Baby names poll answers.

[rivka]

1. Which name is more popular for girls, Ellen or Nevaeh?

72.3%, thinking way too kindly of American parents, picked "Ellen." In fact, Ellen is #447, and Nevaeh is #150. Guess why Nevaeh is so popular. Come on, guess.

It's heaven spelled backwards, that's why.

It's also the name of a Christian rock group. And a porn star.

2. Which name is more popular for boys, Peter or Isaiah?

Voting was extremely close on this one, but 50.6% chose the wrong answer, Peter. Peter is at #148. Isaiah is at #50. Probably because of the extra basketball advantage, is my guess, because I think "peter" as a nickname for "penis" is old-fashioned enough not to play a major role.

3. Which name is more popular for girls, Mary or Kendall?

65.1% decided that Kendall was awfully trendy-sounding, and I won't say that they're wrong. But Mary is higher up on the popularity list at #61, compared to Kendall at #157.

4. Which name is more popular for girls, Mary or Makayla?

Inexplicably, but predicted by 60.2%, Makayla is #51 in popularity.

5. Which name is more popular for boys, John or Hunter?

43.4% got it right. John is #17, Hunter all the way down at #41.

6. Which name is more popular for boys, Toby or Maximus?

Y'all thought that American parents would only go so far, didn't you? 81.9% thought that Toby was more popular, making this the wrongest wrong answer of all. In fact, Maximus is #375, and Toby is all the way down at #439. Explain that one to me.

7. Battle of the TV heartthrobs: Which name is more popular for boys?

The TV thing was a bit of misdirection, actually. Angel is #43, probably because it's a Latino name. Dawson is way down the list at #204. 21.7% got it right.

8. Which egregiously misspelled girl's name is the most popular?

It pains me - severely - to admit that any of these names is on the top 500. 59% thought that the winner must be Madisyn, probably because of the gratuitous "y." But in fact, Alivia (#352) narrowly edges out Emely (#359), and Madisyn (#418) is far behind.

I must now go weep tears of blood.

9. Which name is more popular for girls, Brooklynn or Ryleigh?

I wanted a choice that would make people just throw up their hands in bewilderment. And in fact, voting was fairly even. 46.9% chose the right answer, Brooklynn. (Brooklynn is #406, Ryleigh #479. Queenns wasn't in the top 500, and neither was Manhattanne.)

10. Which name is more popular for boys, Axel or Uriel?

I think this one was a little too easy. 79% correctly guessed that Axel (#333) is more popular than Uriel (#435). But why is Uriel in the top 500 to begin with?

11. Boy's name or girl's name: Harley

It astounds me that 75.6% of you think Harley sounds like a girl's name. It's the name of a freaking motorcycle, is what it is. But indeed, it's #313 for girls and only #426 for boys.

12. Boy's name or girl's name: Jaiden

All the varieties of Jaden/Jaiden/Jayden/Jaydon are more popular for boys than for girls. Jaiden with an "i" is #312 for boys, #416 for girls. Jayden with a "y" is all the way up at #75 in popularity for boys. 60.2% got it right.

13. Boy's name or girl's name: Mackenzie

This was way too easy. Over 90% knew that Mackenzie is a girly, girly girl name, at #46 is popularity. It doesn't even break the top 500 for boys.

14. Boy's name or girl's name: Kendall

This is another one that sounds boyish to me, but as 72% of you knew, Kendall is far more popular for girls (#157) than for boys (#500).

15. Boy's name or girl's name: Skyler

The right answer was winning on this one until the very end of the poll, but in the end the wrong answer pulled ahead with 51.8% Skyler is obviously a boy's name, at #234, compared to #279 for girls. Huh. I guess, actually, that's fairly androgynous.

In conclusion: I propose that we replace naming with a serial number system, as soon as possible.

Comments

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

People scare me.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I saw a "Rylee," lately, and wondered whether she'd ever be a partner in a law firm. But then, she's growing up with Madisyns and Kelseas and Charmins.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Now I want to name the baby "Manhattanne," and Michael won't let me.

Maybe I should just go to bed.

[pnh.livejournal.com]

(opening a vein)

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

Those wacky co-parents. They get so pushy.

