The difference, Gureckis theorizes, is that, without tradition, people start to take their naming cues from others around them — even if it’s an unconscious process.
“People may discount the degree to which there’s a name environment that we live in everyday: You go around, you meet people, you hear names in the news, on the radio,” said Gureckis. “Even if you go look at baby name books, that name environment is going to bias you.”
So, if a couple somehow feels “Olivia” has a distinctive ring to it, Gureckis said it’s likely their neighbors down the street felt the same way.
Names can die off, too, especially when a name gets too popular too fast. Gureckis said other researchers have shown that it will likely die out quickly. “For example, Nevaeh really grew dramatically and because of its rocket growth, it might disappear in the next couple of years,” said Gureckis. Nevaeh is “heaven” spelled backwards.
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