Honestly, you may be on to something here. Let's assume that certain names (like Thelma or Edwin) are popular with a particular segment of the population at a certain time (for example, in the mountains of North Carolina). Now, the people of the afore-mentioned ethnicity and region are likely to share a common culture and therefore have common lifestyle habits (including eating, working, and sleeping habits). Some of these, combined with a particular genetic strain strong in the area (for example, Celtic origins are common in North Carolina) could explain why people with a particular kind of name live longer than others.