Thank you to the readers who submitted hundreds of thought-provoking suggestions for the 2007 Baby Name Wizard Name of the Year. (Read about the NOTY requirements here.) Before I unveil the ultimate selection, a quick note on a name that didn't make the cut. Despite many nominations, Miley was out of the running for 2007...because it was already named a runner up for the 2006 Name of the Year! And now, the honorees.
Second runner up: Delilah
In terms of sheer baby-name viability, Delilah is the year's big story. Back in January I featured it as an example of a name that was rising despite biblical infamy. After a year drenched in the Plain White T's song "Hey There Delilah," this name has officially crossed over from "out there" to just "there." The name Lilah-with-an-h is benefiting equally and should be one of the fastest risers of 2007.
First runner up: Chuck
For name geeks, this name is a fascinating study in the machinations of style. In 2007 all of Hollywood seemed to converge on Chuck as the anti-style name. Producers loved the way Chuck conveys the message that "this character isn't about image." The name tickled them so much, in fact, that they led with it in titles like the tv series "Chuck" and the movies I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and Good Luck Chuck.
It's not so much that Chuck is chosen to sound out of style, like Floyd or Wilfred. It sounds immune to style, a steady island of everyman in a river of sophisticates and metrosexuals. It's such a perfect choice than you can take the inverse of Chuck and find the fashion of the moment. Chuck's a nickname, therefore formality must be trendy. Chuck's all hard consonants, so smooth vowel-laden names are all the rage. But the Hollywood scriptwriters who play off of fashions also help create them. Already, their embrace of good old Chuck is taking the edge off the name. Like chunky plastic glasses a decade ago, Chuck is now ready to flip from fashion holdout to geek chic.
And the official 2007 Name of the Year:
This is no political statement, just a statement on names in culture. Senator Barack Hussein Obama is leading American political names into uncharted territory. If he should win the Democratic presidential nomination, his name would be a landmark for a major-party nominee. Already it's starting to create the unprecedented spectacle of first name as campaign issue.
While the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, it's fair to call Barack a "foreign" name. Senator Obama is named for his father Barack Sr., a Kenyan who came to this country to study as a foreign student. The name has almost no usage history in the United States. In 215 years of American electoral history encompassing 105 major nominees, the overwhelming majority of candidates have had traditional English names. In fact, the names George, James, John and William alone account for more than a third of all nominees. Among rarer names, most are based on English surnames such as Rutherford and Winfield. Many of these are taken from the nominee's mother's maiden name, and many were actually given as middle names: Thomas Woodrow Wilson, James Strom Thurmond, Stephen Grover Cleveland.
A few candidate names have had more creative flair, like those of Horatio Seymour and the man who defeated him, Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses). Both names harken back to a 19th-century vogue for classical names which also yielded hits like Rufus and Augustus. They were uncommon but not foreign, and in step with American fashions. The most unconventional name on the list is probably Adlai Stevenson, but even Adlai is a biblical name. It had been used in Stevenson's family for generations, including by a grandfather who served as U.S. Vice President.
No notably foreign names. Nothing remotely like Barack. Because Barack isn't just "un-English," it's very much something else.
Barack Hussein Obama Sr., the senator's father, was by all accounts a non-religious man of Muslim background. The names Hussein and Obama dramatically echo two of the biggest U.S. enemies of recent years, both Muslims: Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden. A few political commentators opposed to Senator Obama have already tried to use these facts to plant doubts about the candidate. In particular, they are trying to persuade faith-focused Christian voters that Senator Obama (a member of the United Church of Christ) is actually, secretly, a Muslim...and by extension, a little too close to the likes of Bin Laden. And it all starts with his name.
Many of the comments have focused on the middle name Hussein and the Obama/Osama similarity (see this December '06 column). More recently, the first name Barack has become a focus because it comes from the Arabic root Baraka, "blessing." (Side note: this corresponds to the Hebrew Beracha, "blessing," rather than the Hebrew Barak, "lightning.") One commentator seemed to question Obama's honesty regarding his name, asking "Why has he sometimes said his first name is Arabic, and other times Swahili?" To answer to this question from a pure baby-name perspective, it's much like arguing over whether the name Eduardo comes from Spanish or English. Its a name of Old English origin used in Spanish, so both "origins" are accurate. Swahili incorporates a great deal of Arabic, so Barack is from Swahili with an Arabic root.
