Daniel tops the boys’ chart for the very first time in the just-released 2007 New York City name popularity statistics, with Jayden rising to number two and long-time top name Michael falling to third place.    Isabella and Sophia tied for number one for girls, unseating Ashley and Emily. 　　The rise...

　　When I heard yesterday that former child star (I bet she hates that) Mayim Bialik had named her baby boy Fred (only to discover later in the day that it was actually Frederick) I must admit a warm comfy feeling swept over me.  Fred, I thought, what a great name!...

　　Rockers Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz had a baby boy late last night and named him Bronx Mowgli. 　　Bronx is, of course, the name of a down-at-the-heels New York borough, nowhere near as fashionable — as a baby name or a place — as Brooklyn.  Usually called “The Bronx,” it’s...

　　It’s always interesting–and fun–to compare the popularity lists of different states because there are inevitably  a few unexpected surprises.  Some name will pop up at #3 in one state when it’s 30 or 40 across the country.  And often a sort of state personality profile will emerge–be it trendy, traditional, or...

　　I had my three children over 11 years, and of all the disadvantages of spreading your kids that far apart, one of the biggest is that the older kids will insist on having a say in their baby brother or sister’s name. 　　When we found out our youngest child would...

　　On this momentous day in American history, with a new president exceptional in every way, including being the first to have a precedent-shaking multi-ethnic name, it’s interesting to compare it with previous Presidential names.  We know how influential some of the surnames have been–Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy have become  adopted as first...

　　Two of the biggest success stories in boys’ names in recent years have been Peyton and Eli, which are of course the names of the football-playing Manning brothers.  Names of sports stars often prove inspirational, and in this Super Bowl weekend it makes sense to look at football names. 　　As...

　　Today, on the eve of Oscar night, ABBY SANDEL, creator of one of our favorite blogs, the witty and informative appellationmountain.net, looks back through the annals of Oscar history and unearths an interesting group of winning male winner names. 　　Plenty of today’s most popular names conjure up Hollywood at its...

　　Lots of parents-to-be are searching for unique baby names., but  when you Google that term, the site that pops up first is babyhold.com, a serviceable but far from unique baby name destination.  Another site that promises to deliver unique baby names offers such ridiculous choices as Gimm and Sinley for a...

　　On the eve of the Academy Awards, one of our favorite bloggers, Abby Sandel, creator of the always informative appellationmountain.net, has searched through the annals of Oscar history and come up with some great lists of award-worthy male winners’ names. 　　Many  of today’s most popular names conjure up Hollywood at...

　　Back when there was a very limited stockpot of names, and there might be, for example, two Roberts in a village who had to be distinguished from one another, they began to be identified by nicknames and by the names of their fathers: one would be known as Robert Will’s...

　　Tuesday we brought you the Name Gamers’ take on new spins for the Top Ten girls’ names.  Today we feature their Nameberry Makeover of the most popular boys’ names. 　　Thank you to nameberry mavens olivegreen, susan, lyndsayjenness, jill, amym, lola, ricamaca, and dannim26.  For more of their makeover ideas, or...

　　While girls’ names are arguably more interesting – there are more of them, with more variations, and they move up and down the popularity ladder more nimbly – boys’ names are where the real baby-naming story lies today. 　　Parents are virtually reinventing the genre, abandoning traditional masculine names that have...