The Official Most Popular Baby Names of the Decade

May 9th 2010

With the 2009 data in we can close the book on the naming decade of the 2000s. The Social Security Administration plans to release their list on the 14th, but who can wait? The official data's in hand, so I've run the numbers myself.

In December, I told you in advance who the decade's champions would be: Emily and Jacob, with 2nd place honors to Madison and Michael. Those races weren't even close enough for the 2009 data to matter. (It's worth looking at that old blog to see why Madison, which only ranked in the top 2 for 2 years, trounced Emma, which had 6 top-2 showings.)

Beyond the top 2, though, there are plenty of stories. Take a look at the top 10 regardless of sex:

1. Jacob
2. Michael
3. Joshua
4. Emily
5. Matthew
6. Daniel
7. Christopher
8. Andrew
9. Ethan
10. Joseph

Just 1 girl's name makes the cut. That really drives home how remarkable it was that Isabella was America's #1 name by a large margin last year. Until the 1930s, Mary and John routinely ran neck-and-neck for the overall title. But it's been 60 years since a girl's name was #1.

Explore the decade yourself: I've posted the top 2,500 names for boys and girls. Going that deep lets you see the dramatic shape of modern style, with more girls named Skyy and Alexzandria than Marcia.

05/09/2010, 10:59AM

Comments

301

By Larksong

May 13, 2010 3:51 PM

zoerhenne

It would have been great if you could have made a website; you definitely have a knack for combos

RE: teasing

Thanks everyone :) You pretty much all have summed up how I personally feel. There are so many names in top 100s that have a lot of possible taunts, that I think I'll still use my fav names i.e. Piper -- if I can .After all, the husband would have half the vote :) For me, it's actually the very common names that I have more negative associations & come up with more taunts than the unique ones or less popular ones. :)

302

By Miriam

May 13, 2010 3:58 PM

Re teasable and otherwise unusual names--

The poker guys happen to be discussing this topic today. The demographic is male, mostly late teens/early-mid twenties, and, warning, their minds are exactly where you'd think they'd be. Also the old familiar urban legends abound.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/34/other-other-topics/name-stories-782...

303

By Larksong

May 13, 2010 4:05 PM

@Miriam

Thanks for that :) It was entertaining. I only looked through a few pages,though. The Shane McShane one reminded me of a guy who was named Scott Stott

304

By hyz

May 13, 2010 4:13 PM

Miriam, some of those were pretty good, thanks. I actually did know a med student named Su-mi LN (Korean, not an uncommon name there--not sure on her spelling though--might've been Su, Soo, Sue, etc.), and she got a lot of jokes about it. And I also know of a local doctor with the LN Doctor. Yes, she goes by Doctor Doctor.

305

By Rachel Dana

May 13, 2010 4:19 PM

Soooo behind!

I would just like to remind everyone that the UK population is about 1/5 (20% if that helps you visualize better) the US population. Instead of looking just at the numbers that qualified names for their rank, I looked at percentages. Couldn't find the 2009 UK data, so bear with me.
look at the UK http://www.behindthename.com/top/lists/100ew2008.php
vs.
the US http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi (type in 2008)
But then, the total number of babies named each name is far different. I think only about 6000 occurrences qualified for rank #1 in the UK!

@Valerie, re: birth announcement - I don't particularly like the name Theadora (though it was on the list for my parents to name me!) but I like that if you play with the syllables, you get Dorathea. Anyone know other good names that do that? I saw a site once where Dorathea/Theadora was suggested for a twin set.

Also, and I know I've seen comments about this before, but the first thing I think when I see "Lettice" is "lettuce." I'm concerned for that child to always be explaining the correct pronunciation of thier name.

How do you all feel about Isabel vs. Isobel? The "o" throws me off, I keep getting masculine vibes from an otherwise strong feminine name.

What an interesting list!

@emilyrae, re: gem expert - I love your analogy! I feel it fits well.

@Valerie, re: Prime Minister's kids' names - "Ivan Reginald Ian" intrigues me because of how close Ivan and Ian are, both in spelling and meaning/origin. Surprised to see both of them used in the same string.

re: hipster names - I've seen Felix listed as a hipster choice a couple times. My associations jump from the cat, to James Bond, to Harry Potter. I don't think it sounds stuffy, maybe so-out-it's-in, though. The "x" really helps give the name a little spice, though, I think, and the meaning definitely help the appeal. Kinda wish the feminine version had the "x" instead of a c! (Felicity)

Maybe I haven't searched hard enough, but does BNW have a search filter for name origins? Like if I only want to see Gaelic girls' names?

