Name Uniqueness and the Rise of Individualism in the Western Hemisphere (1500 - 2000)

This study investigates the historical evolution of individualism by analysing trends in Name Uniqueness — the distinctiveness of personal names — as a proxy for values emphasising autonomy, independence and self-expression. Using a dataset of 2313,713 notable individuals from Wikidata (1500–2000), we aimed to capture the historic evolution of Name Uniqueness in the Western hemisphere. Our analysis reveals an increase in individualism in Europe, the Americas, and Australia that predates widespread modernisation, which aligns with the conclusions of historians. In line with modernisation theory, we also observe a strong positive correlation between GDP per capita and Name Uniqueness across five centuries. These results remain robust when controlling for gender, occupation, and time period. Our findings challenge Max Weber’s thesis that the spread of Protestantism is associated with an increase in individualism; in fact, we find that it is associated with a decrease. By combining large-scale historical data with a validated cultural indicator, this study contributes to the growing body of evidence linking economic development to profound shifts in identity and social behaviour. It highlights Name Uniqueness as a powerful tool for tracing the long-term dynamics of individualism in large scale societies.