Hard times are hitting economies around the world, and hard choices have to be made. Even in my baby-name bubble I recognize that tracking the rise and fall of Nevaeh doesn't make any top-10 list of national priorities. Still, it was a shock to learn to that UK Office of National Statistics has decided to stop reporting on popular baby names as a cost-cutting measure.
The announcement of the year's most popular baby names has quickly become a tradition around the globe. It's a happy tradition: a rare moment when our government tell us something just because it's fun and interesting. It's also a unique barometer of our changing national mores. As an American, I learn something new about my country with every new name list. Similarly, looking at the England & Wales stats each year taught me a lot about how our countries are the same, and how we differ. I'll sorely miss watching names like Alfie and Poppy climb toward the top 10.
There's no substitute for true national statistics. They capture the full range of the nation's tastes, while private listmakers -- web sites or newspapers that poll their readerships -- systematically ignore large swaths of the population. As the UK experience demonstrates, we shouldn't take the government data for granted.
The United States first started tracking popular baby names in 1996. As I understand the story, a Social Security Administration actuary by the name of Michael Shackleford compiled the first name popularity lists, simply because he could. After a couple of years Shackleford left the SSA to dedicate his mathematical skills to the gambling industry (see wizardofodds.com). By that time, though, the name stats were so popular that the other actuaries had to continue Mike's pet project. Eventually the SSA realized they could use this popular feature as a showpiece to lure in parents and educate them about other family programs. Thus the current name stats website was born.
The SSA's approach to name data keeps evolving. They've gradually tweaked and expanded the figures they make available, which are now the the world's best. Last year they tried to jazz things up, making the data release a Parade Magazine "exclusive" and adding some freaky talking babies to their website. This year, who knows?
On behalf of the name-loving public, let me beg the SSA to keep doing what it does so well. (No, dearest actuaries, that does not mean more talking babies. Please, no.) Baby name statistics deliver a lot of cultural bang for the buck. We love them, and we love you for providing them. See you in May, SSA! I hope.
In Memoriam: UK Baby Name Statistics
01/07/2009, 10:39AM
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Comments
Anne with an E said "And further thoughts on Miriam's list--I feel that most of the Hispanic families I know in Arizona tend to give their sons much more traditionally Spanish names than their daughters. For example, I knew one sibset that included Jose, Pearl, and Diamond."
The students in my daughter's first grade class certainly follow this naming pattern. The Hispanic boys are named Angel, Christian, and Christian while the Hispanic girls are named Alejandra, Jenny, Karen, Katlin, and Shania. All come from Spanish-speaking homes. (The two Christians may actually spell their names Cristián, but the teacher has Christian written on their desks.)
Thank you all immensely for your help. NOW I can sleep at night. I remembered Winnie but Nelson escaped me. I do remember now that they were named after the Mandelas.
Again on the Affleck baby...in case they're reading this, I was just thinking Eloise or Dorothy...They need to avoid names that end in "a". In their selection process, they seem sweetly old-fashioned, and yet, in a safe middle ground of popularity.I, too, can sleep now, zoerhenne!
Regarding Lisa Bonet's child, her husband is part native Hawaiian. Giving a long traditional Hawaiian name is not so unusual among native Hawaiians.
What do you guys think of MILLA? It just occurred to me, because I ran into a Milla recently (actually a middle aged Russian woman)...but I think it sounds really pretty and feels good to say. CAMILLE -I think I mentioned in the past posts - is a family name for my husband, so that's another reason I'm interested. I don't really love Camille, though, and Camilla makes me think of Camilla Parker Bowles. Maybe Milla would be odd on it's own, though. I also like MEE-la and not Mi-la. How would you pronounce it? I don't know that I like it enough to usurp Anya (my favorite since 16), but I feel a little odd having only one girl name on my list, try as I might.
I used to think that boy names were the tough ones, and now it's the girl names that stump me. I think I feel stymied because the sounds that appeal to me are often too popular. It's funny how our ears are trained!
I know a Milla, about my age and of Italian background.
Mirnada-I feel like Milla should be a "short i" and if you wanted the "long i" then maybe a Y would work as in Myla. Milla is okay as a nn for Camilla or- my head goes to Millicent. Much prefer Anya though.
