(For real, this time!)
Perhaps you've heard, the economy's taken a bit of a stumble lately? As families cut back and surveys reveal a bleak mood, the natural question in these parts is how the downturn will play out in baby names.
The popular idea in the press and the blogosphere is that parents will retreat to the reliable comfort of classic names. A few reporters have tried to pry this prediction out of me. (One was particularly eager for me to forecast a comeback for Faith and Hope. I had to break it to him that it's too late, they're already back.) In fact, some news reports have claimed that the return to tradition has already begun. Take the Reuters article titled "Parents get serious about baby names in tough year," with its bold opening statment: "Most parents have abandoned unusual names for their children..."
The idea sounds plausible, because many choices do work this way in economic downturns. In the world of investing, it's called the "flight to quality." The idea is that in uncertain times, people make the safest possible bets and aim for lasting value. Consumers, similarly, drop luxury in favor of utility.
Yet there are also good reasons to expect name trends to behave differently from investments or consumer goods. The most basic is that baby names are free. In a time of belt-tightening, why not indulge in a cost-free extravagance? Anastasia won't set you back a penny more than Ann. In fact, lower-income parents are more likely to try unusual, eye-catching and newly-introduced names -- quite different from, say, food purchasing patterns.
A second reason is found in the motivations of modern baby namers. Many parents who seek the unusual are convinced that distinctive names will give their kids an advantage in life. Think of it like a creatively packaged product standing out on a store shelf. The tougher the competitive landscape, the more this perceived advantage should matter to parents.
Finally, there's the fact that the movement away from tradition has been accelerating for years. An immediate surge of traditional naming would be the fashion equivalent of a runaway freight train suddenly backing back up a mountain.
So where do the claims of reversal come from? If you read the Reuters article closely, you'll see they (and may others) were inspired by a press release from the online parenting community BabyCenter.com. In the release, the BabyCenter folks note the rise of certain specific traditional names among their users. But is there a consistent pattern?
In fact, if you look at the BabyCenter popularity lists from the last several years, 2008 looks like more of the same. The bellwether traditional classics like John, James and William continued their steady descent down the rankings. And if you tally up the top 20 for boys and girls, as a group the 2008 names were much less popular a century ago than the 2006 names. In other words, no "flight to quality" has been spotted so far (and don't believe everything you read in the paper).
So let's toss out our preconceptions and return to the question: what effect will the recession have on naming patterns? To form a hypothesis, we can look to historical precedent. Did baby naming change during the Great Depression? And if so, was there the retreat to strength and safety that so many observers expect today?
To be continued...
Comments
Baxter is a leading brand of milk and dairy products where I come from. I don't know if this is why but I think it's absolutely horrible sounding. Maybe for a cat. I like Cassius and Otto, and Penelope. I agree that Penny and Dax would be cute, maybe Vinny and Dax.
Leah Josephine - very pretty, congratulations.
Blakesly - it's a mouthful. What would people think of just Blaikie (blay-kee)? A mn spot if any, but feminine?
Jules - I still see Hayden as a "real" name, whereas a lot of the other ones are like lab-made monsters with Aidan as their unwilling host sample. How about nn Hade? Also think Ned's an idea. Adie? (ay-dee) I like Dean and Dane but they're a big stretch for me.
Speaking of nns, I have learned some new -ot endings in short forms of names like Ibbot, Sissot, or Tillot for Isabella, Cecilia, or Matilda, and think they're really neat. I'm thinking the 't' is silent like in Margot. Along that line of thought of old nns I was thining about -ck endings like Hack for Henry, and wonder what a name has to do to get a -ck nn? Could Hayden have Hack or Huck?
Ashley10 - I feel that people should broaden their horizons (do their homework) on girls names BEFORE jumping to boys names, and then leaving the homework to boys' parents. Also, if a girl is getting named Brian, I wouldn't be worried that the girls are stealing it, I would just feel sorry for the little girl.
knp - I'm the same. Names that sound similar aren't usually a fresh option, just a different name, although I still love playing that game and it works sometimes.
