Summer

The name Summer first entered the U.S. popularity charts in 1971 when the American social revolution was in full swing. Young, hippie parents of 1960s and 70s commonly responded to names exemplifying organic concepts and an awareness of nature. It was a sign of the times and names like Rain, Rainbow, Sunshine, River and Meadow came into use. The names of the seasons and months of the year were also used, as were flowers, plants and trees. It was a wildly free time in American history and many of the names of the 60s and 70s reflected it. However, when the 1970s gave way to the greedy days of Wall Street in the 1980s, America reverted back to her traditional ways and took naming styles in a different direction. Nonetheless, some of these counterculture names endured and have stayed with us. Summer and Autumn are two examples of this. The name Summer definitely lost some footing in the 1980s, but the 1990s made up for it. Today, the name is typically ranked somewhere between 150-200th position on the popularity charts. No one wants to say goodbye to summer. We’re glad the name has persisted; it keeps the sunshine near.