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Baby Names : Parents are leaning toward Celtic names for their boys this year | ||
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Traditional names like Michael and Andrew have dropped on the list, while Celtic names like Aidan, Dylan, Connor and Logan are now making the top 10, " says Jennifer Moss, creator and co-owner of BabyNames.com, "In the past 5 years or so, we've noticed this Celtic influence in the girls' lists, and now it's crossing over to the boys'." However the name Madison has remained at the top of the list for girls for the past five years, despite the fact that it means "Matthew's Son." Why? Moss responds, "I think it's because Madison is a strong, yet feminine name. It conjures up visions of a both a Madison Avenue powerbroker and an innocent, beautiful cinematic mermaid -- what an incredible combination of traits." 54% of the 2,500 BabyNames.com members surveyed said what most influences their baby name choice is the sound of the name. Second to sound, parents are most likely to choose a unique name, supported recently by Gwyneth Paltrow's new arrival Apple and Julia Roberts' twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus. But do the kids appreciate the uniqueness of a name? "I grew up hating my name," says Jolyon Terwilliger, 34-year-old web developer from Portland, Maine, "Kids can be cruel and evil and the first thing they go for is your identity -- it's a terrible thing to be ashamed of your name." Terwilliger adds, "But as I grew up I realized that I had a strong, unique persona because of it and it suited me well." BabyNames.com offers parenting and childcare advice, guest essays, cartoons, monthly photo contest, and active message boards on all topics. Top 20 names of 2004: RANK BOYS GIRLS 1 AIDAN / AIDEN / ADEN MADISON 2 ETHAN EMMA 3 CADEN / KADEN ABIGAIL 4 CALEB RILEY 5 DYLAN BAILEY 6 JAYDEN/JADEN CHLOE 7 JACOB ISABELLA 8 CONNOR HANNAH 9 LOGAN HAYLEY/HAILEY 10 HAYDEN AVA 11 JORDAN OLIVIA 12 RYAN ALEXIS 13 CAMERON MACKENZIE 14 ANDREW CADENCE 15 ADDISON TAYLOR 16 JOSHUA GRACE 17 NOAH PAIGE 18 ELIJAH EMILY 19 ALEXANDER AALIYAH 20 EVAN ADRIANA | ||
| December 15, 2004 | Feedback | © Yenra | |