JillH - maybe when new spellings are created it allows a space for the girls to use the name while retaining a boys' standard spelling? I think once Avery goes, it will be lost, but if a lot of girls were using Aivery or Averie, boys could hold some ground?
ouch, too long!
Guest - How about Lucia with Lucy as a nn?
Fish - I really like Peter but my husband won't hear of it. Period. "You can't do that to a boy". (He thinks he will be teased endlessly. Me, some of the "coolest" and most popular boys in school and since were Peter.) But, this might explain some of the shift away from it.
27 Jennifers - Theodore/Theo, Eli
I had asked for naming ideas last week. I have gotten so many new ideas from the postings since. Today I saw Bo for the first time and like it as a nn. Any longer names for it?
Also, I think I like the idea of a nn like Jax/Sax/Dax, but I'm not sure. These were inspired by Saxon (which I also really like). I can see Jackson (although I don't like it for my son). Does anyone have any other ideas for these kinds of nns?
(btw, I am also thinking I could really like Otto or Axel, although I doubt they'll go over well with my husband - worth a shot...)
Also, I knew a woman wom I liked very much, who was Nona. That's a variation on names that have come up on here, but I haven't read that one suggested.
I like Hayes as a nickname for Hayden. Denny would work as well, I think.
Elizabeth was my first thought as the name with the most nicknames, but I suppose Margaret is up there as well. In terms of common names, I do think it makes a difference when there are multiple nicknames that work for a professional adult. It provides a reasonable way to distinguish yourself without having to stretch too hard.
@Prairie Dawn, congrats on Leah Josephine! Lovely name, and I think Leah Jo is terribly cute.
What else have you got? Mark is nice, but it doesn't seem to have lating through life power to me. Maybe that is beacuse it is only four letters. My name is Erin. Four letters and I always have hated the shortness. It doesn't sound like a REAL name to me. Real names should be longer than four letters. What about James or Edward or something like that?
Re: Hayden - I wouldn't get too worried about it unless you meet a lot of Haydens in your area. My town is seemingly immune to the Aidan phenomenon so far (keeping my fingers crossed) -I've run across one little Caden and an older female Hayden (20ish) but that's it.
I love Hayes and know the cutest little boy with that name - think it was his mother's maiden name.
Re: Longer name for Bo - The only one I can think of is Bowen. I've only met one (in his teens and also a family surname) but think it's an easy jump over from Owen.
Kim B-- "Bo" can be short for the rather under-used Biblical name "Boaz", which means "fleetness" in Hebrew. In the Book of Ruth, Boaz was the kind and generous man she eventually married after losing her first young husband. He is specified in the Bible as being a direct ancestor of Christ. Neat character and a fun name.
English Puritans glommed onto the name, as they did so many other Old Testament ones, and brought it to America...
I also like "Boz" as a short form for Boaz. Charles Dickens used "Boz" as a pseudonym, for awhile.
eescorse, you raise such an interesting topic. I find I have the opposite reaction-- the older I get, the more interested I become in VERY short names! Isn't that weird? I seem to like when they're boiled down to a very pure essence.
Rats, recently I heard of a neat two-syllable name for a woman, an actual person, and now I can't think of it! Another one is "Ki", which is the first name of a writer-- I am sure it is short for something...
Whomever brought up the sound alike names-I am like that but only a little bit. I do like Molly but can't stand Dolly (reminds me of the cloned sheep) or Polly (as in Pocket). I liked Molly Ringwald growing up so I guess that's my association there. I do play the game of what about quite often. If I like Dexter, then what about Rex or maybe Reginald, etc. I keep branching by association with either sound or feeling.
Re longer name for Bo: The only one I can think of is Beauregard. Bowen is more modern though. Rambo??
I don't have much hope of getting an answer to this, BUT: speaking of short names, does anyone know what the full name of Sheriff Andy Taylor's son was in the classic show "The Andy Griffith Show"???
As far as I know, he was only ever referred to as "Opie". And perhaps that was a full name? I could see that, esp. if it was a surname-name.
But I have always wondered!
eo,
all i can discover is:
opie was named for opie cates, a prominent bandleader of the '40s or '50s whom andy griffith and sheldon leonard both admired. according to wikipedia, opie cates was born "opal t. cates." that seems unusual for a man... that's all the information i could find; it was a very interesting question!
