AI: Putting Bard and ChatGPT to the test with Name Data

We were curious how well the AI programs are doing with name data, so we ran some tests and did our own research to find out. First we decided on a specific segment of name types, then asked Google’s Bard and ChatGPT. Comparing their results to our own research yielded some important takeaways. Which AI tool do you think did the best? 

We wanted to test a slice of data that would be interesting and realistic by species, gender, and geography. The query we landed on was “What are the most popular baby names in Idaho?” At Namedat, we’re processing dog, cat, and human name data everyday, and we wanted to give the AI tools their best shot at performing based on the most published and readily-available data, so we stuck with human names. Here are the responses that we got from each tool:

ChatGPT: “What are the most popular baby names in Idaho?”

As an AI language model, I don’t have real-time data or access to the latest statistics. However, as of my last knowledge update in September 2021, I can provide you with information about popular baby names in Idaho based on historical data. Keep in mind that these rankings may have changed in recent years. It’s always a good idea to consult official sources or websites that provide up-to-date information on baby name popularity.

In recent years, some popular baby names in Idaho have included traditional and timeless choices, as well as some trendy and unique names. Here are a few examples:

For boys:

1. Liam

2. Oliver

3. William

4. Mason

5. James

For girls:

1. Emma

2. Olivia

3. Ava

4. Harper

5. Sophia

Please note that these names are not specific to Idaho but rather reflect popular names across the United States. To get the most accurate and recent data for popular baby names in Idaho, you can refer to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare or consult local sources that track baby name trends in the state.

Bard: “What are the most popular baby names in Idaho?”

Here are the most popular baby names in Idaho in 2021, according to the Social Security Administration:

Girls:

1. Olivia
2. Amelia
3. Ava
4. Charlotte
5. Emma
6. Evelyn
7. Isabella
8. Sophia
9. Abigail
10. Harper

Boys:

1. Liam
2. Noah
3. Oliver
4. Elijah
5. James
6. William
7. Henry
8. Benjamin
9. Lucas
10. Alexander

It is worth noting that these are just the most popular names, and there are many other beautiful and unique names to choose from. When choosing a name for your child, it is important to consider what feels right for you and your family.

Great to see that responses were given from both tools! 

Now it’s time to dig into their answers and see which was best. Here at Namedat, we’ve found that the most reliable source of name data in the U.S. is the Social Security Administration, and they even publish baby names by state on this page of their site. For this research, we queried SSA’s baby name list for Idaho, compared it to the Namedat database of first names in Idaho, and then reached out to a local professional in the baby business – a doula in Boise, Idaho for review and confirmation of how realistic the results are. 

Here is the SSA’s top 10 list on the same date that Bard and ChatGPT were asked:

Popular Names by State

May 25, 2023

The following table shows the 100 most frequent given names for male and female births in 2022 in Idaho. The number to the right of each name is the number of occurrences in the data. The source is a 100% sample based on Social Security card application data. 

Rank	Male name	Number of males	Female name	Number of females
1	Oliver	124	Olivia	103
2	Liam	109	Charlotte	100
3	Henry	91	Hazel	82
4	James	85	Emma	76
5	William	80	Evelyn	70
6	Theodore	74	Amelia	69
7	Wyatt	70	Harper	65
8	Asher	67	Avery	63
9	Jackson	67	Eleanor	59
10	Levi	67	Mia	53

Let’s compare these results side-by-side with the AI tools:

Conclusion:

Between the two AI tools, Bard was the clear winner! Even though ChatGPT did return a list of names, it failed to provide regional results. It failed to cite a source. And while the number of names was not specified in the query, if someone is asking this question, they are likely to want to see more than 5 per gender. Our namedat analysts as well as our Boise Doula, agreed that Bard provided a more useful result for what the user’s intent is for this query. Bard provided a more concise answer (rather than starting with an apology like ChatGPT did), cited its source, and displayed double the names per gender than ChatGPT. Bard FTW!

However… the additional takeaway was that, while AI was helpful, getting to the true source at the SSA was actually the most helpful, accurate, and current. Both of the AI tools used data from 2021 – that’s two years old by now! If you’re thinking about what to name your baby, you probably want to see the most recent stats, and only the SSA provides that at a regional level. So, while it may take a little more work to find, in this case, a resourceful human could find a better answer than the two best AI tools available. Score one for humans!