The Baby Name Wizard

I'd like to nominate Addison. I am hearing it everywhere this year, and I wonder if the Grey's Anatomy character has anything to do with its popularity. The first I heard of it was a little boy born in 2004, and I feel like this year there's been a lot of little newborn girls with this name. I bet it will make a major jump on the popularity chart.
This is a fun post! Can't wait to see what the other nominees are. :)

Henry

I second Addison - I know three girl baby Addisons among a small group of friends, all of which were born last year.

I named my daughter Riley, which wasn't extremely popular when I had her, but now everywhere I go there are Rileys!

I'd have to say Isabella or Sophia. They are everywhere this year.

I say Kaden or Caden (does it matter the spelling?) I know several babies named Kaden.

I would have to say Jayden, since it's the newest Britney baby, but any name with -ayden at the end will do.

Aiden\Brayden

And

K names for girls, all around I hear Kailey, Kiley, Kelsey

Ava/Eva--I know SIX girls under one with this name!

Funny 'Addison' should get mentioned -- I've been running into 'Steele' lately. Maybe The Spectator has come back into fashion.

Maybe I'm late a year, but I nominate the Texas names: Austin, Travis, Houston, Dallas, etc. A month ago I met a tiny Lubbock on the playground, clearly born in '06. I'm proud to be a Texan too, but it's getting tired.

I am going to nominate Harper for girls, and Truman for boys, because of the movie Capote. Harper seems to be everywhere on the baby name discussion lists, and I know two Trumans, plus one who is a dog.

Addison?! I'm so curious where y'all are from, you folks with the baby Addisons. Now THAT's a trend I'd welcome, she's my favorite character on that show! So much better than being named after a movie mermaid ;)

It is hard to pinpoint a baby name by "what I keep hearing," since usually by the time I'm hearing it, it's about 5 years old. I'm tripping over Abigails, Emmas, and Isabellas everywhere I go, but that's 2001 growing up, not a 2006 phenomenon.

I've heard of two new baby boys named Maverick, born within the last year.

i am pretty confident that the Grey's Anatomy writers named Addison after Addison's disease. seems to make sense, right? medical show, medical condition. so the many throngs of Addisons are indirectly being named after a disease that is potentially fatal if left untreated!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addison's_disease

I know about ten couples with kids, and three of them have named their baby girl Ella. There are also two little boys named Finn in that small group. Has anyone else run into these?

Ava, definitely, seems I am hearing and reading that one constantly.

Solomon for a boy. We named our son this, and our pediatrician said he has two other babies or young toddlers by this name! What's old is new again!

Alissa/Allison for a girl --seems those are everywhere.

And, yes, I am a Katrina -- waiting to see if my name becomes more or less popular because of the hurricane!

The first name that popped in my head was Addison and the second was Riley. Both for multiple girls. Funny that they're in the top few responses. The next name that everyone seems to use for a middle name is Rose. (FYI I live in San Francisco.)

Addison is the street Wrigley Field is on in Chicago. Any time I hear Addison, I think oh, Cubs fan!

Addison sounds like an updated Allison. That's why I like it anyway.

Finn is pretty popular on this board, and Truman is also the name of Laura from Project Runway's kid right? (Okay i don't know how to make that sentence grammatically correct. But you all know what i mean.)

Addison sounds like someone with a cold trying to say Alison. I really don't like the name (sorry, Robyn). I think people are totally going for the sound, as they are used to the ring of Madison, Alison, etc. In England, Addison make toilet brushes and washing up bowls, so it has a very utilitarian feel to me! It also sounds too masculine for my taste. However, I think you may very well be right that it's the name of the year!

I would say Ethan and Emma. Both nice. Both way overused.
Ava/Eva are also wildly out of control.

and what about Jackson(Jaxson)? This too, is big where I live.

I'd say the name that date-stamps this year the most for me (though not for babies of course)is Borat!

For babies, I don't know what will date stamp this year but I bet the short classy feminine names like "Anna, Emma, Ava, Ella, Sophia" names will fade and be clearly from the early 2000s.

FWIW, I'm always amazed at the names my daughter (who's 7) doesn't know. Today she read a sign that said "Lisa's Pet Styles". She pronounced it Liza and when I corrected her she said one of the teachers at school is also Lisa. When I commented that it was a common name, she said "no mom, I've never heard that one before"!

But she doesn't miss a beat over a "Kaeson" or "Maeve". Too funny!

Addison and Jackson are both names I'm suddenly hearing a lot of in the past year or so.

Another name that surprises me in its quiet return to popularity is Charlie. It's a classic name that a relatively high number of pregnant women on my birth board are thinking about using for their children. Some will use Charlie as the name, others will use Charles and call him Charlie.

Cathie: Yeah, it seems like every name I knew before age 11 seems "normal" to me--from Harrison to Regan, Diana to Cara. The names I knew in childhood also formed my ideas about proper spellings and pronunciations: Alisa (with a short I), Kristel, Rolin (with a long O). I think the only names I thought were weird or unusual at this age were those I associated as marked with race--like "ethnic" names. Or the twin girls from Korea (I think) who adopted the names Alice and Susannah which sounded very old-fashioned for girls born in 1979.

I have a Charlie (19 mos.)! If he was a girl he was going to be Katrina! (He was born in April, months before the hurricane.)

I guess I don't know enough babies to comment on 2006 but someone mentioned Sophie/Sophia and oh my goodness I think my daughter Summer is the only girl born in 2002 NOT named Sophie/Sophia (though she is named after my grandmother Sophie--who will always be the only Sophie to me).

Babies I know born this year include Kylan (Ky for short), twins Emmett and Finn, Nevaeh, Julia, Thomas, Emily, Felix, and Donovan.

So basically I have nothing for you.

Jackson is an interesting one - I know a 20 year old Jack whose 7 year old nephew is Jackson. The latter is high up in the naming stakes in New Zealand but is now beginning to fade. Charlie is a newer choice.
Kayden/Jayden/Brayden/Ayden - sorry ladies - I think they have such a whiney sound to them - not nice to my ear.
For boys I would have to vote for Finn -its very high up, while for girls Poppy seems to be just one of the many floral names popular at present.
Jill - I agree about Sophie - since 2000 its completely flooded the market. I do like Summer - my son's first little girlfriend had that name - about 20 years ago :-)

The names mentioned are all popular, but they are not uniquely identified with 2006 (well, maybe Addison...)