As far as I know, it's completely unprecedented to ask a politician to defend the etymology of his first name, or of anything else for that matter. Since etymology isn't a political issue, it's reasonable to assume that the commentators are using it as a proxy for something bigger: that Barack Obama doesn't sound like a guy you should vote for.
On the flip side, Obama himself wears his name proudly as a symbol of his candidacy. It's an instant shorthand for the "freshness" of his multicultural, multiracial heritage...and it's extremely memorable. (Compare to, say, John Edwards. Or to Hillary Clinton, who has to go by her first name to stake out her own territory.)
Whether you take it as a proud point of strength or a weak point to attack, Barack marks a watershed for baby-name diversity in American politics. And with George, James, John and William on the wane, it's surely a harbinger of public name debates to come -- and of a wave of new little Baracks. That makes it your Name of the Year.
Comments
Hi Tirzah,
the Asian regions of which I'm aware are: West Asia (some Arabic-speaking countries, plus Iran); some parts of Central Asia (e.g. Azerbaijan); some sections of the South Asian subcontinent, both Muslim (influenced by Arab origins of the religion) and non-Muslim (e.g. part of Tamil/south India region); and some clans of Mongolians (East Asia). However, I'm sure there are others of which I'm not aware!
Also, just because they are patronymic does not mean they all use the same system (the system I explained above). For example, I have friends from ethnic groups in Tamil who use the first initial of the father in their new name as a type of patronymic, and some of the Central and East Asian tribes use a prefix affixed to all (given) names that means "son of [father]."
Thanks nijm, Heather A. and Anna, for filling me in on Yoko/Kyoko. So interesting!
I just noticed that Edward and Sophie have had their second child, a little boy. No mention of name was made in the news report. I seem to remember that when they had their first, Louise, it took forever for the name fo be announced.
I generally like the names the Windsors choose, so looking forward to hearing what it wiil be. Maybe, at last, a "Barnaby"?!! No, no, that would be too "yuppie", as the Queen would say... It will probablly be a staid choice that coordinates nicely with "Louise". Any royal watchers care to make an informed guess?
Very interesting Eastern Betty. Thanks for taking the time to elaborate. I really appreciate it.
Forgot to make a guess myself! I'll say-- "George", maybe. Might have guessed "Louis" if they hadn't already used "Louise".
Also in the running: Philip, James, Arthur, John, Alexander (but already taken by the Earl of Ulster), Richard, (if they want to go interestingly retro?)
Thomas, as in Thomas Hardy, would be a nice nod to the whole "Wessex" thing....but unlikely.
It would be fun if they would break out of the royal mold completely and go with "Theophilus". Or something more working class, like "Trevor/Trefor" or "Angus". Fat chance.
But, I'm just talking through my hat. As a Canadian-American, I have no insight as to what would appeal to them!
Sorry to interrupt the discussion (and feel free to ignore me), but I have a question for all of you. My husband and I are expecting our first child. I'm only two and a half months along, but naturally I'm thinking of baby names already! Last night we were discussing the name Christopher. My first reaction was that it was too popular. (I was born in the early 80's and I had about 5 of them in my high school class!) It is rather high on the popularity list, but I don't actually know any young Christophers. Upon looking up the nearest major hospital's website I found that out of 233 babies recently born, not one is named Christopher. What do you think of the name and do you know any young Christophers? Is it dated? Our girl name is probably going to be Julia. Does it go with Julia? Our other top contenders would be Elijah and Everett for a boy. I've heard of a couple of young Elijah's and no Everett's
TM -- My daughter is in 1st grade in NYC and I know of one other Christopher in her grade (who goes by Christopher). No Elijahs or Everetts. I am aware of a fair number of Julias, which is a beautiful albeit popular name.
I personally like Everett the best from the 3 boy names you list.
Sorry, that should have been, "I know of one Christopher ..."
Wish we could edit posts. Grrr.
