The baby name Donald is declining in popularity, according to new data from the U.S. Social Security Administration.
On Friday, the agency released its list of most popular baby names in the U.S. in 2018. Between 2017 and 2018, the name Donald fell 39 places, from the 487th most popular baby name for boys to No. 526 ― its lowest ever ranking in the annual SSA lists, which date back to the 1880s.
The name Donald peaked in 1934 when it was the sixth most popular name for baby boys, but it has followed a general pattern of decline ever since. However in 2017 ― the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency ― the name saw a slight boost, jumping up to No. 487 from its 2016 ranking of No. 489.
In 2018, 533 baby boys were named Donald, compared with 600 the previous year.
As the name of one of the more controversial U.S. presidents, the name Donald is much more loaded these days. While names associated with bad press sometimes tank in popularity, the opposite is often true, according to Bellevue University psychology professor and former president of the American Name Society, Cleveland K. Evans.
He told The Associated Press in 2007 that publicity around a particular name, whether positive or negative, typically boosts its popularity. “So many parents are looking for a new, unusual name, there are always a few of them who are going to take it from any cultural event,” said Evans.
Just as Donald is falling in popularity, the names of many of Trump’s family members are declining as well.
While 112 baby girls were named Ivanka in 2016 and 165 in 2017, that number fell to 97 in 2018. The name Melania appeared on the Top 1,000 list for the first time in 2017 at No. 933, with 283 baby Melanias born that year. But it dropped out of the rankings in 2018, with 233 newborn girls named Melania.
Tiffany plummeted more than 100 spots to No. 690 from No. 581, and Eric fell from No. 143 to No. 160. Fewer baby boys were named Barron in 2018, with 120 in newborn Barrons, compared to 136 in 2017. Meanwhile, Trump’s son-in-law Jared’s name saw an upswing, rising from No. 385 to 367.
