The Baby Name Wizard

So true! I'm basically going to 'second that motion' but,
It's interesting how the name has been able to cross both genders without pullback from the other.
Although Taylor has been embraced by parents of little girls, it still holds up it's masculinity when given to a boy.
I don't know how the name got away with that, it's a tricky thing to manage!

Whoever is quoted at the end of this post worded it perfectly, I think.

Though I do think that even my generation has become pretty accustomed to androgynous names, I went to school with Dales, Jordans, etc of both genders and I don't remember there ever being a problem. And I imagine @A Rose's schoolmates are even more comfortable with the issue.

It would be awesome to see a list of the names with the best average rank (boys/girls) in the charts.

oooh, now that we know runners up, I wonder what the winner will be? something recession related (Bernie, Fannie & Freddie)? or reproduction related (Octomom, Jon & Kate)? A popular baby name with a celebrity reference (Jackson)?

and it looks like we have to wait until tomorrow!!

Let's see, in the first post (and thank you for not making us wait a week for the second post!), Ms. Wattenberg used Bernie, Neda, Octomom, and Jackson as examples of reader nominations, which makes me think they are all out of the running for NOTY.

What other names were highly discussed on the nominations thread? Or did Ms. Wattenberg hit on the NOTY on her own?

I can't wait (it's so silly, NOTY is such an integral part of my holiday season)!

Jackson is my guess. Pop star meets political; It has racial connotations and race has been a huge this year. It even ties in with the reality TV side of things, as Micheal Jackson was always quite vocal that being a child star was a bad experience and he went to great lenghts to keep his own children out of the public eye.

I agree with CB that it wont be Jackson, Neda, Bernie or Octomom. So- maybe Freddie and Fannie?

As a side note, I don't mind the ads on the site as I presume they help to keep it running, but I do mind the ads that flare up over the whole screen and force you to swat them away before you can read.

I think I must be the only one, but I just don't see Jackson. Sure, it's popular, but it has been for several years now. And for some reason the "feel" of Jackson as a first name is so different from Michael Jackson that I don't connect the two. I know a few little Jacksons, and none of them were named after the entertainer. I know I'm in the minority, though....anxious to see the winner!

I think Edward will be NOTY based on the runners up and the other names mentioned in part 1. It's deserved due to the continued Twilight craze and the death of Edward Kennedy this year. I can't wait to find out for sure!

I'm also thinking NOTY is Fannie/Freddie (but I hope not, those names are too 2008 to me). Levi could have an outside shot, but I'm not sure the name was bigger than Taylor.

So, while we are waiting, I am wondering what you all feel about the name Lee (boy). I'm toying with it, like it's 1 syllable simplicity. (Don't think dh would go for Leander, Leo) I haven't quite found a mn to go with it though. our other boy combos that are at the top of our list are Vaughn Isaac and Lexington Harris, nn Lex. Our last name is like Russell, but starts with a P.

Falcon and Taylor really do show off the essence of the year that was 2009, for better or for worse...all of its gossipy, seedy-underbelly glory. It is a bit weird to see the Taylors all grown up, but I bet that was the reaction to Britney a decade ago. For NOTY, I really wonder if it's going to be Lady Gaga? Even though I'm more of a political junkie than a pop-culture guru, both the performer and and the name seem to be essentially 2009. The sleazy stories that we just can't seem to look away from- Gosselins, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Balloon Boy, Tiger Woods- I'm trying to think of a more respectable definitive event for 2009, but I just can't do it. That, and the fact that we justify it all by telling ourselves that these people court the attention, so being fascinated isn't a bad thing. Obama's inauguration was a leftover of 2008, the Copenhagen summit, if it comes to anything, more of a precedent for 2010. Lady Gaga's surreal cross between mainstream pop musician and perfomance artist seem a perfect fit, as does her name- the contradition between the respectable "Lady" and the connotations of the decidedly less respectable "Gaga".

