Link between parents' level of education & their baby's name

AutumnBride929

The post earlier where we were asked to choose the name that we thought more closely correlated with someone with a lower level of education got me thinking about this chapter in the book 'Freakonomics'.  These are some interesting lists they compiled.  All of these lists include data from the 1990s alone "to ensure a large sample that is also current" (I'm not sure why it only specifies "white" names).

Most Common White Girl Names Among High-Education Parents

1. Katherine

2. Emma

3. Alexandra

4. Julia

5. Rachel

Most Common White Girl Names Among Low-Education Parents

1. Kayla

2. Amber

3. Heather

4. Brittany

5. Brianna

Most Common White Boy Names Among High-Education Parents

1. Benjamin

2. Samuel

3. Alexander

4. John

5. William

Most Common White Boy Names Among Low-Education Parents

1. Cody

2. Travis

3. Brandon

4. Justin

5. Tyler

Twenty White Girl Names That Best Signify Low-Education Parents (and avg. number of years of mother's education)

1. Angel (11.38)

2. Heaven (11.46)

3. Misty (11.61)

4. Destiny (11.66)

5. Brenda (11.71)

6. Tabatha (11.81)

7. Bobbie (11.87)

8. Brandy (11.89)

9. Destinee (11.91)

10. Cindy (11.92)

11. Jazmine (11.94)

12. Shyanne (11.96)

13. Britany (12.05)

14. Mercedes (12.06)

15. Tiffanie (12.08)

16. Ashly (12.11)

17. Tonya (12.13)

18. Crystal (12.15)

19. Brandie (12.16)

20. Brandi (12.17)

Ten "Jasmines" in Ascending Order of Maternal Education

1. Jazmine (11.94)

2. Jazmyne (12.08)

3. Jazzmin (12.14)

4. Jazzmine (12.16)

5. Jasmyne (12.18)

6. Jasmina (12.5)

7. Jazmyn (12.77)

8. Jasmine (12.88)

9. Jasmin (13.12)

10. Jasmyn (13.23)

Oh, man, I could go on to include the boy names but this is probably getting exhausting for you, lol.  I just thought it was interesting and thought those on this board might, too!

This information was compiled using California's database.

gemrae1225

Pretty interesting!

nfatigato

  Brandon is my favorite boys name....guess I am a dummy.  I don't care though. LOL

buckeyebrat

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Strange enough, I am educated and NONE of the names on "High Education" girls or boys appeal to me. I think alot of it has to do with personality (though I DO agree that less educated women tend to create some very "unique" names, as well as spellings).

HappyMrsK

That's interesting. Alexander is our top boy name choice and seeing how I have a Master's degree and my DH has a Doctorate I guess we fit in with the data.

braveangel2

I'd like to get my hands on this book some time. Funny, my name is number one (Angel), but this was ten years after I got it, so you know...I get a pass.

AutumnBride929

Oh, yeah, and the book also mentions that these names shift. 

"If you or someone you love is named Cindy or Brenda and is over, say, forty, and feels that those names did not formerly connote a low-education family, you are right.  These names, like many others, have shifted hard and fast of late."

They go on to say, "There is a clear pattern at play: once a name catches on among high-income, highly educated parents, it starts working its way down the socioeconomic ladder.  Amber and Heather started out as high-end names, as did Stephanie and Brittany.  For every high-end baby named Stephanie or Brittany, another five lower-income girls received those names within ten years."

The book is by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.  They also include lists of the "blackest" boy and girl names and the "whitest" boy and girl names.

BlueRidge8

I love Freakonomics!

FemmeNat01

I love Freakonomics!

tledwards200

Interesting stuff. I'm curious to know the Black names. Will have to visit the library and take a look!

Simply Fated

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Both my parents are highly education. Thanks.

anna7602

Simply Fated:

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Both my parents are highly education. Thanks.

I was also wondering why this poster said this about Rachel? I think classic, biblical names in general do well with the highly educated set, look at Adam, Jacob, etc,

Simply Fated

anna7602:

Simply Fated:

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Both my parents are highly education. Thanks.

I was also wondering why this poster said this about Rachel? I think classic, biblical names in general do well with the highly educated set, look at Adam, Jacob, etc,

Yeah... I'm wondering what logic this poster used. Rachel is a Biblical name, not like the ones the "less educated" parents use.