306

By Patricia

May 13, 2010 4:20 PM

I always think of Isobel as the Scottish variant of Isabel, but have no idea how that came to be.

307

By Valerie

May 13, 2010 4:22 PM

Eo- you may be right about the Camerons' son being known as Elwen- I don't generally follow the news about them, and when I google, both Arthur and Elwen come up.

Here are some ideas for their next child's name:

Gilbert
Ernest
Malcolm
Walter
Albert
Donald*
William*

Mabel
Alice
Maud
Winifred
Fleur*
Annabel*

*family names

Rachel Dana- yes, I'm surprised that they would use Ivan and Ian, but a lot of people don't know about the etymology.
And Lettice is pronounced as the salad vegetable, I'm afraid.

308

By Rachel Dana

May 13, 2010 4:29 PM

@Valerie - Lettice IS lettuce? Really? Not leh-TEES (hard S) Wow.

309

By Patricia

May 13, 2010 5:04 PM

Oxford Dictionary of First Names: Lettice - From the vernacular form of the Latin name 'Laetitia'. It was in use in Britain in the Middle Ages, but then fell out of use until revived by the Victorians. It is now once again out of fashion.

310

By Eo (not verified)

May 13, 2010 5:10 PM

Valerie, love your suggestions. "Malcolm" or "Fleur" especially would be fabulous for the baby-on-the-way, and combine interestingly with the other sibs...

311

By Anna S (not verified)

May 13, 2010 5:26 PM

Valerie, do you know how Ian in "Ivan Reginald Ian" is pronounced? I'm actually not that bothered by it - the two middle names are obviously a tribute to the grandparents and I like the sentiment in doing it "properly".

Rachel, I quite like Isobel but I'm not entirely sure why... it's probably just a product of my own imagination but I perceive it as a more grown-up, less frilly version of Isabelle/Isabella. It depends on context, I could see it fit in well in a very British-sounding combination where Isabella would somehow look too exotic.

312

By emilyrae

May 13, 2010 5:39 PM

rachel dana,

isobel always throws me off too. i know it's a perfectly legitimate spelling (er...i think. it is, right?), but i don't prefer it. i'd pick isabel.

haha, glad you like the gem expert thing. :]

also, i don't personally find felix a hipster name but i used it as an example earlier because i've heard others say so. personally, i think it's too much on the rise to be considered "so out." i mean it's not skyrocketing, but it is rising and i suspect it will continue to do so. x names are in.

and i think you can search by origin in name finder.

lettice = lettuce? yikes.

anna s.,
is there more than one way to pronounce ian? i think i've only heard it "ee-in" (or "ee-un").

also, i love ivan.

313

By Valerie

May 13, 2010 5:42 PM

Anna S- Ian= EE-un, as emilyrae suggests.

Eo- thanks! I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Rachel Dana- yep, lettuce.

314

By Anna S (not verified)

May 13, 2010 5:59 PM

Valerie, emilyrae - I guessed EE-an but I have also heard EYE-an (although not as much). I think Ivan Reginald Ian (EYE-van .. EE-an) is tolerable whilst (EYE-van .. EYE-an) and (EE-van .. EE-an) are over the top.

315

By zoerhenne

May 13, 2010 6:00 PM

Maybe I am just getting the definition of hipster a bit confused also but it was fun creating the combos I did and explaining how I got there. If anyone does know of how I could do a webiste CHEAPLY + EASILY let me know :)

Ian can also be Eye-an as in Ian Ziering from the original Beverly Hills 90210. Wikipedia verifies this.

emilyrae-I neglected to say earlier that I also enjoyed your gem analogy.

Rachel Dana-Would Felixity work?? j/k it would have to sound like Fee-licks-it-tee and would be way too easy to tease I think. Also the "ix" names remind me way too much of Elixir.

316

By vomiting

May 13, 2010 7:20 PM

@ Zoerhenne and Larksong - great hipster lists!

