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 With the Twilight buzz not likely to simmer down anytime soon, some vampire inspiration is bound to be making its mark in the maternity ward. (Shutterstock.com) |
What's in a name? Either a lifetime of contented bliss or years of miserable playground agony, depending on the selection.
It's the stuff parents mull over for hours, weeks, days, months, sometimes even years: What to name their baby.
Do you honour a beloved family member? Dare select a name a dear friend has already selected? Randomly flip to a page in the baby book and, wherever you're finger happens to land, just go with that? Or, do you try to come up with something fresh and new - the kind of tag that'll get your kid noticed?
Well, if you know someone named Jacob or Emma, you're witnessing two of the trendiest names to hit the radar in the last decade, according to the Canadian-based personalized children's music company, Name Your Tune, which pinpointed the hottest names based on customer orders.
Meanwhile, the chart-topping names for 2009 were Aiden and Madeline. That said, it should be noted that it appears ordinary spellings are becoming completely passe.
Sure, parents might choose a traditional name, but oftentimes it will have its own spin.
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After all, without some edge, how can one's offspring be expected to separate itself from the pack, after all?
Certainly calling your kids Bill and Jane would simplify things, but modern parents don't want simple. To avoid run-of-the-mill name calling, parents are twisting up the spelling variations of otherwise very common names.
Take Aiden, for instance.
Sure, it's the biggest names of '09, but don't assume you know how to spell it.
Should you meet an Aiden, there's a very good chance it's spelled Ayden, Aden, Aidyn, Aidan or Aaden.
Of course they're all pronounced exactly the same, but that's not the point: On paper, that extra bit of zeal stands out from the crowd.
But perhaps you're bored of crossing paths with so many Aidens, Adens or Aidyns. Thankfully there are oodles of handy spin-offs to consider, such as Jayden, Brayden, Hayden and Caden.
"I tend to think parents are just trying to find something a little different and a little more unique," says Name Your Tune Creator Candace Alper.
"It's not just that people are making up names, they're also making up spellings."
Since starting the business in 2003, a lot of name-shifting has certainly taken place.
"I find that when a celebrity gives a child an interesting name, people follow," says Alper.
Throughout the years, Alper says they've made personalized CDS for kids named Coco (which also happens to be the name of Courteney Cox's daughter); Kingston (think son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale); Apple (daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin) and even Bronx (Ashlee Simpson, anyone?)
On a more classic note, it seems Madeline is still making the rounds, although it too has become slightly too 'kid-next-door' ordinary.
Parents still enamored with the lovely sound of the name have concocted their own creative versions of the name Madeline, with everything from Madeleine and Maddelin to Madalen and Madelynn popping up on birth certificates.
So, what can we expect for baby names in 2010 and beyond?
Well, vampirism may be where it's at.
With the Twilight buzz not likely to simmer down anytime soon, some vampire inspiration is bound to be making its mark in the maternity ward.
Indeed it probably won't be long until we all know a little Bella or Edward getting rolled around in strollers in our respective neighbourhoods.
"I've seen quite a few more Bellas coming through," says Alper.
"The parents might be fans of the movie, or they could just really like the name."
Baby buzz:
Folks certainly got their cute kid fix this year with Evian's Live Young water campaign.
The ad, staring 'roller skating,' diaper-clad toddlers boogying to Rapper's Delight, generated so much traffic (25,687,416 online views worldwide) it ranked as YouTube's fifth most watched video of the year worldwide. Meanwhile, Time magazine named it the Best Advertisement of the year.
Top names for boys in 2009:
1. Aiden/Aidan/Aden
2. Matthew
3. Owen
4. Ethan
5. Jackson
6. Evan
7. Braden/Braeden/Brayden
8. Noah
9. Jack
10. Zachary
Top names for girls in 2009:
1. Madelyn/Madeleine/Madelynn
2. Madison
3. Emma
4. Hannah
5. Olivia
6. Audrey
7. Isabella
8. Grace
9. Taylor
10. Emily
Top boy names from 2000-2009
1. Jacob
2. Michael
3. Ethan
4. Christopher
5. Jack
6. Daniel
7. Aiden/Aidan/Aden
8. William
9. Joshua
10. Ryder
Top girl names from 2000-2009
1. Emma
2. Madison
3. Emily
4. Hannah
5. Olivia
6. Samantha
7. Ashley
8. Ava
9. Elizabeth
10. Madelyn/Madeleine/Madelynn
(Source: Name Your Tune)