Concepción is a Spanish given name for females, derived from the Spanish word "concepción" which means conception or pregnancy. The name is believed to have originated in Spain during the Middle Ages and was often given to girls born to families with strong religious beliefs.
In Spanish culture, Concepción has been traditionally associated with the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, a Catholic belief that celebrates the idea that Mary was conceived without sin. As such, the name has been popular among Catholics for centuries.
Throughout history, many notable figures have borne the name Concepción. One famous example is Concepción Arenal y López de Armengol (1820-1893), a Spanish feminist and social reformer who campaigned for women's rights and prison reform. Another notable figure is Concepción Picciotto (born 1946), an American peace activist who has maintained a continuous vigil outside the White House since 1981, calling for an end to nuclear weapons.
In literature, the name Concepción has appeared in several works by Spanish authors. One example is "Cecilia Valdés" by Cirilo Villaverde, a novel set in Cuba during the late nineteenth century, where one of the main characters is named Concepción.
Today, Concepción remains a popular choice for girls' names in Spain and Latin America, although its usage has declined somewhat since the mid-twentieth century. The name can also be found among Spanish-speaking communities around the world. While it may sound old-fashioned to some, Concepción continues to evoke a sense of tradition, faith, and strong female role models.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Concepcion experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over time. Initially, there were consistently low numbers of births with the name Concepcion, ranging from 5 to 16 births per year between 1880 and 1906. However, starting around 1907, the number of births with this name began to rise steadily, peaking at 95 births in 1920. The popularity of Concepcion as a baby girl's name remained relatively high throughout the 1920s and 1930s, with an average of around 80-90 births per year.
After World War II, there was another notable spike in the usage of the name Concepcion, with over 50 births occurring annually from 1945 to 1959. However, this trend declined sharply during the 1960s and 1970s, with fewer than 60 births per year on average.
In recent decades, the name Concepcion has become increasingly rare, with only a handful of births occurring annually since the late 1980s. Between 2000 and 2023, there were only three years (2000, 2003, and 2022) where more than ten babies named Concepcion were born.
In total, over a span of approximately 140 years (from 1880 to 2023), there have been 5211 births registered with the name Concepcion.