I was dazzled by the outpouring of nominations for the official Baby Name Wizard Name of the Year. Thank you all for some outstanding suggestions, including angles I wouldn't have considered on my own. It was a tough year to make a choice as no single name truly dominated the landscape. (That's not necessarily a bad thing; consider Katrina last year.) I weighed a variety of factors including your votes, public awareness of the name phenomenon, a dramatic change in the name's social meaning or identity, and how the name reflected a broader zeitgest.
First, some runners up -- 3 names shaped by television in 2006:
Emmett. Back in August I identified Emmett as a name on the verge, one that parents were talking about a lot but hadn't quite pulled the trigger on. That was before retired football star Emmett Smith took home the top trophy on tv's "Dancing with the Stars." Zeitgeist bonus points: so who cares that you set the all-time NFL rushing record? You're nobody til you're a reality tv star. Points off for: the name is still a stealthy favorite, not really on everyone's lips (as the paucity of Emmetts in the nomination pool demonstrated).
Miley. A strong candidate for the out-of-nowhere role thanks to "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus (given name Destiny). Miley is a natural extension of Riley, Kiley et al. Points off for: Zeitgeist? What Zeitgeist? Besides, most Hannah Montana fans are still in the pre-procreation demographic.
Addison. I was surprised at first to see a flood of nominations for Addison. But the posters built a strong case: 2006 was a breakthrough year for Addisons as a character on "Grey's Anatomy" propelled the name out of Madison's shadow and into the the spotlight. It's clearly one of the hottest names of the year and an example of some of the strongest trends in naming. Androgynous surnames that contract to girlish nicknames are a soaring sub-genre. Even the baby step from Madison to Addison illustrates the constant but cautious hunt for novelty. Points off for: being more evolutionary than revolutionary in 2006. I had cited Addison as a hot example of the the "retractable surname" trend in the opening sections of The Baby Name Wizard.
Which brings us to the official Name of the Year:
Shiloh.
I don't know if you heard, but some couple named Brad and Angie had a baby girl this year and named her Shiloh. Ring any bells?
Yes, it's a celebrity baby name. But before you start yawning let me say that it's not just any name, and not just any celebrity. If there were a baby naming hall of fame Angelina Jolie would be a charter member. She chooses extremely unusual names: Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh. But while other celebrities earn snickers for their unconventional choices, nobody's laughing at the Jolie kids. Angelina is like that friend who shows up for a party wearing colors you never would have imagined putting together and maybe don't even like, but dang she looks good...and makes the rest of us in our basic black feel kind of timid.
When you think of the typical high-profile baby name, it's an island unto itself. Suri, Apple and Audio Science don't really belong to or influence any broader trends. Shiloh, in contrast, makes cultural connections. It's part of the revival of biblical rarities -- Shiloh is a place name from the Bible, adopted for towns in a number of U.S. states. It's also a nostalgic place name of the Savannah/Cheyenne family. By far the best known Shiloh is in Tennessee, where a horrific 1862 battle gave an early glimpse of the bloody years that were to lie ahead in the Civil War. The Battle of Shiloh claimed over 23,000 casualties and dominated the cultural meaning of Shiloh for generations to come.
Shiloh did have a history as a baby name long before Miss Jolie-Pitt hit the scene. You'll find occasional 19th-century Shilohs both before and after the Civil War, most of them male. The name tailed off after the 1880s and started to come back quietly starting in the late 1960s, this time chosen for girls and boys alike. Yet if you asked most Americans in 2005 their first association with Shiloh was surely still the battle, with second place going to the male beagle who headlined the 1992 Newbery-winning children's novel Shiloh.
You want a "change in the name's social meaning"? When I was writing my book I considered including Shiloh but decided that the battlefield associations were too strong. Now can you imagine leaving it out of the next edition -- or calling the name anything but feminine? And as little Shiloh was endlessly discussed in every known medium, the name sent out ripples into the great name landscape. Just as Maddox took the popular surname style and blew the doors off its preppy Payton-Tyler constraints, so Shiloh will make parents take a fresh look at the seemingly familiar realm of Biblical and Old-South place names. (Think Jericho for boys, Shenandoah for girls.) Massive public awareness, sudden change, portents of names to come...there is your Name of the Year.
