Tag Archive for 'most popular girls’ names'

INTERNATIONAL BABY NAMES: ICELAND, Part 1: Girls’ Names

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Amanda Barden
on June 23, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and International Baby Names
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If you asked me what the 10 most popular baby names in Iceland are, I couldn’t tell you. Baby naming in Iceland is a little more complex than that.

 

In Iceland, it’s apparently quite common for babies to get a couple first names — referred to as double names in Icelandic statistics. Common enough, in fact, for Iceland to keep separate records for the most popular single names and the most popular double names. What are single and double names? ASHLEY Olsen has a single first name and her twin sister, MARY KATE Olsen has a double first name. Make sense?

 

First, let’s have a look at single names. These are Iceland’s Top 10 most popular single names for girls 0-4 years old in 2008:

 

TOP 10 ICELANDIC GIRL SINGLE BABY NAMES

 

1.      SARA

2.      FREYJA

3.      KATLA

4.      MARÍA

5.      KATRÍN

6.      ELÍSABET

7.      HEKLA (tie)

7.   EMILÍA  (tie)

7.      KRISTÍN  (tie)

10. AUÐUR

 

 

Just like we saw with the Danish names earlier this month, this Top 10 is a mix of names that have a distinct regional feel and names you commonly find in the US — or versions of those names, anyhow.

 

Another thing you’ll notice on all the Icelandic baby name lists is that there are a lot of ties. I’m not sure there’s anything really significant about this, but it comes up a lot so I thought I’d mention it. You’ll see what I mean in a bit.

 

Some other standouts from the top 100 list are:

 

 

POPULAR ICELANDIC GIRL SINGLE BABY NAMES

 

AGNES

ÁRÓRA

ÁSTA

BRÍET

EDDA

ELÍN

EMBLA

HARPA

ÍSOLD

KAMILLA

KARÍTAS

LARA

LILJA

LOVÍSA

NÍNA

RAKEL

SAGA

SELMA

SÓLEY

SÓLLILJA

STEFANÍA

SUNNA

SUNNEVA

TELMA

TINNA

 

 

 

I really like the name SUNNEVA — it’s very pretty! It also has good nickname potential and is very unique (at least here in the United States).

 

Now let’s look at the double names. I’m quite excited over these, by the way. It’s not every day that my inner name nerd and my inner statistics nerd get to meet over a new official list of baby names. It’s a happy day!

 

 

TOP 10 ICELAND GIRL DOUBLE BABY NAMES

 

1.       EVA MARÍA

2.       ANNA MARÍA (tie)

2.       SARA LIND  (tie)

4.   EMILÍA ÓSK

5.   GUÐRÚN LILJA  (tie)

5.   ÍSABELLA SÓL  (tie)

8.   EMILÍA RÓS (tie)

8.   EVA LIND  (tie)

10. ANÍTA ÓSK (tie)

10. BIRTA MARÍA (tie)

10. EMBLA SÓL (tie)

10. RAKEL ÓSK  (tie)

10. THELMA LIND (tie)

 

 

Did I mention there were a lot of ties? The source for all these statistics is Statistics Iceland. Go there if you want to see the full lists.

 

If you have a favorite female Icelandic name, let me know! My pick right now is SUNNEVA.

 

That’s all for today. Tune in tomorrow for the boys’ list! Subscribe to the RSS feed so you don’t miss out on any future baby name posts.

 

♥  Amanda

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com.

Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

For more information on baby names and their meanings check out

BABY NAMES MADE EASY: THE COMPLETE REVERSE-DICTIONARY OF BABY NAMES

 

 

ASK AMANDA: Ava is too Popular…Help!

Published
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Amanda Barden
on June 12, 2009
in Ask Amanda
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It’s Friday and that means it’s time for Ask Amanda! A lot of parents-to-be are wondering about name popularity and how it will affect their name choices…

 

Ask Amanda

Q:    My partner and I love the name Ava, but it’s way too popular. Any ideas for what we can do?

 

A:    Ava is a really pretty name and it’s no wonder you (and a lot of other parents) are drawn to it. If it’s gotten too popular for your taste though, here are some ideas for finding another name you like just as much, that isn’t already quite so popular.

 

First, figure out what it is you like about Ava — maybe you like the meaning (Ava’s origin is Latin and means “like a bird”), the cool “av” sound and letter combination, the “vintage” feel Ava has or maybe it’s a family name.  Once you figure out what why you’re drawn to Ava, you’ll be able to come up with alternatives.

 

For example:

 

1)      MEANING:  If you like “like a bird,” then you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of other names with bird-meanings.

 

Here are a few: ALOUETTE, AYA, COLUMBA, DAYA, DERYN, ELSA, JEMMA, KOKO, LARK, MAVIS, MIRRA, NIGHTENGALE, PALILA, PALOMA, PENELOPE, RAVEN, ROBIN, SORA, TORI, ZIPPORAH

 

 

2)      “AV” COMBINATION: Ava isn’t the only name to start with the “av” letter combination.

 

Here are some other options: AVALON, AVASA, AVERY, AVIS, AVIVA, AVRIL

 

 

3)      VINTAGE VIBE: Earlier this month I wrote a whole post about names that have a vintage feel without feeling out-of-date. Read it here for more ideas.

 

Some of my favorite “vintage” names are: ADELAIDE, CECILY, CORA, DAISY, ELIZA, HAZEL, IVY, LILA, LUCY, NORA, SADIE, VIOLET, WILLA

 

 

4)      FAMILY NAME: If Ava is a family name, you can head back to the family tree and look for other names you like. You could also use Ava as a middle name.

