The name Gotham has its origins in English literature and has since become widely recognized as a symbol of darkness and intrigue. It first appeared in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, written around the late 14th century. In this collection of tales, one character mentions that the inhabitants of Gotham are so foolish that they would consider themselves mad if the king should ride through their town. This story gives birth to the phrase "fools of Gotham" and popularizes the name Gotham as a synonym for foolishness.
In the centuries following Chaucer's work, Gotham became associated with various places and institutions around England. For instance, Nottinghamshire has a village named Gotham that was once believed to be the inspiration behind Chaucer's tale. Additionally, several buildings and establishments have adopted the name Gotham in reference to its literary heritage, such as Gotham Hall in New York City or Gotham Airlines, a defunct American airline.
The name Gotham also gained significant popularity in popular culture through its association with Batman. In the DC Comics universe, Gotham is portrayed as the fictional city where Batman resides and fights crime. This portrayal has further cemented Gotham's image as a place shrouded in darkness and mystery, much like the character it is associated with.
In summary, the name Gotham originated from English literature and has since become synonymous with foolishness due to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Over time, this name has been adopted by various places and institutions around the world, and its popularity has grown even more through its association with Batman in popular culture. Despite these associations, it is important to note that there is no specific meaning or history behind the name Gotham beyond its literary origins.
The statistics provided show the annual births of the name Gotham in the United States from 2015 to 2022. The number of newborns with this name has been steadily decreasing over these years, with a significant drop observed between 2017 and 2018.
In 2015, there were 48 babies named Gotham. This number increased slightly in the following year to 50 births. However, starting from 2017, the annual birth count for this name began to decline more noticeably:
* In 2017, there were 37 babies named Gotham.
* In 2018, this number decreased further to 27 births.
* By 2019, only 22 newborns were given the name Gotham.
This downward trend continued in subsequent years:
* In 2020, there were 14 births with the name Gotham.
* In 2021 and 2022 combined, a total of just 8 babies were named Gotham (7 in each year).
In conclusion, based on these statistics, it appears that the popularity of the name Gotham has been decreasing over time in the United States. From a peak of 50 births in 2016, the number of newborns given this name has more than halved by 2022. Overall, since 2015, there have been a total of 213 babies named Gotham born in the United States.