And with that, I bid you a happy naming year. See you in 2007...and start thinking about your entries for this year's edition of the baby name pool!
Comments
Many children especially get excited when they find someone who has their name. I knew 2 girls in elementary school who were both Jessica Lynn and they thought that was so wonderful, it actually was the initial basis for their friendship.
1 Syllable names I like
Girls: Skye, Raine (no I'm not a hippie), Schae/Shay, Bree, Layne, Maeve, Paige, Kam, Claire, Mae, Fae
Boys: Chris, Todd, Tate, Ted, Luke, Jess, Jude, Scott, Rhett, Nash,
Other suggestions (but not ones I particularly care for)
Guy, Fred, Frank, Joe, Bo/Beau
For the PP looking for a pan-european name.
How about:
Diego
Marco
Matteo
LOVE Nico, BTW.
Abi -
"[Bran] was the name of a character in a book I read when I was little, so it never seemed strange to me."
Was it one of the Dark Is Rising books by Susan Cooper? I've loved that name since I read this series in elementary school.
I see Diego, Marco and Matteo as being specifically Spanish and/or Italian rather than pan-European. Nice names, though!
CCBS: Variant spellings on a couple of the names Christiana mentioned: Shea, Lane.
Oh, there's also Lee/Leigh.
And Bran made me think of Bram (as in Stoker).
Thanks for all your feedback re names going with Violet and Pearl
I tend to prefer the Violet/Pearl Emmeline (spelt with an 'e', as in the original - not Emmaline which I think is modern and invented) or Violet Penelope - they both sound quite sparkly and Victorian to me - which I like - can almost hear those hobnail boots on the cobbled streets. I agree with Abi about not bothering too much about giving someone the name of a nasty/sad character in literature. However, love as I might the name Salome, meaning peace, I don't think I could contemplate it for a future daughter. I know she is a biblical character but do you think her story would have become so widespread if it hadn't been for Oscar Wilde? I know of the character 'Pearl' from the Scarlet letter, despite the fact I haven't yet read it - shall do so this year, I promise! Speaking of literature, I've discovered that Violet is quite a popular name to give characters in children's fiction - I've come across it several times.
Bran makes me think of All Bran, although I like its sound. What about Bron?
Violet is the heroine in the Lemony Snicket books, a great role model. Also the daughter in The Incredibles.
Was it one of the Dark Is Rising books by Susan Cooper? I've loved that name since I read this series in elementary school.
No, it was the 'House of Secrets' series by Joyce Stranger. Not excellent children's literature, but the name stuck with me. There was also a man called Maldwyn in it. Maybe they were Welsh, it doesn't say.
Comparing the top ten 2006 baby names for each region of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) I noticed some interesting things. Note: it is impossible to obtain a list for England, but considering the population of Wales (less than 3 million) and the population of England (over 50 million) I decided to treat 'England and Wales' as 'England'.
In some ways it appeared that boysâ names are more affected by region than girlsâ names are. Each of the regions' top tens has three boysâ names that donât appear in the top tens of any other UK region. For England, it is William, Samuel and Charlie. Wales: Dylan, Rhys and Morgan. Scotland: Lewis, Cameron and Kyle. Northern Ireland: Adam, Ben and Ethan.
For girls there were some examples of this, but significantly fewer. England: Lily. Wales: Megan and Ffion. Scotland: Amy. Northern Ireland: Sarah and Hannah. However, Jack is the top boyâs name in every region, whereas the top spot is different for girls in each.
England: Olivia, Wales: Megan, Scotland: Sophie, Northern Ireland: Katie.
Am I the only one who thinks of Janis Joplin when they hear the name Pearl? I think it's a fabulous name. It's a fresh alternative to Ruby, which is becoming a bit too trendy IMO, yet it also has that classic rock association. It somehow manages to be elegant, sweet, and spunky all at the same time.
For Violet.. I also think of the girl off of Charlie & the Chocolate factory.. she is the girl who turns into a blueberry. I really like the name Violet though.
Pearl.. in my opinion.. is an elder person's name.. although I know a 20 year old named Pearl... I don't feel it suits her at all..
I think some names are just very grown up, and others are very childish.. its neat to realize the age we picture some one when we hear a name.
