2011 Baby Names Almanac - Emily Larson [8]
Boys’ Names
2009 Rank
Carter
50
Chase
61
Cooper
84
Maddox
180
Graham
262
Paxton
327
Beckett
413
Reed
422
Chandler
469
Nelson
522
Sullivan
652
Jensen
832
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Foster, Ford, Albee, Burroughs, Pelham, Wilder, Barnes
ERIN GO BRAGH!
Irish names have become very, very popular for boys, but interestingly enough, traditional Irish girls’ names are dropping in popularity. Poor Colleen, which consistently ranked in the top 200 names from 1948 to 1993, has dropped like a stone since then (from 207 in 1994 to falling off the top 1,000 list entirely in 2007). The counterpoint to this is Malachi, a name that first appeared on the top 1,000 in 1987 ranked at 992. Since then, it’s taken off in popularity, ranked at 167 in 2009.
Girls’ Names
2000 Rank
2009 Rank
Erin
60
194
Kelly
111
260
Bridget
273
424
Kathleen
204
564
Eileen
627
810
Colleen
455
—
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Deirdre, Saoirse, Siobhan, Nuala
Boys’ Names
2000 Rank
2009 Rank
Riley
109
107
Liam
140
49
Malachi
351
167
Declan
545
308
Finn
834
343
Seamus
827
813
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Conan, Daire, Lorcan
Despite Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban naming their little one Sunday, the name hasn’t yet popped up on the top 1,000 (no days of the week are represented). In fact, names of seasons (Autumn, Summer) and months (April) are trending down or not even on the radar (although Mad Men’s January Jones may provoke a spike soon!). The big exceptions are June, which debuted on the list at 867 in 2008 and zoomed to 662 in 2009, and August, which jumped from 613 in 2000 to 433 in 2009.
TRADITIONAL VS. MODERN
It’s really something when a modern interpretation of a name overtakes the traditional version. Here’s a great example: in 2009 the modern Makayla was the 44th most popular name for girls, while the name’s traditional spelling, Michaela, was 370th. You’ll see that the girl names lean toward this trend, whereas parents of boys often prefer the traditional spelling. Here’s a look at the rising popularity of some new takes on the names of yesteryear. (The 2009 rankings are listed next to each variation.)
Girls’ Names
Traditional Spelling
Modern Spelling
Michaela (370)
Makayla (44)
Madeline (64)
Madelyn (59)
Caitlin (266)
Kaitlyn (67)
Layla (45)
Laila (135)
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Katheryn/Catheryn (Katherine/ Catherine), Cathrina (Katrina), Avah (Ava), Emalee (Emily)
Boys’ Names
Traditional Spelling
Modern Spelling
Aiden (12)
Ayden (85)
Jackson (25)
Jaxon (126)
Jonathan (30)
Johnathan (205)
Cameron (59)
Kameron (275)
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: Etan (Ethan), Noa (Noah), Rian (Ryan), Cayleb (Caleb)
PRESIDENTIAL PEDIGREES
One of the hottest trends in names these days is presidential surnames, at least the ones that differ from already popular names (Madison, Taylor). Other presidential options are popping up everywhere—even Lincoln has had a meteoric rise from 710th place in 2000 to 188th in 2009. Some probably won’t ever catch on, however—it’s hard to imagine a playdate with little Coolidge and her brother Nixon, isn’t it?
You might also want to consider changing up the spelling to create your own spin on this trend. For example, if you don’t want to name your darling Reagan because your politics are more to the left, consider Regan (2009 rank: 685) or even Teagan (2009 rank: 321).
Girls’ Names
2000 Rank
2009 Rank
Madison (James)
3
7
Taylor (Zachary)
10
22
Kennedy (John F.)
139
114
Reagan (Ronald)
286
128
Ways to Make This Trend Your Own
Options still off the radar: McKinley (William), Monroe (James), Carter (Jimmy)
Boys’ Names
2000 Rank
2009 Rank
Jackson (Andrew)
72
25
Tyler (John)
10
28
Grant (Ulysses)
123
144
Lincoln (Honest