Autumn entered the SSA top 100 in 1995 and peaked at #66 in 1998. The current rank of 79 represents a slight drift downward over a quarter-century, which is more accurately described as remarkable stability than meaningful decline. Most word-names of the same era have either climbed sharply (Summer, Winter) or fallen out of the top 200 entirely (April, June). Autumn has held its band.
The seasonal-name wave
Autumn comes from the Old French autompne and Latin autumnus, the name of the season between summer and winter. Word-names referring to seasons or months emerged as a 20th-century American naming pattern, with April peaking in 1979, Summer climbing through the 1970s-2000s, and Autumn entering meaningful use in the 1980s. Winter remained rare until very recently.
The seasonal-name appeal sits at the intersection of nature naming, virtue naming (warmth, harvest, abundance), and the broader American taste for word-names that don't require etymology to understand. Autumn carries an additional aesthetic register — the orange-red-gold visual palette and the harvest-cozy associations — that the other seasons don't share equally.
The decade plateau
Autumn's chart history is unusual in its calmness. The name climbed from rank 700+ in 1980 to its 1998 peak at #66, and has held between #65 and #100 for 25 consecutive years since. That's an unusually long plateau for any current top-100 name and suggests the name has found its long-term level rather than being in transition.
The pattern matches a few other word-names that achieved equilibrium quickly: Brooklyn, Skye, and similar word-name picks. Parents picking Autumn are usually picking for the meaning and the seasonal register rather than tracking the name's chart momentum, which probably contributes to the stability.
The fall-baby question
The counter-reading worth flagging: Autumn carries an obvious seasonal association that some parents specifically want for fall-born babies and others find limiting if their child is born in March or July. The name doesn't actually require a fall birth to read coherently — the meaning is general rather than narrowly biographical — but the association is strong enough that some parents specifically time the choice to the season.
The single-word, two-syllable structure reads as clean and accessible across most American demographics. Unlike many current top-100 names, Autumn requires no spelling negotiation and no pronunciation explanation.
Sibling pairings on naming forums favor other word-names and nature picks: Autumn and Summer, Autumn and Sage, Autumn and Ivy, Autumn and Aurora. Middle names tend short and warm: Autumn Rose, Autumn Grace, Autumn Mae, Autumn Joy. The name's existing two-syllable warmth pairs naturally with similar middles.