Cool look at first name popularity in the US over the decades. Based on the popularity (according to the Social Security Adminstration) of my first name the year I was born, here is my "average" name of the same ranked popularity for each decade of the 20th and 21st Centuries.
David was the 2nd most popular name in my birth ydar. I'm told I was not named for / inspired by Eisenhower, but I suspect may of my peers were.
Looking at the same level of popularity (if I were being named by my folks based name popularity), I would be named …
2014: Liam
2000s: Michael
1990s: Christopher*
1980s: Christopher*
1970s: David**
1960s: James***
1950s: Robert
1940s: Robert
1930s: James
1920s: Wiliam
1910s: James
1900: William
1890s: William
* My middle name, in fact
** Born before my time, clearly.
* Two of my best friends in elementary school were named "Jim" and "James".
Nothing profound here, just fun.
(h/t +Doyce Testerman)
Find Out What Your Name Would Be If You Were Born Today
See the popularity of every name dating back to 1890
Gabriel? Ugh. Jason, Adam, Chad, Craig, Mike, Gerald, Fred, Roy, Fread again, Sam, Ernest, Joe.
I've never been crazy about my name, but it's better than most of these. I suppose being 23rd means I wouldn't get many good ones in the list.