The Baby Name Wizard

(I posted this at the end of the last post, but thought I should maybe put it here, too)

Lorien:

I personally like toy stores that have a little more fanciful and playful names, maybe putting together a couple of words that sound funny and don't necessarily go together normally. This is probably a bad example, but something in the realm of "Pickleandpaisleytoys". Words that have to do with play or toys or kids would be better, of course, but I like pickle because it sounds funny. I don't know if that would be less useful for online marketing, because it wouldn't indicate the product or business direction in the name, but it seems like most of those names are taken already...redwagontoys, heirloomtoys, etc. Maybe if you have a more playful name, couldn't you pick up on some of the younger design-savvy parents who want to go the wood-built heirloom toy route?

Actually, what about pulling out a phrase from a nursery rhyme? Then you could have fun words that sound great together but also evoke tradition and nostalgia. What about "Piedpipertoys" or "Jackhornertoys" (which also capitalizes on the trendiness of the name Jack? Or tongue twisters? "Picklepeppertoys"?

OR you could actually capitalize on the trendy names that evoke tradition and nostalgia. What about Jackandbeatrixtoys or Jackandjanetoys?

Don't know if any of these seem workable...but I'm having fun!

I vote Jack. The new, ubiquitous, go-to name for seemingly everyone. Whether it's a Jackson or a John, or just Jack, they're everywhere; in all economic classes, named for grandparents or Presidents, they all go by Jack. I think this is the year for Jack.

(You know, Jack, Emily/Emma/Emme/Amory/Emerson's little brother.)

How about Bruno? It's an über tough-guy name, rare but with rising popularity, subverted in 2009 by the Borat-like, flamboyantly gay movie title character Brüno.

Addison= my pick for the newest Jennifer. Not a name anyone was naming girls a few years ago not it seems EVERYONE is.

Also, something that speaks to the huge vowel trend going on in girls names right now. Kind of like ends with "en" that started a few years back for boys. Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Ella, Mia, Anna, Sophia, Fiona, Amelia. Rarely do i hear of a girl born without a vowel heavy name. I think Amaya is a big up and comer in this trend.

I nominate Taylor-- with the many Taylor's out there (Taylor Swift, Lautner) in young stars, and the name's androgenous (sp?) character, it seems to fit 2009 to me.

But I'll think on it a bit more too.

Jon and/or Kate. Once nice, common names, they are no connected to debates on children and reality TV, parenting of multiples, etc.

Another thought might be Taylor, due to the explosion of Taylor Swift's career and the widespread sympathy when Kayne ruined her big award moment.

I really like the suggestions of Taylor, right on trend with pop culture as well as the "androgynous" trend Laura wrote about the other day. However, Taylor seems a little late 80s early 90s and not very 2009. How about Jordan?

Jenny also: I don't think of the name of the year being necessarily a name that is given to new humans within the year, but made an impact in a given year -- examples: Katrina and Joe from above.

I vote the name Edward.

This classic name has not gone out of style. While some celebrities are choosing quirky names for their children, the rest of the world is not. Edward is considered a "royal name," and is in the top 200 in 7 countries.

In the entertainment world, it has become popular again thanks to the Twilight character Edward Cullen.

Lance Armstrong, Larry King, and Nicole Sullivan have used it for the middle name of their sons.

For women, the name Edward is appealing thanks to its use in fiction. Both Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte used the name for male characters in their books.

The death of Ted Kennedy also adds to the appeal of this name. As a long-serving senator, he was respected by all of his colleagues, and was unwavering in his beliefs. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor and honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II, he is certainly an American icon.

There are many nicknames, including Ed, Eddie, Ted, Teddy, Ward. These nicknames help the name fit for all ages.

The name is also a common surname (Edwards), and choosing surnames for first names has become increasingly popular.

I'll also nominate Bernard/Bernie, because the saintly canine vs. investment fraudster associations are so dramatically different in 2009.

I'd like to suggest Falcon, AKA the balloon boy. While perhaps not THE story of the year, his name is spot on for parents who are attempting uniqueness/androgeny for their offspring.

Daffy Castilian (awesome name!), you beat me to it. I was going to suggest Bernie for the same reasons.

When I think back to 2009, I suspect the economic malaise will trump all other non-personal memories. Bernie Madoff encapsulated the end of the free-wheeling era of the early 2000s and his downfall represents what happened to the rest of the economy.