The term 'hipster' is really hard to define. It changes by area. It is cutting edge - Preston may not be hipster in some upper crust circles, but it would be very hip for a cool couple in their earliy 20s.

317

By vomiting

May 13, 2010 7:29 PM

@ Rachel Dana re: Theodora and Dorothea

Other names suggested for twins/multiples I've seen are:

Amy and May
Norah and Rohan
Alice, Celia and Lacie

318

By conana

May 13, 2010 8:58 PM

hyz and larksong,
i believe i've posted this before...my husband's grandmother, born in the late 1800's, was named chl0e [a name oft used for daughters of this family who arrived on our shores aboard the mayflower]. chl0e was nicknamed cl0ver by her family, and this is the name i associate most often with her. so this nickname has some "legs".

319

By Patricia

May 13, 2010 9:37 PM

I pronounce lettuce - "LET-tus", but Lettice as LET-tiss. They don't sound exactly alike to me. And if one named a daughter Lettice, I think the connection would be to Letitia, a perfectly fine name. However, Lettice would be set up for teasing in this country (USA) where the name is pretty much unknown.

I also hear a similarity between Lettice and Alice.

320

By Patricia

May 13, 2010 9:47 PM

Interesting discussion of the name Isobel:
http://appellationmountain.net/2009/10/07/name-of-the-day-isobel/

There's also a link to Isabeau, another medieval form of Elisabeth that I've found intriguing.

SSA 2009 "Beyond 1000" list:
Isobel 94
Isabeau 10

321

By RobynT

May 13, 2010 11:16 PM

Katryn: I've seen Alize (another liquor, referred to in hip hop) on the lists for quite some time now... seems in the same boat as Skyy. I know a Chivas too. There's also Margarita, Sherry... I know these have meanings besides the alcoholic, but I wouldn't doubt that some were named for the beverages.

My hipster names: Bartleby, Ambrose, Julian, Vera, Marian, Hazel. All but one of these is on my actual list. Jeez, I'm such a hipster...

322

By emilyrae

May 14, 2010 12:54 AM

robyn t,

and don't forget brandy. i'm not a fan of the name anyway, but the fact that it comes from the alcoholic beverage turns me off even more.

oh dear. my favorite boys' name is julian. i must be the uber-hipster.

oh, and to whoever mentioned the person they know with the kid named winthrop, that's a street name here in my area. my good friends actually live on it. however, i agree that win could be a cool nickname.

323

By Larksong

May 14, 2010 2:15 AM

re: isobel/isabel

I never used to like IsObel, but now I do. I keep on wanting to add 'le' on to IsAbel. Isobel actually looks more exotic to me, than Isabelle, ironically. IsObel reminds me of Spain and IsAbel/ISabelle makes me thing of English things. I think it's this person that I new that changed the way I looked at IsObel. There's actually a slight difference in pronunciation for me; I really do say 'OH' or 'UH', where some don't.

RE:hipster

I think the thing with hipster, is that it seems that people either view them/it as bold & out of the ordinary (they're positive outliers) OR it's trying too hard & pretentious. So, who uses the word could change the definition.

After looking at Wikipedia, Urban dictionary, the definitions seem to be the same. Afterward, I went looking for a hipster list of names, and I think in terms of being a NE - most don't find them radical.That's why when I made that list of styles previously, it seemed to be too broad a scope.It 'seems' like, after looking at the sites, that most aren't really as original they want to be. That most of the names really just fall under certain styles shared by different people in the name community & all or a lot correlate to different trends.

I could be completely wrong & this is just a theory after looking different things up

324

By Larksong

May 14, 2010 2:19 AM

Oh, the alcholic names

Would you think that person drinks wine/alcoholic drinks if they gave their kid one of those names?

325

By RobynT

May 14, 2010 3:02 AM

Larksong: Generally yes. Maybe less so with Brandy, Sherry, Margarita than Alize. Well... actually, I guess some might pick Alize and Skyy for the sounds. Hrm.... hard to say. I think I would assume young parents though. (Is it okay to say that?)

326

By Miriam

May 14, 2010 11:09 AM

Just to note--

Aliza is a Modern Israeli Hebrew name with the meaning of merry, cheerful, joyful. If the little girl named Aliza happens to be Jewish, it is unlikely that her parents had booze in mind.

