# Hushling methodology

Canonical URL: https://mybabyeta.com/babynames/methodology
Latest public year: 2024

## Data source
Hushling uses public baby-name data from the U.S. Social Security Administration. The SSA publishes annual national files and state files based on first names recorded on Social Security card applications.

## What Hushling adds
- Exact spelling history: official SSA count and rank for one spelling, by year and sex.
- Combined spelling groups: common spelling variants are grouped, birth counts are summed, and ranks are recomputed by sex.
- State context: latest-year state rates are compared with national rates.
- Practical estimates: rates are translated into class, grade, school, and duplicate-chance estimates.

## Important limits
- SSA suppresses names with fewer than 5 births in a geography and year.
- State combined counts can be lower bounds because rare state spellings may be missing from state files.
- Spelling groups are approximations and can be subjective.
- Hushling is for exploration and decision support, not a prediction of future popularity.