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Help[Facts] Re: How are hyphenated names counted in the popularity statistics?
in reply to a message by Perrine
My understanding for the SSA (US Social Security Administration) is that hyphens are omitted, and double names without a hyphen are recorded as first name, middle name.
So Mary-Jane would be recorded as Maryjane, and Mary Jane would be just Mary. The SSA doesn't include any middle names in its popular-names listings.
Informally, I have observed that double names without a hyphen are very common, more common than the hyphenated versions and often more common than the combined versions: Mary Ann, Mary Jane, Mary Lou, Ann Marie, Jo Ann, Jo Ellen, etc. These would have been counted as Mary, Ann, Jo. I think this helps explain why a name like Jo was so high on the list through the 1960s.
So Mary-Jane would be recorded as Maryjane, and Mary Jane would be just Mary. The SSA doesn't include any middle names in its popular-names listings.
Informally, I have observed that double names without a hyphen are very common, more common than the hyphenated versions and often more common than the combined versions: Mary Ann, Mary Jane, Mary Lou, Ann Marie, Jo Ann, Jo Ellen, etc. These would have been counted as Mary, Ann, Jo. I think this helps explain why a name like Jo was so high on the list through the 1960s.
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Replies
This is correct for the SSA, however some other national agencies do include hyphens and/or diacritics in their data.
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