The popularity of names for newborns waxes and wanes. In the good old days, the newborn could well be named for mom or dad or grandpa or grandma.
But today, new names have joined the list, chosen, according to one study, by a lemming-like tendency to follow the crowd.
The given name of the first baby born this year at Mercy Regional Medical Center – Evelyn – wasn’t among the most bestowed there. But it was the 10th most popular among parents in Colorado in 2013, the latest year for which Social Security Administration records are available.
Otherwise, popular baby names at Mercy in 2014 were clustered. Among the five most popular girl names were Sophia/Sofia (8), Paisley (7), Isabella and Abigail (6 each) and Mia (5). The most popular boy names were Liam, Wyatt and Henry (6 each), Logan and Alexander (5 each).
Tessa Thomas-Peterson, a Bayfield businesswoman, combined tradition and contemporary sources in naming her four children, including one on the way.
Daughters Nova, 10, and Lily, whose due date is April 17, are named for grandmothers. She chose McKenzie from a name in a book for a 15-year-old daughter. Floyd, 2, is a nod to rock band Pink Floyd, a favorite of her dad, Vern.
“His father wanted to name him Hannibal, but I said, ‘No way,’” Thomas-Peterson said.
A couple who didn’t stick with the crowd were Brittany Jayne Dodd and Alex Ray Peña. Dad, a buffed weightlifter, liked Jaxx, the name of a smoothie shaker, for their 5-month-old son. Mom pulled his middle name, Rykynn, out of nowhere.
They have a daughter, Kataleya, 2, who was named after the character Cataleya in the 2011 movie “Colombiana.” Cataleya, a genus of orchid, became a baby name. It was the 446th most popular girl name in 2013.
The most popular names during the last 100 years, from 1914 through 2013, were dominated by two mainstays: Mary, the overall frontrunner for girls, held the No. 1 ranking 42 times. Michael, the boys’ No. 4 overall, was No. 1 for 44 years and consecutively from 1961 to 1997.
While traditional names prevailed over time, a new phenomenon may be at work. Kids are named for Hollywood celebrities or rock stars, no doubt, but scientists offer a new take on the selection process.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and City University in London say the results of their recent studies show that subconscious herd mentality leads to name selection.
In an online game, researchers flashed faces before people and asked them to give the person a name. Players were given money if their pick coincided with that of another player and were penalized if names didn’t match.
But after each round, players were told what names others had selected. As the game went on, disparity diminished, and a clear set of names became apparent.
Research co-author Andrea Baronchelli from City University labeled the phenomenon “spontaneous emergence” and likened it to an invisible hand.
“Everyone is trying to agree with their social circle, and spontaneously there will be the emergence of a single consensus,” Baronchelli said.
daler@durangoherald.com
Most popular baby names
Mercy 2014: The five most popular girl names were Sophia/Sofia (8), Paisley (7), Isabella and Abigail (6 each) and Mia (5). The most popular boy names were Liam, Wyatt and Henry (6 each), Logan and Alexander (5 each).
Nation during last 100 years: In the long view – the 100 years from 1914 to 2013 – the most popular names for boys and girls remain the classics. The 10 most given names for boys, from 1 to 10, were James, John, Robert, Michael, William, David, Richard, Joseph, Charles and Thomas. Girls were named Mary, Patricia, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Linda, Barbara, Susan, Margaret, Jessica and Dorothy.
Nation 2000-09: In the decade measured from 2000 to 2009, the most popular boy names were Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher, Andrew, Ethan, Joseph and William. Girls got Emily, Madison, Emma, Olivia, Hannah, Abigail, Isabella, Samantha, Elizabeth and Ashley.
Nation 2013: The top-10 lists in 2013, the latest Social Security numbers available, found preferred boy names were Liam, Jacob, Mason, William, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, Jayden and Daniel. The girl lineup: Sophia, Emma, Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Mia, Emily, Abigail, Madison and Elizabeth.
Colorado 2013: Colorado parents showed some originality. In 2013, the top 10 boy names were Liam, Noah, Jackson, Alexander, William, Elijah, Logan, James, Benjamin and Mason. The most popular girl names: Olivia, Emma, Sophia, Ava, Isabella, Abigail, Mia, Emily, Avery and Evelyn.
Traditional popular names hang around
The Social Security Administration compiles annual lists of the most popular baby names, presenting them in numerous formats, including by year, decade, century and state.
A Social Security Administration website says:
“All names are taken from Social Security card applications for births after 1879. The lists are not all-inclusive, the agency says, because many people born before 1937 didn’t apply for a card.
“So their names are not included in our data,” the website message says. “For others who did apply, our records may not show the place of birth, and again, their names are not included in our data.”
The lists of popular names are taken from a universe of 169,233,019 male births and 165,941,917 female births.
In 2013, the 1,000 most popular names represented 73 percent of all names. The percentage of the top 1,000 names is similar in other years.
Different spellings of what for practical purposes is the same name are not combined, but are considered separate names. An example: Caitlin, Caitlyn, Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Kaitlynn, Katelyn and Katelynn are independent names.
Herald Staff
