Tag Archive for 'popular names'

10 Up & Coming Names That Aren’t Trendy Yet

Published

on June 2, 2011

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists and baby name trends

. 0 Comments

Rising Stars

Are you looking for cute and cool names that aren’t overly popular yet? Check out my list of names from the recently released Top 1000 from Social Security. These names are on the rise, but haven’t cracked the Top 250 yet.

GIRLS’ BABY NAMES

GIA – #390

ARIA – #356

ELISA – #495

ADELAIDE – #434

GEMMA – #449

BOYS’ BABY NAMES

ENZO – #443

DEXTER – #454

GIDEON – #461

ORION – #466

WALKER – #424

What Do You Think?

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Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

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ASK AMANDA: Too Many Chloes?

Published

Amanda Barden

on June 5, 2009

in Ask Amanda

. 0 Comments

Ask Amanda: Too Many Chloes?

It’s Friday and that means it’s time for Ask Amanda and a little baby name advice! There’s a good question today that I’m sure a lot of you have thought about…

Ask Amanda

Q: I really like the name Chloe, but I just found out that it’s now one of the Top 10 names for girls. I haven’t heard of any babies named Chloe in my area though. Is it safe to use the name?

A: The Social Security Administration posts national numbers. So it’s possible that your little corner of the world has escaped the Chloe trend. Here’s what you can do— check out the Social Security feature that lets you search name popularity by state and see how popular Chloe is in your state. You might be disappointed if you live in Hawaii because Chloe is actually the number 1 name for 2008 there. But you’re in luck if you live in Connecticut because Chloe is only 29^th.

You can also check Chloe’s popularity more locally — many cities and regions compile their own name popularity statistics. Try your local newspapers, hospitals and Assessor-Records Office for this information. Here’s an example from California’s San Mateo County. The county put out a press release about the most name popular baby names in the county. Chloe came in at #7 in San Mateo County, but it’s #16 statewide, according to Social Security.

What if you do all that research and find out that Chloe isn’t in the top 10 where you live? If it’s really important to you that your daughter have a name that isn’t too common, Chloe might not be the right pick for you. Even if Chloe is not ultra-popular where you live right now, it doesn’t mean it won’t be next year or the year after. Also, what happens if you move or your daughter goes away to college? Being in a new area may increase the chances of her running into other Chloes.

On the other hand, maybe Chloe is your absolute favorite name of all-time ever and you’d be disappointed forever if you didn’t use it — even if it means your daughter may not be the only Chloe in her class. That’s probably not the worst thing in the world.

Still not sure? Consider taking the middle-of-the-road approach and use Chloe as a middle name. It doesn’t really matter how popular your daughter’s middle name is and you’ll get to use your favorite name. Good luck!

Happy naming,

♥ Amanda

When is a name too popular to use? Post a comment and let me know what you think!

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.

ASK AMANDA: Scottish Boys’ Names

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 29, 2009

in Ask Amanda

. 0 Comments

Welcome to my new Ask Amanda feature. As you might guess, I get a lot of questions about baby names from soon-to-be-parents. I’ve decided to start posting some of the questions and answers here on my blog for you all to read.

Ask Amanda

Q: I’m having a baby boy and am looking for a Scottish name. I want to find a name that other kids in his class won’t have, but a name that everyone will know and be able to spell. Any ideas?

A: Congratulations on your baby boy! A lot of parents are looking for that perfect balance of well-known, but not too common, name. And on top of that, you want the name to be Scottish. No problem! Here’s a list of options for you:

ANGUS

CALUM

*CAMERON

CAMPBELL

CONALL

CRAIG

DONALD

DOUGAL

DOUGLAS

DUFF

DUNCAN

*EVAN

EVANDER

EWAN

FERGUS

FINLEY

FRASER

GREGOR

IAN

KEITH

KENNETH

*KYLE

LACHLAN

*LOGAN

LYLE

MAGNUS

MALCOLM

MURRAY

MYLES

NEIL

REID

RODERICK

RORY

ROSS

SCOTT

SHAW

SINCLAIR

SORLEY

STUART

* Names that appeared in the Top 40 between 2000-2008

There are quite a few options here. I hope you find something you like! Readers with suggestions or comments can post a comment!

Happy naming,

♥ 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.

San Diego Family Magazine Review!

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 23, 2009

in Book Reviews and Website Announcements

. 0 Comments

Eileen Cornish, a freelance writer for San Diego Family Magazine, wrote a nice review of Baby Names Made Easy for the magazine’s spring/summer edition.

“I have three sons but I never tire of reading baby name books. In Baby Names Made Easy($15, Simon and Schuster, 2009) author Amanda Elizabeth Barden organizes more than 20,000 traditional to trendy names into categories ranging from Nature to Numbers and Animals to Insects. With more than 40 chapters, the book organizes names by category with meanings or definitions listed after each. Perhaps more people would name their girls Agatha if they knew it meant good and honorable in Greek, or Alma, meaning nourishing and kind in Latin. How about Thaddeus, meaning beloved and adored in Arabic?”

You can check out the whole article here and the other books she reviewed!

♥ 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.

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

Published

Amanda Barden

on May 9, 2009

in Baby Names in the News

. 2 Comments

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 16^th last year.

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

Amanda Barden

on April 21, 2009

in Baby Name Suggestions & Lists

. 0 Comments

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 26^th, 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