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Friday, February 6, 2004
Jacob and Emily Top Most Popular Baby Names for 2003
Jacob and Emily were the most popular baby names in the United
States for the third year in a row, according to the 2003
BabyCenter Baby Names List compiled by BabyCenter L.L.C., an
online resource for new and expectant parents. Baby name books
and resources are also popular with fiction writers. Writers
use the information to help them
select names for their characters.
There were major upheavals in the rankings below the
number one spots (Jacob and Emily) this year.
The use of classic, feminine names like Emily, Abigail, and
Isabella increased significantly for girls, a move away
from the TV-inspired names that have been popular since
the mid-1990s, such as Alexis and Brianna. The boys' names
list, which typically varies very little year to year, also
saw unusual movement, but in the opposite direction. Long-time
classic boys' names such as Michael and Christopher are being
edged out by newcomers such as Aidan, Ryan, and Zachary.
In keeping with past trends, celebrities had a strong influence
on the top names of 2003. Names favored by celebrities for their
children -- Ella, Emma, Ava, and Jaden -- showed strong popularity.
"Last year was an unusual year for baby naming," said Linda Murray,
executive editor of BabyCenter. "More parents are selecting feminine
sounding girls' names drawn from family trees or classic European
literature, like Emma and Olivia. We're noticing a move away from
unisex baby names like Taylor and Sydney. But after years of
remaining virtually stagnant, boys names appear to be swinging
in the opposite direction -- from the traditional to the more
unusual, such as Caden and Gavin."
BabyCenter compiled its annual baby names list from more than
300,000 members who had babies in 2003, the largest private list
available. The BabyCenter list is unique because names with the
same pronunciation, but different spellings, are combined to
give a more accurate view of name popularity.
Some BabyCenter list highlights included:
- Traditional names with classical European roots continued to place high
for both boys and girls, including Emily, Hannah, Sarah, and Abigail
for girls and Jacob, Ethan, Matthew, Nicholas, Joshua, and Michael for
boys.
- Rising in popularity on the BabyCenter girls' list were shorter names
with under-five-letter such as Riley, Lily, Chloe, and Zoe.
- In the boys' top 10, Aidan, Ryan, Zachary, and Tyler replaced stalwarts
Andrew, Christopher, and Joseph. Most surprising was the name Aidan,
which jumped 39 spots to be the second most popular boys name on the
BabyCenter list.
- The popularity of trendy girls names such as Brianna, Jasmine,
MacKenzie, Ashley, and Alexis dropped dramatically.
- A large percentage of boys names making it into the top 50 end with
"n," such as Aidan, Jaden, Nathan, Logan, Gavin, and Brayden. Jack, not
as a nickname for John, but as its own name, also entered the top 50 at
#14.
- Spelling variations continued to be a favorite strategy for parents who
wanted to show individuality. Names such as Hailey, Kaleigh, Kaitlyn,
Madeline and Chloe had up to nine spelling variations.
BabyCenter's
Top Ten boys names for 2003 (2002):
- Jacob (Jacob)
- Aidan (Michael)
- Ethan (Matthew)
- Matthew (Joshua)
- Nicholas (Nicholas)
- Joshua (Christopher)
- Ryan (Joseph)
- Michael (Ethan)
- Zachary (Andrew)
- Tyler (Daniel)
BabyCenter's
Top Ten girls' names for 2003 (2002):
- Emily (Emily)
- Emma (Madison)
- Madison (Hailey)
- Hannah (Kaitlyn)
- Hailey (Hannah)
- Sarah (Sarah)
- Kaitlyn (Brianna)
- Isabella (Ashley)
- Olivia (Alexis)
- Abigail (Abigail)
Linda Murray advises parents to consider the following factors
when choosing a name for their baby:
- Sound. How does your baby's full name sound when it's pronounced out
loud?
- Uniqueness. Do you want your child to have an unusual name that makes
them stand out from the crowd or a traditional name that fits in?
- Relatives/friends. Is it important to you to honor a parent, relative,
or close friend?
- Ancestry. Do you want your child's name to reflect his/her heritage?
- Meaning. Does your baby's name have a special meaning?
- Nicknames. Can the name be shortened to a nickname or initials? Is it
one you're comfortable with?
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