COMPILED FROM THE FEDERAL REGISTERS, 1880 TO THE PRESENT
American first names, tracked to the federal reporting line.

A ROOM OF THE LIST — LONG MISSING

LONG MISSING

Missing twenty to thirty-nine years: 21,622 names, recently enough seen that a return would surprise no one at this desk. The reader is reminded that a name last reported in 2005 has had far less time to come back than one last reported in 1965, and that this room empties from both ends.

Notable holdings

Pat

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1992 — 34 YEARS

Pam

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1997 — 29 YEARS

Dick

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 2006 — 20 YEARS

Nannie

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1992 — 34 YEARS

Bettye

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1999 — 27 YEARS

Earnestine

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 2002 — 24 YEARS

Gussie

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1992 — 34 YEARS

Shirley

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1994 — 32 YEARS

Gail

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1990 — 36 YEARS

Orval

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1996 — 30 YEARS

Patsy

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1993 — 33 YEARS

Mittie

BELOW THE FEDERAL REPORTING LINE SINCE 1990 — 36 YEARS

The complete room — 21,622 names, by letter

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national names file (1880–2025). Names below 5 occurrences in a year are not reported.

Somewhere, a grandmother is unsurprised.

A collection of THE MUSEUM OF HOPEFUL MACHINES