Hmm. Edward, maybe - but definitely for the Twilight craze, Kennedy being so firmly Ted to people.

Lady Gaga... If Falcon is a name about trying to capture a unique identity through an uncommon name, then Lady Gaga sees the noun and raises a baby catchphrase. And it certainly has changed to me - when I first heard it, it sounded nonsensical, but now, it's just a name.

If I were a betting woman, I think I'd wager Lady Gaga. But, I don't bet because I'm notoriously bad at it!

@ knp, Lee as a boy first name is nms- maybe because I live in the South, the name carries a lot of civil war related "baggage" in my mind.
Not that that should deter you from using it if it's something you really love. For all I know my reaction is mine alone.
I think with your last name, I would go with a 2+ syllable middle name like the ones you've already picked.

Lee Issac
Lee Harris
Lee Aaron

Landry, I am totally on board with you about Jackson.

knp-I don't have the same negative aversion to Lee as AmberSim does but I am so used to seeing it as a mn that it is hard for me to get enthusiastic about it being a fn. Leander seems so much more solid if that makes sense. I would choose a 2+ syl name also for the mn though.
Lee Franklin
Lee Oliver
Lee Edward
Lee Micheal
Lee Kyle
I like Vaughn Isaac alot btw. What about Adam?

Meganromer-Thought of Garrett today for you.

@Landry and @Joni, I agree about Jackson. I never felt it had NOTY potential.

However, Lady Gaga ... that just might be it! I won't be surprised, and now I really can't wait to find out.

Yea me!! I had Falcon and Taylor on my list of nominations. The third was Bernie and I doubt that's the "winner" as it was mentioned in the first paragraph of part 1.

My bet's on Frannie/Freddie. If this year's been about glory and fame seeking at any cost and the androgynous names growing up, it's really been about the financial meltdown. Our current financial meltdown was lead by shady mortgage practices and the resulting defaults and the names Frannie and Freddie embody that.

I'm with Landry, Joni, and Amy3, just not feeling Jackson as a NOTY. Excuse me if this sounds crass, but his death isn't something that stands out as I look back over the year. Nor do I feel Lady Gaga as a NOTY. Taylor isn't a runner up due to Ms Swift's music or performances, but because the name encompasses more as this write up explains.

@knp - With a namesake like Lee Pace, who could resist it? Pace really embodies my image of a Lee: handsome, talented, thoughtful. Kind of under the radar, but certainly worth looking into. For me, Leander and Leo feel affected and disingenuous in comparison. I also like it much more than Vaughn and Lexington.

I think Lee's a good name for any sex; it's very sturdy, very approachable.

New baby announcement - Griffin Yates, brother to Zoe Camille. I will come back later to post about NOTY part 2 :)

I honestly have to say I don't think of Taylor as a unisex name. When I hear the name I assume the bearer is female. I think of it the way I do Morgan. I know there are male Morgans and I've meet a few of them, but if I hear the name in passing I assume female. Since high school I've thought of Taylor as the female version and Tyler as the male.

Guest: I find that Griffin compliments Zoe well!

well, i don't know that debating whether certain things are or are not "NOTY material" is really worthwhile at this point. that's what the nominations post was for. some of us like jackson or bernie or octomom and some of us don't, but i think the choices have all been made by laura at this point, so perhaps it's no use rehashing it.

I agree with PJ, I assume Taylor as female, Tyler male, but have certainly met Taylors of both types.

I'm realizing that part of why I liked Falcon as 2nd runner up NOTY, is that it sounds like the parents are trying to be unique, until you realize it is just another 2 syllable -n name that is strongly masculine (like Gunnar and Cannon). It's just like everybody else's. And so is his momentary fame, temporary, like most reality stars.

Oddly, part of what makes it 2nd runner up NOTY for me is that I won't remember it this time next year.

