BABY NAMES. The list of the most popular baby names in 2007 has been released by the Social Security Administration. The agency singles out for comment that 34 of the top 1000 names for boys rhyme with Jayden. Madison continues its popularity as a girl’s name, ranking 5th in 2007. Madison is said to have been “almost non-existent” as a girl’s name until the 1984 movie SPLASH, where the mermaid character is asked her name, sees a street sign for Madison Avenue, and says “Madison.”
People are desperate to come up with original names. When Dad and I were naming you guys, we passed on Britamart for Annalisa, not because it sounds like a store in England, but just because it was so weird. (Now she might appreciate being named after a woman warrior from Spenser’s The Faerie Queene.) Similarly, Nick regrets we didn’t name him Bredegard, a family name from the Pallesen side, because it’s “so cool,” but it’s pronounced Bregger, and you can just imagine what his peers might have done with THAT one. I think it’s such a kindess to name your kids normal names. Our friend Line was very annoyed with people who named their kids Christopher but then called them Topher. I didn’t really believe her. And now there’s Topher Grace!
I’ve noticed that the crop of babies from the past 5 or 6 years has contained a huuuuuge number of Jaydens, Braydens, Caydens, Aidens, and more. There was even a Zaden on this one young mother’s blog. I know there’s some Aiden character on TV (Sex and the City I think?) but where does the Jayden craze come from?