Baby Name Trends for 2009

Amy Kuras — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:01:00 GMT

They’re baaacck....

The ladies who write nameberry.com and a bunch of baby naming books have now graced us with the 15 hottest baby name trends of 2009. The biggest big-picture trend (their words, not mine)? Depression era names – not inspired by the current economic climate but by Mad Men. Yes, we’re supposedly going to start seeing names like Don, Betty, Joan and Peggy be trendy again.

But oh it gets better. “Plus stylish new occupational names - Gardener, Ranger, Miller - are likely to gain in appeal for both boys and girls as actual jobs become more scarce.”

Give your kid a job name because you don’t have one? So I suppose around here we can expect to see lots of little “Autoworker,” “Newspaper Reporter” and “Scandal-Plagued Ex-Mayor”s?

And the, no lie “trendiest trend-related trend”? Names that are rejected by trendy parents before they even get popular, because of their similarity to other popular names or association with high-profile celebrities. ‘Kay. People not wanting their kid to be the fifth Ava in first grade is somehow a trend, now?

And supposedly using nicknames is a trend that will cross the pond from England. Good news for my kids, both of whom go by cute nicknames of very, very traditional names. Which, again, trend? Or just about every baby I have ever known ever?

I will give them this though — they named the Boy Name ready to jump the shark as the “aden” names – Braden, Hayden, Caden, etc. I thought Jaden was the coolest name ever when my college roommate gave it to one of her sons – ELEVEN YEARS AGO. Now? It’s the Rachel haircut of names.

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Top Baby Names of 2008? Really?

Amy Kuras — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:02:00 GMT

I’m a name snob, or more accurately, a name know-it-all. Names should be classic, not trendy, reasonably easy to spell or at least have a spelling that matches its sound, and for the love of Pete your innocent baby’s name is not something to have fun or make a statement with (hear that, Ashlee??).

Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, authors of the Baby Name Bible and tons of other baby naming guides along with baby naming site nameberry.com, seem to disagree with their list of the “Top 10 Baby Names of 2008.”

While they don’t seem to be going for popularity but the impact the names had on pop culture (like Barack), there are some interesting choices on here.

One’s another Obama name – Sasha, which I have to agree is adorable and seems to really suit its equally cute bearer. But there’s two other politically influenced names on there: Trig, as in Palin, (turns out it wasn’t just made-up goofiness – Trig is the Norse god of strength), and Joe, as in The Plumber.

They also note movie- and TV-influenced names (“Twilight” star Edward and January for actress January Jones, Betty Draper on “Mad Men”), and new hipster-parent names like Ruby.

And there’s the “are you KIDDING ME?” names – the ultimate celebrity WTF name Bronx, and Cash, which the authors state is an important name because of the credit crunch. To which I say the same thing I thought when a beloved family member announced her son would be named that – are they trying to be funny? Eeesh.

Strollerderby : very bad ideas

Baby Name Trends for 2009

Top Baby Names of 2008? Really?

Top Baby Names of 2008? Really?