Stylistically I think his name doesn't fit, though. Maybe in the UK where Alfie and Freddie seem to rule, but ahead of its time here in the US...

I second Edward. Could Twilight's leading male be any bigger right now?? That plus Edward "Ted" Kennedy -- I just can't think of a more widespread name in pop culture, news, or demographics.

But I am a little sheltered so I'm looking forward to all the other nominations.

Zoe means LIFE:
Who knew that a Sesame Street character's name would be so AWESOME!!! 2009 marked the shows 40th anniversary and by far Zoe has tipped the richter scale. No other name on this show has been so STYLISH and SWEET.
This year has been about LIFE lessons for everyone. It is about society learning to live a simpler, greener, more enjoyable LIFE.
As Laura said "a lovably quirky hit" so LOVE and LIVE LIFE and vote for ZOE as 2009 name of the year!!!

I'll be watching to see if 'Neda' will catch hold this year, following the widespread video publicity of the June protester shooting in Tehran. She was very attractive and sympathetic. Also, the name does not sound particularly Islamic -- just vaguely exotic -- and perhaps it is consistent enough with naming trends to get some traction here.

I'm not sure if it's name-of-the-year material, but I wonder if it could be the 'Caylee' of 2009.

TraceM-
Great argument for Zoe but I think not. I will second Edward and also add a few more for the rest of you to think about:
Renesmee-For the same reason as Edward. People couldn't stop talking about it both good and bad.

Henry-By far the most popular name I have seen in the last few months both here and on celebs for boys names.

Kloe-yes as in Kardashian, enough said.

Sarah-as is Palin. The election is over but she is still being talked about by many.

Riley-They ultimate name because of the androgyny, multiple sp possibilities, surnamey-ness, the cute -ee ending, similarity to Ryan but not as dated, similarity to Kylee also. It's the next Aiden!

Speaking of Aiden, how about Caden in all its forms? But is that one name or multiple names?

On Topic:

I second Edward for the reasons others said. I also think that JennyAnna17 is right on with Jack, but I think extending it to Jackson might be good because of Michael Jackson, who I'm sure some people named sons after (well, not sure, but I'm assuming so.)

Off Topic/From Old Posts:

My old English teacher had a grandson last year, named Nir@m T0shur0. I've never heard of Nir@m, but T0shur0 I assume is from his mother's Japanese heritage.

@ emilyrae: You made a comment about a Jack and Cal sounding great. I agree, I know a Jack and Cal sibset. Jack is (as far as I know) just Jack and Cal is short for Calum.

@ EVie: I think Phoebe sounds really Park Slope latte-mom-ie, Sylvia I'm not sure about. Ruby I totally think does, as does Lila, Ava, Olivia, Violet, etc. Then again, I might be thinking more in terms 15 years ago...

@ slk34: Congratulations on Rhy$ Uly$$e$!

@ knp: You didn't mention Phoebe, unless that was and I missed it, as far as -e endings goes. I'm reading 'The Odyssey' in school and I'll probably post interesting names from that.

@ KristinFromSC: Congratulations on Henry Robert!

I vote for Jackson. I challenge anybody to think of a bigger news story in 2009 than the death of Michael Jackson, entertainer extraordinaire. The name has been climbing the boys' popularity chart, and I'm sure many parents have continued to use the name this year — but how many were able to do so without once either thinking of Michael Jackson or even having friends or family comment on the choice? The fact that media coverage of his death actually noticeably affected global internet speeds is... remarkable.

It certainly also slots in nicely with the current mania of backwards de-nicknaming (and general dissatisfaction with a boy's name that isn't two syllables, stress on the first, ending in N).

Jackson is now, of course, spawning a plethora of alternate spellings, which to me is a key ingredient in it really feeling like a name du jour and not a less fickle change in taste.

FYI: a current top Trending Topic on Twitter right now is #oldnames. Not sure why...

I am going to nominate

Bristol:
Like her mother's politics or not, this name has seemed to make an impact. She is quite a bit like the 70s/80s Crystal and fits right in with the boyish-turned surname names that are so popular on girls these days. Ever since Sarah Palin came into the spotlight, I have seen this name more than once in the birth announcements, while before, I would have never encountered this name.

Miley:
Ever since Miley Cyrus (aka Destiny Hope) came into the spotlight, I have seen quite a few in the birth announcements, including various other spellings. It would make sense, since she fits so well into the other short I -ley names like Riley and Kylie.

