby-name-popularity
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