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States have official songs and sandwiches. So how about quirky favorite baby names?
It turns out that certain names, rare in the US, are over-represented in certain states. Our intrepid researcher looked at every name given to at least 100 babies in 2015. Then he calculated the percentage of babies with that name born in every state. When ranked, the results revealed the rare names most concentrated in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Some of these are easily explained. A hundred baby boys were named Brigham in 2015, 23 of them in Utah. Less than one percent of all Americans live in Utah, so that’s 23 times higher than you might expect. But, of course, Brigham Young was an early leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headquartered in Utah, so it’s not a surprise.
Yiddish names Shimon and Faigy are the quirky favorites in New York, where there’s the largest concentration of Hasidic Jews, while Spanish names Santana and Estevan are favored in New Mexico, and Hawaiian names Kalea and Keanu are popular in — boom! — Hawaii.
And it does make sense that nature names Wren and Wilder are the quirky favorites of rural Vermont, while nouveau names Oakleigh and Bridger are well-liked in red state Montana, consistent with our analysis that found red staters prefer gender-neutral invented names while blue staters are more likely to pick names that are ethnic and traditional.
Other stands-outs are harder to explain. Why is Ophelia so prominent in Alaska? Or Brecken in Iowa? If you have the secret to why these names are the favorites in your state, please share with the class!
Here are all the quirky favorites by state:
1. Alaska: Girl name: Ophelia, Boy name: Torin
2. Alabama: Girl name: Lynlee, Boy name: Dewayne
3. Arkansas: Girl name: Kynslee, Boy name: Payton
4. Arizona: Girl name: Arleth, Boy name: Hiram
5. California: Girl name: Jaylene, Boy name: Arman
6. Colorado: Girl name: Aspen, Boy name: Amias
7. Connecticut: Girl name: Alessia, Boy name: Andreas
8. District of Columbia: Girl name: Egypt, Boy name: Zyaire
9. Delaware: Girl name: Devyn, Boy name: Makai
10. Florida: Girl name: Martina, Boy name: Jahmir
11. Georgia: Girl name: Ansley, Boy name: Jarvis
12. Hawaii: Girl name: Kalea, Boy name: Keanu
13. Idaho: Girl name: Oakley, Boy name: Krew
14. Iowa: Girl name: Kinzlee, Boy name: Brecken
15. Illinois: Girl name: Jaylani, Boy name: Umar
16. Indiana: Girl name: Lucinda, Boy name: Ross
17. Kansas: Girl name: Camdyn, Boy name: Brogan
18. Kentucky: Girl name: Kenleigh, Boy name: Leeland
19. Louisiana: Girl name: Jolie, Boy name: Tylan
20. Maine: Girl name: Quincy, Boy name: Eliot
21. Maryland: Girl name: Rhyan, Boy name: Chaz
22. Massachusetts: Girl name: Maeve, Boy name: Javian
23. Michigan: Girl name: Yasmeen, Boy name: Hussein
24. Minnesota: Girl name: Sumaya, Boy name: Abdirahman
25. Mississippi: Girl name: Deasia, Boy name: Jakobe
26. Missouri: Girl: Braylynn, Boy name: Kelly
27. Montana: Girl name: Oakleigh, Boy name: Bridger
28. North Carolina: Girl name: Ivey, Boy name: Juelz
29. North Dakota: Girl name: Aspyn, Boy name: Teagan
30. Nebraska: Girl name: Juana, Boy name: Coy
31. New Hampshire: Girl name: Penny, Boy name: Davin
32. New Jersey: Girl name: Nechama, Boy name: Yaakov
33. New Mexico: Girl name: Santana, Boy name: Estevan
34. New York: Girl name: Faigy, Boy name: Shimon
35. Nevada: Girl name: Laylani, Boy name: Kenji
36. Ohio: Girl name: Bexley, Boy name: Jaron
37. Oklahoma: Girl name: Gentry, Boy name: Hagen
38. Oregon: Girl name: Zinnia, Boy name: Cedar
39. Pennsylvania: Girl name: Maura, Boy name: Yasir
40. Rhode Island: Girl name: Amalia, Boy name: Domenic
41. South Carolina: Girl name: Hollis, Boy name: Banks
42. South Dakota: Girl name: Haddie, Boy name: Sutton
43. Tennessee: Girl name: Briley, Boy name: Courtney
44. Texas: Girl name: Renata, Boy name: Mauro
45. Utah: Girl name: Oaklee, Boy name: Brigham
46. Virginia: Girl name: Iman, Boy name: Aubrey
47. Vermont: Girl name: Wren, Boy name: Wilder
48. Washington: Girl name: Roslyn, Boy name: Ransom
49: Wisconsin: Girl name: Etta, Boy name: Jordy
50: West Virginia: Girl name: Cambrie, Boy name: Bryer
51: Wyoming: Girl name: Taya, Boy name: Trace
What’s your favorite quirky baby name? Share it with us @BritandCo!
This post was previously published on Nameberry by Joe Satran and Abby Sandel.
(Photos via Getty)