 

 

Good luck finding a name for your daughter. I’m sure you’ll find a name you both love.

 

Happy naming,

 

♥  Amanda

 

Do any of you have good Ava alternatives? Post your suggestions.

 

 

If you have baby name questions for me, email me at amanda@amandabarden.com. Your question might appear in a future edition of Ask Amanda.

 

 

 

 

Top Baby Names of 2008 Revealed! See what names made the list (and which didn’t)

Published
by
Amanda Barden
on May 9, 2009
in Baby Names in the News
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Social Security has finally revealed its list of Popular Baby Names of 2008. This is one of the most exciting days of the year in the baby name world!

 

There were some minor shake ups in the Top 10, but nothing to really knock your socks off.

 

Here’s the list:

 

TOP 10 BOYS’ NAMES OF 2008

 

1.       Jacob

2.       Michael

3.       Ethan

4.       Joshua

5.       Daniel

6.       Alexander

7.       Anthony

8.       William

9.       Christopher

10.   Matthew

 

The top five boys’ names of 2008 are identical to the top five in 2007. Alexander is up from number 11 and is the only new edition to the top 10 list. Anthony and William are in the same places there were in last year. Christopher dropped a couple slots from number 6. Finally, Matthew dropped from 9 to 10.

 

In case you’re curious, Andrew is the name that fell out of the top 10. It didn’t go far though and now sits at number 12.

 

 

        TOP 10 GIRLS’ NAMES OF 2008

 

1.       Emma

2.       Isabella

3.       Emily

4.       Madison

5.       Ava

6.       Olivia

7.       Sophia

8.       Abigail

9.       Elizabeth

10.   Chloe

 

Trends in girls’ names tend to change more than boys’ names and we see that reflected in this list. Just barely though — you have to look pretty hard to see it. Only two of the top 10 names are in the same slot they were in last year, while seven from the boy’s list are in identical slots from last year.

 

The big news is that Emma dethroned Emily as the top name, a slot Emily’s held since 1996. Emily didn’t go far though and came in at number 3. Isabella held steady at 2. Madison and Ava traded spaces at slots 4 and 5. Then Olivia and Sophia traded spaces at slots 6 and 7. Abigail stayed at number 8. Elizabeth jumped one spot to number 9. Finally, we had a newcomer to the top 10 with Chloe, up from 16th last year.

 

Hannah is the name that fell out of the top 10 with a drop to 17th place.

 

It’s fun every year to see this list and how the popular names change. What do you think about the top 10 list?

 

What are your thoughts on the new Top 10 list? Post a comment and let us know what you think!

 

♥  Amanda

 

 

 

 

LONG LIVE THE QUEEN! AND LONG LIVE THE NAME “ELIZABETH,” TOO!

Published
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Amanda Barden
on April 21, 2009
in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists
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Today is Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday, so I say — Long Live the Queen!

I also say Long Live “Elizabeth.” And I’m not just saying that because it’s my middle name. Few names have had as long and popular a life as Elizabeth. Over the last 120 years, it has consistently ranked in the Top 25 Most Popular Girls’ Names (except for 1945 where it ranked 26th, which is pretty darn close).

Here’s the breakdown of Elizabeth’s popularity according to Social Security:

1888: 3rd
1898: 7th
1908: 7th
1918: 9th
1928: 14th
1938: 17th
1948: 25th
1958: 22nd
1968: 17th
1978: 14th
1988: 10th
1998: 10th
2007: 10th

Those are pretty impressive numbers when you think about it. Most names come in and out of vogue over time, especially girls’ names. Florence, Ethel and Bertha were all in the Top 10 with Elizabeth in the 1890s, but there probably aren’t too many expectant parents out there with any of those names on their short list. So, for one name to still sound attractive to our modern ears is pretty impressive.

Now, that’s all really interesting, but there’s something even more interesting about the name Elizabeth than its enduring popularity. I think what really sets Elizabeth apart from most other names is the staggering number of variations and nicknames it’s generated. Few other names even come close to the number of nicknames Elizabeths have to choose from. Many of these derivatives have even managed to escape pet name territory to become full-fledged names in their own right.

First, you have the obvious nicknames — Eliza, Liz, Beth, Liza — simple shortenings of the full name. Then you have a few slightly more creative shortenings that leave out a letter or so in between — Lizbet and Lizbeth. If you spell Elizabeth with an “s” (Elisabeth) you get Elisa, Lisa, Lisbet and Lisbeth.

Then you have my favorite category of Elizabeth nicknames. The ones you don’t see coming at all — Babette, Bess, Betsy, Bette, Buffy, Tetsie and Tibby. Tetsie’s a personal favorite of mine, but you would probably have needed to be a friend of mine in college to appreciate it yourself. (Hi Tetsie!)

Elizabeth has some really great International variations, too.  Here are some of my favorite ones:

FRENCH: Elise
GERMAN: Bettina
ITALIAN: Elisabetta
LATVIAN: Lizina
RUSSIAN: Elsavetta
SCOTTISH: Elsbeth
SPANISH: Isabel, Isabella, Liseta

I’m the sort of person who really likes options in a name — a name that works for an adult or child and has great nickname possibilities. Elizabeth fits that to a tee. I suspect that’s why it’s remained so popular over the years.

Why do you think Elizabeth has been such a favorite for parents? Post a comment and let me know what you think of the name Elizabeth.

 

♥  Amanda