The two names that I think sum up 2006 -- Shiloh and Suri.

Did you ever hear of them BEFORE 2006?

I am willing to bet that Suri will be climbing the charts in the next 5 years. Shiloh seems to me to be a harder sell...

I would have to call 2006 The Year of the Ava.

It fits the trend in girls' names that stood out to me: sweet, feminine, ending in -a, antique-y, picked by celebrities for their daughters, etc.

I can understand the Riley suggestion. I keep getting in trouble for either assuming Riley is a boy or the opposite. I best not make assumptions!

Jennifer

A couple on the fertility board that I read just named their b/g twins Clark and Addison - you guessed it, the dad is a huge Cubs fan. I actually think it's a really cute combo, very timely with today's trends.

I agree with Addison - the popularity of Grey's Anatomy and the ubiquity of the name makes it a great contender. I'm surprised my 30-year old sister's name (Meredith) isn't more popular recently because of that show too. Although Ellen Pompeo is the worst part of it. Eat a sandwich girl!

Arthur and Maya.

I don't know if this should be the name of the year because I don't like it, but I know at least 5 people that have named their babies Grace/Gracie, this year. Ugh.

Hi,
I would agree with most of the comments already. It's funny how the same names can be popular all over the country/world. Significant newer baby boy names in the Midwest are Jackson, Charlie (huge up-and-comer), Henry, Thomas, Riley and Brady (Brady Quinn, perhaps?)I'm less familiar with girl names but I would say Reese, -ayden names for girls (I know girl Aydens and Haydens), Rachel (Rachael Ray?)and Riley.

I'm new to this board, but I have to shake my head at how my husband and I must be slaves to the zeitgeist. Back in '95 we decided the perfect name for our daughter would be Sophia--we'd never heard anyone use that for their baby before, and were sure it was original.

By '02, having become wiser, we decided on Maeve for our second daughter, and researched intensively to make sure nobody anywhere was using it. No one had ever heard of it; the priest who baptized her had never encountered it.

Is it some kind of free-floating meme that makes us, in blithe ignorance, latch on to the same trendy name as everyone else? We have original names for the imminent baby, and I'm sure pregnant women across the country are choosing the same names.

Oh, man. This thread makes me want to throw up. I'm so bummed!

We picked out our baby names before we got married in '98. We decided Henry (born in 2000) was more of a firstborn name, so we reserved Charles Truman, nn Charlie, for our second, who has yet to arrive.

Eight years I've been hanging onto that name, people! EIGHT YEARS! Poo.

p.s. If Henry had been a girl, "she" would've been Meredith Grace. Can you imagine? Seriously? :P

The b/g twins Addison and Clark cracked me up. A good friend of mine (a Cubs fan, as well) was going to name her baby Addison Clark if it had been a girl. He turned out to be a boy, named Elijah Clark.

Other names of babies born in the last year or so: Hayden (another -ayden!), Caleb, Jonathan, Noah (for a girl!), Ethan, and Liliana.

An expecting mother on one forum I frequent is planning to name her baby (due in 2007) Remington. Do you suppose that weapons will be the naming wave of the future?

Well I have an original and no Im not a celebrity! Just kidding! My son's name is Tenesen Shomar and no one else has that name that I know of. My husband came up with it. If I have a girl it would be Victoria Rose since I love roses and the Victorian is the most beautiful. In essance my daughters name would mean "beautiful love" to me.

I would say Noah.. for a boy... I have 2 friends with babies named that and I hear it everywhere . .or Ethan.. that is also really popular here .. and Ava is really popular for girls here, or Hannah.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Langdon will make the charts this year. It sounds like the current hit Landon, has going for it the surname effect, and is the name of the character from "The DaVinci Code." I don't think it will be a major hit, but I do think it will crack the top 1,000.

Ok, so I don't know if this should be the name for 2006, but in 2004 we had a baby girl. We named her Sofia. It was the day after she was born and in the middle of the night. We chose that name, not knowing the popularity, because of a good friend that I met in my travels in Europe. After leaving the hospital, we quickly realized the extreme popularity of the name. At 2 months, I couldn't take it any longer and decided to call her by her middle name. I do know an Addison too. I also know a couple of Jaxons. I have heard of quite a few Avas too. The waves are powerful....and frustrating.

I was just thinking yesterday that I like the name Summer. I remember not liking it when I was younger though. And the only Summer i can think of (character on The OC) is not someone I would want to name my kid after.

Wendy: Funny, I think Shiloh would catch on more than Suri. Shiloh sounds more familiar to me (from the kids book), while Suri sound completely new and... "made-up" (whether it is or not). Also, I think Brangelina is more respected than Tomkat these days.

Dawn: I think Meredith will pick up. Or if not, it should!

I also know a Noah born like... yesterday. But this name is a classic I think. I don't know if it's exceptionally popular this year.

Our second was almost a Finn but we had a couple of warning signs (how many TV characters are named Finn now?? it's today's Dylan-equivalent someone told me). I know of three baby Finns here in DC. Ditto with Harper for girls.

I think "ay-den" with whatever letter preceding it is the name of the decade, but it started well before 2006. (Or possibly McKsomething.)

The one name I hadn't heard before this year, which I think will catch fire soon if it hasn't already, is "Miley" (the name of the main character in "Hannah Montana" and the name of the actress who plays her). Picks up the sound Kylie and Ryleigh, but newer (and with an "M" like Maddie), and just a breath away from 'smiley'.

Borat is definitely the name of the year for 2006 - who had heard of that name before this year, and who hasn't heard of it now? Definitely Suri and Shiloh as well, never heard of them before and now everyone has heard of them.
But I'm sticking by my original post of Addison - what is more 2006 than the name on the most popular TV show in America (according to last week's ratings anyway, and I know we have some British fans of this blog and I'm not sure how the show does over there) and all the people rushing to name their baby girls Addison? I'm telling you, this name was completely off the radar (for me anyway) and it is suddenly everywhere starting early this year.

I live in the Boston area and the 2006 baby girls that I know almost all have names like Isabella, Bella, Ella, and Ava. I don't know any babies named -ayden, or McAnything. Maybe it is the New England traditionalism (or maybe just the circles I hang out in.) Around here, I'd say it's the year of the -ella, or at least the -a!
On a related note, whenever I meet a little girl and find out that her name is Bella, I have to remind myself not to do the mental eye roll and think "of course, another Bella." It's obvious that no one picks a name for their child just because it's popular. Parents put a lot of thought into their child's name and it's certainly not their fault if a bunch of other people happen to choose the same name. Every name is special. Every Bella is special! I mean, speaking as a Jennifer, I should know, right?

