Just How Strong Is the Disney Princess Effect on Babies' Names?
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Source: Disney
Sophia may have been the most popular girl's name in 2013, but could Elsa or Anna reign supreme in 2014? A new study suggests that they might, as Disney princesses have a stronger influence on baby names than you might imagine. When examining data from the Social Security Administration, researchers at Brigham Young University found that princesses' names see a huge spike in the years following their film's release. For example, the number of girls named Merida increased by 474 percent following the release of Brave in 2012, and Tiana doubled after The Princess and the Frog came out in 2009.
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Source: The Huffington Post
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Source: The Huffington Post
Researchers believe the popularity in princess names, referred to as the "Disney Princess Effect," stems from a 2000 marketing campaign that highlighted the original princesses. As seen below, however, even older films have been a part of the Disney Princess Effect, with the name Ariel becoming more popular following The Little Mermaid's release in 1989.
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Source: The Huffington Post
To see how other princesses fared in the name game, read the full story on The Huffington Post.