Prairie Dawn- Congratulations! Love your pronunciation of Leah... imo the correct way to pronounce it.
Re: Nina. I had a friend in college who pronounced it Nine-ah.
It's been a while since I've posted, because I've been busy getting a new children's ministry up and running. We fed 33 children who attended the first week! Most of the children are hispanic... almost fall under the poverty line. Thought you'd all be interested in some of these names/sib-sets:
*Antonio -11, Elicia -9, Javier -7
*Alonzo -8, Martin "Emilio" -7
*Vladimir -6, Orlando -3, Aramis -1
*Jesus Alejandro "Alex" -7, Anthony -6, Melany Aide -4, Miguel Angel -1, Jennifer -5 mos.
* Stephanie -8, Monsarrat -3
*Kalan -9
*Alistair -8, Destiny -5 (They also have a 19 yo brother named Uzziel)
*Karen -10 x2 (both only children)
*Keila -10, (w/ adult sisters Miriam and Briana)
*Veronica -10, Jose "Daniel" -11
*Leonel -12, Rosario -10, Victoria -6
*Safiya - 10, Taya -9, Brooklyn -3
*Yasmine
*Alex -11, Alexa- 8, Isaac -6
*Sheney -9, Noemy -3
*Alex -9, Elizabeth -7
*Emily -11, Isaac -9
Enjoy!
Re: Names for Calvin's brother...
Back before my brother and sil knew that their twins were going to be girls, they knew that they wanted to use the name Calvin... My brother is a 5-point Calvinist type of guy who went to a Southern-Baptist Seminary but the real reason for the name was that he loved "Calvin and Hobbs." However, we grew up in a household that leaned more toward Wesleyan theology. So, I always thought that Calvin and Wesley would be great names... each for great theologians! Most people may not catch on... so, I don't feel that it's uber cheesy to do this, but it's somewhat humorous for those who do understand.
Bo as nn: You could use Beau as a fn, or as a nn short for Beauregard.... oops thats been said already
I do know a Beau irl-- he is about 35 and was born in Georgia)
@Kim in Philly (#191)
Just thought I'd mention: an old school friend recently had her second child, a daughter named Elora Danan! Wee red-headed thing, suits her completely.
Speaking of nicknames, Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book is about a boy named Bod. I fell in love with his name. The boy's full name is Nobody Owens. (Funny, but not something I would give a real child.)
What could Bod be short for?
Ichabod? (Am I crazy, that I like Ichabod?)
Ashley10 (and sorry, this is quite a late reply, this board has been very active lately!!),
I appreciate your comments about the boy names for girls, thanks for a contrasting opinion. My initial comment was not to complain that there are not enough boy's names; there are plenty; but just to lament that some of the really nice boy's names now belong to girls, or are in the process of becoming girls' names.
Some parents are going to be very off-beat and will name their daughters Brian or Thomas, and I agree, those names aren't likely to become exclusively girl's names any time soon.
I was speaking more specifically about the category of boy-names-gone-girl that's I find frustrating.
For example: Dana; Ashley; Leslie; Kimberly
And on the endangered list: Elliot, Avery, etc.
And unfortunately, in today's world I think that it's still pretty cruel to give a boy a "girl" name. I'd like to think that feminism has empowered the boys as much as it has the girls, but alas, I don't think we're there yet as a society.
My town, in particular (upper south, suburban) is full of little boys with names like Colt, Wyatt, Hunter, and Jaxxon, further emphasizing the idea that we still want our boys to be manly, even if the girls are doing whatever they want.
I'm happy to teach my sons to question traditional gender roles, and to encourage them to explore both "masculine" and "feminine" activities...but to stick them with a girl's name forces the child to deal head-on with these gender issues all the time, whether they want to deal with them or not. And that, to me, is just too much. Which is a shame, because I've like the name Avery ever since I read Charlotte's Web.