[geminigirl]

I'm sure you've seen Notwithoutmyhandbag.com, but working with the people I do, who come from the kinds of backgrounds that they do (and I refer here to my colleagues, not my clients) we've run across a Chlamydia (because it's pretty and sounds like a flower) a Nautica (pronounced Naw-TEAK-ah) and a Placenta (pronounced Pla-cent-CHA).

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

In Norway they have (or at least had) a system the prevents parents from using made up mispelled idiocy. The name must have been historically used in Norway to name your kid that. I'm usually agaist state interferance with freedom, but by gosh that's bril for the kids in Norway.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, by the way. I helped gave my brother his name. I put a suggestion in my parent's ear and eventually my brother was named Stefan Joseph. Since we have a system not totally unlike the vor with picking names from family history (My sister is Christine Karen, my mom is Karen Frances, my Grandma is Frances Pearl, and so on) it makes naming somewhat simpler.

The first born always gets the parent's first name as a middle name, then you search the family tree for something that sounds good to go with it. The second born just gets grab bag off the family tree.

Being a young genealogy buff I helped with my brother and found the name combination that really rolled off the tongue.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

*shudder* *shuddershudder*

You're not kidding, are you?

[thette.livejournal.com]

In fact, Maximus is #375, and Toby is all the way down at #439. Explain that one to me.

Well, obviously, a baby boy should be named after his father, and Maximus is short for Gluteus Maximus. From this, we draw the conclusion that all too many American kids have real asses for fathers.

[lysana.livejournal.com]

Maximus makes me wonder about Gladiator as an influence.

And to grumble about something that I can't change, it's supposed to be spelled Michaela, damn it...

[erikted.livejournal.com]

It astounds me that 75.6% of you think Harley sounds like a girl's name.

The only human I know named Harley is a girl.

Well, actually, she's a boi, and she's dating my ex.

But I think her parents thought she was a girl when they named her.

She looks good on a motorcycle though.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

How do you propose to pronounce that? (I'm afraid to find out.)

[trinker.livejournal.com]

I have, for years, regaled people with the story of LaTrasha.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Harley was a girl on the soap opera I used to watch when I was a teenager. *shrug*

-J

[jinian.livejournal.com]

It's heaven spelled backwards, that's why.

ARGH. I die now.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

But wouldn't heaven-spelled-backwards mean "hell"?

[bibliotrope.livejournal.com]

Guiding Light? She's still on. At least the character is; I don't remember if they changed actresses. I don't watch it myself much anymore, but I peep in now and then if I'm home in the afternoons to see which characters that I "know" are still there.

It is mentioned, or used to be now and then, that she was named for the motorcycle.

(Bibliotrope is the LJ user formerly known as "laffwv". New name, same old moi.)

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

a friend of mine, a social worker in NYC had a kid named Shithead. pronounced "Shi-TEED"

as she said, "it's no wonder he had attitude issues".

n.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I'm actually kind of dubious about this, because this one appears in just about every "crazy baby names" thread ever, usually as "someone a friend knows." Unless there are dozens of Shi-TEEDs all across the country, spanning twenty or thirty years, I think it's probably an urban legend.

(See also the kids whose names were pronounced "Le-MON-ge-lo" and "O-RON-ge-lo," and spelled "Lemon Jello" and "Orange Jello." I've personally heard about them from three different people, always with a punchline like "...of course, where else would you run into names like that but in a drug treatment program.")

(Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/racial/language/names.htm) reviews some other examples.)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Just like it looks! Man-hat-ANNE. Don't you think it's so unusual and feminine?

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Aha. That explains it.

I guess.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

France also.

B

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

I'd heard the Shithead one about the teen health center I used to work at, but that's not good enough confirmation. However, we really did have a number of Chinas and Asias, not to mention a Bourbon and a Tequila. And then there was poor Genius. Except his?her? (not sure) Mom spelled it wrong - Genuis.

And I personally know someone whose given name is Fruit Juice. He claims his mom didn't realize what they were asking her for and was hungry - I think she was just a hippy. He officially changed his name to FJ.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Neaveah.

There are going to be all these people who think it's a normal name.

And there are going to be all these other people who think it's a typical American name.

But I grew up thinking "Jr", pronounced, naturally, "Jir", was a typical American name, very dashing in its lack of vowels.

Wouldn't you rather be called Uriel?

Is there some weird class thing going on here, with these really awful ones?