I know a toddler named Milla pronounced MEE-la. I always think of Milla Jovovich.
I think Milla is really pretty. I agree, that Mi-la would be spelled Myla. But maybe others would disagree. I'm thinking about the boy's name, Milo, that is climbing the charts. That is My-low. Also, Milla makes me think of Millie. Not as nice, but cute too.
Tirzah is right about long LONG Hawaiian names. Many of my friends have crazy long names and we shorten them considerable for common useage. But it is so important in Hawaii, that the name has significance and portent. Lisa Bonet's child has Nakoa-Wolf for a first name? That is interesting, it means 'The Wolf Warrior'. Also, strange in that there are no wolves in Hawaii. Birds and fish and sharks tend to be the spirits used in names. Also, lots of plants. Koa is also the name of a special tree. But I doubt his name is 'the wolf tree'.
I hadn't realized Sondra's twins were named for the Mandelas. Of course, Nelson's reputation remains inspiring and untarnished around the world, but the notorious Winnie Mandela was later accused of multiple murders, kidnapping and torture.
I do think that this points up the importance of giving "namesake" names only when you are absolutely sure of the integrity of the person you are honoring.
History has a way of showing us whether an historical or political figure is truly worthy. Plucking people right from current events to honor with a namesake can be a bit hazardous...
Wow, that's awful news. As a British expat, living in the USA, I looked at the UK lists to help me with naming my own two children. I love looking for names that are popular in the UK, but not popular in the USA. (For example, my son was almost named Oliver.)
Baby name alert: Lucas. Perhaps more evidence of an emerging boys'-names-ending-in-S trend we've discussed here?
Also, for those who suggested names for Charlie's brother, the baby should arrive on Tuesday; I'll be sure to update you. I have no idea what they've finally chosen. (Most recently they were considering Henry and Brody.)
I think Milla is quite pretty, although my first inclination is to pronounce it as an off-with-her-head Camilla (so, mill as in saw mill). For me, Mila would be pronounced Mee-la and Myla as, well, My-la (long I).
Here in the UK when you give birth you don't register the baby's name at the hospital, you have six weeks to go to the town hall to register. You are also entitled to a year's worth of home visits from a baby-specialist nurse (called a health visitor) although the number of visits depends on how much the local health authority can afford. For example, my sil had 12 visits with her second child (now 9) over the first year but only six with the third (now 3) due to budget cuts. The health visitors are supposed to assess the baby's health, but also the mother's health, the quality of the home environment, give birth control advice, counsel about postnatal depression, and check for signs of child abuse, etc., in a 30 minute visit. The programmes are chronically overstretched and understaffed.
So a way for the hospitals to improve the funding for the health visitor programme is via this 'Bounty' pack - which is essentially a marketing leaflet the parents are pressured into filling out before they leave the hospital, so various companies can add them (and the baby) to their baby-related marketing lists. Now, there are lots of reasons why people would choose not to fill this information in, but I'd reckon an allergy to marketing lists and non-fluency in English are probably top. I've also seen stories in the press of parents whose infants have died being unable to stop the marketing influx, which leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.
A lot of people in the UK have noticed that Mohammed doesn't factor anywhere in this year's Bounty lists - in fact I remember seeing last year that if there was only one spelling for Mohammed, instead of 30, it would have beaten Jack to #1. So naturally any information that is privately collected for private gain is suspect.
Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate countries with their own governments - Wales is also a separate country but it's not governed separately, if you want to know why the English & Welsh statistics are combined. It's the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, remember!
However I could understand it might be a bigger culture shock than England & Wales are ready for to learn that Mohammed is now the country's boy name of choice. Not that I am suggesting the ONS could be fudging the numbers this year...
Interesting name alert--
The Real World-- always chock full of unique names, this season has a young woman named Baya -- and it's pronounced Bay-uh not Bye-uh. Hmm.
