There is a widespread belief that government bureaucrats lack senses of humor and that individuality is discouraged when in the ranks of government. The folks at the Social Security Administration (SSA) disproved that last week in a press release.
“For reasons likely to puzzle baby name experts around the world, American parents have become infatuated by names, particularly for their sons, that rhyme with the word â??maiden.â? … Social Security spokesman Mark Lassiter indicated that the agency would resist any legislative efforts to standardize the spelling of these names.”
SSA Press Release: Pop Culture Makes Mark on Social Security’s Most Popular Baby Names List
SSA tracks the most popular names born in the U.S. through registrations for Social Security numbers. It publishes its list annually. You can see the most popular names for the past 130 years on its web site.