Story by Jamie Parsell
Photos by Eric DiNovo

Oh baby! Let’s play the name game. In the 1900s, Mary and John took first place for the most popular name in the U.S. Fast forward to 2000. Jacob and Emily took the prize for the most popular name in America. According to the Social Security Administration, the names Hannah, Madison and Ashley followed the top spot in the year 2000 for girls. Michael, Matthew and Joshua made the top 10 list for boys. However, name popularity can vary by state. In West Virginia, the top name in 2007 was Madison, followed by Emma, Emily, Abigail and Hannah. On the boys side, Jacob remains the most popular name for boys in the mountain state. However, names such as Ethan, Logan, Austin and Hunter also made the top five. In Virginia, the most popular name for 2007 for girls was Madison, Abigail, Emily, Olivia and Emma. On the boys side, the name William made a surprising steal for No. 1, followed by Jacob, Christopher, Joshua and Michael.

From the Marys of the 1900s to the Deborahs of the ’50s and ’60s, the name game is a trend — just like clothing, shoes and colors. Sandy Counts, nursing director of Princeton Community Hospital’s Women’s Center, started out as an obstetrics nurse 32 years ago.

“We have seen some interesting names,” Counts said, citing the names Mercedes and Heavenly Sunshine as the most unique names for newborns. However, she admits those names don’t happen very often. A majority of parents follow the name trends set by celebs and popular votes in books, magazines and culture.

“I do recall the trend for naming girls Shannon, Nicole and Michelle,” she said. “The boys were named Christopher, Jeremy and Dakota.”
Angel Sylvester, another obstetrics nurse at PCH, recalls the trend of the “M” names like Madison, Mackenzie and Madeline, as well as Victoria, Haley and Brittany.

One popular trend — several years ago — centered around soap opera stars and seasonal names such as April, Autumn, Summer and Noel. Today, parents seem content to use baby books for inspiration.

Celeb influence

A unique baby name — thanks to celebrity moms — is an instant way to gather attention. Names like Suri, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, made waves in 2006. In July of 2008, actress Nicole Kidman and country superstar Keith Urban welcomed daughter Sunday Rose. And another famous pair, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, named their daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. But do celebrity names have an influence on new mothers?
“I have seen one Shiloh,” Counts said. “But no Sunday Rose or Suri.”

Celebs are known for choosing unusual baby names. No one can forget these names: Apple, Coco, Bronx Mowgli, Sage Moonblood and Pilot Inspektor.
New mother Heather Yahya named her newborn daughter, Jadyn Nicole. Yahya, a 30-year old Princeton resident, and her husband Joseph picked the name after hearing it in reference to actor Will Smith, who named his own son Jaden.

“We were not sure about the spelling so we bought baby books,” said Yahya, who gave birth on Jan. 6. “It was the first name that we picked out. Jadyn was my No. 1 choice. It was pretty much set from the beginning. It is kinda unusual and you don’t hear it used as a girl name as much.”

Sylvester, who has worked at PCH for 15 years, thinks that parents are going back to more traditional names — Olivia, Lilly, Isabella and Ava — that are older and more refined than contemporary names. Ethan, Caden and Noah have been popular boys names that also follow this traditional trend.

“They are naming babies after grandmothers and grandfather,” Sylvester said.

Deneena Lugar, formerly of Bluefield, W.Va., named her baby boy Owen Ashby, a traditional and family name. Lugar and her husband, Mark, who now reside in Beaver, W.Va., chose the name Owen because of its traditional qualities. The middle name — Ashby— is after Deneena’s husband’s grandfather.

“I wanted something different but something that would carry him into adulthood,” Deneena said. “Sometimes little boy names don’t make good man names.”

Picking a family name is not uncommon, according to Counts. Many parents combine names, using either the beginning or ending of two different names.

Rebecca Ann Botts, who is due to give birth in February, picked out the name Ella Mae Ann for her new daughter. Botts, along with husband Mark picked out the name Ella because it is an old family name. The couple chose the middle name, Mae, because they both share the same birth month, May. Ann is Bott’s middle name.

“I wanted a name that was not too trendy, where she will not have five other kids in her class named the same thing,” Botts said. “Also, a name that is pretty and sweet but can still sound respectful as an adult.”

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