Do Americans desire homogeneity? Evidence from names from 1900-2000

There has been a dramatic increase in market concentration in the retail sector in the United States. Although it is typically assumed that standard supply-side forces of returns to scale are behind this trend, it is also possible that demand-side forces have played a role, i.e., that consumers desire homogeneity. This paper evaluates the American demand for homogeneity as exhibited in parental naming choices over the century from 1900-2000. The evidence does not support the hypothesis of increasing demand for homogeneity in the U.S.