By Kelli Brady, The Name Freak! 　　For a second year, I present the “real” Top 50 by combining the different spellings of each name. Because when you hear “Jacob!” on the playground, you have no idea how his name is spelled, but you know you hear the name a lot....

　　By Anna Otto, Waltzing More Than Matilda 　　There’s a lot to be said for having a name that is familiar in many countries. It makes travel and working overseas just that little bit easier, and if you have a particular cultural background, it’s nice to know that relatives in your...

　　The official list of U.S. Most Popular Names of 2013 will be released by the Social Security Administration any day now, and so in advance of the announcement, which we’re all awaiting with baited breath, we’re asking you to predict which names will come out on top. 　　Will Jacob‘s 14-year reign...

　　By Arika Okrent 　　Arika Okrent is editor-at-large at [_TheWeek.com](http://theweek.com/article/index/251655/the-least-popular-american-baby-names-from-1880-to-1932) and a frequent contributor to Mental Floss. She is the author of In the Land of Invented Languages, a history of the attempt to build a better language. She holds a doctorate in linguistics and a first-level certification in Klingon. Thanks to Arika for permission to reprint this...