Did you know that Sporcle has over 50 published baby name quizzes?
In fact, we have a whole baby name subcategory devoted to baby names. Which makes us (and many of you) ask the question: Why do Sporcle users love baby name quizzes so much?
First off, there’s something personal about baby name quizzes. Most of us can’t personally identify with a movie celebrity quiz. And if you’re playing a country quiz, the closest you can get is guessing your own country, or remembering that amazing trip you made to Italy. But name quizzes. They’re different. Our own names are the answers. We, along with our friends, neighbors, and relatives have played a part in making these names as popular as they are. Name quizzes are democratic: there’s no favoritism, the numbers speak for themselves.
In the United States, names are tracked by the Social Security Administration. In the United Kingdom, names are tracked through the Office of National Statistics. And every place you go you’ll find hundreds of baby name books, promising to help parents find the perfect name.
When it comes to picking a name, a brief Google search shows that some of the most important things to consider are origin and meaning. On the other hand, the name must also fit well with a middle name, and balance with the last name. With so many specifications, it’s a good thing there are so many to choose from!
Another thing parents have to consider is what type of name they want their child to have. Do they want their child’s name to be cute, rare, or unusual? What about a cool or popular? Or there’s always the old-fashioned method of picking a name from the family.
In spite of the exhaustive process that goes into naming a child, the overall results of baby names do follow trends. Sorry to burst your bubble, but people are just not as creative as they like to think. Which is why there are perennially popular male and female names, girl named after plants, flowers, and gems, and even children who share names with Shakespeare characters.
So…what’s your technique for succeeding on the baby names quizzes? Do you guess at random? Or do you have a careful method of scouring your brain’s database for all the people you’ve ever met, read about, or vaguely heard about? It’s usually easiest to come up with names from our own peer group. It becomes harder when you’ve finished the 1990s and you’re stuck trying to think of ‘A’ names for people in the 1880s.
It’s amazing how quickly your mind can blank during these games. And yet, apparently, the difficulty level is not enough to keep people away from the baby name quizzes. If you ever find yourself with a baby to name, remember to come to Sporcle for ideas. Or better yet, introduce the baby in your life to Sporcle. The world needs more Sporclers, especially cute ones who look good with flowers.