Mirnada--I usually think of Milla or Mila, pronounced the way you like (MEE-la), as a nn for Ludmilla/Ludmila. I've known a couple Ludmillas who went by that. However, it is a common short form for many Russian/Slavic/Polish/etc. names containing -mil, such as Jarmila, Bogumila, Miloslava, etc. Another common pet form of these names is Milana/Milena, but I could see a person here using Milana/Milena as the formal name, and having Mila as the nn.
As for spelling, I don't think there's a (attractive) spelling that will automatically get you the pronunciation you like (I guess you could do Meela, but I don't personally like that in this case because it looks kreative/hooked on fonix to me). I think most people would say Milla with a short I (MILL-uh), and Mila with a long I (like Milo/MYE-lo), and you'll just have to correct them. I would go with the Mila spelling, because I think that more naturally yields the "ee" sound for English speakers.
I still prefer Anya, I think, but Mila is very nice, too.
Although it takes them a while, Ireland still keeps an eye on its baby name stats:
http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/documents/births_d_m/current/baby...
Released in August 08 for 2007 -- Jack and Sarah (yay!) number one. The pdf lists top 100 names, both in number ranking but also and interestingly the physical number of babies with the name - 1073 wee Jacks and 656 wee Sarahs.
Top twenty boys:
Jack
Sean
Conor
Daniel
James
Adam
Ryan
Luke
Cian (pron. Key-in)
Michael
Dylan
Aaron
Darragh
Thomas
Matthew
David
Jamie
Oisin (pron. O-sheen, means little stag)
Patrick
Alex
Top twenty girls:
Sarah
Emma
Ella
Katie
Sophie
Ava
Aoife (pron. Ee-fa)
Emily
Grace
Kate
Amy
Ciara (pron. Keer-a)
Hannah
Lucy
Chloe
Leah
Caoimhe (pron. Kee-va or Quee-va)
Niamh (pron. Neev)
Rachel
Anna
Enjoy!
I also think of Milla Jovovich when I see/hear Milla. I was never quite sure of how to pronounce her name, but I'm sure if I went to school with or worked with a Milla, I'd learn quickly.
re: Baya on The Real World: I saw that too. Reminds me of the Hawaii season when they had a Maya and a Kaia. Interesting that Baya is not pronounced to rhyme, but given the blurb I read about her online, still has that same sort of hippie vibe for me.
I can't read all the comments so maybe this has been mentioned... Am I the only one having problems scrolling??? The line by line jumping back and forth is enough to drive me zippy.
On Real World Hawaii, it was Amaya and Kaia. Totally off-topic, Justin from that season works for a prestigious litigation boutique in NYC - I have become friends with him, as I am also a litigator in NYC. I would venture to say he's the only Real World alumnus who has taken that path. ;-)
I am dying to hear what the new little Affleck is going to be named. I told my friends yesterday that my guesses would be Beatrice/Beatrix. Sylvie, Frances, Ivy, based on Violet, if they were not famous. Given their celebrity status, anything is possible.
Is Lisa Bonet's child going to be known as Nakoa Momoa? That's almost as bad as Bronx Wentz. But not quite.
My mom instilled a dislike of rhyming names in me too. And it's unfortunate b/c my last name ends in -a and I love all the gorgeous -a names. I think that in some naming traditions it's completely normal though. I guess this is sort of a stereotype, but you know the whole Maria Cristina, etc...
And for context on Hawaiian names, check out these Honolulu listings: http://www.starbulletin.com/news/vitalstatistics/20090104_Vital_Statisti.... Scroll down for birth announcements. Oh and not all are Hawaiian, but there are a bunch.
Riot Delilah, thank you for your explanation of the role Bounty and health visitors play in UK births. Very interesting too that new parents have six weeks to register a birth. (In the US, that has to be done before mother and baby can leave the hospital.)
"However I could understand it might be a bigger culture shock than England & Wales are ready for to learn that Mohammed is now the country's boy name of choice. Not that I am suggesting the ONS could be fudging the numbers this year..."
I'd think that many in your country would already be aware that the name Mohammed, with several spellings, has steadily been moving up the charts. But then again, I suppose that's not as startling as a possible headline proclaiming the name as #1.
Here in the US we're seeing more Spanish names in the top 100, an indication of our changing demographics too.
