Counterfactual
The Parallel Lives of Mercy and Edna
In 313 girls, Mercy found its level. 50 years earlier, Edna occupied that same statistical address.
1881–2025
Mercy
Peak year
2019
Peak births
441
Latest count
313
Status
Stable
Peak generation
Gen Alpha
1880–2025
Edna
Peak year
1918
Peak births
8,698
Latest count
72
Status
Endangered
Peak generation
Greatest Generation
In 313 girls, Mercy found its level. 50 years earlier, Edna occupied that same address. One peaked in the Greatest Generation era; the other in the Gen Alpha world. They never met. But the data remembers them both.