#12/#12/#12

photo by jon700 via Flickr

In honor of 12/12/12, I thought we would take a look at the names that ranked #12 from 1880 through 2011. I love looking at names in this area of the Top 1000 because the names are popular, but more than likely never reached the top spots. The #12 names from the years around your birth are probably names that you heard a lot in your class when you were young, but they didn't and don't have the notoriety of being "the name." So, here you go... the #TWELVES:

1880 Harry, Clara
1881 Harry, Sarah
1882 Harry, Sarah
1883 Harry, Sarah
1884 Harry, Florence
1885 Harry, Florence
1886 Harry, Bessie
1887 Harry, Annie
1888 Thomas, Ida
1889 Thomas, Alice
1890 Thomas, Helen
1891 Thomas, Bessie
1892 Thomas, Minnie
1893 Thomas, Minnie
1894 Thomas, Minnie
1895 Harry, Clara
1896 Thomas, Alice
1897 Walter, Edna
1898 Harry, Edna
1899 Walter, Alice
1900 Walter, Edna
1901 Walter, Alice
1902 Walter, Gladys
1903 Walter, Alice
1904 Walter, Lillian
1905 Walter, Ethel
1906 Walter, Ethel
1907 Walter, Ethel
1908 Walter, Ethel
1909 Walter, Frances
1910 Thomas, Florence
1911 Walter, Florence
1912 Henry, Florence
1913 Henry, Evelyn
1914 Henry, Alice
1915 Harold, Virginia
1916 Paul, Marie
1917 Harold, Marie
1918 Richard, Marie
1919 Richard, Marie
1920 Harold, Evelyn
1921 Harold, Evelyn
1922 Donald, Anna
1923 Thomas, Evelyn
1924 Frank, Evelyn
1925 Frank, Evelyn
1926 Frank, Jean
1927 Frank, Frances
1928 Frank, Jean
1929 Frank, Jean
1930 Paul, Virginia
1931 Paul, Virginia
1932 David, Joyce
1933 Ronald, Joyce
1934 David, Joyce
1935 Ronald, Joyce
1936 Ronald, Joyce
1937 Joseph, Helen
1938 Joseph, Judith
1939 Joseph, Joyce
1940 Joseph, Dorothy
1941 Joseph, Margaret
1942 Larry, Shirley
1943 Larry, Shirley
1944 Larry, Judy
1945 Donald, Carolyn
1946 Gary, Carolyn
1947 Gary, Judith
1948 Gary, Karen
1949 Gary, Donna
1950 Ronald, Karen
1951 Ronald, Donna
1952 Joseph, Carol
1953 Mark, Cynthia
1954 Mark, Pamela
1955 Gary, Pamela
1956 Joseph, Pamela
1957 Joseph, Pamela
1958 Joseph, Nancy
1959 Timothy, Pamela
1960 Joseph, Barbara
1961 Joseph, Barbara
1962 Steven, Pamela
1963 Scott, Tammy
1964 Steven, Deborah
1965 Timothy, Pamela
1966 Christopher, Donna
1967 Thomas, Amy
1968 Thomas, Kelly
1969 Scott, Julie
1970 Scott, Karen
1971 Jeffrey, Heather
1972 Joseph, Julie
1973 Joseph, Julie
1974 Joseph, Elizabeth
1975 Joseph, Christina
1976 Joseph, Rebecca
1977 William, Lisa
1978 Joshua, Kelly
1979 Daniel, Kimberly
1980 Brian, Angela
1981 Justin, Rebecca
1982 Justin, Heather
1983 Justin, Amy
1984 Ryan, Crystal
1985 Ryan, Christina
1986 Joseph, Melissa
1987 Joseph, Megan
1988 Joseph, Megan
1989 John, Nicole
1990 John, Emily
1991 Nicholas, Kayla
1992 Nicholas, Lauren
1993 Joseph, Lauren
1994 Zachary, Kayla
1995 Joseph, Rachel
1996 Joseph, Megan
1997 Joseph, Kayla
1998 Daniel, Kayla
1999 Ryan, Lauren
2000 Brandon, Alyssa
2001 David, Taylor
2002 Anthony, Alyssa
2003 Nicholas, Sarah
2004 Ryan, Sarah
2005 Alexander, Sophia
2006 Alexander, Ashley
2007 David, Samantha
2008 Andrew, Addison
2009 Aiden, Addison
2010 Mason, Elizabeth
2011 Matthew, Ella

Notice the change in preferences as the years progress. It's fascinating that preferences remained the same throughout many years early on in the list, and then names would periodically pop up throughout the later years but not with the same consistency. You can also see some of the top names as they make their way up (or down) the ladder.

In my opinion, 1995 is the best year for #12s... two timeless, Biblical names in Joseph and Rachel. Rachel happens to be my daughter's name, but I hold no bias. ;) I also think 1887, 1914, and 1930/31 were great years for #12s.

Which year holds your favorite pair of #12s?