Amy3 - Thanks for the input. I know Julia is pretty popular which bothers me, but I've had it picked out for so long that I can't part with it. It's my great-grandma and grandma's name, too.
One Christopher isn't too bad. Is it a fairly big 1st grade class? I'm still trying to talk my husband into Everett. The only thing I'm concerned about is the way the "t" at the end is sometimes not clear at the end when some people pronounce the name. It's hard to explain -- it's like a back-of-the-throat sound at the end instead of an actual "t". Maybe it's just where I'm from though . . .
I know a newborn Everett. That's just one anecdotal baby, of course, but I also notice that the name jumped a significant 83 spots between 2005-2006, so I wouldn't be surprised if it continued rising. Nice name, though. Still, I like Christopher better. It's one of those names that may always be popular, but it isn't trendy -- it has the feel of a steady classic.
I've seen Archie predicted as a name for the Wessex baby. Angus would be rather posh in the Uk Eo! And Trevor very middle-aged.
BTW the top names for 2007 in England and Wales were announced today. Grace/Jack top names, but if all the different spelings of Mohammed had been added together it would have been top. Jayden a big climber for the boys, Ava for girls. Here's the link:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/specials/babiesnames_girls.asp
TM: If you're looking for hard numbers, have you checked out the Name Voyager? There's a link on the right side of this page. You might also check the Social Security site (http://www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/babynames/). You can get the top 1000 names in any given year, by state, or track a name through time.
Personally, I don't know any baby Christophers, but I guess that is not a name I would really remember. It doesn't stick out to me as being extremely popular or extremely unpopular.
Here's a little feature about the stats:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=184
TM and others- a friend is planning to have a baby, Christopher, in a few months. His Dad is also Christopher-usually called Chris. I like the full name for them, but it is sometimes difficult to make happen. Some of the nicknames for Christopher are Kit or Kip-but the Mom's name is Kim, so that seems too close in sound.(Chris, Kim and son,Kip!) I suggested Topher as a nickname. What do you think-is it too forced? Odd? I know there is some young actor that goes by Topher and I knew of one when I was young, I think. I was thinking it sounds like many of either the last-names-first or tradesmen's names ..Collier,Slater, Tucker,Parker.. I think Christopher is ranked in the top 15 names, but I don't know any new babies or toddlers bearing the name around me. My children always had one or two in their classes, but that was years ago.
Tess- Do you pronounce Topher like tougher? or toe-fer?
Kristi- I am saying TOE-fer..Alternatively, I thought of suggesting the retro nickname Chip(the new Chuck?:)). I think it used to be used more often for boys named after their fathers.Sort of a chip off the old block theme, but in this case, it seems to be a viable nickname for Christopher-it has all of the letters and the advantage of a soft "ch" beginning.With parents named Chris and Kim, I think that breaks up the hard sounds. You know, "Chris, Kim and Chip are coming for Christmas dinner"-is a tad easier to say than, Chris, Kim and Kip are keeping us company, tonight". Perhaps the parents will dislike both--I just wondered what you all think. His middle name will be George after both grandfathers--if I were nicking him it would probably be Geordie(soft G)-from George-only because I dislike confusion with two people named the same in the same house. I do think Christopher George is a handsome name.
Obama addresses the switch from "Barry" to Barack in *Dreams from My Father.* If my memory serves me correctly, he credited a teacher to liked Barack and told him it was a beautiful name for part of the reason why he switched to using it.
I first heard (read) Topher in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. I didn't know how to pronounce it. Or maybe he was Toph/Tofe? Then there was Topher Grace from That '70s Show. i still didn't know how to pronounce it but I think I've heard it rhymed with gopher on the entertainment shows or whatever. I still feel it is kind of weird/forced, but I think Topher Grace has made it so that people are more likely to recognize it and know how to pronounce it.
I think Chip is cute. I know one who is around 30. I think it was short for Christopher or Charles or something. I thought it was weird at first but now I like it.
Yes Robin--Topher rhymes with Gopher---hmm-- maybe not good. And, I agree, Chip is fine, but not very exciting--kind of like Chuck. Any other nicknames for Christopher that I am missing?
