by Angela Mastrodonato of Upswing Baby Names

　　One day I had an epiphany. I consider myself part of the “Mom Generation”. When I was in high school, I knew both a Debbie (short for Deborah) and an Allison.

　　Fast forward to 2014 and I would be surprised to see Deborah on a birth announcement, but not on a grandmother. At the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Allison on a birth announcement but I would be shocked to meet a grandma Allison.

　　Yet I can imagine both names on moms.

　　Deb (or Deborah, Debra, Debora, etc.) seems imaginable on anyone between 35-60. Allison (or Alison, Allisyn, etc.) seems imaginable on anyone newborn to age 40. These are large imaginable age ranges for feminine names, since feminine names seem to date more quickly than masculine names.

　　I double-checked the Social Security name stats to see if this was all in my head.

　　Based on the Social Security data, Deborah and Allison may have peaked at different times, yet there was a time in the 1970’s, the decade when I was born, when both names were in the top 100.

　　As expected, Deborah was a top name for my Mom’s generation, peaking at #2 in 1955. Deborah’s popularity started to fall throughout the ’60s and ’70s, but the name remained in the top 100 until 1977.

　　For all practical purposes, the similar Debra was almost as popular as Deborah, peaking at #2 in 1956 (the year after Deborah peaked at #2), and remained popular for almost as long, not leaving the top 100 until 1975.

　　While both Deborah and Debra were in decline in the 1970’s, when the 1975 birth numbers for both names are combined, it adds up to 5,860 girls born that year.

　　Around the time Deborah was declining, Allison had just begun its ascent. The similar Alison (with one L) had also begun its ascent but eventually the Allison spelling (with two L’s) would become much more popular.

　　When the 1975 birth numbers for both Allison and Alison are combined, it adds up to 5,618 girls, close to the birth numbers for Deborah and Debra that year.

　　1975 was a pivotal year, the year Deborah passed the torch to Allison.

　　Allison would go on to reach its peak at #30 in 2009. Most recently Allison ranked at #34. Allison’s reign among the top 40 ranks has lasted for nearly three decades.

　　After looking at the numbers, I realized someone from my generation having classmates named Deborah and Allison is not unusual.

　　I like to call names like Deborah and Allison “generational crossover” names. Maybe you and your parents (or you and your kids) have friends with these generational crossover names:

　　Allison (or Alison, Allisyn, etc.)

　　Years in the top 100: 1974 – present

　　Imaginable ages: Newborn to 40

　　Brian (or Bryan)

　　Years in the top 100: 1947 – 2009

　　Imaginable ages: 15 to 50*

　　Cynthia

　　Years in the top 100: 1945 – 1993

　　Imaginable ages: 30 – 60

　　Deborah (or Debra, Debora, etc.)

　　Years in the top 100: 1947 – 1976

　　Imaginable ages: 35 – 60

　　Eric (or Erik, Erick, etc.)

　　Years in the top 100: 1950 – 2010

　　Imaginable ages: 10 to 50*

　　Hailey (or Hayley)

　　Years in the top 100: 1996 – present

　　Imaginable ages: Newborn to 30

　　Jenna

　　Years in the top 100: 1984 – 2006

　　Imaginable ages: Newborn to 30

　　Kyle

　　Years in the top 100: 1974 – 2008

　　Imaginable ages: Newborn to 40

　　Megan (or Meghan, Megyn, etc.)

　　Years in the top 100: 1975 – 2007

　　Imaginable ages: 5 – 40

　　Natalie

　　Years in the top 100: 1976 – present

　　Imaginable ages: Newborn to 40

　　Sean (or Shawn)

　　Years in the top 100: 1965 – 2009

　　Imaginable ages: 15 – 45

　　* I feel I owe an explanation for why I can’t imagine Brian on anyone under 15 or Eric on anyone under 10 despite these names being in the top 100 as recently as 2009 and 2010. I can’t really give a good explanation. The imaginable age ranges are based solely on my frame of reference, and you may disagree with them. Feel free to disagree with the age ranges.

　　Do you know any more names that bridge generations?

　　This post was revised for Nameberry based on the UBN post 8 Names That Bridge Generations. New names were added to the list after the original post was launched based on readers’ suggestions.

　　Angela created Upswing Baby Names to help parents find that different but not too different name. She muses about names on their way in and on their way out in her book, The Top 22 in 2022.