Study Correlates Popularity Of ‘Deadliest Catch’ With Huge Spike In Children Named ‘Crab’

PHILADELPHIA—Noting an explosion in the frequency of the name in the years following the reality program’s debut, a new study published Monday found a correlation between the popularity of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch and the nation’s sharp uptick in children named Crab. “Looking at naming trends over the past few decades, you can see that until the show’s premiere in 2005, the name Crab was only given to a small number of American babies,” said study co-author and University of Pennsylvania demographer Gary Phelps, adding that today, a visit to just about any high school in the country would reveal that one of the most common first names, for both boy and girls, was Crab. “Similarly, we found significant correlations between the Deadliest Catch’s ratings and birth certificates issued with the names Boat, Captain, Ropes, and Chum. It seems hard to believe now, but if you go back 20 years, none of those names were even in the top 10.” The study noted the dynamic was similar to a phenomenon in the 1990s, when the popularity of the show Friends corresponded with an increase in children named Apartment and Coffee Shop.