Regardless of what psychologists say, statistics indicate that there’s something about a given name. See how what you name a child can say something about you, your family, or even society in general.

Rich and Famous
Hoping Junior will make enough money to pay his way—and yours? Give him the first name of the wealthiest men—John. Rather have an inventor in the house? Try John again, although Charles and William run a close second and third (if you’re hoping he wins a Nobel prize, you may also want to slip the name Robert in there).

For a wealthy daughter, try Anne, Barbara, or Margaret. Want the little doll to be crowned Miss America? Go with a very female name—odds are best that a daughter named Debra, Susan, Marian, and Marilyn will walk away with the crown. If those names don’t strike your fancy, just make sure your daughter’s name has a “y” in it. Over the past century, nearly 30 percent of all Miss Americas had a “y” in their name.

And if your dream is for a child who will trace the family for you, try Mary, Elizabeth, Susan, Debbie, or Katherine for a girl, Robert, John, Richard, Michael, or William for a boy—those are the most popular given names among genealogists.

Long Ago
Stuck on a pre-1700 ancestor in England because you can’t find his or her first name? Odds are good that your male ancestor was named John, William, or Robert, and your female ancestor was named Mary, Alice, Ann, Elizabeth, or Margaret. Statistically speaking, during any year between 1570 and 1700, between 36 and 52 percent of people in England had one of these names.

All the Rage
Where do boys get their names? Try the world of sports. Each of the following names reached their peak of popularity at the same time a sports hero touted the moniker:

1950s—Mickey (Mickey Mantle)
1960s—Vince (Vince Lombardi)
1970s—Kareem (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
1980s, early 1990s—Bo (Bo Jackson)
1990s, early 2000s—Shaquille, Kobe, and Jordan

(Note: While Shaquille and Kobe have dropped off in popularity of late, Jordan has remained on top in both male and female names.)

Originally Yours
We had to get our names from somewhere. But before sports and the silver screen influenced our name-calling, where did we turn? See for yourself in the list of the most popular names of all time:

Boys, Origin
Michael, Bible
Joseph, Bible
John, Bible
James, Bible
William, William the Conquerer

Girls, Origin
Elizabeth, Bible
Sarah, Bible
Mary, Bible
Anna, Bible
Katherine, Fourth-century Greek saint

How Times Have Changed
Newton-John, de Havilland, or the sweet little pig—which Olivia has the most namesakes?

While Olivia saw a bit of a spike between 1940 and 1949 when Olivia de Havilland was considered one of the big screen’s greatest stars (jumping to 268 in popularity among females), and again in the 1970s when Olivia Newton-John was star of both stage and screen, today Olivia is more popular as ever, ranking fifth in popularity for 2005. And the reigning Olivia today? A precocious storybook pig.

Benny, Parr, Lemmon, Kerouac, London, Nicklaus, Dempsey, or Sparrow—which Jack influenced parents most?

If dates and statistics mean anything, then Jack Dempsy gets the nod, but just barely. The name Jack reached its peak of popularity in the 1920s when it was the 17th most popular boy’s name in the United States. However, don’t discount the power of a pirate—after waning through the years, Jack is again on top. In 2005, it was the 34th most popular boy’s name. So if your favorite preschooler invites a bevy of Jacks to his next birthday party, you can almost guarantee that the culprit is none other than Captain Jack Sparrow.