Unique Baby Names
In a May, 2010 article in the The Washington Post, author Laura Wattenberg (The Baby
Name Wizard) surveyed
the shifting trend in baby names, as parents abandon traditional and
classic names in favor of the never-ending pursuit of unique baby names.
As Wattenberg correctly notes, a quick look at the most popular baby names in America
seems to indicate the classics are still hot. After all, names like Jacob, Noah,
and William, along with Emma, Emily, and Abigail – hardly unique names – still grace
the top ten rankings. But what's hidden is the fact that today, it takes far fewer
Jacobs or Emilys to garner the top spot, because names are far more diverse and
varied than ever before. In other words, because there are so many different names
in use today, it takes far fewer instances of one name to hit the top spot.
In 1990, almost 22,000 boys were named Jacob, and it was the number 20 most popular
name in the U.S. In 2009, there was almost the exact same number of boys named Jacob,
and it was the number one name of the year (and of the decade).
Americans today seem committed to individual and unique names, almost as if they
are "branding" their kids. But are the names that they are choosing truly unique?
Or are they just variants on perceived "cool" names? Among the top 100 boys names
for 2009, we have Aiden at number 12, Aidan at 72, and Ayden at 85. Are these last
two really that different, or are they just condemning the kid to a lifetime of
having to spell out their first name?
We decided to create our own list of "unique" names for boys and girls that's a
little different. Using common sense, we figured that parents-to-be who are looking
for a unique baby name are probably looking for a baby name that is, well -- unusual,
individual, a little bit different. A name that will stand out from the crowd, but
one that still has some basis in the English language, some sort of background or
history.
Those are the kinds of names we went looking for. All the names on our unique baby
names list are found in authoritative sources, but none of them has been in the
top 1000 names in the last hundred years, according to U.S. Social Security data.
Maybe they're not one hundred percent unique. But they're unusual, out-of-the-ordinary,
and very individual. If that's the kind of name you're looking for, then this list
is definitely for you.
Rants and Raves
about Unique Baby Names
Nothing else in the world of baby names – at least the world of Anglo-American baby
names – seems to get people more riled up, pro and con, than the issue of unique
baby names. We're talking here about the kind of names where it's clear the parents
have strived to make the name stand out, whether by playing with an existing name
– changing Brittany to Britnee, for example – or a totally off-the-wall name of
the type most-closely associated with celebrity baby names – Ashlee Simpson's and
Pete Wentz's son, Bronx Mowgli, leaps to mind.
If you're looking for a unique name for your upcoming baby, before you leap into
the world of Madecyns and Madisyns, take a look at what some people have been saying.
Our survey is not scientific, but it seems to us that the "anti" camp is somewhat
larger (or is it just noisier?) than the "pro" camp when it comes to creative naming.
On the other hand, there seems to be no shortage of people who have grown up with
unusual names who are happy with them (and vice versa). You be the judge!
The following opinions are taken from blog comments or other social media. All of
them are real. Some have been edited for brevity.
- "I can't wait until we have a President Jaden or President Ava. I'm sure by then
we'll have a Constitutional amendment reaffirming our uniqueness and individuality
as Americans!"
- "My own philosophy is, if you must saddle your kid with a weird, or weirdly spelled
name, put it in the middle, where it can be safely ignored."
- "I've gone through life explaining how to spell and pronounce my first name (Lynanne)
as well as my nickname (Lyn with only 1 'n', thank you very much)…When it came time
to name my child, I chose a fairly common name, and with the standard spelling.
At least she was able to get pencils with her name on them to use at school, something
I would have loved to have had. 'Unique' is vastly overrated."
- "Parents...shouldn't condemn their children to a lifetime of bleakly repeating that,
no, the name in question is spelled Shaiyahne, not Cheyenne."
- "An old high school classmate named one of his children Xaqueri (aka Zachery.) Ridiculous."
- "Not a day goes by that I don’t apologize to my…daughter for saddling her with the
ultimate “dizzy cheerleader” name (Brittany) that is destined to be misspelled FOREVER!"
- "This nonsense is parental abuse, by sociopaths, upon their unwitting progeny."
- "My wife is a nurse and they had a baby named Na-a (pronounced Nadasha). The mother
said that the dash isn’t silent." "And then there’s Aidan, Aiden, and Ayden, not
to mention Haden, Jaden, Kaden, Braiden, and all the other -adens..."
- "Frank Zappa’s kids are Dweezil and Moon Unit. Of course if you’re Frank Zappa’s
kids it’s OK. For everyone else, knock it off."
- "My name, Catelyn, (which was EXTREMELY unusual at the time/place of my birth) has
been a source of pride for me throughout my life and I sincerely feel it’s made
me appreciate my individuality."
- "Yawn. Not everyone is scandalized by a name that doesn’t come out of the Bible.
Just ask acting Nigerian President Goodluck Johnson. If it’s the strength of a child’s
character and intelligence that matters, who cares what her name is?"
- "I am sick to death of people in this country telling me I should spell my name
phonetically simply because it doesn’t fit within their idea of how a name should
be spelled. My name reflects not only my nationality (Irish) but also the fact that
my parents cared enough about our own language to pass it on to me rather than resorting
to an Anglo name."
- "If you were born a Jennifer, Jenny, Jen (and many, many of us were), you know that
you were saddled with a name that EVERYONE has. And that’s no fun."
- "I think we should name ourselves at 21."
- "Thanks goodness my sons Poindexter and Wilberforce are still the only ones in their
classes!"
Got a rant or a rave about unique baby names? Leave a comment in the Facebook comment
box, down below!