The REAL Baby Name List (AKA What's In A Name?)

Last week brought us the moment that all expecting/soon to be expecting mother’s were waiting for! No, not mass BFPs or labors… the SSA Popular Baby Name List!!!!

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Ah the list! How it reveals so much about us! Emma has finally bumped Emily from the spot the name has held strong for over a decade to become #1 for girls. Chloe, who has never appeared on the top 10, finally pushed it’s way into that illusive #10 spot. And the rest of the list was pretty much the same as last year. As for the boys… well, let’s admit it. The boys aren’t nearly as much fun as the girls. Jacob once again maintains it’s spot at #1, the same spot it’s found itself on the list since 1998. Michael lands itself at #2, the spot it’s been stuck with since being surpassed by Jacob in 1998, ending his almost 40 year run as #1. In fact the only change on the boys list was a few names flip-flopping position and Alexander overtaking Andrew for a spot in the top 10. But Alexander has been lingering just below the top 10 for so many years it’s almost surprising it took him this long to get up there.

So what exactly does this list do? Well, it does a number of things. For one, it helps parents name their children. For another, it helps us track our own names to see it’s popularity over the years, which is extremely interesting! Or, at least, I imagine it would be if your name isn’t like mine, which only appeared three times in the past 100 years and peaked at #735 (in 1956).

But going back to that first point… it helps us name our babies. I think it’s a decision every parent has to make. Do we chose a popular name? A trendy name? A classic name? Or do you avoid the top 50? Top 100? Top 1000? How unique is too unique? How popular is too popular? How much does it really matter?

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There are pros and cons to each. If you pick a popular name, this years Emmas, Jacobs, Isabellas, and Michaels, your child will most likely encounter several other with the same name throughout their lifetime. The con in this situation is the lack of unique name identity. I’m sure most of us can relate to being in the same class as three Katherine’s and seeing them have to go by Katie J, Katie F, and Katie W by our teachers in order to keep them straight. Also picking a popular name could get your child stuck with a nick-name you never intended them to have. For instance, my friend Jennifer will forever be known by her schoolmates as “Nifer” (because Jen, Jenny, and Jennifer were already taken by the time she transferred to our elementary school). But at the same time, having this connection with other people may be treasured. How great is it when you and your best friend can be collectively known as “The Ashley’s”. And no one will ever mispronounce their name! Which, trust me, is desirable (though, honestly, not essential).

And then there are the unique names. The pros and cons are basically the same, but opposite. They will not likely have another classmate with that same name, and therefore can use their given name as they please. In exchange they may encounter the million or so people who just cannot pronounce names they don’t recognize and will constantly have to spell it out loud for people over the phone. They'll be unique, but, again, how unique is *too* unique? It's a decsiion all parents must make.

All things to consider. But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about an observation I made this year when looking at the list. It was the name Sophia. I had made a small bet with a friend as to what we thought the #1 name would be. She bet Emily, I bet Sophia. So imagine how we both felt when the list was released and Emma took the crown. This just didn’t seem right. Sure it’s becoming more popular, but I just couldn’t accept that it was more popular than Sophia and Emily! And that’s when I realized it- SOFIA! Sofia! I know four babies born in 2008 who were named Sophia, but two spelled it SOFIA! That “F” lost me that bet. But did it really? I decided to research it. Because, let’s face it, whether you spell is “Sophia” or “Sofia”, it’s still pronounced the same. When they are in a class with other Sofia/Sophia’s they will either have to nickname themselves or go by their last initial. So I did the math. Sure enough! When using all spelling combinations that made the top 1000 of the 2008 list- Sophia/Sofia dominates over all other girl names!

So obviously that got my thinking- what else is inaccurate on this list? The first name that came to mind was “Aiden”. No WAY is that name ONLY ranked 16. I know a lot of Aidens and I couldn’t believe it didn’t make the top 10! Then I went through the list and realized there are 10 (TEN!!!) different spellings of the name “Aiden” that appear in the top 1000. Which gives it a lot more strength then #16. In fact, when all 10 are calculated together, "Aiden" take the #1 spot away from Jacob by almost 10,000 names! That's a HUGE number!!!

So this started my REAL Baby Name Project. It only took two days of pure boredom to complete the list. And the results were a *bit* surprising. I set out to only come up with the top 10 or 20 and ended up going all the way to the Top 50.

So without further ado, I direct you to the

REAL Baby Name List (!!!)

A few things to remember: It's not always bad to have a popular name. It's not always bad to have a unique name. Some names are regional, so check out NameMapper to see if the name is popular in your area or if it's just popular in an isolated area far from anywhere you ever plan on living. Also, this list is based on the most popular names of children born in the US. I know there are lots of Aussie Mommy-to-bes and British Mommy-to-bes here. Sorry I couldn't include you guys in this! Maybe someday I'll create a list for you guys, too, if I can find the data needed to make a list for you.

So, enjoy, comment, argue, point out my mistakes, make suggestions... whatever this list encourages you to do!