I was going to add my vote for Finn. Grey's had that character, but there was also a character with that name on one of my son's favorite children's shows. I've also met a lot of baby boys named Finn (Phinneaus) at play areas lately.

I agree that this is also the year of the Ava. My daughter Georgia was almost an Ava. I'm so glad we didn't name her that, though I love the name. I just can't go anywhere without hearing moms calling, "Avaaaaa!" :P

I'd be very interested to know how all these names we "discover" somewhere obscure and think are going to be one-of-a-kind end up all over the place! Laura, any thoughts?

Same old sob story here - I had Finn picked out years ago. And look what's happened. The Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy writers caught onto it, and now it's everywhere.

The only place I'd ever heard it before was the main character on the 1998 movie Great Expectations, based on Charles Dickens' novel (in the novel, the name is Pip).

I wouldnt mind it if my son (due in March 07) had a common name, but not a trendy one like Finn seems like it's becoming.

Lara, everyone else has probably had the names picked out for years too! Back when I was in middle school in the mid-80s, I liked picking out names for my imaginary children. I chose names like Brittany and Brianna and Katelyn, names that were uncommon then but became popular about 10 years later. I didn't realize it then, but those kinds of names probably felt fresh to those of my generation, and then some years later when people my age started having kids, those names became popular.

I can see Finn as a contender. It has definitely been leaping up the charts and I expect a big leap this year. But having looked at Addison, 2006 is just a continuing rise for it. Look at its ranking for the last few years:
2005 107
2004 160
2003 190
2002 220
2001 270
2000 322
1999 369
1998 403
1997 475
1996 547
1995 677
1994 800

is it rising? Yes. Is it THE name of the year. Don't think so.

I wonder if Miley is a variation on the Hawaiian name Maile. That could be one place new names come from--sort of... Anglicizations of names from other cultures. I've been wondering if Arab-inflenced names would become popular as we gain more familiarity with them. Although some may think the sounds may have negative connotations, it seems like trends often come not from positive influences but any influence at all.

About Finn: There's also one on Law and Order: SVU.

Oh and I once had a class where we introduced ourselves by saying how we were named and about 1/4 of the class said they were named after soap opera characters (people born around '79).

Re: Finn. Another pop culture exposure was when Julia Roberts called her son "Phinn". To me the sound was really fresh when Great Expectations came out.

And as regrattable as it is to be the mommy of a 7yo Ava, I'm glad she wasn't a boy. She would have been Hayden Charles. The only Haydens I'd ever heard of before she was born were Hayden Fox on "Coach", Hayden McElroy on "Designing Women", and real-life Coach Hayden Fry. We were actually thinking of nicknaming him "Coach". Thank God she was a girl. As ubiquitous as Ava is, I think there are noticeably more -ayden/-aden boys around. Including my nephew Caden, big brother of Jackson.

Sara R- your comment made me think about the name I had picked out for my future daughter when I was eight: Crystalline Scarletta. I guess we wouldn't run into many of THOSE on the playground!

Makenna/Makayla for girls
Jayden for boys

I totally agree with Addison being an up and comer and I'm actually glad to hear that Charlie is making a come back. I read 2 blogs (one is Jill's) about baby/toddler boys named Charlie. It's a great baby name. It's also my nn for my husband (everyone else calls him Chuck).

I know a couple of Noah's and I'm hoping Meredith will pick up. I think it's so pretty and it reminds me of the cool smart-girls.

I agree with Robyn about Shiloh being easier than Suri. Shiloh has that old west appeal like Dakota and those types.

Sarah (Pasadena) - What am I missing? Finn on Gilmore Girls and Grey's? I watch both those shows and can't remember characters by that name. SVU, yes.

The other Hayden is Hayden Christiansen, the actor who played the grown up Annikin Skywalker in the last "Star Wars" movie.

I'll cast my vote for Maddox. Never heard it till this year and now I know three baby Maddoxes.

Christiana-- Finn on Grey's was the hot vet Meredith dated. I don't remember Finn on Gilmore Girls, but I'm thinking one of Logan's friends might be a Finn.

I had never really heard the name Finn used until Buffy dated Finn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It planted a little seed in my head, hmm, interesting name! That was several years ago, and I'm wondering if that little seed has been germinating in others' heads too.

The only older reference to Finn/Phin I can think of is Phinny from A Separate Peace. It just doesn't have the same appeal to me spelled the other way.

I think Addison's rise is partially because it's so similar to the already popular Madison, but has a fresher feel. And the nickname Addy is very cute. It's one of my favorites of the unisex "-son" names.

I predict a big increase in boys named Logan (I can't believe how many people I'm hearing who plan to use that name.) Aiden/Aidan and Liam are other that I'm seeing used/considered a lot more recently. But they aren't coming out of nowhere.

A name I half-hope doesn't get popular but predict might have a big jump is Violet. I've loved the name for years and it's one of the names I'm considering for my unborn child. But Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck used it for their daughter, and I'm wondering how many others will think, wow, cool name, and use it.

The similar Viola with the trendy -a ending may be another with a sharp increase in popularity.

Keira is another name I think will become a lot more popular in the US. I know it's popular in the UK already.

Zora may rise a lot.

More and more I think we subconscoiusly are attracted to popular names, or name sounds. Maybe it's group consciousness... but names I've thought for the past year or so were not too common, but good solid names, are becoming popular.

Anne - Thanks. How quickly we forget... I had forgotten about Chris O'Donnel's character already - and I reall liked him! And you're right about Finn being Logan's friend, I think. But he was always such a minor character and so annoying that I blocked him from my memory.

I liked the name Riley from Riley Finn on Buffy. Almost named my dog after him several years ago.

I've seen a lot of interest in the name Logan as well. I love that name. It's the name of my cousin who was born in 1983. My nephew was almost named that, but my BIL's favorite student was named Logan, and he didn't want to make it seem like he was showing THAT much favoritism. They went with Luke instead (after Gilmore Girls' Luke). But that was 4 years ago.

