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1. Which of these Disney ladies carried the sixth most popular girls' name in the late 19th century?
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2. Which of the following king's names actually means, "One who follows"?
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3. Which of the following was not one of the top twenty baby names of 1918?
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4. Which of these popular names of the 1920s is the first name of three great females: an American poet, English novelist, and Canadian peace activist?
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5. Which of these names is a mythical god of the underworld?
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6. Which of these names is both the “Angel of Death” in Jewish and Muslim tradition and the name of a little known DC Universe superhero?
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7. Which U.S. President was originally given the name Leslie but was renamed at the age of two after his adopted father?
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8. Which of these famed popcorn mogul Redenbacher brothers bears the very popular name given to more than 2,000 babies per million in the year 1913?
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9. Which female Disney villain strangely bears the name of a Christian saint and German princess of the 4th century?
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10. When did the name Belle leave the top 100 list?
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11. Some names are associated with exotic dancers, but which of these salacious names is actually the diminutive form of a name common to early Christians meaning “traveler”?
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12. Few baby names can cross cultural divides, but the idea of giving your child a royal name is universal. Which of these male names is of African origin and means “crown”?
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13. Which classic male name below might elicit thoughts of either a funny sitcom character, a liberal politician, or a crook who stole billions in the biggest Ponzi scheme in history?
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14. Which of these old-timey female names beginning with “V” has the greatest popularity today?
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15. Things change very fast these days, so we do not have to look very far back in time to find names that sound pretty old school. Which of these classic '80s sitcom characters bears a name least likely to be heard on the playground today?
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16. Reality television has provided some interesting names for parents to consider. Which of these reality TV stars has the most popular old-fashioned name?
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17. Some old names may be unpopular, but some old women are still very vibrant and funny. Which of these "Golden Girls" characters has the name most historically popular?
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18. Nothing is more American than cowboys and the Wild West. Which of these silver screen cowboy actors has a name that means, “born lucky”?
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19. Which of these American Girl characters has a name that means, “God will give” and NOT a name that means, “Christian”?
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20. Have you ever noticed that old man names can also make great cartoon cat names? Which of these cartoon feline names has made a comeback in the 21st century?
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21. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the nicknames given to two federal financial entities designed to increase mortgage options. Which of these names peaked in popularity in 1938, the same year that the other one was created?
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22. If you don't remember Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls Wilder in "Little House on the Prairie", you surely know her younger sister, Sara Gilbert, the actress best known for her role as Darlene on "Roseanne". Which of these character's names had a revival in 1968 at the height of “Flower Power”?
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23. Do you know which of these names belonged to the first lady of our 20th president, James A. Garfield?
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24. Which name means “elf counselor” and was most popular back in 1928, nine years before J.R.R. Tolkien began writing his popular elf tale?
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25. In what year did the name Leona peak in popularity?
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26. In the popular Junie B. Jones books, “B” stands for Beatrice, but Junie B. hates that name. Maybe that’s because it has not been popular for a very long time. In what year was the name Beatrice the 36th most popular name for girls in the U.S.?
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27. Norbert Wiener’s work in mathematics led him to a professorship at MIT and to originate cybernetics. His work certainly means he is very bright, but what does his old-timey name mean?
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28. Harriet Tubman (civil rights leader), Harriet Beecher Stowe (author), and Harriet Quimby (pilot and explorer), are all women well known for their successful leadership. Does their name indicate the same? What is the meaning of the name Harriet?
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29. Which of these leading characters from the movie "Titanic" had a name that peaked in popularity in the same year that the famous ship Titanic hit the iceberg, 1912?
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30. It has been quite common throughout history, but especially in the 19th century, to name babies after elements of nature. Which of these antiquated, ecological names was given to just under 10,000 babies per million during its glory days in 1897?
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31. When we hear the name Frank, we may think of the swoony singer Frank Sinatra. What does the name Frank really mean?
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32. The 2016 presidential candidates competed for popularity among the voters and the Electoral College. But which candidate had the more popular name in the year of his or her birth?
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33. Cartoon heartbreaker Olive Oyl was developed for the Thimble Theatre comic strip in 1919, ten years before the release of her beloved boyfriend’s character, Popeye the Sailor Man. In what prior year did the name Olive peak in popularity?
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34. The popular children’s show "Sesame Street" depicted two roommates named Bert and Ernie. Which of these named peaked before name popularity was recorded, and has been on a steady decline since?
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35. The Supreme Court seats some of the wisest Americans of our time. Presently, there are three female justices. Which of the female justices has a name that actually means “wisdom”?
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36. Elton John and Emmylou Harris once again won the hearts of America at the 2018 Grammy awards ceremony. Their songs are universal for all generations, everywhere. Which artist has a name that means “universal” or “entire”?
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37. The antics of "I Love Lucy" gal pals Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) and Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance) defined the greatest comedic moments of the 1950s. But whose name became extremely unpopular by the 1970s?
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38. "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland", a book by Lewis Carroll, stars Alice, an intelligent but willful and curious little girl who falls through a magic rabbit hole. What is the meaning of the name Alice?
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39. The name Florence inspires greatness, as it is the first name of the fastest woman of all time (Florence Griffith Joyner) and the founder of modern nursing (Florence Nightingale). What does the name Florence mean?
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40. Alvin and his chipmunk brothers, Simon and Theodore, have been entertaining Americans since 1958 when a recorded playback was sped up to create their signature high-pitched vocals. Which of these chipmunks had the most popular name in the year of their debut album?
Every soon-to-be parent wants to give his or her child the perfect name. Each day, thousands of future moms and dads spend countless, hopeful hours poring over baby books, scrolling through internet lists, and swiping on apps, debating the use of relatives’, old flames’ and sworn enemies’ names, all the while micro-analyzing the prospects for culturally appropriate or gender non-specific options. As they explore, many parents find that each potential name has already been given to a friends’ baby, is the same name as that gross boy from third grade, sounds awkward with the parents’ last name, or simply won’t work for a million other reasons. Read more