Jules, I can't believe I'm the only one voting for Hal. I'm pretty loose w/ nicknames and their official connections to the original name, but it is easily my favorite. Love Shakespeare's Prince Hal.
emilyrae-- Thank you kindly for that fascinating explanation! With my love of retro music and films I am so interested to find that both Andy Griffith and Sheldon Leonard (didn't he also produce the ultra-sophisticated "Dick Van Dyke" show, perhaps along with Carl Reiner?) liked a 40's band leader named "Opal".
That name and the nickname "Opie" rings true for the richly authentic Southern milieu that was evoked in fictional Mayberry...
I have heard of jewel names being given to men in the early twentieth century, including Garnet, Opal and even Pearl... Seems almost Faulknerian.
Sibling for Calvin - very funny someone suggested Wesley, because I immediately thought of Knox (if celebrity association doesn't bother you) and Luther.
Longer name for Bo - I don't think I'll ever be able to sell this name, but I once saw Bodog (don't know the correct pronunciation, but in my mind it's Bo Dog), and thought, now there's a cool name. Also, I think Boaz is great.
Saw a list of second grader names this evening. Haydena stood out to me.
Bo could also be short for Boden, Bogden or Boston.
Heard an interesting name today a boy named Sariyan.. named after Caesarian Section (how his mother delivered him).
I know a man named Bo Bohannon. I don't know if Bo is a nn for his ln or not.
Melissa C, Sariya? For Cesarian? This has the makings of 'urban ledgened' all over it... did you actually meet this child and hear the story from the mother?
GirlRandolph, I personally have negative reaction to Ichabod for two reasons: the Disney Halloween story about Ichabod Cain (which I thought was terrifying as child) and 2) because of the Bible character. The scripture says "She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel"-because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."" It's a pretty sad story.
SarahC-Haydena to me is ridiculous.
MelissaC-Sariyan isnt much better.
Re Bo: There is also a boy I went to college with that had an unusual Bo name. I finally remembered it. We used to call him "Bogie" like the shot in golf. I think his real name was Beauregard but I could be wrong. It could have been something like Bogieslawski was his ln. I forget.
"Longer name for Bo - I don't think I'll ever be able to sell this name, but I once saw Bodog (don't know the correct pronunciation, but in my mind it's Bo Dog), and thought, now there's a cool name."
Good grief! Bodog is an online gambling site. IMO naming a kid after a gambling site is right up there with naming a kid for a brand of booze.
I went to grade school with a boy called Bo as a nickname for Robert. I am not sure if it is and "accepted" nickname for Robert, though I think I have seen it as such in at least one baby name book.
New baby announcement Emma Elizabeth.
Another nn for Bo could be Bodie ( not body, bodie as in Bo- dee)
Kerry-- Thank you! That's the kind of inventive nicknaming that I like. You can see the evolution, actually-- "Rob"- "Robo"- "Bo". And if "Bob" can be a nickname for Robert, of course a shortened version, "Bo" can! Completely plausible, yet unexpected.
(In this particular case though, I do prefer "Boaz" as the formal name, just because it is so interesting and under-used.)
Reminds me of many past conversations on here where we've discussed unexpected nicknames. My favorites, from that and other discussions:
"Zibby" for Elizabeth
"Phronsie" for Sophronia (shades of "Five Little Peppers"!)
"Shem" for Samuel
"Binns" for Benjamin or Benedict
"Toth" for Timothy
"Ged" for George (soft "G")
"Lad/Laddie" for Alasdair
"Zooey" for Zachary
"Tandy" for Andrea
"Jinx/Jenks" for any number of "J" names, including Jennifer
"Lally/Lallie" for Laurel/Laura
"Jex" for Jessica
"Wake" for Whittaker or Wilkinson (just to throw a surname-name into the mix...
"Chat" for Charlotte
And now I'll add "Bo" for Robert to my mental list! It becomes a game, one that's really fun to do when insomnia hits! But people have become so resourceful with nicknames, that it's almost hard to come up with truly novel ones that still "resemble" in some way the formal name...
Awhile back I spotted a charming little "Oksana" in Banks' swim class, who seems to be a Russian or central Asian adoptee. Saw her brother a few days ago-- "Trek"! Parents appear to be older, sophisticated, interesting.