Mary"J", there was a devloper in my town whose daughter's name is Victoria Rose, so he named a housing development Rose Creek and one of the streets in it is Victoria Rose Lane. I always thought it sounded like a lovely place to live!

I, too, am depressed by the names I 'can't' use anymore: about 7 years ago I would have had a baby girl Avery and a baby boy Chase.

Names on the rise...we should wait on the contest for those, but Gabriel and Charles have been popular in my circles.

I vote for the media-related names that mark the year: Suri, Shiloh, and Addison.

Girl names: Addison and Isabella

Boy names: Anything ending in -ayden/aidan/aiden/aydan. And Milo.

Of the other babies born this year in our circle of family and friends, there are two Benjamins, two Noahs, two Claires, an Ella, an Addison, three Avas, two Abbys, two Hannahs and an Elijah. I totally don't understand the Addison craze - it's a disease. President Kennedy had Addison's Disease. Why name your child that??? Ella and Ava were both on our short list, but now I'm thankful we didn't go that direction.

I think Ava is the fastest rising girl name I've heard this year. For boys I'd go with Aidan/Brayden/Caden/Jayden/Hayden, etc.

Rachel, I'm a seventh grade teacher and I have one student who is Robert, but goes by his middle name of Remington. I have another boy named Gatlyn. (Like the Gatlyn gun?) The names are unique, that's for sure.

Wendy - Suri is very new but I have to tell you, Shiloh was a very 70's name here - two or three of them were in my children's playgroup in those years.
Mary J - Tennyson Rose has been popular in the early nineties, but spelled traditionally.
Melissa - Hannah and Noah are also very 70's names - I wanted Noah if my first was a boy but husband had a hissy fit - luckily she was a girl :-)
Looking at some of these names is making me feel extremely old considering they are my adult children's friends names too!

Girls: Addison. Not only does the name have the aforementioned appeal, but the character and Kate Walsh's portrayal is pretty fantastic as well.

Boys: Eamon/Noah: We know two of each who were born this year.

For girls: It's not really one name, but rather a group of names: Ella, Bella, Isabelle, Isabella, Eleanor, Eloise...really, any name that has some sort of link to the nicknames Ella or Ellie. Cute names, but they are everywhere!!!

For boys: I'm hearing Noah and Max quite a bit as well.

Seeing that there are three of each with a variety of spellings in my moms group I would say:

Boy: Kayden
Girl: Kaylei

Personally, I prefer less-popular traditional names.

Roland's Mom

Azure

My vote is for Simone. I'm hearing it a lot on soap operas and I just think that it's an elegant name that simple yet sophisticated. This is exactly why I named my first born that this year :-)

I always like Violet, but thought it was a little too close to violent, and that weirded me out. I've always loved Meredith, but it sounds odd with our last name. I actually know a Suri who is in her 40's, she's Jewish and it was a family name. I like Shiloh better, I agree about the Dakota/frontier sort of feel. I haven't heard of one Addison, but plenty of Ava/Eva/Evelyn have been listed in our newspaper birth notices. I have a few names waiting for our impending adoption, none of which have been mentioned so far. I'm holding on to the though, last time we had a baby her name broke the 100 the following year. I'd love to see Paula come back, Simon too.

Trudy - Ella, Ellie, Noah and Max - I think you must live in north London, circa 1996..

"Grey's Anatomy" is so popular! I must be the only person in America who just doesn't get it. But anyway, I checked on Voyager and discovered that both Greyson and Grayson have been shooting up the charts. So I'll add those two, and Grey/Gray as an outlayer.

I'd say it was year of the Beatrice/Beatrix. Bea is a sweet name, but four in a year (among my close friends and cousins) is a little much! I can see this one gaining momentum through '07 with the Beatrix Potter movie coming out.

On the boy side I agree with Henry, but that's been building for a while. Two of the little Henrys (and one Oliver and Finn, come to think of it) have '06 brothers called Gus, so maybe that's the '06 boys' name (August and two Angus who all are called Gus- do they count as one?)

You're not the only one, Elizabeth--I have to agree. I'm just not feeling the "Grey's Anatomy" love. I've tried watching it and can't stand Meredith's cheesy narration at the beginning and end! Bah!

(Yet "Desperate Housewives" has the same corny bookend narration, by the dead neighbor, and I do watch that. Oh well!)

There are so many popular names now that many have you have mentioned, that it's too hard to narrow it down to just one. Plus, Ava/Ella/Sophia/Olivia/Henry/Oliver/etcetcetc have all been around for a few years now. I'd agree that Shiloh or Suri would be more likely contenders because of their uniqueness and sudden arrival on the "scene."

BTW, I didn't know there was a Beatrix Potter movie coming out! Fun! My first baby is due in 3 weeks; Beatrix is a "maybe" on our very long list (we don't know if it's a girl or a boy) but I'll keep that in mind. My husband doesn't like Beatrix anyway because of the nns Bea (Bea Arthur) and Trixie (which I think is cute and reminds me of Trixie Belden, but he's not a fan).

Also, re: the phenomenon of everyone thinking they've found a unique name only to find that hundreds or thousands of others have chosen the same one, I think it's a sound thing too, as someone else mentioned, as well as a socioeconomic thing, as well as maybe an effect of most of us being saturated in the same mass media. The intro to Laura W's book has a good explanation for this, although it's been awhile since I read it and don't quite remember what it was.

I'd have to give a vote for Suri as well. I have known most of these other names for a while---I taught a 4-year-old Addisen (girl!) two years ago, which makes it 6 years old now (Maybe her Mommy was just ahead of the trend). Some babies I know this year are named Vivian, Brody, Robert (he's a III), Bonnie, and Mason. Nothing that screams "2006" in my circle of friends, I guess!

I don't really agree that a made up name or an unusual name given to a child by a celebrity constitutes 2006 Name of The Year. Yes, Suri and Shiloh might sound "fresh" because they aren't appearing everywhere but will millions of parents follow suit? How many parents jumped on the celebrity baby naming bandwagon and named their children Apple or Pilot Inspektor (both unusual).

To me, a Name of the Year should be a name that lots of parents are suddenly naming their child. It could be a name that you have heard before, but suddenly it's a name that is everywhere.

I definitely think Isabella and Sophia are everywhere. I know two Addison's on my May 05 pregnancy board, but none in person. I also want to throw out a wild card, "Ivy." I love this name and I've heard it twice this year. So refreshing. In general, I think this board has a great estimation of the "baby-naming pulse." I agree with almost all the suggestions thus far! Can't wait to see what Laura concludes.