Riot Delilah, is your cheer for Sarah being the #1 girls' name in Ireland in 2007 because that's you IRL name or, perhaps, a daughter's name? I'm a great fan of the name too, having chosen Sarah for our 5th -- and then 6th -- child, both of whom turned out to be boys. But some years later, I got 'my' Sarah when my oldest daughter chose that name for her first child. I'll second your "Yeah" for Sarah!
Re: Mila - Reminds me of actresses Mila Jovovich & Mila Kunis, both of whom I believe have Russian roots and pronounce it "MEE-luh." I agree with all who have said "Milla" would likely be pronounced by most who see it as "MILL-uh" (as in "Camilla" minus the "Ca-").
@J&H's Mom - Jack's a fine name & thankfully you're in the US where it isn't over-saturated yet! If we would've had a girl, she would have been Sophie. Millions of people worldwide can't be wrong. ;) Yet another reason I lament the end of UK name stats - they were a treasure trove of beautiful names that aren't overused in America.
Here are a couple of Hawaiian-sounding girl names for your friend:
Noelani Sussman (pron: NOI-lah-nee)
Leilani Sussman (pron: LAY-lah-nee)
also Lorelei (not Hawaiian per se, but similar)
I'll third the Yeah for Sarah(with the H) as it is my cousin's name. I love it "with the H". It is okay w/o but just a personal thing I think it looks more lovely, feminine, finished, etc.
As far as Milla, are we tring to get to the "Mill" sound or away from it? I've forgotten what the original poster was after. I like Cammie as a nn for Camilla in case you are after something different than Millie.
Hi everyone. Off topic question if you don't mind. What do we think of the name Lachlan. Is it going to be hugely popular becasue of its Celtic roots and its -an ending? I'm torn about using it for baby #2 arriving in August who may or may not be a boy.
I like Lachlan. I would be surprised if it were ragingly popular like, Caden/Jayden/Brayden. It's especially a nice choice if you have a Celtic background. It's lovely to celebrate your culture with a name.
I like Lachlan too, and particularly if one's surname doesn't clash with it. I looked for Lachlan in the SSA top baby names and found that it has never been in the top 1000. So even though it may start to catch on a bit, I'd be very surprised if Lachlan suddenly jumped on the list and soared into the top 10.
@Sutton - I agree with Penelope. Lachlan has been relatively popular in the English speaking world (particularly in Oz) for awhile, but not here in the US. Lachlan has never been an SSA top 1000 name, which is remarkable, because as you mention, it has all the right ingredients. My bet is that it's not going to become popular in the US at any time in the near future... unless some A-list celeb snags it (which I doubt). That's my long way of saying I'm sure you're safe! Great name BTW. You might also like Laird, or Laith/Lathe.
Edit: Patricia has beaten me to the punch with the SSA info! I also agree that Lachlan (or any name for that matter) ought not to clash with the LN, as I think Lachlan would clash with Sutton if that's your LN. Good luck!
Sutton-
I like Lachlan a lot, and it hasn't even reached the top 1,000- so I seriously doubt it's going to make it to the top 100 any time soon.
I think it has the same feel as some of the more popular names - Aidan and such, but sounds definitely Celtic...whereas Aidan (because of its recent popularity) could be a Celtic kid, but also be a Jewish kid. So, my opinion is:use Lachlan as long as you have Celtic roots (preferably with a last name that would fit it). Otherwise, it's a bit of a stretch.
That's kind of where I'm at with it. If we had a boy his name would be L@chl@an ________ Sutt*n B_nd. My husband is a dual Australian/US citizen and we both have British Isle heritage. My daughter's name is E*wyn. We are still have no real idea for a girl. We've got a list but nothing is really grabbing us yet. On the list:
Ellody
Genevieve
Iris
Gwendolyn
Honor/a/ia
Soleil
Any suggestions? I guess you'd call our style artsy/eclectic.