Kayla, Amber, Heather, Brittany, Brianna... Rachel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WhuikFY1Pg

 

 

wallace84

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Rachel is a popular Jewish girl's name.

izzourclue

I actually did find it interesting.  Thanks for sharing.

ttmccoot

Simply Fated:

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Both my parents are highly education. Thanks.

 you mean highly educated?

Simply Fated

ttmccoot:

Simply Fated:

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Both my parents are highly education. Thanks.

 you mean highly educated?

Yes, I did. Thank you!

While we're checking for grammar and spelling mistakes, do you mind if I ask a question? Did you mean to start out your sentence with a capital letter "Y" or with the word "Do?"

buckeyebrat

Simply Fated:

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Both my parents are highly education. Thanks.

Umm... ?

Geez, lighten up. Just stating my opinion. From what I'm familiar with, Rachel falls in the same category as Heather, Ashley, Brittany, Stephanie, etc. It was just funny to me to see how it was all listed, and this was meant to be JUST FOR FUN, right?!

 

beautifulsin90

Wow that is very interesting..

cshoem01

There are also studies that show that kids with obscure/alternate spelling/made up names perform poorly academically. They can't say conclusively if it's because they are just not as smart because their parents aren't very intelliget, or if the teachers don't expect much from them due to their name so don't give them extra attention in classroom.

Temp984666312503071

Interesting.  My DD is Katherine.  We both have graduate degrees.

Acendaneil

I wonder where my name fits into this?  As well as my husbands.

I have to thank my biological-POS-dad for my name though.  While married to my wonderful Mom and her being pregnant with me...he had a girlfriend named Meg.  My mom had absolutely no choice in my first name (I was going to be Rachael, if she would have had her way).  Anyway...she didn't catch on until about a month after I was born that he had a plan the whole time.

So...can you all guess where on the education status ladder my BPOSD stands?  I'm sure it's not hard to confirm that the man is a complete and utter dumbass. 

I am going to have to check this book out, sounds interesting.

 

starrkitten89

There are also studies that show that kids with obscure/alternate spelling/made up names perform poorly academically.

 

..I don't think this is always the case.I have always worked harder to show my peers and teachers that I am intelligent due to my youneek name (Starr).I am the top student in my degree program with a 3.9 GPA and I have always done well in school.My mother was a teenager,and I think that may have more to do with her name choice than her income.

 

I know if I had a child even 10 years ago at 19,I would be scared today of what i would have named him or her!

Emjay221

Simply Fated:

leahadrian:

Hmm... I would think Rachel would be on the less educated list.

Both my parents are highly education. Thanks.

Haha... did it skip a generation?

aldyn

I hope freakonomics updates their baby name chapter and releases it.

gotchagomo

This list is pretty much dead on correct with what I see at my junior high.

Goldiefrocks2

AutumnBride929:

The post earlier where we were asked to choose the name that we thought more closely correlated with someone with a lower level of education got me thinking about this chapter in the book 'Freakonomics'.  These are some interesting lists they compiled.  All of these lists include data from the 1990s alone "to ensure a large sample that is also current" (I'm not sure why it only specifies "white" names).

You have to separate it by race due to the confounding factor of race and socioeconomic status. According to the 2000 Census (and I'm sure not much has changed in the 2010 Census) a significantly higher percentage of impoverished people are minorities than Whites. Also, being poor is linked to lower levels of education. By controlling for race, no one can refute the data saying, "Wait a minute, all the top low education names are Black and Latino when you know they are more likely than Whites to be poor and therefore have lower education". It's good that they made a separate statistical analysis of each race.

That.Just.Happened

AutumnBride929:

Twenty White Girl Names That Best Signify Low-Education Parents (and avg. number of years of mother's education)

1. Angel (11.38)

2. Heaven (11.46)

3. Misty (11.61)

4. Destiny (11.66)

5. Brenda (11.71)

6. Tabatha (11.81)

7. Bobbie (11.87)

8. Brandy (11.89)

9. Destinee (11.91)

10. Cindy (11.92)

11. Jazmine (11.94)

12. Shyanne (11.96)

13. Britany (12.05)

14. Mercedes (12.06)

15. Tiffanie (12.08)

16. Ashly (12.11)

17. Tonya (12.13)

18. Crystal (12.15)

19. Brandie (12.16)

20. Brandi (12.17)

These are all 100% stripper names in my head.