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

FROM THE REGISTER — THE RETURNED

Arbor
A male given name · United States

RETURNED 2009 AFTER 93 YEARS BELOW THE FEDERAL LINE

Arbor (M): reported births per year0816243240188019001920194019601980200020202025FEDERAL REPORTING LINE (5)PEAK 32 — 2025
Reported births per year, 1880–2025. The y-axis starts at zero. Years below the reporting line appear as gaps, not zeros.

A tree of a name, replanted after ninety-three years. First reported in 1915, Arbor fell below the line and stayed there from 1916 through 2008 — 93 years. It returned in 2009; in 2025 the register shows 32 births — the highest count in its entire record.

REGISTER EXTRACT
First reported1915
Last reported2025 — 32 births
Peak2025 — 32 births
Total recorded, 1915–2025254
Years above the line14 of a possible 111
Longest absence93 years (1916–2008)
Returned2009

Nearby in the register

Birdie

The Returned · 1880–2025 · peak 2025

Juno

The Returned · 1919–2025 · peak 2025

Frost

The Returned · 1916–2025 · peak 2025

Enora

The Returned · 1910–2025 · peak 2025

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