Random Fact of the Day: Feminizations and Feminine Suffixes

English doesn't have any native feminizing suffixes: all the ones we typically use (-a, -ia, -ette/etta, -ine/ina) are borrowed from Latin and Latinate languages.
Rather, Old English had certain elements that were exclusively masculine or exclusively feminine (and many that could be either). It also usually depended on whether that element was the first half or the second half of the name--for instance, hild ("battle") could start either a boys' or girls' name (like Hildewine "battle-friend" or Hildegard "battle protection"), but as a ending element, it was pretty much exclusively for girls.

So instead, if you wanted to endemically turn an OE boys' name into a girls' name (whether or not that was something that even occurred to them, IDK), you would have to swap out the masculine ending element for a feminine one similar in sound or meaning, like Ælfwig ("elf war") to Ælfhild ("elf battle"); or Wulfwine ("wolf friend") to Wulfwynn ("wolf joy"); or in some cases, just reverse the elements: Burgstan ("fortress stone") to Stanburg ("stone fortress"); or Thrudgar ("strength spear") or Gertrude ("spear strength").


Of course, the whole "add an A to make a girls' name" thing was imported pretty darned early (by the 800s for sure, but possibly as early as the 200s AD), so this whole thing is really just an exercise in dorky minutiae. :p

RIP, 1970; Part 2

For this round, I'm looking at change in gender. As you can imagine, the vast majority that changed went boy-to-girl or boy-to-unisex.
I compared the gender ratio for each name in 1970 to the gender ratio today, and here are the biggest changes.
(from the current Top 1500, because names further down are a lot more subject to bouncing around)

Masculine in 1970, now more common for girls:
(note that this is not necessarily most-->least common today, but the names that changed gender most strongly)

1. Charley
2. Emory
3. Riley
4. Monroe
5. Emerson
6. Reese
7. Emery
8. Stevie
9. Kennedy
10. Addison
11. Mckinley
12. Palmer
13. Ellery
14. Leighton
15. Payton
16. Harley
17. Bailey
18. Aubrey
19. Berkley
20. Delaney

It's hard to show the change easily and succinctly, but Charley, the biggest gender-swap, went from 90 boys to every girl to 8 girls for every boy. Emory went from about 80 boys to every girl to 8 girls for every boy. I calculated using percentages, so these lists are weighted towards more common names--although Delaney went from 13 boys per girl to 277 girls per boy, it was much less popular to start with.

Still more common for boys, but with the biggest shifts toward unisex:

1. Elliott
2. Elliot
3. Denver
4. Spencer
5. Drew
6. Royal
7. Milan
8. Charlie
9. Ellis
10. Reece
11. Jordan
12. Blake
13. Chandler
14. Ari
15. Remy
16. Lennox
17. Quincy
18. Keegan
19. Rory
20. Dallas

Elliott was the biggest shift on any of the lists. It went from not appearing at all on the girls list (if there was one girl Elliott born in 1970, that would make it about a 230/1 boy/girl ratio) to a ratio of about 4 boys for every girl.

And just for fun, the few names that went girl-->boy (again, only from the 2015 boys' Top 1500 to avoid weird data).

More feminine in 1970, now more common for boys:

1. Joan
2. Yael
3. Isa
4. Tristin
5. Dashawn
6. Tristen
7. Jean
8. Dominique
9. Elisha
10. Davi
11. Deshaun
12. Niko
13. Nico
14. Nikola
15. Arian
16. Sami
17. Deshawn
18. Angel

Almost all of these were pretty uncommon for either in 1970 (for instance, Niko was given to 16 girls and 9 boys that year). Joan and Jean are big surprises, though! I knew they were generally considered "outdated" for girls, but I didn't realize both were now more common for boys (I'm assuming said the Catalan & French ways, respectively).

Still more common for girls, but with the biggest shifts toward unisex:

1. Robin
2. Eden
3. Courtney

Of course, jumping from 1970 to 2015, you miss the giant spike of  Courtneys around 1990.
The one popular '70s name on this list is Robin--Robin was over 10x more common for girls in 1970, and is now nearly equal for boys and girls. Surprising, but pretty awesome!


If you're interested in the full list of gender-benders, it is here. 

RIP, 1970; Part 1.