Like the fact that they combined the (exotic, and I assume Slavic) Oksana, with the robustly American and Palin-esque Trek! (Or does Trek have significance in other languages?) Vastly different, but strangely compatible, perhaps because of the "k"?
re: Calvin and Wesley: lol--and both nice names too!
re: Bo: I feel like it could be used for any name that starts with B. Or maybe any that starts with B+vowel. Like Baron, Benjamin... hrm... if Bill can be a nn for William, why not Bo? Biltmore? Bruce?
re: Sariyan: i kind of like it. Its not something people will hear and roll their eyes. I would've assumed it was an Indian name or something. In fact... maybe it is?
re: Oksana and Trek: Do you think Trek was adopted also? Maybe Oksana was given that name b/c of where she was adopted from?
@Eo-my favorite doll when I was little was Phronsie, exactly because of 5 Little Peppers!
Celeb baby alert:
According to USA Today, Campbell Brown and her husband Dan Senor said hello to Asher Liam Senor on Monday. Mom and baby are healthy and doing great. His brother Eli was born in December 2007.
Completely "normal" name and goes great with Eli. Compliments and congrats to them!!
Yes in fact met the mom and she told me about it.
Also came across a couple other interesting names: Ellis, Teal, Tyver.
Ellis was about 5
Teal about 10
Tyver about 6
I like the look of Tyver but I always want to say Tyler.
I've loved the name Inara since I first heard it on Firefly. It's just beautiful, I hope I can use it some day.
Miriam - I had no idea about the website. Would using the name Bodog be like using Tequila, Vodka, or Whiskey? Or would it be more like using Bailey, Miller, or Macallan?
Bo makes me think of Bo Brady from Days of Our Lives. Wikipedia says his full name is Beauregard Aurelius. Kind of interesting. I agree with RobynT that Bo could be used for almost any B name. I also like the Robert suggestion, it feels like a natural fit.
"Miriam - I had no idea about the website. Would using the name Bodog be like using Tequila, Vodka, or Whiskey? Or would it be more like using Bailey, Miller, or Macallan?"
It's a proprietary name, not a generic one, so it would be more like Bailey, Miller, or Macallan. Bodog is an all-purpose gambling site with poker, casino table games (like blackjack), and horse race and sports books (www.bodoglife.com). Speaking as the mother of a professional poker player and writer of poker instructional materials (his fifth book is about to drop, and he has done DVDs and numerous coaching videos), I would not go out of my way to encourage gambling by naming a child after a gambling site, but that's just me. Although I must say my child has made a very comfortable living out of poker and is a mini-celebrity in that realm.
On another subject, I was reading a review of a Broadway show and happened upon the name of Beowulf Boritt, a well-known (but not previously to me) set designer. I did some googling trying to find out if Beowulf is his birth name or one adopted as a nom de showbiz. All I discovered is that his father is Gabor Boritt, originally from Hungary, who escaped to America after participating in the 1956 uprising, moved to South Dakota, learned English by reading the writings of Abraham Lincoln and is now professor of Civil War studies at Gettysburg College (a quintessential American success story if ever there was one). Beowulf has two brothers Jake and Daniel. With brothers Jake and Daniel, I am guessing that Beowulf is not this guy's birth name, but I couldn't confirm that one way or the other.
Miriam-I looked for a bit and like you could not confirm 100% whether this was his given name or not. Since no reference was made anywhere to any other name, I am leaning toward thinking it IS his real name. Fascinating story regarding his father though!! Thanks!
Was Beowulf separated from his siblings by any meaningful number of years? That might be a clue. (And speaking of naming kids after liquor, Jack and Daniel are an amusing sib set.)
Oh, and Bo is a great nn for Robert! I'm particularly excited, as my husband AND my brother are Robert Jrs, and both want a III someday. Right now, we have the Bobs, Rob, and Robert.
I too hate the boys names used for girls! I know its judgemental and the parents have every right to use whatever name they want, but I find it so frustrating, seriously.
On that same note though, I feel hypocritical or atleast feel there's something worth psychoanalyzing about the fact that I do love girly names that have a boyish nn, ie. Sam (antha), Jo(sephine), etc. What's up with that, huh.