Interesting, Keren, thanks. "Archie" would be a good one...But I wonder if it's too fashionable for the royals? Sophie might go for it though.
Apart from "Kit" and "Kip", there's "Christo", but again that has the "K" sound. Ditto "Kitto" (ha). But I do like all four nicknames-- Kit, KIp, Christo and Kitto. Somehow, I also am not crazy about "Topher" as sounding "trying too hard", sort of like "Zander" for "Alexander"?
It wouldn't necessarily bother me that the names are similar-- I'd look at it as a breezy asset. Something fun to write on Christmas cards: "Much love, Chris, Kim and Christo". My brother-in-law and nephew share the name "Jonathan", but I like their family sign-off: " Jonathan, Suds (short for "Sutherland", my sis-in-law's name) and Jonny"...
One last thing. Putting aside "Topher", there's "Toff" (rhymes with cough) which is too much like British slang perhaps, but I prefer it to Topher...
Whew!
Addressing the popularity issue, I do find "Christopher", although very popular, to be an enduring classic. Plus has a lovely rhythmic sound. Much like Nicholas, Samuel, Alexander. I put our Benjamin in a similar category. It is a bit difficult to get people to use the full name, instead of the over-used "Ben". But once we came up with our own, distinctive nickname, Banks, we are finding that, more and more, people are dropping Ben and using the other two alternatively. Much to our delight! I think it can be the same with Christopher...
Thanks Eo--I was thinking of you and your Benjamin/Ben/Banks solution-which I love. I was going to suggest Chisto to them a while back, but hesitated because their last name is Irish-so it might be heard as Christ O'Leary(for instance)... Also, when Christo is spoken, I think people "get it" as kris-Toe, but when seen written, I wonder if some might pronounce it Christ-O, which would be unfortunate in this country, I think. But then, there is the artist Cristo(sp?)--and it is apparent how one pronounces his name, I think. Thank you-- I agree that Topher is pushing the envelope a bit. Perhaps, you are right and a natural nickname will evolve. Thank you.
My cousin Christopher was "Cricket" when he was a little boy. His mother might still call him "Crick" sometimes, but he's been Chris since he was 10 or so.
keren-Thanks for the link to the British name stats--many similar, but I don't think Archie or Ruby,for that matter, have the same level of popularity here.
Eo - That is interesting about using "Banks" as a nickname for Benjamin. Is it because "benjamin" is a term for the one hundred dollar bill (featuring Mr. Benjamin Franklin of course) and you get those at "banks"? Creative...I like it!
Re: Christopher--I'd use the whole name if it were me, although I do like Kip and Kit pretty well. But the whole name sounds sweet and sincere like Christopher Robin. I have a friend who goes by Christo, and it fits him, although I thought it was "trying too hard" (like Topher) when I first heard it.
I wouldn't expect Christo to be mispronounced a lot... but then, a lot of things happen that I wouldn't expect. lol.
Cricket is cute though!! Maybe too cute, but I like it!!
TM -- There are approx 125 kids in first grade at my daughter's school. I think Christopher, while a familiar name, will not be unbearably popular. I agree with others who have said it's a steady classic. Nothing wrong with that!
TM-I can't remember whether you mentioned earlier that you're expecting. How exciting!
I know gobs of little ones, and I can't think of any Christophers. I've heard of some Christians...
Personally, I think Topher is cute, and I also like Kip and Chip. Our pastor has a son named Krister, but I believe it's some kind of Norwegian construction. I've also always liked Crispin. I'd avoid Cricket, only because of the female soap opera character, and Kit I also think of as feminine.
I do like Everett. It's a name that is bandied about here quite a bit, but I haven't met one personally, though one of my nephews is a Rhett.
Elijah and Eli are both quite popular around here.
I think you have the right idea with the hospital nursery. Regional differences are amazing!
I briefly considered Cricket for a girl name. I liked the Chinese connotation of the "lucky cricket." But when I looked into the matter, I found out that they really used the crickets for fighting. Apparently, there are still some illegal cricket gambling rings in China.
I would stick with Kit! (Although I've always like the idea of Kipling, nn Kip.)