Pailin:
This is another name that I have seen quite a few times in several birth announcements. I have also seen it spelled Paylin and Paylyn, Paylynn. I am guessing that the parents are either fans or just thought it would make a really cool first name upon hearing it on the controversial former Alaskan governor. I can see how this would catch on, she fits in with the other cutsy -lin, -lyn names and matches up with other current trendy names that have that long A sound, such as: Bailey, Caden, Aiden, Jayden etc. It also fits right into the Kennedy, Reagan, Lincoln, and Barack names I have also seen so many times in the birth announcements.

Renesmee:
We have to give this name credit, she went from being non-existant to within a matter of months, a spotting of quite a few of them in the birth announcements after the release of the latest Twilight book.

I would also like to nominate Falcon and Sparrow. These names might just be the Robin of 2009.

Robsten!!

Maybe Rihanna because of the Rihanna/Chris Brown altercation. I'd never heard of that name before.

For anyone in the UK right now..Jedward. Awful talentless twins on X Factor called John and Edward, universally kown as Jedward.

wait, wait, wait. sebastiane, have you seriously seen renesmee in the birth announcements? that...blows my mind.

i think i will support those who nominated jackson. michael jackson headlines dominated everything; it went on for months. his death shut down wikipedia. his greatest hits cd hit number one on amazon about an hour after his death. plus, it contributes to the already present jack/jackson popularity. edward feels a bit redundant to me, at least with the twilight justification, since cullen was the name of the year last year. taylor seems a bit too 90s to me.

I second Taylor and Jackson. Between Hannah Montanas faux-bro Jackson and the death of Michael Jackson, this name is constantly on the minds of new parents. Jackson also fits right in with a class full of Braydens, Logans, Haydens. I think Taylor qualifies because of its famous bearers and its adrogynous quality. Sure to be a hit!

I agree with Edward, but as far as Michael Jackson's influence, I'm going to vote for Michael, rather than Jackson. It's a classic name, and the pop star's influence is undeniable. I've even seen posts on this blog where someone mentions Michael and the response is "Oh, as in Jackson?".

Hey check this out! Any NEs with a Twitter account should go and check out this trending topic "Old Names". It's currently the second highest trend!

http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23oldnames

Considering the demographics of Twitter users, the list not that surprising. Theodore, Lucy, Mabel etc but it is interesting. I love it when namey-stuff makes it into mainstream news!

Jackson is certainly the name of the last few monthes, but Micheal Jackson was an entertainer, perhaps a cultural icon, but I believe the Election of barack obama prompts a major polical and social movement best described by another popular baby name;

Lincoln.

The year 2009 was his 200th birthday. He has always been a popular (except for during his life). Obama likes to look lincolnesque, he even comes from the same state as The great emancipator himself. Abraham Lincoln is a very popular political figure (nearly 16,000 books have been written about lincoln)in a year when politics are prominant.

Barack Obama for all of his potentual greatness can not have a great baby name following. His name is too awkward, and it is way too risky to name a child after a living politician. Lincoln has the nice -n ending we all know and love.

Reese, Anniston/Annyston--I've been noticing these actress names booming this year...

I'll throw out Rowan

This year in my friends/acquaintances circle, 4 babies have been named Rowan: 2 boys & 2 girls.

It's androgynous and has the "an/en" ending.

I also second Jack.

I totally agree with Jackson. I am out of the loop with Taylor but I am hearing her a little more.

I might

I think that Kate/Katherine is a definite possibility, with the continuing fame of Katherine Heigl and the notoriety of Kate of Jon and Kate. Kate also fits the mold of a strong girl's name that is a nickname, which parents seem to like.

Also on the nickname front,I would go with Max. I know it may be a bit dated, but with parents rediscovering their childhoods with Where the Wild Things Are and all the hoopla with the movie, I think Max is due for another upswing...

Lastly, on the literary front, I cannot resist the appeal of two names from one of the best books I read this past year:
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.

I think Deliverance would be an awesome first name for a girl. In the book, her nickname is Livvy. Could also use Liv here. A bit Puritan, of course, but it just is striking.

And, Dane for a boy. Well, that has all sorts of possibilities...

I think both Jackson and Lincoln are wonderful nominations.

Particularly Jackson, since it covers so many different categories: the overwhelming craze over Michael Jackson's death and really the end of an era, the obsession with surnames-turned-first-names, the popularity of Jack (short, punchy, and all-boy), and the popularity of "backwards de-nicknaming" and two-syllable names ending in -n as the original poster described.

