I stumbled upon a website entitled Name Statistics that lists the most popular first and last names in the United States and allows you to search for your name to see where it ranks.
Michael was ranked as the fourth most common male name, although it was the second most popular baby boy name of 2002. 3,220,525 American men are named Michael while an additional 231,525 are named Mike. Are there really people with the name Mike on their birth certificate? I assumed every Mike was really a Michael like me. Regardless, few names are as common as mine and I can vouch for that. It wasn't unusual for me to share as class room of 30 with two or three others with the same name as I. In fact, On my slo-pitch team of 15 people, I'm one of three Mike's. When I hear someone call my name on the street, I rarely turn around. I've learned that it's almost never for me and I just end up looking silly. I'm more likely to turn around when I hear someone calling "Dude".
Speaking of popular names, I apparently don't even have the most common name in my little family of three. James is the most popular name for males in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 3.318% of men in the U.S. have the name James on their birth certificate. It's also an extremely common last name ranking 71st among U.S. surnames in popularity.
Taryn, on the other hand, can safely turn around when she hears her name being called. Unlike the two men she lives with, he name is rather unique. Only 8,925 U.S. females share her name.
My mom's name is ranked number one amongst females while both my brothers rank in the top fifty. Because you're curious, below are the top five names for each sex.
Top Five Male Names in the U.S.
- James
- John
- Robert
- Michael
- William
Top Five Female Names in the U.S.
- Mary
- Patricia
- Linda
- Barbara
- Elizabeth