As we've been discussing patronymics, I wanted to add the former Welsh naming tradition. According to what I've been told, the Welsh used to use 'ap' plus father's first name e.g. Elen ap Robert. As a result, some typically Welsh surnames evolved, for example, ap Owen became Bowen, ap Huw (Hugh) Pugh, ap Richard, Pritchard, ap Robert, Probert, ap Evan, Bevan, ap Einion (Eynon), Beynon, ap Hywel (Howell) Powell, ap Rhys, Price, ap Harry, Parry etc.
As ap actually meant 'son of', women used 'verch' but this often ended up being omitted.
Sometimes the surname just became the father's name plus 's', e.g. Jones, Davies, etc.
This practice eventually died out, but has recently been readopted by some Welsh speakers. Pretty fascinating, I think!
Yes, Valerie--I had heard this about Welsh names; thanks for the info! Fascinating to see similar practices of any kind across otherwise dramatically different ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups.
I like this type of changed patro/matrinymic (not just a litany of given names, but a way that incorporates/blends the parent's name with that of his/her child).
There is one Christopher in my dd's grade of 80 students. I don't think it's everywhere and we're in a "classic name" area. He uses his full name. It's actually my dd's first choice of names for our little-one-to-be. I think it helps that her Christopher is adorable and very popular!
I personally couldn't do Kip as a nickname because it's the Dutch word for chicken. But if you don't speak Dutch then I could see how it could be cute.
Wow, Dolley Madison, that was so inventive of your aunt! I do agree that in recent years "Cricket" has perhaps been appropriated by girls, but "Crick" I think has a very jaunty sound and would be a very viable nickname for Christopher...
Tess, I've been trying to think of more nicknames for you to suggest for Christopher. Dolley Madison's "Crick" is GREAT and to me would sound fab and rather literary with an O' name-- "Crick O'Malley" or "Crick O'Reilly".
Less satisfactorily, there could be "Coe". It incorporates all its letters from Christopher. Or, more colorfully, "Coates". "Coates O'Shaunessey"! I very much like "Cai" (rhymes with sky) which is Welsh but also has meanings in other languages, I believe...
My favorite is still the English "Kip" and like hyz, the full name Christopher, with its wonderful Winnie the Pooh associations and beautiful meaning for Christians. It just lilts off the tongue...
So many people do insist on shortening it though, so it makes sense to find a nickname YOU like.
Liz-- We loved "Benjamin" for historical (B. Franklin, B. Disraeli, B. Netanyahu, etc.) and Biblical reasons. But we found "Ben" to be rather colorless from over-use. So we went through a series of nicknames, finally landing on "Banks". (We didn't think of the currency and banking connection! Very imaginative of you!)
We had noted in several name books that "Benkamin" was a variant of "Benjamin". This lent itself to "Benks" and then "Banks". I also had in mind that "Henry" undergoes a similar metamorphosis (sp?) when it takes the nickname "Hank". I floated it on this blog, and several people, including J&H's Mom, liked it too. We went with it!
This year in second grade, there was another Benjamin in our son's class (he even had the same last initial!). So we told the teacher, who couldn't be nicer and more helpful, to go ahead and use "Banks". He loves it, most of the kids use it now, and we like the cute, crisp sound of it. At home we still use the full "Benjamin" about 50% of the time...
How could I have forgotten this other old, English nickname for Christopher-- "Kester"? Might not be appealing to some modern ears, but you could almost see it attracting the same attention as current crowd-pleaser, "Jasper", for the sound alone. Kester is probably an acquired taste, but I like it.
I would bet that "Chuck" is not at all about making a simple sort of statement, as it is about naming their kid after Chuck Norris...who after all is the one who tells us how things are going to be.
I think Kester or Kister is cute but I think Keester is slang for butt?
Cathie mentions that Christopher is not much used where she lives, where people have "classic" naming tastes. I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding what she means by classic, but I guess I'm thinking that people could come at Christopher from two different ways. Maybe folks who are into a name like George or Henry would like it. George and Henry are still seen by a lot of folks as too old-fashioned, but I think Christopher could crossover to folks who like names like... Eric, Jason, or whatever the current Erics and Jasons are... you know, more... recently popular. I guess I'm just saying that maybe there are different notions of "classic" that lead people to this name and... I mean, it was #7 in 2006, so they've got to be somewhere!