Weren't we mentioning how many TV actresses have the character name of Olivia a few threads back? It is already in the top 10 and is among those old-but-new-again names. So I'll add that one to my long list.

Jackson is a good vote but it just seems so "already done that" around here.

I was also going to nominate Falcon. I don't think of the singer when I hear "Jackson". But do think of Balloon Boy when I hear Falcon.

I nominate Levi as Levi Johnston will.not.go.away.

Also Piper and Willow. I think both were names that people liked, but would never use for their own kids. I think now more parents will have the courage to use them.

What about Malia?

President Obama's daughter comes to mind and Malia Jones the Hawaiian surfer.

Malia is a vowel-laden, lovely sounding name that is being carried by the tide of other feminine names so popular now. But this one is political power and female athletic strength.

Malia has wide appeal, not overly trendy and offers various popular nicknames.

Also, it is Hawaiian which makes it more culturally interesting.

Malia and Jackson, for the reasons already given.

I am voting for Michelle, in honor of the first lady, a woman that everyone seems to like and admire, myself included.

I'll also throw votes behind Jackson, Edward, Malia and Taylor for reasons described above. To me Taylor is very 90s but yesterday Taylor Swift won Entertainer of the Year at the CMAs - her star is rocketing higher and I can see the name going with it.

Keren, LOL! Jedward is totally the name of the year here in Britain!

I agree with Taylor - I originally thought it was early 90's as well, until two of my friends named their girls Taylor (both January 09) and my son has a Taylor (g) in his class (Oct 09). Is it just a southern trend lately, influenced by the country star?

I also would have said Jackson was a couple years ago, but with Michael Jackson's death, I think it could be a front-runner.

Now for my additions, a little off the wall, I will admit - and I'm going all the way back to the beginning of 2009 for these: What about Jett (John Travolta's son) and Nadya (as in Octomom)? I know that we may not have seen a rise in these names for actual babies, but isn't the name of the year something that's on everyone's minds throughout the year and not necessarily the most popular baby name of the year? Octomom dominated the headlines from January through at least June/July.

I'm going to second the following:

Taylor
Jackson
Henry
and especially Neda.

Taylor is a shining star right now, Jackson marks a passing, Henry is a quiet but powerful undercurrent, but when I ask, "What name has truly captured the hearts and minds of people worldwide?" I must answer Neda.

I have to chime in about Renesme. While people may not be naming their child Renesme, I do know of several people that copied the idea and gave their children first or middle names that are mash-ups of the grandparent's names. I think the mash-up name trend is very 2009.

I'll also throw support behind Rowan, Rohan, and Ronan. I'm seeing lots of these.

I agree about Olivia--I feel like every other tv show has a character named Olivia, plus it's super trendy among babies in my area...

I also agree with Jackson for all the reasons already mentioned, and since there's going to be a little J@xon in our extended family in a few months!

Wow, that's tough. I keep being swayed this way and that by different people's arguments. Edward, Jack, Henry, and Max seem the most likely to me.

I'm going to have to go with Henry. I hear it everywhere these days. It represents the current trend (in response to our recent overconsumption, materialism and the economic collapse) of nostalgia for wholesome, traditional, reliable, "homespun" things...It goes hand and hand with the rise in knitting, canning, and increased interest in things like simple wooden toys, etc.

I've not seen anyone second my nomination for Kaden et al. Any particular reasons why not? Just curious.

To me, Kaden et al isn't a single name. It's more like a class of names, or a trend, albeit a huge one.

I still support Jack, and I will second Lincoln.

While I really like some of the names mentioned and many will probably jump in popularity over the next few years, I don't encounter them or even think of them on a daily basis - like I do with Jack. Every time I turn around, Jack is there: on the news, in the papers, at the playground, in the nursing home. Jack, Jackson, Jaxon, John - heck, it's even a nickname for completely unrelated names. I think it is becoming a Jennifer for boys.

I support Lincoln as well, since it does represent so many of the trends in babynaming - the popular "n" ending, the political/celebrity aspect, the idealism, the uniqueness, the old-fashioned sound, the surname trend. It was even on my baby-name list until I realized how popular it was becoming.

Henry and Max are both good names, but I don't think they encompass what is required of a nationally-recognized name-of-the-year.

They may all be part of the same very significant trend, but I would raise the same objection to Jack/Jackson/Jaxon/John as above. Jaxon may have some potential as an especially-2009 variant. I don't know. But I think we are charged with picking only one name.