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According
the U.S. Census list, these tried and true classics have
super staying power. Most of them have been around for over
two
centuries, and are likely to stay strong through the next millennium. |
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Boys: Charles, David, James, John, Joseph, Michael, Richard,
Robert, Thomas, William
Girls: Elizabeth, Jennifer, Jessica, Kimberly, Laura, Maria,
Mary, Melissa, Michelle, Sarah
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There
wasn't a great deal of variation in baby naming prior to the
sixties; parents tended to go with the conservative classics:
James,
John and Robert for guys, Betty, Mary and Patricia for the gals.
But
something happened in the sixties (what didn't?!) that had parents
playing the name game with a whole new set of rules. Names were
new and unique, and the variation was much greater from here
on
out. Baby naming would never be the same again. |
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Girls:
Betty, Carolyn, Dorothy,
Frances, Helen, Joyce, Martha,
Ruth, Shirley, Virginia |
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Boys:
Albert, Arthur, Carl, Frank,
Harold, Henry, Joe, Ralph,
Raymond, Walter |
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These
names showed up on the radar screens during the
bicentennial decade.
Boys: Billy, Brent, Brian, Jeffrey, Scott
Girls: Angela, Amy, Carrie, Jill, Melanie, Sherry, Stacey,
Stacy,
Wendy |
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While
the more mainstream names topped the Census charts during
the sixties, this was the Age of Aquarius for those known as
the
hippies…and baby names were outta sight, man.
Names were often unisex in the era of free love, so these are
just
generalizations:
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Boys:
Earth, Hawk, Leaf, Lotus, Moonbeam, Mountain, Peace,
River, Sky, Unity
Girls: Amber, Aurora, Bliss, Blossom, Chastity, Crystal, Dawn,
Dharma, Jewel, Mist, Saffron |
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| The
eighties was a decade of big wallets, big hair and big-time optimism.
Babies weren't any bigger, but their names sure increased in variation,
creativity and origins. |
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Boys: Anton, Antonio, Dana, Jimmy, Johnny, Lamont, Lindsey,
Willie
Girls: Candace, Candice, Ebony, Erica, Holly, Jesse, Kristy,
Krystal, Mallory, Marie, Whitney |
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Ethnic names were being introduced more
readily in the eighties as well.
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Boys:
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Girls:
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| African |
Abdalla,
Jamilah,
Nuru, Omarr, Saleem,
Tanishia
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Ama,
Dalia, Hasina,
Jina, Kalifa, Lulu,
Tanesha, Zahra
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| Indian |
Adi,
Bhaga, Das,
Kavi, Mehtar, Pandu,
Sanjiv
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Amhi,
Arya, Chandi,
Dakini, Ravati, Sharma,
Uma
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| Arabic |
Abdul,
Akil, Farid,
Hammad, Nadir
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Amina,
Fatima, Jada,
Meryl, Nudara, Rana,
Safa
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| Celtic |
Aiden,
Casey, Ewan,
Fereis, Mack, Neil,
Reagan
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Alene,
Brittany, Gilda,
Linette, Maureen,
Winnie
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| Japanese |
Benjiro, Kaori,
Kenji, Mikio, Nikko,
Takeo, Toshiro
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Akiko,
Hoshi, Kaya,
Mariko, Midori, Nikki,
Toshi, Yuriko
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| Hispanic |
Carlos,
Jorge, Jose,
Luis, Miguel, Ricardo
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Catalina,
Chiquita,
Margarita, Maria,
Susana
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Peering
out from the precipice of a new millennium, parents
looked back into Biblical times for inspiration.
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Boys:
Christopher, David, Joshua,
Jacob, Matthew, Michael,
Zachary |
Girls:
Ashley, Emily,
Jessica, Katherine,
Samantha, Sarah |
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The
new millennium will see certain baby-naming trends take shape.
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· Strange
spellings are OUT! No more Kaitlin, Katelin, Kaytlin, Kaytlyn, Kaitlyn,
Katelinn,
Kaitlynne, Caitlyn, Caitlin, Caitlynne or Caytlin.
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· Look
for trendy names to step aside for proudly simple spellings
and
pronunciations.
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· The
classics will become more popular again.
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· More
girls will receive names historically reserved for boys - Ryan,
Hunter,
Taylor and Dylan -- and vice versa.
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· Interestingly,
more children are being named after places nowadays.
Paris,
Georgia, Dallas, Houston, Israel and Dakota aren't just travel
destinations
anymore. |
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