I just cataloged a novel called No Cream Puffs, by Karen Day. It’s about a girl in 1980 Michigan who plays baseball on the boys’ team.
The girl’s name? Madison.
I’m skeptical. I don’t know any 39-year-old Madisons. I sure do know a lot of twelve-year-old Madisons, though.
What do you think? Is this an anachronism, or was Michigan crawling with Madisons in 1980?
8 responses so far ↓
1 jadelennox // Sep 22, 2008 at 8:35 pm
nope. no Madisons until after Splash, in 1984.
2 jfpbookworm // Sep 23, 2008 at 8:04 am
Jadelennox beat me to it.
A quick search on IMDB (there may be better data sets for this, but that one has names and birthdates, and famous people’s names tend to catch on) suggests that prior to Splash “Madison” was a fairly rare men’s name.
3 Karen // Sep 23, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Yes, it’s true the name Madison was quite unheard of in 1980. That’s part of the reason I used it. My character is unusual in many ways — she’s the first girl to play little league with the boys — and her unique name is another way of having her “stand out.” The boys make fun of her name and one even comes up with a nickname he uses throughout the novel, Wisconsin. Which is quite appropriate since she’s named after the town where her parents met.
Karen
4 Sam // Sep 23, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Hey, thanks for weighing in, Karen! I wondered if her unusual name would be addressed in the book — since of course I’ve only cataloged it, and haven’t read it yet. I’m looking forward to!
Of course, these days, Madison is pretty common. It strikes me that while it’s a way to make the character stand out, it’s also maybe a way to help her connect with her modern audience.
5 Karen // Sep 23, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I hadn’t thought about her name connecting with modern audiences (or perhaps I did unconsciously??!!) but I think that’s true. Hope you have a chance to read it sometime. Thanks.
Karen
6 Alyssa Goodnight // Oct 1, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I’m inclined to agree with you–Madison is definitely a recent addition to the melting pot of names.
7 Kate Diamond // Oct 3, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Yay! I’m so excited to see Alyssa Goodnight posting on your blog! Is this her first time? I regularly read her blog, and quite enjoy it.
Sorry I am so off-topic. I am home sick. Must be the Sudafed talking.
I like the name Madison, but I’d never be able to use it for my own child (having known several). Ah, the curse of being a teacher…
8 Kate Diamond // Oct 3, 2008 at 4:47 pm
P.S. Tagged you on a meme. Check my site for details!
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