jengenx

When the births of the so-called Generation Xers began and ended remains a subject of debate, but the range generally starts in the mid-‘60s and runs through the early ‘80s. The period when the name “Jennifer” reigned supreme as America’s favorite girls’ name covers about the same time frame. According to the Social Security Administration’s Baby Names data, Jennifer slowly crept up from obscurity beginning in 1938. It entered the Top 20 in 1965, and hit the No. 1 spot by 1970. There it stayed for 14 years.¹ (If you want to know how common your name has been in America, visit the SSA’s Baby Names page. Under “Popularity of a Name,” enter yours and then select a timeframe. I chose “1900 and later.”)

I came along relatively early in the Jen/GenX years. I don’t know why all those other parents chose the name for their daughters, but my mother says mine was a compromise. She claims her first choice, Carrie, was nixed on the grounds that, combined with my last name (Sansbury), it sounded too sing-songy. The movie “The Summer of ‘42,” starring CoverGirl spokesmodel Jennifer O’Neill, had hit theaters just a few short months before I was born and made an impression on my parents. My middle name came from The Left Banke’s 1966 hit “Walk Away Renee.” I guess that makes me the namesake of a celebrity and a song.

Growing up, I got a kick out of telling the story of my pop culture-inspired name — especially because so many of my classmates didn’t know what, if anything, inspired theirs.

Do you have an interesting story about how you got your name? Please leave a comment and tell me about it!

Sources

1. Social Security Administration, “Popular Baby Names,” database,
(https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ : accessed 16 Jan 2018), Popularity of a Name search for Jennifer, 1900 and later.

I’m Jen and I’m a Generation Xer. (Not so much the hipster kind as the nerdy kind.) I’m a recovering journalist and now I apply my investigative skills to digging into family history. I love GENealogy and am trying to understand how to use GENetics to strengthen my research and solve family mysteries. Hence the moniker “JenGenX.”

I’ve been a diehard dabbler for many years. For much of that time, I didn’t advertise my interest much outside of my family. I felt self-conscious because of the perception that genealogy is not a cool hobby for the young.

Now that I’m in my mid-40s, I’m realizing how quickly time passes. Memories fade. Relatives pass on. Opportunities disappear before I recognize them for what they are. I can’t wait until my hair turns completely grey to embrace my interest in genealogy, so there’s no time like the present! (OK, let’s be real: I inherited an early grey gene. But I’m not embracing that!)

I’m starting this blog because I have stories to tell and lessons to share as I try to tell them. But I also know that in this universe I am still a “baby genealogist,” so I still have a lot to learn. Don’t be afraid to weigh in — maybe we can help each other along the way.