To tide me over until the next SSA list release (Maaaaayyy....aaarrrrgggghh), I decided to have some fun seeing which names have died off since 1970.
(why 1970? It's kind of the borderline between the current parent and grandparent generations, plus apparently I haven't really done any sort of analysis with data from the 70s yet)

Aside from there being way more mistakes (I assume! I can't imagine there really were all that many guys named Mary, Patricia, or Lisa), I thought it'd be interesting to see which names/spellings that were in the Top 1500 in 1970 aren't on the 2015 list at all.
So for instance, Rob was #450 in 1970, given to 333 boys. In 2015, it was given to at most 4 boys; it doesn't appear anywhere on the complete 2015 list (the SSA only lists names given to 5 or more babies, for privacy).

Boys:

• Rob, #450
• Tod, #478
• Robb, #514
• Kraig, #557
• Pat, #584
• Lonny, #647
• Brain, #693
• Daryle, #696
• Jefferey, #721
• Kirt, #743
• Timmothy, #829
• Reginal, #841
• Shanon, #856
• Erie, #893
• Burt, #916
• Adolph, #927
• Curtiss, #933
• Dwane, #1000
• Kieth, #1010
• Roderic, #1011
• Vern, #1012
• Geoff, #1036
• Brooke, #1052
• Randel, #1058
• Winfred, #1089
• Sal, #1098
• Kiley, #1106
• Buford, #1130
• Dick, #1145
• Jemal, #1149
• Lupe, #1152
• Graig, #1160
• Tadd, #1167
• Tyronne, #1169
• Gaylon, #1173
• Kennth, #1197
• Bartley, #1222
• Carleton, #1235
• Dennie, #1236
• Gorge, #1269
• Jere, #1271
• Darold, #1279
• Jodi, #1283
• Butch, #1295
• Darryll, #1316
• Rayford, #1329
• Daryll, #1336
• Errick, #1340
• Timonthy, #1348
• Kary, #1361
• Rodd, #1367
• Shelly, #1369
• Tige, #1370
• Wendel, #1372
• Corby, #1375
• Earle, #1378
• Gerold, #1379
• Kreg, #1384
• Rolf, #1389
• Burl, #1396
• Darran, #1398
• Jami, #1405
• Mel, #1410
• Dorsey, #1423
• Patrice, #1432
• Alford, #1439
• Cleve, #1443
• Darryle, #1469
• Johathan, #1478
• Lynwood, #1482
• Terri, #1488
• Winfield, #1491
• Connie, #1496

I'm actually surprised at how many are misspellings or respellings. Most of those were from the trendy names of the time, though. Quite a few at-the-time unisex nicknames or full names, as well, which the boys mostly "lost".
Also, who was still naming their kid Adolph in 1970?!?!

Girls:

• Tammi, #318
• Deanne, #393
• Susanne, #408
• Gayle, #418
• Shonda, #432
• Tonja, #464
• Latanya, #473
• Deann, #494
• Terrie, #495
• Lauri, #502
• Lesa, #540
• Lawanda, #542
• Nanette, #548
• Pam, #561
• Shelli, #567
• Dee, #572
• Felecia, #572
• Tamela, #577
• Latonia, #583
• Tamatha, #599
• Misti, #602
• Shanon, #609
• Shannan, #612
• Vonda, #612
• Buffy, #614
• Shanda, #621
• Aretha, #640
• Chanda, #652
• Tawnya, #654
• Letitia, #656
• Vikki, #657
• Trena, #673
• Janene, #684
• Tawana, #685
• Gayla, #689
• Lorri, #692
• Latricia, #702
• Shiela, #713
• Sheree, #723
• Renita, #724
• Cindi, #728
• Barbra, #738
• Pamala, #740
• Kathie, #745
• Mellissa, #762
• Shonna, #782
• Yolonda, #787
• Lucretia, #790
• Tresa, #801
• Kathi, #806
• Dale, #813
• Kecia, #814
• Toya, #823
• Willie, #824
• Patrica, #836
• Dedra, #838
• Laverne, #839
• Carie, #855
• Milissa, #857
• Cary, #864
• Tangela, #872
• Tanja, #876
• Dona, #879
• Carri, #892
• Bobby, #895
• Lorinda, #898
• Sharonda, #904
• Tena, #905
• Tawanda, #908
• Tisa, #911
• Gerri, #916
• Deloris, #921
• Diann, #942
• Mindi, #945
• Sherie, #946
• Tawanna, #951
• Leisa, #954
• Tamiko, #959
• Cristi, #961
• Shawnda, #969
• Tosha, #970
• Deedee, #975
• Tracee, #978
• Dyan, #980
• Gale, #980
• Kimberely, #990
• Treena, #995
• Towanda, #1005
• Mellisa, #1007
• Tamala, #1009
• Lashon, #1011
• Dawne, #1015
• Gay, #1016
• Deeann, #1028
• Tameka, #1032
• Dorene, #1034
• Nannette, #1038
• Tamie, #1040
• Tarsha, #1041
• Shawnna, #1051
• Jerry, #1056
• Migdalia, #1058
• Trudi, #1059
• Nichol, #1064
• Terese, #1066
• Marva, #1076
• Melissia, #1079
• Lavonda, #1082
• Cinnamon, #1083
• Stephaine, #1087
• Donita, #1089
• Detra, #1099
• Joellen, #1101
• Cherri, #1108
• Larhonda, #1112
• Nanci, #1115
• Roxane, #1116
• Ronna, #1122
• Marty, #1130
• Shalonda, #1131
• Sharyn, #1132
• Teena, #1141
• Jacki, #1148
• Shandra, #1152
• Tammara, #1153
• Romona, #1161
• Shanta, #1163
• Vickey, #1166
• Carletta, #1176
• Keshia, #1178
• Devona, #1181
• Latrina, #1185
• Alfreda, #1191
• Jammie, #1197
• Laronda, #1199
• Melba, #1204
• Becki, #1213
• Buffie, #1214
• Felisa, #1217
• Fonda, #1218
• Gidget, #1219
• Bernadine, #1224
• Deedra, #1226
• Lasonya, #1232
• Sherita, #1237
• Cherrie, #1239
• Kelle, #1242
• Lesia, #1244
• Bonny, #1246
• Shena, #1256
• Tabetha, #1257
• Wendie, #1259
• Jeanene, #1264
• Nilda, #1283
• Petrina, #1284
• Juliane, #1287
• Tomeka, #1291
• Lashanda, #1296
• Sanjuanita, #1303
• Suzann, #1304
• Charise, #1306
• Deneen, #1307
• Chiquita, #1314
• Rachele, #1326
• Twana, #1328
• Candance, #1330
• Candie, #1330
• Dannette, #1332
• Dodie, #1333
• Kellye, #1344
• Taunya, #1351
• Tony, #1352
• Chantell, #1356
• Jenniffer, #1361
• Merri, #1364
• Twanda, #1368
• Ladawn, #1375
• Lashunda, #1376
• Nedra, #1381
• Pattie, #1382
• Tarra, #1386
• Vernita, #1387
• Denita, #1392
• Inger, #1393
• Karon, #1396
• Patrina, #1403
• Shaunda, #1419
• Trinette, #1420
• Billy, #1422
• Lory, #1426
• Steffanie, #1427
• Calandra, #1430
• Chanin, #1433
• Cher, #1434
• Coreen, #1436
• Necole, #1441
• Germaine, #1446
• Latina, #1448
• Nickie, #1450
• Sherron, #1451
• Cheryle, #1454
• Latosha, #1457
• Shondra, #1462
• Carolee, #1464
• Debbra, #1465
• Sharee, #1469
• Tari, #1471
• Tonda, #1472
• Anglea, #1475
• Demetrice, #1477
• Heide, #1480
• Joe, #1481
• Kiesha, #1491
• Lavette, #1492
• Omayra, #1495
• Tiffiny, #1499
• Treasa, #1500

A) It is crazy how many more girls' names there are. 

B) I removed a lot more girls' names from the boys' list than boys' names from the girls' list--only excluding long-standing traditional masculine names like Richard and Steven--since girls getting trendy boys' names or boys' diminutives is a thing that has always happened and they seemed more likely to be accurate data.

So wow! Again, lots of miss- and re-spellings of the popular names of the day. I'm sad to say a lot of these bring up unpleasant stereotypes. -_-

Migdalia intrigues me--Google brings up several Migdalias with Spanish surnames, and while I'm quite out-of-practice with Spanish, it seems to be a variant of Magdala (as in, the hometown of Mary Magdalene). Interesting!