Journal article
Popularity as Taste
Onoma, Vol.38, pp.235-276
09/25/2003
DOI: 10.2143/ONO.38.0.2002560
Abstract
Since at least the nineteenth century, a number of nations have experienced a stunning decline in the concentration of naming choices. Whereas a substantial portion of the newborns were given one of a small number of names, now the most popular names are given to a far smaller number of children. If anything, the decline is accelerating throughout this period and so far exhibits no evidence of halting. We consider possible causes such as increasing turnover in names during this period; migration to urban areas; increasing ethnic and racial diversity; greater diffusion of naming information due to the internet and computerization. These are found to be wanting. In turn we describe a Collective Theory of Popularity as a taste itself and provide evidence that supports this perspective. In particular, we show that the decline in concentration fits very nicely with the theory. Also, the names given to sisters provide independent and non-circular evidence that parents' choices are affected by their location on the continuum from popular to unpopular.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Popularity as Taste
- Creators
- Stanley LiebersonFreda B. Lynn
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Onoma, Vol.38, pp.235-276
- DOI
- 10.2143/ONO.38.0.2002560
- ISSN
- 0078-463X
- eISSN
- 0078-463X
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/25/2003
- Academic Unit
- Sociology and Criminology
- Record Identifier
- 9984306225702771
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