I began reading this thread in great interest today and was a little surprised at the number of references to Addison. Then, I just hopped over to BabyCenter and noticed they have their 2006 "Top Baby Names" and analysis up. Addison was their girl "fastest riser" with a gain of 57 places to #26. I realize that their data is quite skewed but still found it interesting.

Claire, I love Ivy and it's been on my list forever, but I only know of one born this year (to someone I sort-of "know" online).

I'm hearing a lot of people memtion Sophia and Isabelle, but I almost feel like those are a couple of years old. I know a couple of pre-schoolers with those names, but no newborns. Granted, I'm just going on those few babies around me, as I have no children yet and am not constantly being bombarded with munchkins, so I could be completely off.

Addison is super popular, but in five years when you hear the name, will you think 2006? Or will you think mid 2000's? It's not like what Laura was talking about. Farrah is 77. Liberty is 76. Like Noel is Chistmas. Suri/Shiloh makes me think 2006. Everyone heard/saw those names wether they wanted to or not.

I have heard you all talk about Gray's /Grey's ...has anyone come across any Grady's ?..My maiden name is Grady...So I was thinking of going with Grady James? As for nominations..
I think Owen for a boy is sorta getting much more popular.

One name I heard a ton this fall, especially since I live in VA, is Makaka.

(The reference to Nancy Pelosi made me think of it.)

Obviously that's not really a _name_. But whenever I hear it in the future (let's hope it's scarce) I'll think 2006.

For girls, anything starting with "El" is popular (Eleanor, Ellen, Elizabeth, Eloise, etc) because people want to nickname their daughters Ella or Ellie.

For boys, the "Luke" names seem hot. Luke, Lucas, Lucca, Lucian, Lucien.

I've met quite a few infants called Felix, and I wonder if that name is becoming trendy. Maybe people are attracted to the "x".

I second Felix- that one seems a popular brother for the Olivers, too.

I have a 7 yo Finn. I'm so completely upset about its popularity. We try to avoid anything above #300 on the SSA list. He's the only Finn in his school, though.
I agree with Addison being the name of the year. I have been hearing that one for a couple of years, but it's really exploded lately. I have an Adelaide and I have refused to call her Addie because of all the Addisons using that nn. (We call her Ada instead.) By the way, Adelaide is getting popular out of nowhere too.
My second vote for 2005 would be Violet. With Violet Affleck, Violet from Willie Wonka, and that movie Ultra Violet (though it flopped), I heard it everywhere! (Plus Violet from the Incredibles--but that was a couple of years ago)
Avery (for a girl) seems to be soaring up the charts too. At least around here. My SIL had a baby in June and decided against Brooklyn (which she's loved for years), because it's too popular. She chose Avery instead! Not a huge improvement, popularity-wise.

Not forgetting Violet from the Lemony Snicket books.

I agree with Eliza, the trends are partly a socio-economic thing. I knew a very upper-class, old-money type about ten years ago who named her kids Remington (girl) and Greyson (boy). At the time these seemed like names that no other kids on the face of the earth would ever have. And now look -- both names appear in this thread!

It seems clear now that she was on the track of some mysterious classy-sounding-name spoor, which has since worked its way into the larger population.

"Spoor!" Margaret, that's hilarious. Thanks for the laugh.

I have yet to meet any baby Addisons. As an old movie buff, everytime I hear the name, all I can think of is the snarky Addison DeWitt from "All About Eve." Anybody else?

the two names ive seen alot of in australia are axel and jaclyn both gorgeous names

Donna: I think there was a little boy named Grady at a school I worked at a few years ago. He'd probably be around 10 yo now.

Remington reminds me of Remington Steele. Some movie character or something from the '80s. I've never seen it but my husband likes to talk about it. The name sounds so macho to me: I am man, hard as rock.

Phinn or Finny is a nickname for Phineas, a name I have loved since high school (and A Separate Peace, I guess.
It's weird there are so many people who just cut to the nickname.

Here in Europe this is the way too hot name of the moment: LUCA or LUKAS. almost every pregnant woman I meet has this name in mind.

Think you could pick 2 "representative" names and just call this the Aunt Ethel, Uncle Otto year.. the year where all the oldies really reved into high gear...

LIAM...I feel like every time I turn around I'm meeting another Liam in the 2-and-under crowd. Some, but not all, of these are short for William. But as a nickname or a stand-alone, I'm hearing "Liam" an awful lot at the playground these days.

Robyn,
Remington Steele was not a macho type. He was suave, debonaire, and cool, but not macho. Pierce Brosnan played him and basically parlayed the role into his James Bond characterization. I was a HUGE Steele fan in high school.

Given that what girls watch and read in middle school and high school seems to influence the names they later give their children, I'm really surprised Remington hasn't made a bigger splash.

Elizabeth T: I guess I am going on sound rather than knowing the character. To be fair, I guess the Steele part is more macho than the Remington part. And I do tink Remy would be a cute nickname.

Here in my San Francisco Bay Area town, I haven't come across any Addisons yet (but I'm not pregnant and my children aren't infants), but I have met a newborn named Hazel! Which, of course, jumped out at me b/c of Julia Roberts. I know Laura just wrote about how once upon a time, names like Hazel were fresh and lovely compared to the Mary's that reigned, but in 2006, I just...it's not my preference.

But you know, Hazel is the name of one of the bunnies in Watership Down. With that reference, the name Hazel makes me smile.

Lara, I feel your pain with Henry! I had the name Grace selected for my daughter before I was even married, t be named for an interesting ancestor on my family tree. I'd heard Grace used a lot as a middle name but not so often as a first name. Lo and behold, my daughter was born in 2002 and suddenly there are Graces everywhere! I've already resigned myself to the fact that she'll be known as "Grace F." in school. :S

As for "the" 2006 name... I think in terms of updating old names and pop culture Addison is a great choice. Suri and Shiloh also pop into mind as names that most had never heard of before 2006.

Also, I always get a chuckle out of Violet, because thet's the name of my 6-year old pug! Who knew I was such a trendsetter? LOL :D

So does Fiver, Fiver!

I have a question for you all ....I am expecting a baby in February..and looking at some of your posts...saying...I have heard lots of "Henry's.." Or "Addisons" ect.. are you saying that maybe these names are too overused..So you sorta "gufaw" at the names..? Or you like the names..and they are up and coming? As for myself..I do like Classic.. I am not crazy about Trendy.

