Counterfactual
The Parallel Lives of Shams and Madeleine
In 42 girls, Shams found its level. 50 years earlier, Madeleine occupied that same statistical address.
1999–2025
Shams
Peak year
2025
Peak births
42
Latest count
42
Status
Rising
Peak generation
Gen Alpha
1881–2025
Madeleine
Peak year
1998
Peak births
1,424
Latest count
679
Status
Stable
Peak generation
Gen Z
In 42 girls, Shams found its level. 50 years earlier, Madeleine occupied that same address. One peaked in the Gen Z era; the other in the Gen Alpha world. They never met. But the data remembers them both.