Counterfactual
The Parallel Lives of Thelma and Bella
In 29 girls, Thelma found its level. 50 years earlier, Bella occupied that same statistical address.
1880–2025
Thelma
Peak year
1921
Peak births
7,839
Latest count
29
Status
Endangered
Peak generation
Greatest Generation
1880–2025
Bella
Peak year
2010
Peak births
5,136
Latest count
2,129
Status
Declining
Peak generation
Gen Z
In 29 girls, Thelma found its level. 50 years earlier, Bella occupied that same address. One peaked in the Gen Z era; the other in the Greatest Generation world. They never met. But the data remembers them both.