A book I'm reading now ("The Thirteenth Tale"--excellent!!) has two characters named Emmeline and Adeline, both of which I think have the makings of modest hits.
Melissa C., good point. I do think of certain ages when I hear certain names. Other names, however, give me no particular image, probably because they have had "spikes" in popularity.
Stephanie A: I have a Caroline who isn't going to get a nickname, but I have always secretly liked Caddie, a VERY old fashioned nickname. Kaddie might be odd, though. Lina is nice. Carly is also not really a nickname, but I considered it. Karly? Hmmm. There's also Kate, not usually a nickname for Karoline, but nice and short and what the heck.
I have a question/comment about the current bias against nicknames. Several parents on these boards have mentioned their desire that their child be called only by their full name, and Elizabeth says just above that her Caroline "isn't going to get a nickname." But what if she wants one? My partner, Robert, always liked to be called Bob or Bobby or Robby or anything different as a child, but his mother insisted that everyone--teachers, friends, etc. -- call him Robert. To this day he hasn't been able to escape his full name, and he's never really identified with it. I realize Bobby, Rob etc. aren't fashionable-sounding names now, and I happen to prefer Robert myself, but my point is, shouldn't everyone have the right to wear their name the way they want to? If Caroline wakes up one morning and says, "Mom, I'm Carrie," what will you do?
Miriam - very good point and one anxiously naming parents need to consider. They are naming their child - not their cat/dog/house which they can pretty much control. I hear parents saying 'I want this name but don't like the popular nickname' - thats OK, but when they stomp down with 'my child will not be called this nickname'or 'my child will use this nickname and this one only', I hear unreasonable control issues. In the end the name belongs to the child and if they want to adapt it, change it or use a version parents don't like - well...tough!
Melissa C - I chose my daughter's name Laura with that in mind - I could never see a Laura at any particular age and felt it would be graceful throughout her life - so far so good :-)
Tansey-
I love the point you make about not being able to see a name as a certain "age". I tend to think of some names as being "baby" names, versus being "elder" and I've tried to stick to names for my kids that don't have that feel to me. Emma is the one example that sticks out. I see Emma as an adorable little 2 year old, but have a hard time seeing a college student, softball player or mother. That may change when I start meeting more Emma's later on!
Violet Emmaline is very nice.
Tansey - About the nns - that's my husband's point. He doesn't dislike nns (he's a Phillip who goes by Phil to most and P.J. to his parents only), but he thinks a person should get to choose whether they want to have a nn or not, it shouldn't be chosen for them and imposed on them. I always wonder if it's because he doesn't like that his parents call him P.J. He doesn't mind Phil at all, but I think his point would be that he got to choose Phil and he didn't choose (and doesn't like) P.J.
In my family nns just evolved. I don't remember a time that I wasn't called Steff or Steffie or even Fifi or Feef (the name my older sister gave me when I was born and she couldn't quite pronounce my name yet). I didn't get to choose them; they were just a part of my identity. There were definitely times in my life I didn't like have a French poodle nn, but now I hear my family use Feef more than anything (especially my little nieces and younger cousins) and it's OK. A few friends even picked up on it when I was older.
For a little while when I was in later elementary school I tried to make up my own nn and it flopped miserably (thank goodness, it was horrible). I think those that come organically work better, so although I sort of "stress" about how I will spell or call Karoline by nn someday, I'm not THAT worried about it in the end which is why she's 19 months and has no nn. I like her full name and she's so cute now that she says it herself, too. I'm not against nns, myself, and I'm not trying to be controlling about hers really. I guess if it comes to be Kari or Karrie or however we'd spell it and she likes one I don't, it's her choice. However, if I can head her off at the pass, and propose a spelling I prefer for a name she likes - you bet I will! I'm the mom!
Although I always thought I'd end up calling her Karrie, it just doesn't seem to fit right now. Maybe later. If I had to guess on the nn that might come about organically, I'd guess it'll be Kae. One of the women in the family with her name goes by Kai. Close!
In my experience the nickname control freakery disappears once the baby arrives - I remember watching Friends for the first time just before my daughter was born and feeling horrified that the beautiful name we had chosen for her - Phoebe - was being shortened to the ugly-sounding Phoebs. Within weeks of her arrival I was calling her Fifi, and now ten years later she is Phoebs, Phoebe, Fee..whatever seems right for the moment. And they all sound as beautiful as she is.
