It's Social Security Baby Names Day!

[flea]

Laura Wattenburg has the scoop and commentary: http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2011/5/the-most-popular-baby-names-of-2010

In my family, Casper held steady at #39 and Dillo dropped a point to #192. My name continued its recent meteoric rise and landed at #309, now well above my sister's much more traditional (and spellable) name. Michael is, as last year, #3.

In bizarre news that makes us fear for America (or at least, the traditional names of America), Khloe is #42, Bentley is #101 (for boys), Nevaeh has reached #25 for girls, and the fastest-rising names of the year are almost all associated with reality television: http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2011/5/the-fastest-rising-baby-names-of-2010-triumph-of-the-teen-mom

In recent births news, I have:
Felix, a first child
Samuel, 4th son, with big brothers Henry, William, and John
Samuel, with big sister Ivy

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

SteelyKid was almost a Sophia until I realized. (It's amazing how these things just really are in the _air_.) Her name is now holding steady in the middle of the top 100 (though there is another in her class). Huh, near another name I was thinking about for her.

Okay, reading all these names is giving me serious earworm whiplash, so I have to stop.

[flea]

When I was 13, I wanted to name daughters Sophie and Eleanor. Both of those were very uncommon names, then!

[kate_nepveu]

We have an Eleanora in the family now (youngest sib to Magdalena, Matthew, and Isaac, for your information), though no Sophi(a/e)s.

I never daydreamed kids' names, because I was leaning against the idea of having them for a very long time. And picking out prospective names for SteelyKid was inordinately stressful.

[flea]

I didn't actually daydream about having kids. Just naming them. Hmmm.

[kate_nepveu]

Well, that too. But I'm not a namer; my car, my computer, my iPod, none of those have names. I think this may be a true "two types of people" divide, like "always has a song playing in the back of their head."

[veejane]

You will be glad to know that the Dillo narrowly* avoided being named Ambrose Evergreen! In case you are ever in need of antic naming brainstorming, I gleefully offer my services.

*Okay, not that narrowly.

[kate_nepveu]

I . . . will keep it in mind.

[veejane]

Oh how I hate you, Jaden/Braden/Caden/Aiden/Hayden. Come up with some new syllable to rhyme with, will you? And take your sister Kaydence with you.

TyQuavious doesn't get a number, dammit.

[flea]

There are 41 names that rhyme with Aiden in the top 1000.

Otoh: "The number of babies named Aidan down 26%...Odin UP 22%." Go team Odin!

[fatoudust]

We have a few recent births: Sarah Clare and Leenaeya Hunee. Guess which one is the youth workers struggling to have a kid for half a decade and which one is the teen mom?

Other recent kid names: Cecacius (CK) and Tessayas. Aoki (Apache, not Japanese!). Alliana Caedence.