Name game

The baby name has continued to be a popular topic of inquiry. We welcome people's friendly interest in little Baby Eugeni Geilhufe, so I sent out a list of names David and I are considering for him. We asked for feedback and got a variety of amusing and thoughtful replies. (I was called crazy to ask by a few--who went on to rate the names nonetheless--and some people did not respond, later divulging a fear about expressing opinions on such a personal matter. Fair enough.) We know that whatever name we end up choosing (and the choice will be made by us alone, only after BEG shows himself in the flesh), our baby will be accepted and loved no matter how odd or trendy his name. :) Anyway, I promised to share the results of my unscientific name-ratings poll, and I will; but first, a bit of context.

According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular names for boys born in the United States in 2007 were...
1. Jacob
2. Michael
3. Ethan
4. Joshua
5. Daniel
6. Christopher
7. Anthony
8. William
9. Matthew
10. Andrew

These names account for 9.2% of all boys born last year. And they comprised the top 10 for 2006 as well, with only slight reordering. In 2005 only one name was different: William was edged out by Joseph. We might expect these names to continue in their popularity. Jacob has been in the top 10 since 1993. Joshua's been top 10 since 1979 and Christopher has remained there year after year since 1967. Andrew is top 20 going back to 1980 while Daniel's been a solid top 20 pick going back to 1958 at least. Last but not least, Michael has always been either #1 or #2 for the last 40 years (and probably much longer, but I only checked last 40 years).

There are a few regional differences. When broken down by state, the 2007 list for California reads...
1. Daniel
2. Anthony
3. Angel
4. Jacob
5. David

And in Texas last year, the most popular boy names were...
1. Jose
2. Jacob
3. Daniel
4. Christopher
5. Angel

Angel and Jose were 1-2 in Arizona. Alaskans last year named more of their sons Aiden than any other name, and North Dakotans went for Logan above all else. Apparently the Hawaiians go to the Bible for inspiration, with Noah, Ethan, Joshua, Isaiah, and Elijah making up their top 5. Interesting stuff, eh?

(Just as an amusing aside, check out the most popular names for twins.)

I know you didn't come here looking for insight into naming trends overall. It's our kid's name that interests you, right? So what emerged as BEG's top 5, when taking family and friends' ratings into account along with our own? I shall hold you in suspense no longer. Out of a list of 20 or so suggested names, people preferred:

1. Andrew (read more about this name's origin)
2. Adam (ranked #65 in 06 and 07, origin)
3. Davis (ranked #395 in 07, origin)
4. Stephen (ranked #172 in 07 while Steven ranked #97, origin)
5. Andreas (ranked #971 in 07, not to be confused with Andres at #151, origin)

Anyone want to take bets on our choosing one of the above?