Trendy Baby Names a Sign of Group Think?

ABC ^

[TruthHound]

Trendy Baby Names a Sign of Group Think? The Latest Trends in Baby Names May Annoy People in Adulthood

By LAUREN COX Dec. 4, 2009—

In the future, names like Dick, Jane and Mary may sound exotic to the ears of the little Emmas, Ethans and Madisons who are just starting kindergarten now.

Since the 1960s, whole sets of names seem to rise and then burst in popularity bubbles faster than the stock market. Many parents are surprised to find out that the seemingly unique name they picked for their child is shared by what seems like half the kindergarten class.

According to the Social Security Administration, differed in popularity, many of the new names were virtually unheard of 15 years ago -- many were not even in the top 1,000 baby names.

New York City just released its top 10 names of 2008 this week and they were, according to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene:

GIRLS: Sophia, Isabella, Emily, Olivia, Sarah, Madison, Ashley, Mia, Samantha and Emma.

BOYS: Jayden, Daniel, Michael, Matthew, David, Joshua, Justin, Anthony, Christopher, Ethan and Ryan (tie).

Names differed in popularity by ethnicity -- for example, among Asian Americans in New York, Sophia was the most popular name, among Hispanic parents, Ashley was number one, for black parents, it was Madison and white parents chose either Olivia or Esther.

[TruthHound]

My worst nightmare: "Dad, we're naming her Shawniqua."

[Perdogg]

I am sorry, no offense to anyone personally, but Jayden sounds like the name some liberal couple would name their son.

[proxy_user]

The girls names are periodically refreshed by raids on previous decades.

Norma, Ruth, and Nancy will be around in just a bit....

[Tax-chick]

If you replaced the J with a G ...

[davisfh]

My worst nightmare: "Dad, we're naming her Shawniqua."

Yeah, really. I happen to believe that parents are responsible for their children's well being, even after adulthood. And that should include a traditional name that they will be proud of.

[dfwgator]

I can’t believe the names parents give their kids these days. Case in point, I went to Colorado on a skiing trip and I was riding in the Ski Lift with a family and their kid had his name all over his skis, his name was “Rental.”

(With apologies to Steve Martin)

[Tax-chick]

“Names” ping!

I wonder how many people on this thread lived on the same street with Orangello and Lemongello? Usually there are at least three!

[Tax-chick]

In the “Dare to be Dull” corner, you’ll find my sons: Bill, Tom, Pat, James, Dan, and Frank.

[jessduntno]

My worst nightmare: “Dad, we’re naming her Shawniqua.”

Or, if it’s a boy, “Tercel”

[Bullish]

This is what ABC considers news instead of reporting on worldwide political scandals such as Climategate?

[davisfh]

I know of twin boys locally named “Fiero” and “Ciera.”

[metmom]

Good for you.

I actually like a bunch of the girls names this time around.

[dfwgator]

From “Top Secret!”

Nick Rivers: Hillary. That’s an unusual name.
Hillary Flammond: It’s a German name. It means ‘she whose bosoms defy gravity’.
Nick Rivers: I’m pleased to meet you. My name’s Nick.
Hillary Flammond: Nick? What does that mean?
Nick Rivers: Oh, nothing. My dad thought of it while he was shaving.

[CaptRon]

Shagundalah.

Only people of a certain age will get that.

[RatRipper]

My sons are 26 and 21. My last name has 10 letters and 3 syllables. We had these basic rules for coming up with names:
1- Short first name because of the long last name
2- A name that would not sound like a 6 year old when they turned 50
3- They MUST go by their first name
4- Middle name must relate to a family name
5- Middle name must contribute to good flow when all three names are put together

Names: Lee Jameson XXX (after maternal grandfather James, but Lee James did not flow)
Ross Bradford XXX

[RegulatorCountry]

My dad had an employee reporting to him named Teflonda, back in the seventies.

[Tax-chick]

Most of the girls’ names are pretty Jane Austen-y. I wish “Madison” had disappeared, though, instead of morphing into several goofy spelling variants, such as “Madasyne.”

[SamiGirl]

Latrina and Clamydia are two of my personal favorites.

[aruanan]

Here are my favorites that I've collected over the years:

Boy names: Amber, Canard, Chalance, Cigarette, Cook, Dang, De-Ante, De-rice, De-arse, Delante, Dell, Devoid, Diante, Farad, Ferric, FoFo, Lathe, Natron, Romain, Rondel, T’Corian, Sheik, Talon, Tauraus, Tobacco, Tron, Wait.

Girl names: Arthurine, Baileen, Brie, Butterfly, Cambria, Chanel, Choclate, Ciera, Deja, Destiny, Hosanna, Java, Kia, Latrina, Lavoria, Milka, Monay, Necia, Necie, Ocolor, Phalopia, Phyla, Raven, Regime, Tandy, Tea, TyLenol, Unique, Yelling, Yo-Yo.

My cousin told me about a woman she knows who named her girl a name that sounded like FeMahLay. She asked her why she named her girl that. Because that's what it said on the crib in the hospital.

[Tax-chick]

I still see Acquanetta at the Walmart sometimes. I think she’s a senior shift supervisor now, been there since it opened. I think Fee’ea may have quit, though.