[ElkGroveDan]

The shift in the choice of boys' names is really quite notable.

No this tells me that it is WOMEN who would go to a "Favorite Baby Names" web site. These are definitely dumb-sissy names that mothers are always proposing. Fortunately there are Dads who remember that boys named "Caleb" were teased on the playground when they were kids. The Dads usually step in and put their foot down before their wives can hang a name like "Brieze" on their son.

Let's see a sampling of birth certificates. That will tell us what the popular names are, and I predict Mark, Mike John, Bob and Dave are still on the top 20 list.

[waterstraat]

I predict Mark, Mike John, Bob and Dave

Only because Mark, Michael, John, David are Bible names. Same goes for Sarah, etc. If it wasnt for the Jewish-Christian cooalition, Bible names would not still be popular.

[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)

[NYCVirago]

Let's see a sampling of birth certificates. That will tell us what the popular names are, and I predict Mark, Mike John, Bob and Dave are still on the top 20 list.

I agree -- the boys' names here are very different than on the official government list.

[sphinx]

Hey -- I think it's great if Caleb is back. Maybe there's hope for Hoyt, Clellie, Duane and the other farmland passdowns in my family!

[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.