June 14, 2004

By: Alicia Jurgens
Website: http://www.1st-in-babies.com

Baby Names – See Which Names Top The BabyCenter List

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., the leading online resource for new and expectant parents. However, there were major upheavals in the rankings below the number-one spots.

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. Longtime classic boys' names such as Michael and Christopher are being edged out by newcomers such as Aidan, Ryan, and Zachary.

And, 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 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 five letters or fewer, such as Riley, Lily, Chloe, and Zoe.
• In the boys' top ten, 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 number 14.
• Spelling variations continued to be a favorite strategy for parents who want to show individuality. Names such as Hailey, Kaleigh, Kaitlyn, Madeline, and Chloe had up to nine spelling variations.

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About The Author:

Alicia Jurgens is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-babies.com.  Taking care of your babies needs including safety, toys, health and baby products.