The Top 20 Most Popular Baby Names (Warning: Stupidity alert!)

Netscape News ^ | 1/9/04 | anon.

[VeritatisSplendor]

The Top 20 Most Popular Baby Names

For the first time in more than a decade, the year's most popular baby name for boys is not Biblical. Move over Michael and Matthew and make room for Aidan, Jaden, and Caden--the top three boys' names for 2003, according to BabyNames.com.

Meanwhile, Madison has hung on for another year as the top name for girls, which as near as anyone can figure comes from the 1984 movie "Splash," starring Daryl Hannah in the role of a mermaid named Madison.

Top 20 boys' names:

Aidan/Aiden/Aden

Jaden/Jayden

Caden/Kaden

Ethan

Caleb

Dylan

Jacob

Jordan

Logan

Hayden

Connor

Ryan

Morgan

Cameron

Andrew

Joshua

Noah

Matthew

Addison

Ashton

Top 20 girls' names:

Madison

Emma

Abigail

Riley

Chloe

Hannah

Alexis

Isabella

Mackenzie

Taylor

Olivia

Hailey

Paige

Emily

Grace

Ava

Aaliyah

Alyssa

Faith

Brianna

BabyNames.com compiles this annual ranking of the top 20 most popular baby names using the favorite name lists created on the Web site by more than 100,000 expectant parents.

The shift in the choice of boys' names is really quite notable. "Traditionally, you see more of a fluctuation and creativity in girls' names, but this is the first year we have seen such a big change in the boys' name list," admitted Jennifer Moss, a senior partner with BabyNames.com.

"In the past 20 years, Celtic and English names--such as Ashley, Caitlyn, and Brianna--have been extremely popular for girls," adds Moss. "And now that trend is entering the boys' list with Aidan, Dylan, Logan, and Connor--a huge break from the usual trend of Biblical names like Michael and Jacob. We think as names become uni-gender for girls, parents are taking more risks and being more creative and unique with naming their boys."

[j_tull]

Where is Kinesia, Demetria and Taneesha,

The headline editor struck the word "White" from the author's original headline.

[Eris]

Looks like a list of porn star names.

[Paradox]

For my two little boys, we purposely chose names which we felt were not common, and yet not unheard of. I checked all the baby name lists to make sure they werent in the top 20. No matter what though, you can pick a name now that becomes all the rage in a couple of years... so just pick something you like I guess...

[Ichneumon]

It's limitted to the top 10 names, but try this table to see how names have come and gone from 1880-2000

I see obvious spikes in the popularity of "Shirley" during Shirley Temple's heyday, and "Rachel" during the most popular years of the sitcom "Friends"...

It would be interesting to track down the reasons for the sudden rise and/or fall of other names.

[BobS]

"Looks like a list of porn star names.

Stop reading your email and take an aspirin. You'll be just fine!

[Ichneumon]

Do parents still call boys Lux (as in Lux Interior) and girls Poison (as in Poison Ivy)?

I turned on the radio the other day and the traffic lady's name was "Paige Turner".

With a name like that I'm surprised she didn't become an author.

[The people have spoken]

Popularity of the name Monica
Popularity over years 1991-2002
Year of birth Rank
2002: 179
2001: 185
2000: 168
1999: 150
1998: 97
1997: 77
1996: 80
1995: 85
1994: 84
1993: 80
1992: 72
1991: 76

Hmm, did something happen in 1998 to suddenly make Monica a less popular name?

[ChefKeith]

I thought maybe You meant this

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/982371/posts

[FITZ]

That's when they find out how many other dopey parents are have named their kids as if they were pets.

Something like that happened to my dad --- one time he was calling the dog which had a name that wasn't common for humans, some man heard him and saw the dog come and ratherly offendedly asked why the dog had a human's name because that was the name of his little girl --- my dad told him "well --- I thought it was a dog's name".

[MissL]

Andrew, Ava and Grace are all "family" names and I if I am blessed with any more children those names are in the running....Elizabeth, Victoria, Peter, Michael and Ian have been named after loved ones, parents, aunties or uncles....not according to a "trend".

[Gabz]

Hey I have an 'old standby' name of Virginia, ......

That is my daughter's middle name, given to her in remebrance of my husband's favorite aunt.

I grew up in an Irish/Italian Catholic neighborhood and all the girls were Maureen, Eileen, Kathleen, Anne Marie, Anna Maria, Maria............not me. I'm sure everyone can imagine what was done to the name Gabrielle.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Maybe THAT explains post #6 on this thread, huh?

[Ol' Sox]

Are the 'BOB' squads over?

Say it ain't so! I'm a Bob, my Dad's name was Bob and my Mom's name is Barbara - nicknamed Bobbie. When someone called for Bob, everybody answered. At work, I've got three other Bobs within earshot, therefore we are known individually as "BobbyG", "Bob T", "Robere" and "Sox" - that's me.

[FITZ]

What's wrong with this list? It looks pretty good to me. Is there ANYTHING freepers won't attack????

I think most of the names look okay too --- I think some of it's just generational --- I know some us are glad we weren't given our grandparents' or great-grandparents' names even though those names were fine in their day.

[rwfromkansas]

I guess I know where my name....Roy...went, when it is not even on your table. I don't think I have ever met another person named Roy all through school and now at college. Nobody.

[stands2reason]

I think my mom is one of the last 'Josephines' left in the world.

That name is on my short list. I love "Josie" as a nic.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Anyone ever notice how many boy names start with a J? Every other kid I run into has a J name. Jeromy, Joshua, Jabob, Jason.....I think we have 3 Joshua's in our immediate area. LOL!

[Salamander]

The local cops still have a gal named Vendetta on their most wanted list.


No kiddin'.....:)

[L`enn]

Wow, I'd love to know how that came about, just out of curiousity. Ewell was a semi-common name early 20th century era.

[MissL]

You "grow" into your name. I always wonder about a grown man "called", Jimmy , Donny, Junior, Bobby, Andy....
I hated my name....wanted to be a Debbie, Susie, Lauie, Monica or Katy...instead I was named for a Great-Auntie, Lola. A name I had to accept, knowing it was different and growing-up had to become LOLA. I was in my late 20's when I had a bit of a clue and now in my mid 40's, I am LOLA. Not Debbie or Katy.