@Sutton re: girl names. I prefer the spelling Elodie. Iris is my favorite from your list. How about:
Scarlett
Niamh
Daphne
Shy
Marina
Speaking of top names for 2008: I just came across a reference for Nymbler's 15 girls' and boys' names of greatest interest in 2008:
Top girl's names in 2008:
1. Charlotte
2. Ava
3. Ella
4. Lily
5. Amelia
6. Elizabeth
7. Anna
8. Grace
9. Caroline
10. Claire
11. Olivia
12. Lucy
13. Avery
14. Abigail
15. Emma
Top boy's names in 2008:
1. Jack
2. Benjamin
3. Owen
4. Oliver
5. James
6. Henry
7. Noah
8. Finn
9. Caleb
10. Gabriel
11. Isaac
12. Alexander
13. Ethan
14. Liam
15. Jacob
With Jack and Charlotte at the top, the lists reminded me, at first glance, of a "Telegraph" top names list. (J & H's Mom: there's your Jack again!)
Laura, I've been wondering what correlation there is between this website and Nymbler. I had expected there would be a link to Nymbler from this website when I first started using it. I just went back and read your post announcing the creation of Nymbler -- and I'm still puzzled as to why Nymbler isn't linked here.
How do you pronounce Niamh?
Sutton
Niamh is generally pronounced "NEEVE"
Sutton, with your husband's Australian background, it's understandable that Lachlan would appeal to you. Lachlan was the #3 boys' name in NSW in 2008 and is a historic name there. (I think Lachlan Macquarie, an early governor of NSW, is the connection.)
It seems that there was a recent discussion on this blog about how Lachlan is pronounced, but since your husband is Australian, that wouldn't be a concern for you -- although the name may come out differently with an American accent. My Australian son-in-law calls his son Aidan something like "Ayed'n".
Is your daughter's name (E*wyn) Welsh? If so, I think another British Isles name (like Lachlan) would be a good match, although it sounds like that may not be what you're after with your eclectic tastes.
Sutton: I haven't met any Lachlans myself. The only one I can remember hearing of was on Supernanny. Similar to what someone else said above, I think that its popularity will be limited because it seems VERY Celtic. As in, I can't imagine someone without that heritage using it (as opposed to say Aidan and others... although maybe I would have said that about Aidan a few years ago...).
Of your girls' names, Genevieve seems more common to me. Not sure if it actually is or that's just the impression I get. Gwendolyn seems old-fashioned... like '60s/'70s? Not the cool old-fashioned like Iris. lol. Soleil makes me think of Soleil Moon Frye. So I prefer the others in your list.
Our American pronunciation would be Lochlan, I guess. You guys are great--you're confirming this is a great name for us.
As for Eowyn? It's Ye Old English via Mr. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings. We just like the name--we aren't obsessive fans. Not that there's anything wrong with that! ;)
One name I forgot to include is Lavender. What do you guys think? Strange? I like both Lavender and Iris becasue they are wild flowers that are beautiful but strong and stand up to the elements--like I'd like my daughters to be.
Well, enough time wasted. Thanks for the help today, everyone.
I like Gwendolyn the best out the bunch as it seems to go with L@chlan and E*wyn best. I also think Honoria is nice. (I have a friend who actually brought this name up about a month ago... it was the first time I'd heard it and so it surprised me to see it again so soon!)
IF you were to have a girl and decide you want to use Lachlan on your next go around, I would most likely stay within the Celtic/Gaelic/Old English circle (so as not to make people pause when they hear the sib-set)... E*wyn, L@chlan and S0liel?...this may not bother you, but it would bother me, so I bring it up. Following that train of thought Gwendolyn would be in (would you consider spelling it Gwendolen so as not to match E*wyn quite so much?) and a few other suggestions:
Oona
Ceana
Meig
Finola
Fiona
Alys
Carys
Delyth
Gwenyth (just another option)
Madlen
Rowena
@Sutton - Lavender reminds me of the Spanish word "Lavanderia" (as seen on signs at many US laundromats) which naturally evokes LAUNDRY for me. I like your reasoning behind Iris.
How about Lilac? NMS, but I found out that it is the name of my latest Hollywood crush's daughter. (I'm talking about British actor Stephen Moyer who plays Bill Compton on HBO's "True Blood.")
