The Most Popular Boys' and Girls' Names in the U.S.
(and How They've Changed)
by www.SixWise.com

Every year, the Social Security Administration compiles the most popular male and female baby names. The names come from Social Security card applications -- 100 percent of them that are completely filled out to include the year of birth, sex and state of birth.

Some interesting notes about how the most popular names in the nation are ranked:

• A name must be more than two characters long to be included

• Different name spellings (like Jenny, Jeni, Jenni) are considered separate names

• To protect privacy, only the top 1,000 names (and 100 names by state) are listed

• Names are ranked according to sex, so names that apply to both genders (Casey, Shannon, etc.) will have separate rankings by sex

• Name data is not edited, which means names such as "Unknown" or "Baby," or those listed with the wrong sex, are included in the count

Names, of course, seem to come in and out of fashion along with hairstyles, slang terms and clothing trends. Just take a tour down the decades of the last century to see how popular names have changed (lists below).

What's in a Name?

The driving forces that make or break a name, and motivate parents to choose it for their child, are varied. Along with wanting to express spiritual and moral values, many parents are also interested in choosing something unique.

"Names are an insight into social trends," says Tristan Hopkinson, brand manager for Bounty, a baby-product marketing company. "They go in and out in cycles. But there are those like John, a constant feature since 1899, which have a fairly long life cycle. And then those which have a shorter cycle, which pop in and out."

A survey by Bounty revealed that parents' motives for naming their children can be just as diverse as the names they choose:

• 11 percent were motivated by celebrity names

• 14 percent preferred a traditional name

• 26 percent wanted a name that came from their family

• 4 percent wanted a religious name

• 25 percent wanted a name that "nobody else had"

Still, while unusual name spellings are increasing, and more and more people are finding motivation to choose names based on TV characters, surnames, fruits, seasons and more, some traditional names still hold strong.

"Although popular myth would have it that we live in secular age, the names with solid moral and spiritual value are still coming through," says Hopkinson.

And names do seem to be important for a person's future. More than half (56 percent) of the parents surveyed "felt their children grew up to be like their name," Hopkinson said.

If you want to know whether your name made the "popularity" cut -- or are searching for the perfect unique name for your coming baby (and want to know what names to avoid) -- here's a list of the top 10 baby names for seven years spanning the last century and beyond (including 2006).

The Top Baby Names of ...

Recommended Reading

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Should New Mothers Breastfeed or Be Encouraged to Give Infants Formula?

Sources

The Social Security Administration

The Christian Science Monitor