What is strange is when you have a name whichthe family never shortens, but other people insist on doing so. My sister is Deborah, Deb or Debs - never Debbie, but some people just assume that she must be a Debbie - I cannot work out then who they are talking about.
I think nicknames are tough. Especially nowadays when full names are so in. We have a Samuel who we sometimes call Sam but generally goes by Samuel, we have a Lillian who always goes by Lilly, and then we have twins, Charlotte and Thomas. I always have the urge to call Thomas "Tommy" because he is such a happy-go-lucky kind of kid but I hesitate because I want all of my kids names to "go together." BTW my book is falling apart too and my husband has given me a hard time about reading it too much before the twins were born! Glad to know it wasn't me.
Sarah- thanks for sharing your kids' names. I really like them, and definitely think that they 'go together'. I love the name Thomas, but it has some sad family associations so I don't think I'll be using it.
Sorry about the sad family name associations. Thomas is my maiden name. I wanted to give my daughter Charlotte a different name but did not for the same reasons. Now that she has grown into her name, I can't imagine her by any other name than the one she has!
CCBS-
I have a son named York. This has been a great name because everybody has heard of it, knows how to spell it, etc., but it's very uncommon for a first name.
There are some unfortunate nicknames ("porky Yorkie, York the Dork"), but I asked my son (he's ten years old) if anyone has ever teased him about his name, and he says no. He does say, though, that just about every kid he meets asks him if he's named after New York. (We saw a couple of Shakespeare plays when I was pregnant with him and they both had a Duke of York. That name just stuck with me. So I guess he was named after Old York.)
Just a quick thought for the future mum considering both Lily and Olivia but concerned about the over-popularity of these: what about the lovely name Lavinia? I've always thought that Ava Gardner's middle name was the real winner. Loads of nickname potential, but a dignified and lissome full name.
P.S. I know a little 2 year old Pearl, and the name is adorable on her. Personally, also I think Violet Elfie is great. Best of luck to all of you carefully poring over your name choices!
Steph - you suggested Diego and Matteo, and I have a family member who has two sons, one newborn, and their names are exactly those. I thought that was a weird coincidence.
Why don't people like the name Symphony? Is it common in the US?
This is for Cheryl on Jan. 2nd----if you're still out there!
I have a great-grandmother Violet Ione. (Say it like Eye-own) It's unusual, but time tested. She was born in 1906 (if I remember right).
And for that short one-syllable name, I have a family name we've been using for generations for middle names: Clee. my daughter (Elizabeth Clee), sister (Rachel Clee), aunt (Ronda Clee), grandmother (Mildred Clee), and great-grandmother (Sammie Clee) who started this! We call our Elizabeth nn Bess, but her grandmother is nn Betsy.
Symphony? It has the word 'phony' right in it, and it's a noun I wouldn't consider for a child. I suppose someone could be an entire symphony in their parents' eyes---beautiful music to their hearts? But it is still a little too much to me like giving an attribute to a child before they even are alive. You know if this kid is musically inclined? I have a narrow list of nouns I would accept as possible names! Flowers are nice, and gems and birds are okay. Weather, seasons, animals, not okay in my book. But, to each his own!
how about Oona? Oona Rowe...
Or Una - nocer appearance I think.
Nicer!
I absolutely LOVE the name Oona!
but it's also one of those names i worry it sounds like an adorable 2 year old's name... but not a nice name for when she grows up... (in regards to the issue of names that have an certain "age" attached to it). We're expecting soon, and we're very conflicted with it.
How about Yuna? Or Una pronounced Yuna. I think it is a Korean name. Maybe the one I met was Yoona. In any case I think the pronunciation sounds less like baby talk (perhaps the problem with an adult Oona).
I know an Una of about 7 or 8. Her name suits her perfectly, and I can imagine her being any age with it. I like the U spelling much better than the Oo, though -- any spelling that someone is going to have to correct their whole life seems burdensome to me.
NZ Births & Deaths have released the most popular names for 2006.
