FROM THE REGISTER — THE RETURNED
RETURNED 2010 AFTER 92 YEARS BELOW THE FEDERAL LINE
Ninety-two years below the line, then the surname-name fashion found it. First reported in 1915, Welles fell below the line and stayed there from 1918 through 2009 — 92 years. It returned in 2010; in 2025 the register shows 42 births, against a peak of 56 in 2021.
| First reported | 1915 |
|---|---|
| Last reported | 2025 — 42 births |
| Peak | 2021 — 56 births |
| Total recorded, 1915–2025 | 470 |
| Years above the line | 17 of a possible 111 |
| Longest absence | 92 years (1918–2009) |
| Returned | 2010 |
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