Nora Whitfield

Nora has spent a decade charting American naming trends through Social Security records and Census surname files, and writes plain-language guides for parents who want a name they'll still love in twenty years.

How articles get written

Every guide on The Name Almanac starts with a real question readers ask about US baby names, name meanings, and name statistics — how popular a first name is and how it has trended since 1880, how many Americans share a full name, what names mean and where they come from, rare and unique name ideas, and practical naming guides (middle names, sibling sets, initials, nicknames) built on Social Security Administration baby-name records and US Census Bureau surname data. Drafts are researched against reputable sources, edited for clarity, and updated when best practices change. Nothing is published to fill space: if a topic doesn't deserve a full answer, it doesn't get an article.

Corrections & contact

Spotted something out of date or plain wrong? Email runbookify@gmail.com and it will be fixed. See the About page for how the site is funded.