Donna: Personally, I would only avoid the top ten. I came to this conclusion from looking at the top names from my birth year and these were the only names that struck me as really common when I was in school--like there were always two Jennifers in each class, if not, three, four, or five!

But I think someone else posted that they try to avoid the top 300.

I guess this might also change for me b/c I'm not at the stage yet where ALL of my friends are having babies. So for those two names you mention, for example, I only know one Henry and I don't know any Addisons.

As for Classic vs. Trendy, what if the Classic is Trendy (as it seems to be right now)?

Back to TV characters named Finn, on "The Sopranos" Meadow's fiance is named Finn. A very different first name than the other male characters on the Sopranos (e.g., Tony, Paulie, Bobby, Johnny, Carmine), which I am sure the writers did on purpose.

I'd vote Finn.

I had never heard of it until this year. (I don't watch the shows mentioned). I had some friends in New England name their son Finn, and since then, I've met several in the mid-Atlantic.

A close second would be "Aiden". But many of the ones I've met are not 2006, but slightly older.

I know a Finnegan who is 2 years old, and Julia Roberts's Phinn was born just a month or so later.

I'm horrified that Solomon might be popular. That's my son's name, and it's an old family name from another country. I've only met one other, and he was 8 or so.

Are others hearing this name?

I know quite a few Solomons of all ages but they're all Jewish except for one of them. For some reason I think of it as a Jewish name like Rachel, Sarah, Seth, Daniel, Nathaniel, etc.

Being "horrified" about an ancient hebrew name becoming more popular is a little silly. It's not like it's some made up name like McKayley.

I was so excited to name my daugher Violet - I thought it was perfect and not too common these days. Then in the hospital when I was in labor, a nurse told me she'd just read that was what Jennifer Garner was going to name her baby. Boy was I bummed.

But, so far anyway, she's the only Violet I've met.

laney - I think she's horrified because it's her son's name and she wants his name to be unique.

Laney, of course it's silly. I'm sure even Laura realizes that our obsession with names is a bit ridiculous.

I don't necessarily need for my son's name to be unique, but I really don't want his name to be another Jack, the name we loved and I vetoed because every little boy under the age of 2 in my town is named Jack. When you choose a name that's not even in the top 1000, and then it becomes popular, that is surprising, even if it's an old Biblical name. I don't hear about a lot of Moses's, either.

(I love it when people are surprised by how popular this name is. "My kids are Jack and Grace, too! What a coincidence." Err, not really.)

My son is named Jack (2 years old). I don't think I'm alone in preferring boys names that are solid, strong, and traditional, despite being popular. Perhaps it's a reflection of what society still wants our boys to become. And yes, it's an exercise in futility to a certain extent, since our name choice is going to have little influence in how our kids turn out. So my Jack could very well become a flighty, non-athletic guy who never holds down a job. And my daughter, to whom I gave a strong name, could still turn out to be a frilly, mallrat who's the type of girl who makes all the wrong choices.

Still, we mull over names, because it's fun and interesting and harmless :)

Ava by far should be the girl name of 2006....I know 5 born this year! I agree that for boys it should be anything that ends in the -ayden, perhaps AIDAN if I had to choose just one!

I have met 3 little boys named Kai in the last six months. It seems to be popping up everywhere.

I'm going to vot for the year of the A:

Addison
Ava
Avery
Aiden
Ashton

ellA
bellA
AnnA
sophiA
IsabellA

people are loving the A around here.

I must say too however that of the babies I know who were born this year Ruby is huge and so is Henry.

I vote for Grace and Henry. (And I think Christopher and Meredith are on the way up.)

When we're talking about Finn/Phinn, shouldn't we say the full name? It could be Finnegan, Phinnaeus or Finley, right?

Shiloh is a common "word" around here because of its Native American background. Shiloh Baptist Church. Brangelina's choosing that name kind of made me giggle.

My college roommate's grandfather was named Grady.

I know a 27-year-old guy named Addison, and he gets on my nerves.

I see tons of newborns in my job. Ava is definitely the new Jennifer of this generation. I see so many moms who are Jennifers with newborns named Ava. Ella and Addison are definitely up there too. For boys I am seeing alot of Jaydens, Braydens and Caydens, with multiple different spellings. I didn't see any of those three years ago. Name trends are so interesting!

I don't see Shiloh as new, but it is just now in the public eye. I wanted to name my girl Shiloh 2 years ago (after the Neil Diamond song) but my husband vetoed it.

I think now that Maddox (Jolie) is older the name is popular for newborns and would cast that as my vote.

For girls I would definitely say Addison and then all the Ella, Ellie, Eleanor, Ellison, Ellery versions. Also I hear Ava and Reese a lot. For boys, I hear Jackson/Jaxon and Carter quite a bit.

I know two 2006 infants named Bella, not Gabriella or Isabella, just Bella. One of the babies is Bella Sofia and the both parents think Bella is original some how.

I've met a few babies & toddlers this year named Miles ... it was on my list for my 2005 baby, but my husband vetoed it because he thought it would be too obviously a reference to Miles Davis (whom he's a fan of). I thought it was relatively uncommon, but it sure seems like it's heading up. I also know two Emmets (born in 2005) and recently met two boys named Luka (or Luca?) It's interesting to hear that there are still some boys' names ending in A ... Ezra, Ira, and Mica are the only other common ones I can think of.

I too find how we all seem to gravitate towards the same names disturbing. It really is facinating though. I've seen a couple names I've been thinking about lately come up here and it's just weird, because I too was looking for something original! Go figure. Maybe we should all stop trying to be original! :(

How about Paz? It means peace. I'd never come across it before I read this story:

SEATTLE (AP) - A woman who was shot in the arm when she tried to protect her unborn child during July's deadly shooting rampage at the Jewish Federation offices has given birth to a healthy baby boy, her publicist said Wednesday.

Charley Paz Klein was born at about 9 p.m. Tuesday in a Seattle hospital to Dayna Klein, 37. His middle name, which means peace, was chosen in memory of Pamela Waechter, who died in the July 28 shooting, said Howard Bragman.

Actually I had come across it.before...a Colombian colleague named his baby Paz recently. Aha..a trend!

