The decision parents ultimately make regarding their child's name determines which names become popular and stay popular in Bay County and the nation. Over the course of fifty years in Bay County, some names became favorites and died out, while others retained their popularity. There are many different factors to take into consideration when naming a child. The name can be in honor of a family member or famous person. It can reflect a specific meaning or ethnic background.
Nicknames are also a concern in name selection.
Name popularity runs in distinct cycles. He says that when names become too familiar to be desirable, parents choose less familiar names and begin a new name cycle. Associations relate closely to name popularity. This is because people associated the name Adolf with Adolf Hitler, a hated and unpopular man. The name Glenn became associated with John Glenn, national hero.