More on footy names!

In lieu of actual footy analysis, we’re taking a look at trends in players’ names for some reason. Take a look at our interactive graph from the other day if you missed it.

Back in the 70s, about half of all footy players had one of the top 20 names. Once you added up all the Johns, Peters, Barrys, and a few other 70s names, you would have half the league. Nowadays, the top 20 names only account for about 37 per cent of all players. Footy players’ names have become a lot more diverse, less concentrated among a handful of prevalent names.

This table shows you the top five most prevalent names in each season from 1969 onwards. You can track the steep fall of Johns, the rise and fall of Matthews, and the as-yet-incomplete ascendancy of Joshs.

Which names were the most prevalent each season among footy players?