In A Surprise To Literally No One, Parents Aren't Naming Their Kids "Vance" Anymore
On Friday, the agency released the official list of most popular baby names in the US in 2024. Between 2023 and 2024, the name Vance fell 41 places, from the 955th most popular baby name for boys to No. 996 ― one of its lowest-ever rankings in the annual SSA lists, which date to the 1880s.
'On the whole, parents are likely avoiding the name Vance because it's simply not so fashionable anymore, but JD Vance is likely accelerating its decline,' Sophie Kihm, the editor-in-chief of Nameberry, told HuffPost. 'Political names tied to presidents and VPs were very common in the early 20th century, but today's parents generally stay away from overt political associations in baby names.'
Even looking back to the late 1800s, the more positive influence of politicians on baby names is evident.
'Grover Cleveland pushed both his first and last names into the Top 100 in 1884,' said Abby Sandel, the creator of the baby name blog Appellation Mountain. 'Bryan first trended way back in 1896, when William Jennings Bryan ran for ― and lost ― the presidency. The name Franklin spiked in 1933, as FDR took office.'
Kihm noted that modern parents are more likely to use names inspired by celebrities, influencers, and those figures' children than politicians.
'JD Vance is a polarizing figure and, right now, the most dominant association with the name Vance,' Kihm said. 'Parents that may have otherwise considered the name Vance may have nixed it from their lists to avoid assumptions or questions about their political affiliations. Interestingly, though, Elon actually rose by a few births. I bet we'll see that reverse in the 2025 data.'
The name Vance briefly dropped off the Top 1,000 list in 1998 and 2000 but quickly recovered. Interestingly, the name rose in popularity from 2022 to 2023 before JD Vance joined the presidential ticket. But if its current trajectory continues, the name Vance may fall off for good this year.
Meanwhile, the name Donald dipped 14 spots from No. 658 to No. 672 ― continuing a general trend of decline that goes back decades (with a couple of fleeting boosts after President Donald Trump entered the political arena).
'Vance did have a brief rise in the early 2000s and then again around 2015, the latter influenced by singer Vance Joy,' Kihm explained. 'But overall, it's dropped significantly from its height. Before 1970, Vance was impressively steady in the rankings, hovering in between No. 300 and No. 500.'
The name peaked in popularity in 1969 at No. 328 and started appearing more on the pop culture scene over the next decade or so.
'Vance was very much a late 1970s style star,' Sandel said. 'Lance, too. During the 1980s, television series The Dukes of Hazzard cast briefly included a character called Vance Duke.'
Both she and Kihm believe the decline of Vance is largely driven by style, even if accelerated by politics. Plus, fans of The Office might associate it too strongly with the 'Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration' character.
'I'm not at all surprised to see that Vance dropped in the rankings,' Kihm said. 'Statistically, it's a dad name or even a grandpa name. Vance was never so popular that it feels inextricably tied to a particular generation ― in this case, Gen X ― but that 'anc' sound found in names like Lance and Nancy has a strongly dated feel.'
That doesn't mean all parents have fully rejected political ideals in their baby naming choices, however.
'One hopeful name from the new data that might point to how parents are feeling about the world around us?' Sandel said. 'Truce debuted in the boys' Top 1,000.'
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
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