Valerie: Thanks for sharing about Welsh surnames. B/c of where I grew up I can identify (sometimes) Japanese, Chinese, Korean surnames, and I like learning how to identify different white ethnic surnames too.
Wow! Thanks for all of the great comments everyone. There are quite a few since I checked yesterday!
I'm feeling better about using Christopher now and it's definitly a top contender. Your comments really helped. I have quite a few months to go yet so I'm sure I'll be kicking around some other names, too. The more I think about it the more Christopher is growing on me. I would use the full name or if people absolutely insisted on calling him a nickname it would be plain old Chris!
Is it too late to nominate Sanjaya as a runner up? Or, maybe that would be hair of the year :-)
I just saw a jokey (non-Holiday) greeting card in a store that pictured Hillary AND Barack Obama, with a caption that was supposed to be HRC saying how much she admired her esteemed colleague from the senate and how many points of agreement they shared, etc. etc. BUT "How could anybody vote for someone named BARACK. It sounds like a noise a chicken would make, Barack bok bok."
Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger with a bad joke for a message. Still it's another take on "the name of the year."
Harriet or Rosalind?
Harriet: definitely Harriet. Well, as long as you dont care if I try to convince dh that the next girl would make a lovely Harriet.
Harriet -- Another vote for Harriet. I love that name!
TM -- Glad you're feeling better about Christopher. It's a great name, and I don't think you can go wrong with it.
Harriet-I'm not a fan of Harriet, but I adore Hattie. If you plan on using Hattie as a nn, I vote Harriet.
Otherwise, I'll go with Rosalind.
Thanks for letting us play along!
On the topic: At the risk of sounding one million years old, I've never heard of the Delilah song Laura mentioned.
I do like the name, and I sort of like the idea of its "reputation," being saved. I also love Lilah, with or without the h. Do you suppose it appeals to moms seeking Lily alternates, or does it speak to a different asthetic?
Do you suppose there are other names due to be reconsidered? The first time I heard of Kane/Cain/Cane for a little boy, I was really surprised. Obviously, not everyone hales from the same traditions, but I had thought that the Biblical Cain would keep that one off limits.
I wonder what other historical villains are due for an image makeover. Benedict maybe?
As for Chuck, I just like Charlie, Chaz, and Chet so much more, it's hard for me to see the appeal.
Take care all!
PS
I realized my comments were somewhat repetitive after reading the "rising despite Biblical infamy," entry.
If you've forgotten it, click on the link to read Laura's hilarious take on a hypothetical entry for Jezebel.
Hi all,
This is completely off topic, but I was wondering if you would possibly share with me your honest feedback about the name Vida? It's one of my top picks, but I have reservations. I welcome any critiques. Thanks!
Read "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield for a fictional account of someone named Vida.
I've never really liked the name, but I did go to school with someone named Vida and it did help me to like it better. It just doesn't have a mellifluous sound to my ear, but that's okay if that's not what you're going for. And it means "life" in Spanish, which is nice.
Vida--hmmm- the first thing I think of is Vida Blue a famous racehorse that I know little about..Since you want reactions-I'll say that I don't love it. I would prefer Lida to Vida...I think it reminds me of the beginning of a brand name-like Vidameetavegimin-from I Love Lucy.The pros would be the letter V and the graceful sound-similar to Lilah!
Eo And Dolley Madison-- You are wonderful and thorough..I will pass on and your thoughtful suggestions..I particularly love Coates, but think it may be a hard sell.Kester is kicky and boyish. They are plain-spoken folk and I am guessing that Chip might end up as the winning entry. It is approachable and makes sense. I will let you know as the birth approaches. Wouldn't it be fun to have a baby-naming business?? Oh-yes,-Laura already does. Another career road hits a deadend. :)
By the way, Vida is pronounced VEE-da. It seems like there may be some confusion around that. Thanks for your input thus far!
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