This nifty infographic shows how common your birthday is

You grow up thinking your birthday is all about you. Then, you meet a complete stranger who shares your birthday, and the illusion is shattered. The day isn’t just about you. It’s about you … and the millions of other people who were born on the same day.

Well, if you’ve ever wondered exactly how popular your birthday is, there’s now a handy dandy chart to help you figure it out. Amitabh Chandra from Harvard University analyzed the birth dates of every baby born in the United States between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 1999. The results were published in the New York Times.

Then, Andy Kriebel of Viz Wiz took that chart and turned it into an interactive heat map. So, finding out how popular your birthday is easier than ever before.

July, August and September are the most popular months. September 16 ranks highest as the most common day of the year to be born. The rankings were taken out of 366 days (accounting for Leap Day). Which puts September 16 as no. 1 out of 366 and Leap Day no. 366 out of 366 (the least common day to be born). The darker the color on the heat map, the more popular the day.

Now, check out the map to see where your day of birth falls in the popularity contest. As you can see, January looks to be one of the least common months whereas those late summer and early fall months are jam-packed!

[h/t: Apartment Therapy]