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."

[MVV]

Thank god your daughter had enough sense to follow that advice! It really is a selfish thing to do, to name your newborn a simple, yuppie name just to "fit" in with the current yuppie trends. Please people grow UP!

[normy]

You got it brother! Those are names where Dads had little say. When my son was born my wife came up with some soap opera names and she is a pretty consevitive woman. I laughed at her suggestions. Needless to say my son is Zach and my daughter is Reagan.

[MVV]

Well I have a male named Joseph, so I think Josephine is a beautiful name, it was also my Godmother's name! :)

[cajungirl]

I like it too.

There is a famous family in Louisiana who named all the kids after colleges. There are a bunch of kids,,Stanford, Harvard, yadda. The very last kid was named Ellis Hugh after LSU. A true story.

[yarddog]

I had an Uncle named Rufus.

He lived to be nearly 100. He was one of my favorites too.

I also had an Uncle named Colon. It was an old Scottish name btw.

[Ditter]

>dammit>>> LOL That is funny! I have a friend whos son was named Stopit & the other one was Getdownfromthere.

[Trust but Verify]

My daughter has Aidan picked out for the name of her first son. I like it.

[pesto]

Regan or Reagan is getting popular though, for boys and girls..

[CMClay]

The number one boys name in Texas is Jose.

...welcome to Ameximerica.

[untenured]

Yeah, and where's Kinetika, Dementeeyah, and Klinique?

Believe it or not, I once had a student named Clinique.

[Tricorn]

I have 3 little boys in my neighborhood named Cody. Fathers are wanna-be cowboys, you suppose, or what?

[Publius6961]

My condolences

[Publius6961]

I was 13 before I realized my name wasn't dammit.

I had the same problem. With me it was "NO!"

[CTOCS]

Parents should also take in to consideration how the first name will sound with the last.

My father, rest his soul, was named Jack. Unfortunately, his last name was Asbury.

As for the implied anatomical references, look in a McLean, Northern Virginia yellow pages under "Gynecologists", and you will find a listing for Harry Beaver.

Sheesh, the grief he must take at parties......

[Terry Mross]

I'm waiting to see the day Download Jones marries Miracle Whip Washington. And Hard Drive Wilson will be the best man. It'll be officiated by the Reverand Giga Bite Smith.

[Publius6961]

LOL,,yall are really funny. I keep reading these names to my hubby while he is trying to nap, makes him laugh.

When I decided to get a new dog, my very first ever, I told my wife my first choice of name was "Shi*head". She said "Don't you dare!" Think about it...

she added... they'll think I'm calling YOU

[pepperdog]

My children were primarily named in honor of relatives. My daughter's middle name can be traced back at least seven generations. I love that and so does she. Of course she didn't care for it when she was younger.

My son has a middle name that was picked from a book to go with his last name. Many years later I discovered my grandfather's middle name was Clifford and would have been perfect as a middle for my son. Unfortunately my grandfather hated the name Clifford and always said his middle initial of C. stood for nothing. I wish he hadn't done that.

It is so neat to do genealogy work and see the same family names appearing generation after generation.

[Publius6961]

What kind of a name is hildy????
: )

[Teacher317]

John, James, Robert, and William... all in the top 10 for almost the entire 20th Century, are all off the top ten now.

The assault on American tradition continues?

[KC Burke]

Popular Baby Names

Popularity for top names 50 in 2002

Rank	Male name	Number males	Female name	Number females
1	Jacob	30122	Emily	24262
2	Michael	28119	Madison	21546
3	Joshua	25859	Hannah	18559
4	Matthew	24831	Emma	16324
5	Ethan	21949	Alexis	15411
6	Joseph	21766	Ashley	15217
7	Andrew	21696	Abigail	15155
8	Christopher	21676	Sarah	14564
9	Daniel	21186	Samantha	14540
10	Nicholas	21148	Olivia	14481
11	William	19904	Elizabeth	14391
12	Anthony	19429	Alyssa	12747
13	David	18452	Lauren	12246
14	Tyler	18086	Isabella	12091
15	Alexander	17823	Grace	11912
16	Ryan	17573	Jessica	11789
17	John	17364	Brianna	11384
18	James	16709	Taylor	11337
19	Zachary	16406	Kayla	11184
20	Brandon	16150	Anna	10275
21	Jonathan	15436	Victoria	9772
22	Justin	14826	Megan	9120
23	Christian	14753	Sydney	8936
24	Dylan	14728	Chloe	8822
25	Samuel	14418	Rachel	8780
26	Austin	14353	Jasmine	8740
27	Jose	13603	Sophia	8613
28	Benjamin	13351	Jennifer	8500
29	Nathan	13069	Morgan	8338
30	Logan	12828	Natalie	8311
31	Kevin	12421	Julia	7911
32	Gabriel	12325	Kaitlyn	7908
33	Robert	11924	Hailey	7873
34	Noah	11917	Destiny	7677
35	Caleb	11517	Haley	7332
36	Thomas	11196	Katherine	7149
37	Jordan	11005	Nicole	7086
38	Hunter	10975	Alexandra	7031
39	Cameron	10206	Maria	6544
40	Kyle	9962	Savannah	6495
41	Elijah	9889	Stephanie	6320
42	Jason	9871	Mia	6250
43	Jack	8914	Mackenzie	6194
44	Aaron	8895	Allison	6189
45	Isaiah	8792	Amanda	6165
46	Angel	8762	Jordan	6072
47	Luke	8606	Jenna	5592
48	Connor	8342	Faith	5424
49	Luis	8339	Paige	5417
50	Isaac	8245	Makayla	5408
Note: Rank 1 is the most popular, rank 2 is the next most popular, and so forth.

January 10, 2004