327

By Valerie

May 14, 2010 12:05 PM

Patricia- I think you're correct in distinguishing Lettice from lettuce in pronunciation, but unfortunately the difference is very slight! As a consequence, I would never use this particular variant, although I love the names Laetitia/Letitia, etc. I particularly like the way a French friend pronounces her name Léticia- Lay-TEE-see-ah (more or less).

328

By Anne with an E

May 14, 2010 12:39 PM

I'm sadly disillusioned about Lettice. I remember reading a book as a kid about mischievous twins named Lois and Lettice, and I always pronounced it "Let-TEES" in my head. "Lett-iss" is much less cool!

329

By EKS (not verified)

May 14, 2010 2:00 PM

I named my daughter "Bernadette" in 2007 and I was interested to find that it ranked 2012 for the decade, with 941 little Bernadettes in the country right now... I'd just like to mention here that often when I tell people her name, they reply, "Oh, I love that name!" or "That's what I chose for my confirmation name!" or "It's so bold and beautiful!" etc... Of course, I realize that it's not everyone's taste, and some people feel that it sounds "masculine," but I hear so many positive comments from people who have daughters named Riley, Madison, Kaylee, Destiny... And I guess it just leaves me wondering how people who genuinely seem to "love" a name like Bernadette end up choosing names like Kylie and Mackenzie.

330

By vomiting

May 14, 2010 9:07 PM

@ EKS - Bernadette is lovely! I actually wanted to change my name to Bernadette when I was twelve years old, in 1998. I don't see the name as masculine at all, it is very strong and feminine. Would it be too much to ask the middle name you chose?

331

By Guest (not verified)

May 15, 2010 2:50 PM

@zoerhenne (#177), who asked "7. Dayanara 8% (info on this one please??)"

Dayanara is the name of a former Miss Puerto Rico who won the Miss Universe title in 1993, and was married to singer Marc Anthony in the early 2000s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayanara_Torres

332

By a Beth in Chicago (not verified)

May 26, 2010 10:10 PM

Well, I'm a bit freaked out. I checked out the top names of the 2000s and low and behold the names of my children are both ranked #146. Spencer was born in 2006 and Jillian was just born 3 months ago. Weird.

333

By EKS (not verified)

June 2, 2010 6:28 PM

I'm glad you like her name too! Some people told me not to do it because it is "such a big name for a little girl," but I just don't understand that reasoning... Obviously she isn't always going to be "little"!

About her middle name, it probably wouldn't be interesting to you... My husband took my last name when we got married; he asked me if he could, because he feels that when a woman takes a man's last name, it's generally just a matter of social convention, but that if he took my last name, it could be a true sign of commitment. It was interesting to see the bias in our marriage system: when a woman wants to take her husband's last name, she checks a box on the marriage certificate, whereas my husband had to go to court and publicize the pending change in the newspaper and things like that... Anyway, all of my kids have my husband's "maiden name" :) as a middle name.

(I'm not exactly sure how this site works but I hope this response somehow gets sent to you :)

334

By Guest (not verified)

June 4, 2010 5:40 AM

Hi Anne, I read those books too and LOVED THEM!

I have been searching for them for YEARS to no avail.........do you by any chance remember the NAMES of the Lois and Lettice books?

They were about the twins at the boarding school, right? In the 60s maybe?
thanks much!!

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By Ortensia's Mummy (not verified)

April 6, 2011 7:57 PM

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345

By Happycrazyallma...

March 1, 2012 11:20 PM

HOORAY! I read the whoooooole list, and I'm glad to say that many of my favorite names were below the top 1000 (or if they were in the top 1000, they weren't high enough to be considered common). WOO-HOO!

BOYS
Bronson
Galen
Clarence
Daren
Wendell
Lee
Emmitt
Virgil (YESSSSSS!)
Constantine
Vito
Dale
Rick
Donny
Schuyler
Kent
Kenton

GIRLS
Beth
Isobel
Gisele
Viridiana
Darcy
Justine
Violetta
Belle (shocked!)
Rochelle
Lorraine
Annemarie
Valencia
Louisa
Pauline
Terri
Sherry

346

By JeannieReader (not verified)

March 11, 2012 11:20 PM

My sister and I have been searching for YEARS to find the series of books we read as children about twins named Lois and Lettice who were telepathic. Does ANYBODY else remember them? What was it?