Some of the people at Brad DeLong’s Semi-Daily Journal thread about the name discrimination study are discussing trends in naming, and racial trends in particular. Sociologists have got that issue covered too. Take a look at Stan Lieberson’s A Matter of Taste, which analyzes trends in naming practices in the U.S. over a long period.

I’m doing a lot of cheerleading for my discipline this evening. But hey, it deserves it.