The Journal

Stories about names, and the people who choose them.

Where names come from, how they travel, the traditions behind them, and what a century and a half of records can show.

Data · 2 min readWhat a popularity score does, and doesn’t, tell youEvery profile shows a number from 0 to 100. Here’s how it’s made, why it’s on a curve, and why it never says whether a name is good.

Traditions · 2 min readHonoring someone you loved, without repeating their nameYou don’t have to use a grandparent’s exact name to carry them forward. Families around the world honor relatives through a letter, a sound, a meaning or another language.September 27, 2026

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