Our Data Collection Explained How CharliesNames compiles popular name lists from over 2 billion name ratings – and what makes our statistics special

Names often reflect a country’s cultural and social trends. Whether classic, modern, or unique, choosing a baby name is a very personal decision. At CharliesNames, we support expectant parents in finding the perfect name by continuously gathering and analyzing data on popular names. In this article, we provide insights into the methodology behind our top lists, so that both website visitors and editors interested in using our data for reports can understand the foundation of our statistics.

How Are the Data Collected?

Since the launch of our baby name app in 2015, we have collected real-time data on name ratings from parents using CharliesNames. Ratings happen through swiping: a thumbs-up for “like,” a heart for “favorite,” and a thumbs-down for “dislike.” To date, we’ve gathered over 2.3 billion name ratings worldwide, enabling us to make well-founded statements on name popularity across different countries.

Our Data Sources and Sample Size

The basis of our name statistics comes from primary data generated by user ratings in our app. We gather ratings from 13 countries, including the USA, the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Germany, for example, 825,744 parents have used our app (as of November 2024). Adjusted for “repeat parents,” this amounts to 7.31% of all births over the past ten years, meaning CharliesNames has been part of the name selection for one in every 14 children in Germany – an impressive figure that makes our data highly representative.

Methodology: How Data Collection Works at CharliesNames

Our app users rate names anonymously and directly on their smartphones. These data are then gathered and analyzed to generate name charts. To avoid bias, we only include names that have received at least 150 ratings, which ensures data quality and validity by minimizing the impact of newly added names.

Additionally, we track different spellings of a name separately. For example, “Emilia” and “Émilia” appear as two distinct names in our lists. Unisex names are listed separately to keep them out of gender-specific name charts.

Regional and Demographic Differences

CharliesNames compiles separate name statistics for each country where our app is widely used. By referencing the country code of each smartphone, we know where a rating is coming from, allowing us to identify specific trends and regional differences. Plus, no user groups are left out; almost everyone has a smartphone today, regardless of age, income, or other demographics.

Data Privacy and Ethics

Data privacy is especially important in data collection. All data collected by CharliesNames are fully anonymized and comply with GDPR standards. Personal information like parents’ names or birthdates is not collected to protect user privacy. Only the raw name ratings are included in our analyses.

What Makes Our Data Unique?

One major advantage of our data collection is that expectant parents often rate names months before their child is born. This lets us spot trends early, giving us insights into which names will become popular in the coming year. While many official statistics rely on birth registry data that are only available after the birth, early ratings from parents give us valuable insights into future trends.

Publication and Accessibility

All gathered and analyzed data are regularly published on our website, charlies-names.com, where both parents and journalists can access up-to-date name trends. Our statistics are a valuable resource for reporters covering baby name trends.

Limitations and Possible Biases

While our data set is extensive, there are some limitations. We do not analyze birth registry data, so our results may differ from official statistics. Furthermore, the ratings mainly come from parents who use our app, meaning that certain user groups may be underrepresented. Nonetheless, our data offer a unique look at name choices made by parents, who often decide months before the birth.

Conclusion

With over 2.3 billion name ratings and involvement in 7.31% of all births in Germany, CharliesNames is a reliable source for name trend insights. Our anonymized data provide valuable insights into the most popular names and emerging trends in various countries.

Happy exploring in our name statistics!

Contact

If you have questions about our data collection or need background information on names, feel free to reach out. We welcome every publication. For more information, visit our Press Page.