Girls
Charlotte (Emma in 2005)
Ella
Sophie
Emma
Olivia
Emily
Grace
Jessica
Hannah
Lily
Boys
Jack(same as 2005)
Joshua
Daniel
William
Samuel
Jacob
Thomas
Benjamin
Ryan
Liam
Am I the only one that puts Millie in the Minnie genre?? Cartoons? I do like Millicent, but wouldn't consider it because of Millie. Same with Minerva and Minnie.
I've lost track of usernames, sorry
Amelia and Charlie would go well with, trying to limit duplication:
Louisa, Lydia, Claire, Lorraine, Genevieve, ... I'm noticing an L trend
My favorite boy's name is Collin, but I don't like the alliterative name thing. Wesley, Quincy, Elijah, Elliott, Owain,
For the nn Andy, you can use any of the names that end in -anda, or that have it anywhere in the name really, Amanda
Miranda, etc
Single syllable names... You gave Sage, are you looking for a boy or girl or both?
For myself--What do you think of Rhodri? What about Lorraine or Lorelei?
Sorry, just saw there was already an Amanda... should be used to this by now :) Prior comment was me
I have 2 boys: Allen and Charles (Charlie). We always wanted to give them names that would look good on business cards. It worried us that they wouldn't "fit" into their names as children, but that worry went away.
My personal vote, Mary Ellen, is Ryanne. Pronounced 'Ryan'. I'm biased but I love my name, it has character--for a girl's name.
OK...I think grandparents that have named their own kids in a 50-60's tone such as 'Cindy', 'Pamela' and 'Christopher' (still love that one!), should have another chance by picking the names for their grandchildren! Ok...how about just making suggestions with hopes that one would stick with the parents-to-be?? I love old fashioned names or unusual ones now, and my pick if they have a boy is ROGAN. Yes, I pulled that one from a Nora Roberts book, and still love it! The mother to be is my daughter, and we named her MEGAN ERIN, somewhat Irish, and love it as well. I have yet to settle on a girls' name, but I could handle Samantha! Note: I believe all my suggestions have gone by the wayside, but I tried!
Does anyone remember Neil Diamond's song, Shiloh...I know about 4 dogs named after that song!
We are struggling for a boy's name - I am of Celtic extraction, and my husband is Korean, and we are looking to represent both sides. We need a celtic first name, to be followed by middle name Dae and surname John. I am fond of the name Larkin - can you see any potential negative connotations, bad nicknames, other arguments against Larkin Dae John? Thanks!
We are struggling for a boy's name - I am of Celtic extraction, and my husband is Korean, and we are looking to represent both sides. We need a celtic first name, to be followed by middle name Dae and surname John. I am fond of the name Larkin - can you see any potential negative connotations, bad nicknames, other arguments against Larkin Dae John? Thanks!
Nana Mikey = the only problem I can think with your choice is that a very popular Asian meal has the same name - Rogan Josh. I like your idea and strongly believe all grannies should put in their tuppenceworth - but hey, its your daughter's baby. You had your turn - now its hers :-)
Laura J - nice choice.
Laura J: Sounds good! Some sites you might check out to talk to Asian American parents and parents of Asian Americans are Rice Daddies, Kimchi Mamas, and Anti-Racist Parent. I don't think they have stuff set up so anyone can post, but maybe they have discussions already on naming?
I have 2 boys, Daniel and Ryan. I am prego with #3, and looking for names with an "AN". We've settled on Morgan Aimee Ruth for a girl, but not sure for a boy. There are names we like :Evan, Devan, but have reasons for not using them. Any ideas would be great. But they also need to flow good together. We love how Daniel, Ryan and Morgan sounds. We were thinking of Morgan Tyler for a boy...but we're not wild about it. Thanks.
I'm loving this blog, it's great. A little disappointed my fave is isn't mentioned "Micah". I love that name, and will name my son that when he comes in april.
To Juliana, how about Rowan? That was another alternative. I dated a guy by that name and he liked his name too
I'm having my first baby in July, but I can't even imagine a name. Our last name Rose. Any suggestions?
Jessica - either you do something simple and classical such as Michael Rose or Emma Rose, or you knock people's socks off with something such as Demelza Rose or Sebastian Rose. The surname suits extremes rather than middle of the road boredom. I knew a Julia Rose years ago and though it quite pretty even though the child herself was a bit of a brat.
It's certainly an especially lovely surname for a girl.
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