Our Names

The diagram shows a tally chart and bar graph done by Adam and Mary for their class. Adam’s name had the most common initial letter and Mary’s the least common.

Make a list of the first names of all the learners in your class. What do you notice about the first letters of the names?

Make a tally chart,  and then draw a bar graph for the number of names in your class for each first letter.  What is similar and what is different about the data for your class and for Adam and Mary’s class?

Can you represent your data in a different sort of graph?

What other questions would you like to ask about names? You might ask if the first letters of surnames have a different distribution from the first letters of first names. Or you might ask what are the most common names in your school. Or you might ask if names have changed much in the last 20 years. Are the names of the learners in your class similar or different to the names of the older members of their families?

Collect some data about names, draw some graphs and report on what you have found out.

See the Notes for Teachers.

Thank you to NRICH for the idea for this activity.