This is quite a gem:
Jose is again the top boy’s name for babies born in Texas in 2007, evidence, as one approving blogger puts it, “that decades of Hispanic immigration has fundamentally changed this state’s character.” Did anyone ask Texans if, you know, they wanted to fundamentally change the state’s character? (You can search by state and year here.)
Why, those bastards. I bet no one asked Texans if they wanted to get older every day, but lo and behold, it is happening! This remark is so revealing, as it really shows you the modern conservative mindset- “THINGS ARE CHANGING AND IT SCARES ME TO DEATH! What can the government do to stop this?”
At any rate, I looked up WV and the surrounding states, and one name stuck out as exceedingly popular- Jacob.
It is #1 in WV, KY, and Ohio, #2 in PA and VA, and #4 in Maryland. Just seems like a whole lot of Jacobs, and there is pretty clearly a generational component to names. Jacob did not break the top ten in names in Kentucky until 1991, Ohio in 1992, West Virginia in 1993, Virginia in 1995, and Maryland and Pennsylvania in 1996.
Interesting, although I have no idea what it means, and I did not go through all fifty states, so I have no idea if this is a regional thing. I will bet there is a thesis for someone in there somewhere.
For the record, Jacob’s Ladder was released in 1990.
*** Update ***
BTW- The name Jose has been #1 in Texas since 1992, suggesting clearly the “problem” is worse than we thought.