Picture three American girls: Guadalupe, Imani and Bridget. The names are all quite close in popularity. But in your mind's eye, do the girls all look the same? Chances are not, because the popularity of those names depends hugely on race.
Just about every demographic slice--geographic, ethnic, religious--has its own naming patterns, and race is no exception. Researchers and baby name authors often try to track these differences, coming up with race-specific name lists. You'll even find tallies of the "whitest" and "blackest" names based on birth records. But what about the reverse? What names tell you the least about the person's race?
I started with data on baby name choices in two diverse U.S. metropolitan areas, sorted into racial groups. My targets were names parents of all colors agree on -- names used most evenly across races. As it turns out, the most popular names overall are not necessarily the most universal. Even the #1 baby name in America, Jacob, is favored primarily by one racial group (whites). Names with roughly equal appeal to White, Black, Latino and Asian families include:
BOYS
Adrian
Anthony
Edward
Ian
Jonathan
Julian
Mark
Richard
GIRLS
Alexis
Alyssa
Arianna
Elizabeth
Erica
Mia
Nadia
Victoria
These names could be attractive options for parents who are negotiating conflicting tastes in multicultural families. There's also an appeal to any name that can move smoothly through many different social settings...and one that is unlikely to trigger prejudices.
But there are other people besides expectant parents who have to choose names: business people. If your ad for birth announcements had room for just one example name, how would you choose? You could go with a timeless classic, a particularly eye-catching name, or to be current, the #1 most popular baby name. (Or perhaps the #2 -- Emma is the dominant choice in ads right now.) But you might also want to consider a name that everyone can relate to and nobody will feel put off by. For a name that's favored by all and favors none, try Jonathan and Victoria...or, for if you pay for ad space by the inch, Ian and Mia.
Comments
Interesting stuff, as always.I wonder how long these trends have held true for with these names. In my mostly Caucasian elementary school in the 70's, a Chinese-American friend was named Erica and her brother was Mark, so I thought of them when I saw both of those names on these lists. I work with 3 Elizabeths now, all of different ethnic backgrounds.
Laura,Great blog-- I log in religiously to read your new material. One thing I have always been curious about-- what names did you choose for your children? I would love to know how you picked and what influences were present in your decision. Thanks!
I agree with the above post. I want to know your kids names!
Laura, I love your blog as always! It would be interesting to see a list of the names that vary most by race too. As for the other posters who want to know her childrens names, try a little persistence with Google...
Really interesting post, i've always considered Nadia to be a "white" name or more specifically a white russian name-so it was interesting to see that on the list.
does anybody know where i can obtain a larger list of "color neutral names" I have the baby name wizard book. Is one of the categories considered "color neutral"
To me, Ian sounds very Scottish and Nadia very Russian. But I like both names, so it may be true they appeal to all.But I don't like Alexis for a girl at all. B/c this name is a Greek MALE name and used for boys. So it is not really multicultural or a classic female name imo.
I like the girl names like Samantha, and Ashley that's what i would name my girl.
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