Are naming trends reflected in initial letters? Are the first letters of names generally used consistently or do they rise and fall in popularity much like the names themselves? To find the answers to these questions, I have delved into the data from England & Wales and Scotland to see what patterns emerge.
Firstly, here is a break down of all the initial letters used in the Top 100 Girls' names every decade in England and Wales from 1904 to 2011. (The numbers in red indicate the most popular initials for that year).
The most striking thing to note from these statistics is the similarity between 1904 and 2011. E and M were both popular initials for the Edwardians; both began to decline over the century but are now back on an upward curve. This, of course, is partly due to specific names coming back in fashion, but there are still differences. Out of the fourteen E names used in 2011, nine of them were the same as those 1904. However, Ellie, Evie, Emilia, Erin and Esme are used now rather than 1904's Edith, Edna, Eileen, Ellen, Esther and Ethel. Could this mean that the vintage E initial is more influential than the names themselves?
Interestingly, for girls, there does seem to be a spike in popularity of the initial used in the most popular name for that year. M names were at a peak from 1904 to 1944, when Mary and Margaret were #1. S reached a peak from 1954 to 1984 when Susan, and then Sarah, was the top ranker, and R was at its highest point in 1994 when Rebecca was #1.
I did the same analysis on the Top 100 Girls' names in Scotland, and though there was much variation in the names used compared to England and Wales, the stats looked remarkably similar:
What generalisations can we make from both these statistics?
- A is the most consistently popular initial for girls.
- A, E, J, M and L have the highest total across all years in Britain.
- E and M were popular initials for girls at the beginning of the century, declined mid-century and are now on an upward curve.
- C, K, S, and D initials reached a peak from the 1950s to 1980s.
- L names are now on the rise for girls.
- J names are now declining for girls.
The initial letters used in the Top 100 Boys' names every decade in England and Wales from 1904 to 2011:
Unlike with the girls, there is no obvious similarity between 1904 and 2011 though it is interesting to note that in 2011 H names (one of the most popular initials of 1904) were at the highest point since 1924. As with the E initial for girls, the H initial itself is more influential than the names themselves. Only Harry and Henry appear in both 1904 and 2011's Top 100. Harvey, Harley, Harrison and Hayden are now used instead of Harold, Hector, Herbert, Horace, Howard, Hubert and Hugh.
The initial of the most popular names seem to have no influence on the popularity of that initial for boys. The J initial was lower from 1914 to 1944 when John was #1. C names were at a low point when Christopher was #1 in 1984, and top ranker Thomas had no effect on the T initial in 1994.
The Top 100 Boys' names in Scotland tell a similar story to England and Wales:
General patterns:
- A is the most consistently popular initial for boys.
- A, C, D, J, M and R have the highest total across all years in Britain.
- H and L names were high at the beginning of the century, declined mid-century and are now on an upward curve.
- G, R, and S names reached a peak mid-century.
- J names are now on the rise for boys.
So, A and M are popular for both genders, J names are going up for boys but down for girls and E and H are vintage revivals. Perhaps in 50 years we'll see a surge of G, K and S names again...
