Monday, December 20, 2010

2009 Popular Name Results

It always takes a while after the end of the year to compile the list from birth certificates, but here are the most popular baby names for 2009:   Baby Center has published the list of the top 100 for boys and girls.  Some people want a popular name; others want to avoid it.  The delay makes it a little hard to predict since a new one can pop up out of nowhere overnight and be a sensation - kind of like what happened following the release of Twilight with Isabella (and Bella). 

It's always interesting to see trends.  A few years ago I started noticing lots of baby boys with the following names of similar (rhyming) sounds: Aiden, Brayden, Caden and Hayden (along with variations of each).  All appeared in the top 100 for '09.

If you're doing something "creative" with your baby's name, try to think of him/her as an adult.  How will it fit?  What about the school teachers - will they be able to pronounce it?  It's a good idea to follow the basic rules of phonics or the child will live with a mispronounced name forever (or settle for a nickname).  I once knew a child named Dylan which the parents pronounced as "Dallen".  The mom would get upset each time I (the nurse to many patients) would mispronounce it because it looked like Dylan (as in "Dillon) to me every time I read the chart.  I finally had to add my own spelling so I would say it right.  Poor kid! Best Blogger Tips

2 comments:

  1. This response from mumzone takes you to a listing of names based on language and since it originates in Australia, there may be some different names here. Thanks for sharing mum.

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  2. Hmmmm. FYI: I looked up my own name, Debra, on this mum site and while it gave the correct meaning, it was listed as a boy's name. While many names cross gender lines, I have never heard this one to do so.

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