Top names of the 1880s
but many parents, whether they realize it or not, like the sound of names that sound “successful.”
Steven D. Levitt • Freakonomics Rev Ed
parents use a name to signal their own expectations of how successful their children will be.
Steven D. Levitt • Freakonomics Rev Ed
One way to introduce a topic without metadiscourse is to open with a question: This chapter discusses the factors that cause names to rise and fall in popularity. What makes a name rise and fall in popularity?
Steven Pinker • The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century
Conquest of Cool by Thomas Frank, excerpt
press.uchicago.edu
There is a clear pattern at play: once a name catches on among high-income, highly educated parents, it starts working its way down the socioeconomic ladder.