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."

[Palladin]

Aidan is a wonderful old Irish name.

I thought the popularity of the actor Aidan Quinn may have contributed to its revival.

[Born Conservative]

George Foreman has the right idea; he named his sons "George", "George", "George", and "George".

[jonsie]

No, he is African American.

[Severa]

You'd be pleased to know we named our two sons Jason and Robert, good 'old standby' names. *S*

[07055]

Most popular name in Texas last year: Jose.

[cajungirl]

I never had any boys but wanted to name them Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If I had a fifth I swear I woulda named him Deuteronomy.

[yarddog]

I don't know if it is just the area I live in but it seems every other girl younger than 5 is named Britney.

[Huber]

Aidan, Jaden & Caden

[Dianna]

except I don't see Braeden/Brayden on this list.

Hooray! Have we also gotten rid of Kaitlin? For awhile it seemed like there were Kaitlin's everywhere I looked.

[Revolting cat!]

And where are Roscoe, Florence, Millhous, Edna, Truman, Elmo, Phillipa, Ebenezer, Prudence, Hezbollah?!

[AppauledAtAppeasementConservat]

"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."

My wife liked Madison two years ago and we named our third (and I made sure it would be our LAST) daughter that. If it had anything to do with "Splash" then my wife probably wouldn't have proposed it. She just liked the ring to it. I wasn't about to drop her original Christian name we decided on previously so as a compromise we made her first name madison and she has 2 middle names (her original Christian names).

My ultra-liberal female boss at the time flat out said that we should dump the Biblical names and go with the popular ones. I really po'd her when I wondered aloud to her one day if the 'secular' names would prevent discrimination...oh the rants she gave for months afterwards were truly amazing. I must have hit the nail on the head.

[Revolting cat!]

Most popular name in Southern California: Jesus!

[07055]

I never had any boys but wanted to name them Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

I thought that was "Matthew, Mark, Luke and Job"?

[ladyinred]

I can't say that I like the boys names, whatever they are.

[nj_pilot]

What do you suppose will happen when he passes?

[bd476]

ROTFL! Tom, thank you for the link and thank you, Hillary'sLovelyLegs for posting this last year - very, very funny!

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

So the baloney about Hillary being the most popular woman in the universe appears to be in error.

Didn't Sir Edmund Hillary name himself after her, when he was finished climbing Mt. Everest?

[RightWingMama]

ROTFLMAO!!!

[nj_pilot]

"Let's see a sampling of birth certificates. "

The SSA site is built on applications for social security cards, so if anything, it is biased towards those who pay taxes.

(sorry, I don't know how to quote you in italics)

[Revolting cat!]

Didn't Sir Edmund Hillary name himself after her, when he was finished climbing Mt. Everest?

Quite possibly, but a small correction is called for - he wasn't a "Sir" yet at the time!