I think Lavender is cute, but maybe too out there. I think it is a name that draws attention to itself. And um... it kind of reminds me of Blue's Clues. I thought it was the name of an actual character but can't find it on imdb. Maybe just in that same vein as Periwinkle... and I swore there was a Magenta on the show though that's not on imdb either.
Sutton, I like Lachlan as a familiar but not common name in the US, fits in comfortably with trends without being a trendy name, and it's distinctive but also easily pronounced and spelled. I say go for it!
Of your girls' names, to go with E*wyn (and possibly Lachlan, if you have a boy and then another girl), I'd pick Genevieve or Honora--something distinctly British Isles-y. Additional suggestions? Maybe Isla or Maeve? Nicole, Lavender and Lavanderia have the same root relating to washing, so it's appropriate to think of them together. I like both Lavender and Iris on their own, and I think both would go reasonably well with E*wyn, if you care about that. I don't think either name is "weird", but I think Lavender would raise more eyebrows than Iris. Also, our British members have noted in the past that "Lav" could be an unfortunate nickname depending on your location, but I don't think it would be a big deal in the US.
Lavender far too close to lavatory for me (is this not an American word?)! Much prefer Iris and also love Genevieve from your list. Lachlan is great, although I think of it as very Scottish and would assume a Scottish link. The Lachlan I know has a brother called Finn.
Lavender reminds me of the Harry Potter character. How about Acacia? Now that tree is a survivor! There's also Rowan and Delphine.
Anyone want to help me compile a list of Fourth of July names? My sister's baby is due that week. She probably won't consider any such theme, but it's fun to think about anyway. Don't suggest "Liberty" because that's already my sister's name!!
Patricia, No daughters (or sons either for that matter), but Sarah is indeed my name and also the name of a teenage step-niece, hence the cheers. I used to post on the board under it but thought should change as there are a few of us!
Sutton, Lachlan is a terrific name but it's Scottish not Irish, if that matters. I also am hugely fond of Lavender as a name, despite the lavatory and the Harry Potter connotations, and think you should go for it!
Tirzah - I'll play: Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Washington, Hancock, Betsy, Revere, Otis, Warren, Adams, Abigail, Martha -- and since her name is Liberty she wouldn't consider Belle, would she??
@Sutton - I second Tirzah's suggestions of Acacia, Rowan, & Delphine. Briar & Larkin are also some NE faves for your consideration.
@Keren - I associate the word lavatory with airplanes, and with the military term "latrine." As hyz pointed out, they must share the same root.
@Tirzah - re: 4th of July names. I think something not so obvious, like George, Thomas, John, Abigail, Betsy, etc. Or even names that give a nod to the colors Red, White, & Blue: Russet, Blanche, Whit, etc.
Tirzah-What fun in the dead of winter to think about July and picnics and such. My list:
For Girls--
July-pron like Julie
Celeste-since it has the same beginning as celebration
Waverly-as in the flag waving
America
For Boys--
Franklin, any of the presidents, or signers of the Declaration of Independence
Independence itself
Dominic-from Freedom and not wanting to be too out there
@Sutton: I like Lachlan as a nice Scottish name thats not too overused here yet. Other names like Declan, Logan, Connor I love too but are edging up in popularity. Is Tristan too british?
For girls, I like Genevieve better than Gwendolyn because of the latters matchiness to E)wyn. Not that fond of Lavender and flowers are nms to suggest others.
RobynT-With many of us having young children at home, it surprises me that things like this don't come up more often. I am familiar with Blues Clues having characters of Magenta and Periwinkle. They are dog + cat friends of Blue. There is also Paprika who is child of Mr. Salt + Mrs. Pepper. I have confirmed this with my 5yo and she says there is no Lavender LOL.
Hys, Isla and Maeve are on our list as well--good call as are Willa (Willa Cather is my favorite writer) and Lyra. This converation has really re-energized my name search so thanks everyone.
Timely USA Today article speaking to what Riot Delilah alerted us to earlier today:
"Name of 'Mohammed' mysteriously vanishes in UK"
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/religion/post/2009/01/61068872/1
As a sister for E0wyn, perhaps Philippa. Very different sounds, similar meanings....
Met a little girl yesterday named Allory (pron. like Mallory w/o the M), opinions? Middle name was Grace.
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