Emily Larson - 2011 Baby Names Almanac

Copyright 2010 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover and internal design 2010 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover design by Dawn Pope/Sourcebooks Cover images dinca/istockphoto.com Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systemsexcept in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviewswithout permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered.

It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations Published by Sourcebooks, Inc. P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410 (630) 961-3900 Fax: (630) 961-2168 www.sourcebooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Larson, Emily. The 2011 baby names almanac / by Emily Larson.
p. 1. 1.

Names, PersonalDictionaries. I. Title. CS2377.L38 2010 92944--dc22 2010039345 Printed and bound in Canada.
WC 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

So, youve got a baby to name. As if preparing for the arrival of the baby isnt enough, youre dealing with all the pressure of figuring out what, exactly, to call the little bundle of joy. It can be stressful to find a name that will do justice to the hope you have for your child.

After all, names influence first impressions. They can trigger greator unpleasantnicknames. They can affect your childs self-esteem. They can be a tangible, lasting link to a family legacy. But lets not forget that they can be fun. And thats what this book is all about.

Remember The Old Farmers Almanac, which comes out annually as a guide to each years trends, forecasts, and hot spots? Aimed at farmers, of course, the book provides a way to put the year into context, to navigate the shifting seasons, and to understand all the factors swirling in the atmosphere. The 2011 Baby Names Almanac aims to be a similar lifeline for parents. With a finger on the pulse of pop culture and an ear to the ground of whats hip, new, and relevant, this book offers you an instant, idiosyncratic snapshot of how the world today is shaping what you may want to name your child tomorrow. Jam-packed with information and ideas, plus thousands of names to browse, this book analyzes the most recent trends and fads in baby naming, offering up forecasts and predictions. Youll find our take on questions like these (and much more!): Which cutting-edge names are on the rise? Which popular names are on the decline? What influence do celebrities have on names? - Names in music: Has Miley peaked? Is Taylor now exclusively a girls name? - Names in movies: Could you name a kid Pandora?- Names in sports: Is Peyton over? Will Rooney surge? And whats so great about Jacoby? How many babies get the most popular name, anyway? Which letter do most girls names start with? How about boys names? What are the most popular gender-neutral names todayand which gender uses each name more often? (If you name your daughter Harley, will she find herself playing with lots of other little girls named Harleyor little boys instead?) How can you take a trend and turn it into a name you love? We understand that sometimes this information on trends and popularity is hard to digest, so weve created some easy-to-visualize graphics. Turn to page 4, for example, to see a map of the United States showing where Isabella reigns and where little Jayden is king.

And what baby name book would be complete without the names? Flip to page 59 to begin browsing through more than 20,000 names, including entries for the most popular names for girls and boys as reported by the Social Security Administration (www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames). A little bit of a mishmash and a screenshot of the world today, The 2011 Baby Names Almanac is like no other book out there. Stuffed with ideas on whats hip and hot and how you can take a trend and turn it into a name you love, this book is your all-in-one guide to baby names now.

The Top 10 Lets start with the most popular names in the country. Ranked by the Social Security Administration (SSA), these names are released around Mothers Day each year. (The top 10 names get the most attention, but you may also hear about the top 100.

The total number of names widely reported is 1,000.) In 2009 the top 10 names were similarbut not identical tothe top 10 for 2008. Emma slid from first to second, unseated by the mighty Isabella. (Were pretty sure that has more than a little bit to do with the Twilight series!) And you know Jayden hasnt peaked yet, because it climbed into the top 10 for the first time in 2009 (in 2000, it was way down at 194). Heres a quick comparison of 2009 and 2008.

2009 Girls	2008 Girls
1. Isabella	1. Emma
2. Emma	2. Isabella
3. Olivia	3. Emily
4. Sophia	4. Madison
5. Ava	5. Ava
6. Emily	6. Olivia
7. Madison	7. Sophia
8. Abigail	8. Abigail
9. Chloe	9. Elizabeth
10. Mia	10. Chloe

2009 Boys	2008 Boys
1. Jacob	1. Jacob
2. Ethan	2. Michael
3. Michael	3. Ethan
4. Alexander	4. Joshua
5. William	5. Daniel
6. Joshua	6. Alexander
7. Daniel	7. Anthony
8. Jayden	8. William
9. Noah	9. Christopher
10. Anthony	10. Matthew

Just How Many Isabellas Are There, Anyway? Sure, these names are popular, but what does that mean? Well, it seems that new parents are increasingly looking for off-the-beaten-path names for their little ones, and it shows. According to the SSA, the top 1,000 names represent 73.09 percent of all babies born and named in the United States in 2009a significant drop from the 77.84 percent recorded in 2000. Although parents of either gender have always been looking beyond the top 1,000, parents of boys are more likely to pick a name in that mix79.03 percent of boys names are represented on the top 1,000 list, while only 66.86 percent of girls names are. Plus, although it may seem like you know a zillion people with daughters named Madison or Ava, the most popular names are actually bestowed upon a relatively small number of babies each year. For example, in 2009 only 1 percent of all male babies born in the United States (thats 20,858 little guys total) got the most popular name, Jacob. There are slightly more girls (22,067 total) with the most popular name, Isabella, but even thats only 1.12 percent of all girls born.

Only a fifth of the Jacob total4,134 babieswere given the 100th most popular name,

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