By year-on-year movement

How far a name's position moves from one year to the next, averaged across every consecutive pair of years in its record.

Restricted to names whose every recorded year sits inside the top 500, and which have at least fifteen consecutive-year comparisons. Both restrictions exist because the figure is otherwise meaningless: a name ranked #4,000 in a list published nearly 6,000 deep can move hundreds of places without much changing, and an average over two years is not an average. Movement is counted in places between consecutive years only — never as a ratio, because a move from #1 to #2 is one place and not a doubling.

612 records across 5 bands, ordered by steadiest first.

• Under 6 places a year

  Names whose position moves 0 to 5 places a year on average, across a record held entirely inside the top 500.

  39 names

• 6 to 9 places a year

  Names whose position moves 6 to 9 places a year on average, across a record held entirely inside the top 500.

  100 names

• 10 to 19 places a year

  Names whose position moves 10 to 19 places a year on average, across a record held entirely inside the top 500.

  182 names

• 20 to 39 places a year

  Names whose position moves 20 to 39 places a year on average, across a record held entirely inside the top 500.

  229 names

• 40 or more places a year

  Names whose position moves at least 40 places a year on average, across a record held entirely inside the top 500.

  62 names