I know a sibset Beowulf and Logan (aged approx 6 and 4). I don't think that exactly harmonizes either! So here's a question. What names WOULD work with Beowulf?
For sibs for Beowulf, I'm thinking an ancient warrior theme. How about Beowulf and Attila?
Beowulf and Thor? Or you could stick with the story and go with Beowulf and Grendel.
Valerie--
Well, Hrothgar (the chancellor of Oxford who was a guest at my PhD commencement was named John Hrothgar Habakkuk--one of my all time favorite names), Aethelstan (or Aethelwulf), Beanstan, Breca, Finn, Cynewulf, Wulfstan, and Hygelac and for the girls Aethelflaed, Freawaru, Hygd and Hildeburh.
Seriously, I have devoted my entire adult life to reading, studying, and teaching Beowulf, and no way would I name a son Beowulf. The only name from the poem that I could see anyone really using is Finn (from the Fight at Finnsburh).
I did give my son an Anglo-Saxon name Edward (in the modern spelling), and I also like Edmond/Edmund. Edgar, Edwin, Alfred, and Harold are OK, Bede for me is a stretch (but it's always a possibility for those looking for a saint's name, Cuthbert and Dunstan being other saintly Anglo-Saxon choices). My grandfather's second name was Wolf, and if I hadn't been named for that grandfather, I could see naming a son Wolf. Actually I think Wolf is way cool, and it hasn't hindered Wolf Blitzer from making his way in life.
Beowulf (Bee-wolf) is a kenning for 'bear' (the creature who plunders the bee hive for honey), so a possible companion sib name would be Bjorn or Bruno or Orson or Osborne or Bernard or Arkady or Ursula or Callisto (who was turned into a bear) or Bruna or Berengaria or even Dov (or Dov Ber), all 'bear' names, but not SO obviously matchy unless you know the meanings. Some count Arthur as a bear name from arctos/arcturus, although other etymologies have been advanced. From ancient times bears have been the objects of totemic taboos, and the 'bear' words are usually apotropaic circumlocutions (cledonisms), often meaning the brown one or the honey-eater (in addition to Beowulf, the Russian word for 'bear' 'medved' also refers to honey-eating).
Allegr@- Hal was the top choice on my list too. I like its connection to the name Henry. That is a family name for me and one I now wish I had chosen as my son's name in the first place, but oh well.
I think to go with Beowulf you would have to have some other equally powerful name like Constantine or Demosthenes. For girls maybe Theodora or Alexandria.
New baby alert: Rhys Adam LN.
I really love this name. You don't hear Rhys enough, and the Welsh spelling is my favorite. But... little Rhys's older sister is named Ys@ (pronounced Ee-sa, like the beginning of Isabelle with a French pronunciation). Rhys and Ys@ are just too similar for a pair of siblings in my mind. Other than that, I think it's great.
Miriam, does Dimitry Medvedev's surname come from one of these bear references? Does his last name mean bear/honey-eater?
I knew someone named Wolf some years ago--a guy around my age, would be late 20s now. A very cool name, and he carried it perfectly.
Thanks Tirzah - some great ideas! How about Genghis? ;)
And Miriam- fascinating stuff as always. Thanks so much for your contribution!
"Miriam, does Dimitry Medvedev's surname come from one of these bear references? Does his last name mean bear/honey-eater?"
Yes, it is a bear reference. The -ev is roughly equivalent to the Irish O', so essentially Medvedev means something like 'descendant of a bear.'
I had the exact same thought when I read about the 'medved'! Thanks, Miriam, so interesting.
To go with Beowulf I immediately thought back to one of my history classes and the queens Fredegunda and Brunhilda. (Maybe Fredegund and Brunhilde work better). Not actually related, but they have the strong feel of Beowulf. Looking through the Franks on wikipedia I also could see Chlothar... Isn't Gregoir a French form of Gregory (pron. Greg-wAHr)? Gregory and Beowulf sound good sound-wise, but I feel like Gregory sounds too "regular" so Gregoir has a better feel (assuming I didn't just make it up, haven't taken French recently).
Oh also, I know someone with a cat named Grendel, works great on him;)
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