2011 Baby Names Almanac - Emily Larson [6]
GIMME A V!
There’s a really hot trend with the v sound in names, particularly for girls. Ava (number 5 in 2009), Eve, Vivian, and Nevaeh are trending upward for girls. And Vivienne, due no doubt to Angelina Jolie’s daughter, debuted on the list at 532. Among the boys, it’s more of a split, with Vaughn, Giovanni, and Sullivan trending up, and Javon, Davian, and Kevin trending a bit down. Here’s a look at a sampling of names with that powerful v sound and how they’ve risen since 2000.
Girls’ Names
2000 Rank
2009 Rank
Ava
180
5
Avery
176
32
Nevaeh*
—
34
Evelyn
150
39
Heaven
340
275
Genevieve
507
288
Vivienne
—
532
Evie
—
723
Maeve
777
591
* Heaven spelled backward
A dash means that the name did not make the list that year.
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Viveca, Lavinia, Divine, Vandie
Boys’ Names
2010 Rank
2009 Rank
Giovanni
201
132
Devon
133
277
Everett
585
320
Oliver
305
98
Javion
949
606
Ivan
153
136
Davian
—
707
Maverick
865
543
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Vin, Vinson, Shavon, Daven
RELIGIOUS NAMES
Religious names have become quite a bit more popular in recent years, and the trend is reflected in the different kinds of religious names that are popular now versus years ago (prime example: Sarah is slightly down, but Heaven is up). Here’s a look at some religious names and how they’ve changed in popularity over the past 15 years.
Girls’ Names
1995 Rank
2009 Rank
Sarah
5
21
Nevaeh*
—
34
Trinity
662
74
Mary
40
102
Rebecca
28
132
Heaven
558
275
Eve
—
582
Girls’ Names
1995 Rank
2009 Rank
Aisha
556
742
* Heaven spelled backward
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Khadija, Dinah, Seraphina
Boys’ Names
1995 Rank
2009 Rank
Joshua
5
6
Daniel
9
7
Noah
100
9
Benjamin
31
20
Isaac
98
40
Adam
38
74
Moses
598
504
Muhammad
779
603
Messiah
—
663
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Aasif, Cain
DESTINATION NAMES
Ten years ago, naming a child after a location was quite unusual. But that was before celebrities started naming their kids Brooklyn, Dakota…you get the idea. Some location names were more popular ten years ago—Chandler, for example, was 151 in 1999 and ranks at 469 in 2009, which probably has less to do with the town in Arizona and more to do with a little show called Friends that was popular in the 1990s—but for the most part, naming tots after places is still a hot idea these days. Here are some place-names on the rise:
Girls’ Names
1999 Rank
2009 Rank
Madison (Wisconsin)
7
7
Brooklyn (New York)
182
37
Savannah (Georgia)
42
40
Charlotte (North Carolina)
307
68
London (England)
919
121
Aurora (Illinois)
503
217
Paris (France)
465
412
Adelaide (Australia)
—
567
Ireland
—
821
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Orleans (New Orleans, Louisiana), Helena (Montana), Olympia (Washington), Juneau (Alaska), Valletta (Malta)
Boys’ Names
1999 Rank
2009 Rank
Jackson (Mississippi)
83
25
Santiago (Chile)
403
130
Lincoln (Nebraska)
748
188
Phoenix (Arizona)
913
367
London (England)
—
517
Boston (Massachusetts)
—
540
Memphis
—
605
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Richmond (Virginia), Salem (Oregon), Montgomery (Alabama), Wellington (New Zealand), Dakar (Senegal)
NAMES FROM GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY AND LITERATURE
When we say these names are old, we’re not kidding. These names have been around for a long, long time…and while many girls’ names are becoming more popular, the boys’ names are surprisingly less popular (and perfect for someone looking for the cutting edge).
Girls’ Names
1998 Rank
2009 Rank
Chloe
87
9
Phoebe
606
325
Paris
457
412
Daphne
757
476
Diana
83
165
Helen
349
389
Ways to Make