Counterfactual
The Parallel Lives of Polly and Ernestine
In 79 girls, Polly found its level. 50 years earlier, Ernestine occupied that same statistical address.
1880–2025
Polly
Peak year
1964
Peak births
688
Latest count
79
Status
Rising
Peak generation
Boomer
1880–2021
Ernestine
Peak year
1928
Peak births
1,057
Latest count
0
Status
Declining
Peak generation
Silent Generation
In 79 girls, Polly found its level. 50 years earlier, Ernestine occupied that same address. One peaked in the Silent Generation era; the other in the Boomer world. They never met. But the data remembers them both.