Name Research Glossary

Name research glossary

Birth count

The number of births recorded for an exact spelling, year, and SSA sex category in the imported public file.

Rank

A name’s numerical position within a particular year and source category. A lower number indicates greater popularity.

Peak year

The imported year in which a name achieved its best recorded rank or, when specified, its highest birth count.

Variant

A related form that differs in spelling, language development, or established usage.

Nickname

A shortened, familiar, affectionate, or informal form used in place of the full name.

International form

A historically or linguistically related form used in another language or naming tradition.

Etymology

The documented linguistic history of a name, including older forms and root words.

Meaning

The supported lexical sense associated with the name’s root or historical form, not a claimed personality trait.

Origin

The language, culture, or historical tradition from which a documented form developed.

Gender-neutral usage

Use of the same spelling across more than one SSA source category or a reviewed broader usage classification. It is not inferred from personality or style.

Suppressed count

A very small count omitted from a public SSA file for privacy. Absence therefore does not prove zero use.

Exact spelling

The precise recorded form treated as its own statistical entry, separate from alternate spellings.