"Paz" means peace in Spanish. It's pronounced "Pahss."

I vote for Kyra !
check out a great new baby names site
http://www.babyhold.com

At my two-year-old daughter's daycare, there are two girls named Talia. My daughter, by the way, is Natalia. We used to call her Talia or Tali, but to avoid confusion with her classmates, we're now using her proper name!

For boys, I would also vote for Finn (both as a given name and as a nn for Finnegan, Phinneas, etc). I know of a few baby Finns born in the past year in my circle of friends. For girls, Ruby seems to be getting quite popular recently.

I vote for Maggie and Matilda because these two seem like Hollywood trendsetter names. I know one newborn Maggie in my locale. Caleb is popular here, too.

Good point about the year of the A, also Shiloh and Suri!

My goddaughter (10 months old) and some of her contemporaries born this year are: Lilah (2), Lily(2), and Lilliana. Maybe it's the year of the Lil-. Also Lily was the Solis's (briefly)adopted baby on Desperate Housewives earlier this year.

Lily?

Or flowers in general? Violet, Lily, Rose

My vote for the fastest riser on the charts is Adelaide.

Most in-the-headlines name I think was definitely Suri.

I have no clue what's going on with boys names these days, other than the continuing Jack/William thing.

Several friends and family members had babies this year.
Joseph Benjamin
Benjamin Avery (Ben)
Margaret Eloise (Maggie)
Dakota Lalani
Ethan Patrick
Madison (Maddy)

I don't know that any of them would qualify as name of the year but several of them certainly follow recent trends.

I have another name nomination, but I think it will be the name of 2007 or 2008. And it is a first and last name...

Barack Obama

Love him or hate him, he is the name on everyone's lips these days.

Daniela - I love the name Natalia. SO pretty. And it goes so nicely with your name as well. How about Lia or Natty for a nn if you want one?

A daughter of a friend just had a baby and named her Kyla Jennal. I'd never heard Jennal before.

On Bella: There have been a couple of Tv charachters named Bella in the last few years. It has a sweet sound, but I hardly think it's "original". Pretty yes, original no.

I understand people want to be different, but what's wrong with a traditional name even if it's popular? I'm not going to name my son moonbeam just because I know there won't be any others in his class. I am Megan and my husband is Mike. We've never had any issues with our names and they have been popular at one point or another.

Whenever I hear Finn/Phinn I think of Huckleberry Finn. The name conjures up images of fresh-faced, bare-footed American boyhood and independence. I think that this plays more of a role in the name's popularity than references in the popular media. I know 4 little boys named /nn Finn, but they're all around 5 and contemporaries of all the Olivers I know. Interestingly, both names have literary associations. (Huckleberry Finn, Oliver Twist) I also know a 2 yaer-old girl, Finley, who goes by Finn.

As for 2006: I would have said Shiloh/Suri. They definitely got the most press coverage, but if Addison's as hot as everyone says... Well, I'd never heard it before, and now it's suddenly on my radar. The boy name is a toughy though. I've met a couple little Lucas. My husband's cousin is planning to name his son Brake! But that will have to be the new, trendy name for 2007, unless there're other Brakes out there. Anyone know of any?

It's so hard to say... it is really neat to hear the differences as to what ppl think is popular depending on where you live.

I live in Canada... and here I seem to hear alot of Noah's, Kaiden's, Ethan's, Ava's,Isabella's & Nevaeh's... very different from some of the other names I have heard on this blog.

As for Shiloh or Suri catching on... I think more likely Shiloh... I knew 2 kids named that before Brad and Angelina used it... and I have never met a Suri.. but animal off the kid's movie Dinosaur is named Suri (she is a lemur I think)... voice done by Hayden Panettiere.... So some parents may not love that reference

Yes, FINN is what came to mind. I have met a zillion Finns lately (I live in Austin, TX). But I suspect that's a microcosmic phenomenon (popular in certain mini-circles/micro-regions).

So my vote will go to unusual names after TV characters, specifically SAWYER (after the Lost character). I'm not a Grey's watcher, but it's obviously behind the recent Addison phenomenon : )

Julia - Sawyer? Oh dear - I can see people saying 'sauce?'
Meg - in the end its up to you what you name your child, but some prefer not to have their child as one of a dozen with the same name in their class later on, and really, there's nothing wrong with that either. My husband's a Steve and has found that its a saving grace to have a unique surname(we, his parents and our own children are the only ones in our country)otherwise individuality is hard to achieve, especially in print.
Christiana - Natalia is so pretty - I had it in mind for my second baby but it turned out to be Sam(the man):-)
Cec - I think you're on to something - flower/foliage names could be definitely an innovative twist for someone looking for originality.

I vote for Amelia. I've met several, all of a sudden. Also Lillian, which seems to have the same sounds rearranged. Or maybe it's just names with the sound "lia" in them, because looking at the other commenters I also see Liam, Talia, Liliana, Julia, Natalia...

I've always liked Saira, which means "God's laughter". Then this year my sister named her daughter Maya. We were all thrilled as we are proud to say that we are from Mayan origins...But did you know that in Hindi it means dream? Now that both names are in my family...I'm on the search for another favorite for my own first daughter.

I actually like Isadora more than Addison. :)

I've heard of seven or eight little baby Noams, which is pronounced like "Noah" only with an M. Has anyone else had any experience with this name?

My cousin has two sons, Colton Jack and Tucker Lee. Both names are not heard of often.

Ana: Ooh, I like Saira, but how exactly is it pronounced? Oh and in what language does it mean God's laughter? Online, I find that it means traveller or wanderer in Arabic. is it a Native American language (since you mention being a descendant of Mayans)?

Amanda: The only Noam I've heard of is chomsky. And I always thought it was pronunced like gnome, but I can't recall if I ever heard anyone say his name or I just made it up.

Julia: I can totally see Sawyer becoming popular! It goes with Finn too!

The Noams that I know pronounce it with two syllables, and their parents named them that because it means something in Hebrew, but I can't remember it off the top of my head. One of the fathers is a rabbi, so I guess that's where the whole Hebrew thing came in.

Meg - I love the name Megan, it's on my list. It's all a matter of preference as to whether you want a classic or original name, etc. Right now classic is trendy, so some people like to stay away from that.

Never heard of a Noam. Sounds a little strange to me. Sort of a cross between Liam and Noah. But I don't really like Liam for whatever reason. It bugs me. Haven't figured out why.

