Where does this information come from?
Why only since 1960? Why only 100 names per state? We want more!
How did you make this? What mapping software did you use? Where can I get it?
What are the Timeline sorting criteria based on?
Technical Troubleshooting
I can't see anything!
I get a nasty-looking error message where the map is supposed to be.
I see a map, but nothing happens when I enter a name. And it says "Peak (WY, 2007)." Huh?
- Where does this information come from?
- The NameMapper tracks names of babies born in the United States, as reported by the Social Security Administration (SSA). We have cleansed the raw SSA data and performed statistical transformations to allow meaningful historical comparisons.
- Why only since 1960? Why only 100 names per state? We want more!
- I want more, too! The NameMapper offers all of the data currently tracked by the U.S. government. As more official figures become available, I'll expand the map database. In the meantime it's worth noting that 100 names per state per year covers more ground than you might think due to regional differences. In fact, the NameMapper includes many names that have never cracked the top 1000 in the U.S. overall -- try typing in Hawaiian names like Kekoa, Maile and Kalani.
- How did you make this? What mapping software did you use? Where can I get it?
- The NameMapper applet was completely custom developed, and unfortunately no public version of the components is available. The project was a collaboration with my husband Martin Wattenberg. You can learn more about Martin's work at bewitched.com.
- What are the Timeline sorting criteria based on?
- The colored naming regions are based on my own analysis of state-by-state naming tendencies, focusing on names that are significantly more or less common in that state than in the nation overall. Groupings are determined by shared naming patterns.
The income and population density rankings are based on U.S. Census Bureau figures; Republican/Democratic ratio reflects voting percentages in the 2004 presidential election. - I can't see anything!
- The NameMapper is a Java applet, a program written in the secure Java language and formatted to run within a web browser. If you can't see the NameVoyager, your browser may not currently support Java. Check Options/Preferences to make sure that Java is enabled. If you don't have Java installed at all, you can download the free plug-in from Sun Microsystems: http://java.com/en/download/
- I get a nasty-looking error message where the map is supposed to be.
- Sorry about that -- a few people seem to get that error, and we're trying to sort out why. In the meantime, clearing your browser cache seems to clear it up.
- I see a map, but nothing happens when I enter a name. And it says "Peak (WY, 2007)." Huh?
- Sorry about that! The NameVoyager has to load a LOT of name data, and occasionally an internet blip will interrupt the loading before it's complete. Try holding down your shift key and reloading the page, that should do the trick.