Taylor! Unexpected. I can't remember if I was for or against it in the noms thread. I really have enjoyed your rationale in these posts, Laura. Tying in popularity and visibility with the coming of age of those nineties names (perhaps the first generation of desperate uniqueness?) and showing a clear example that parents of boys don't have to fear that girls are coming to steal their masculinity via androgynous names, is really cool.

Sidebar: THOSE ADS! Laura, please make the popups go away! They are driving me bonkers.

Its gonna be Edward.

New Babies on my block this week:
Mia and Rebel... ya that's right Rebel... nms at all.

@ Qwen: Yes, we are very open to androgeny (sp?). I have a male friend named P@ris, I used to think of it as female because of Hilton, but he's never made fun of. I'm pretty sure he was named for the Greek mythological charachter (from the Trojan War). I too, like PJ and Megan W. think of Taylor as female and Tyler as male. Morgan I also see as female. I was talking to a friend of mine today who said she liked the name Spencer for a girl and that she liked "-er" names for both genders. Like Amber and Parker. I thought that was interesting.

I think Taylor is more '09 than Falcon and I'm glad this it's on. I'm so excited for the NOTY!

Haha, Paris is one of my Captchas!

A Rose-I agree with you. I see Taylor as mostly a female name and Tyler as male. Morgan is both since a know a few of each though on a baby I would say female. I like the name Spencer and think first of a boys name (Spencer For Hire an old TV show) and then of Lady Diana Spencer who became Princess Di. I think Amber could only be a girls name and Parker could be both. Though I prefer male. I think it was Valerie who brought up Connor the other day. That could be a female -er name with a nn of Connie. Hmm.

My crystal ball says the NOTY is Tiana.

And I agree the pop ads are really annoying and makes it difficult to access the site.

I've been thrown for a loop since I was sure Taylor would be NOTY. My guess too is that it will be Fannie/Freddie.

knp, when you first asked about Lee I though, 'Whoa, 60/70s!' But I kind of like it - it's unexpected.

knp--I have a coworker named Lee Walter, which I actually quite like as a combo.

@knp, I really like Lee as a fn. I'll second Lee Harris or Lee Isaac as nice combos.

Baby name alert ... Two new babies born to coworkers, Evan Robert and Harper Mei-L!n. I thought Harper was particularly interesting since there has been recent discussion about -er girl names.

I like androgynous names, they're kind of cool and refreshing for girls. And I'm glad that in a few cases at least they don't seem to be taking ground from the boys.

Here's my question: with all the androgynous names, how will we address people over the internet if we don't know their gender? For example, I once received an email from someone named Dana, but I didn't know if it was a man or a woman. Since it was a formal email I felt the need to respond with a "Dear Ms." or Dear Mr.", but I wasn't sure what to do. If androgynous names become more common, there will have to be some way to address this problem. Or is there already an answer to this?

Moonlady - the way I have always seen it dealt with, and the method I have also adopted, is to address the letter as Dear Mr/s Lee Smith (for example).

So basically then it like Mr or Mrs or Ms.

I've had this come up a lot (in my job sending bulk marketing letters), usually due to names I'm not familiar with, such as such as names from other countries, rather than androgynous names.

and my money was on Taylor as NOTY. I'm pretty pleased with my second placing! :)

Penny, that's a good idea. You're right, unfamiliar names are also ambiguous (to me, anyway). I'll use that from now on. It seems a little clumsy, but it's better to be clumsy than to offend someone.

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What other names were highly discussed on the nominations thread? Or did Ms. Wattenberg hit on the NOTY on her own?

I suppose I will be the first to say that I don't think the name Taylor fits Taylor Swift. To me, Taylor is still very masculine and she is so cute and girly, I just think that Taylor Swift does not look like a Taylor.

so nice a story.

What other names were highly discussed on the nominations thread? Or did Ms. Wattenberg hit on the NOTY on her own? download robin hood

I suppose I will be the first to say that I don't think the name Taylor fits Taylor Swift. To me, Taylor is still very masculine and she is so cute and girly, I just think that Taylor Swift does not look like a Taylor.