I know a Colton - my hairdresser's son. Great name.

Ana - I like Maya and Saira. What is the origin of Saira? Is it pronounced "Say-rah"? I like it. I've been thinking about Sara/Sarah lately as another classic name for my list. So pretty and feminine. They seem similar.

Ooh, i like the Sawyer/Finn combo. Cute!

I vote for Ava and Lily.
Looks like my name is popular!

Noam is an Israeli boy's name meaning sweetness or friendship. Also can be No'am. There's a lot of -am or -em names in Israel - Yotam, Lotam, Rotem for example.

All I can think of when I hear the name Luca is that Suzanne Vega song, "my name is Luca, I live on the second floor."

I vote for Aiden-(spelled any way imaginable)for boys and Ava for girls-I hear it everywhere! Now if only I could think of a name for our daughter from the opposite end of the popularity spectrum - we only have 4 weeks left! This is stressful...

You all seem like baby name experts ...so I have a question for you all..I am having a baby boy in February. I LOVE the name Samuel...nn Sam...It is just a "feel good" name for me..as well as I am sure others since it is like #20..I know it is super popular...but my question is this..is "Sam"...one of those names that you think, "Oh, Another Sam..." Thanks...

I read several news articles about the name "Nevaeh" (heaven spelled backwards) and its popularity this year. It's very pretty - I think it's pronounced ni-vay-uh. I can't think of any others I've heard, so I'll nominate Nevaeh.

5 months and counting...

We want to be surprised, so we're choosing both girls' names and boys' names. For a girl, we're down to Amygdala (nn Amy) or Daniella (nn Dani). I've always loved the name Amy (youngest of the March sisters and the one who got Laurie!), but it seemed to need buttressing by a longer, more formal name hidden neath. Stumbled upon Amygdala as SIL studies brain science. Apparently the amygdala is "the seat of emotion in the brain." Prior to now DH had considered Sophia as it means wisdom, however we had ruled it out due to its rising popularity. (I never much cared about name meaning, but it is becoming an important factor to DH especially given other suggested names on my part.) With Amygdala, we can honor intelligence and sensitivity as located in the brain, give our precious daughter
(should we be graced with a girl) a more formal, sophisticated nomenclature, and enjoy the adorable nn Amy.

OTOH, Daniella would honor my FIL, Daniel. That's a strong contender as well.
-Bev

Bev -- Love the nn (and name) Amy, but I can't quite get my head around Amygdala. Either folks won't be able to pronounce it (I believe it's a-MIG-da-la), or they'll know what it is and think it's weird. To me it's a little too, well, biological. Like Retina or Cornea or something like that.

I bet the name mavens around here can suggest great, unusual full names for nn Amy -- right? Not Amy-based but similar in feel (to me, anyway) are Magda/Magdalen/Magdalena. Also, I *love* Daniella!

Bev: Wow. I was going to tell you that Amygdala has to do with the brain but apparently you know more about that than I do. I think it's great that you want your daughter to have a name that celebrates intelligence. And I have just been thinking that I like the name Amy in the past couple of days too. I also sort of agree with Peony though. I guess it's a name she would hve to explain her whole life, but at least it has a good story.

We know lots of little Ellies, but Ellie is a nickname for all of them--not a given name. We named our daughter Ainsley in 2005 thinking it was original. But now it seems like Ainsley is becoming more and more common, at least where we live.

I know a few Gavin's who were born this year, a name I had never heard before.

If anybody else is considering Amygdala as a name, FYI it's pronounced "uh-MIG-dull-uh" and is a lower-brain structure that plays a primary role in fear and agression! How about Bellamy or Amethyst instead?

Love the name Amethyst! did you know that the amethyst stone is used to protect against drunkeness?..We are having baby the end of december..what does everyone think of the name Holliston? Holly as a nn..do you think it is too masculine? my husband was fliping channels(so annoying but what can you do?) the other night and I saw the actor's name (a young girl) named Holliston Coleman( I think that was her last name)I fell in love with it; but hubby is not certain... can anyone out there convince him? ps I am open to suggestions..

I was thinking of pronouncing of Amygdala as AH-mig-DAH-la, similar to Queen Amidala in Star Wars Episodes I through III. Nevertheless, I appreciate your additional info, anon, and love the suggestions Bellamy and Amethyst (possibly spelled Amytheist). However, with all this input, Daniella is seeming like a more simple and elegant option. BTW, we are looking at Christopher or Emmett for a boy. (I checked with SIL about the function of the amygdala and she bolstered your statement that it is implicated in recognizing fear, but that it is also fundamental to painting emotions in the landscape of memory. How sweet!)
-Bev

Marilyn,
Love Holliston, nn Holly! Adorable, especially since baby is due in December. How about:

Holliston Noelle
Holliston Christine
Holliston Natalia
Holliston Felice
Holliston Bethlehem nn Holly Beth
Holliston Estelle
Holliston Merry

Just getting in the spirit!

Best of luck with your name search.
-Bev

Marylin: I'm not crazy about Holliston. I don't know if it's the masculinity... I think maybe it just seems over the top to me. I think I like Hollis better as a simpler version. Does sound a bit masculine still, but I believe there is a socialite named Wallace who goes by Wally (How do I know this crap?). Hrm... what's wrong with plain old Holly? I don't think it's too common right now is it?

Bev: I was thinking of it as similar to Queen Amidala too. Okay, I'm curious about your thinking behind the spelling Amytheist now.

I like Amy.. I don't think there is anything wrong with short and simple... and I really like the name Amylyn.

Christopher is a nice boys name.. not too keen on Emmett...

What about Iris.. for a name suggestion... it is an older name.. but I think it is sweet and not too grandmotherly...

Hi Robyn,
I've always been a fan of creative spelling, especially since I spell my name in a nonstandard way. The "theist" root reflects DH's and my spiritual connections. Pair it with Amy, and voila! Amytheist! Of course, I do like the traditional spelling as well, "Amethyst," since it is immediately recognizable. OTOH, people might assume she is born in February, which she hopefully will not be. I'm still toying with Amygdala and Daniella. Boys' names are so much easier!

Bev-
How about Amanda or Amelia (perhaps Amylia since you like creative spelling)? Just thinking Amygdala and Amytheist could pose difficulties with spelling and pronunciation. I really like Daniella! Not a huge fan of Amethyst, though.
-cec