Wednesday, November 30, 2011

A New Top 1,000 List (seriously)

Yesterday I gave my Top 20 list of the most popular girl names from 2010.  The list was based on the social security administration's statistics, but lumped all spellings of the same name together.  Today, I'm ready to discuss my Top 20 list and give you the full and newly calculated Top 1,000 girl name list.  Technically, it's not 1,000 names because after combining all the different spellings of the same name (Haley, Hayleigh, Hailey...etc.) the list was shortened to a mere 672.

First, how interesting is it that Isabella wasn't the most popular girl name of 2010?  Since May, we all (admit it) whole-heartedly believed that Twilight's Isabella Swan was an unmatched pop culture phenomenon.  Little did we know that all the Sofias and Sophias were the real dominating force.  Actually, the percentages were very close between the Top 2 names: 1.3784% of girls born in 2010 were named Sophia/Sofia and 1.3121% of girls born in 2010 were named Isabella/Izabella/Isabela.  Meaning, we can still credit Stefenie Meyer and Kristen Stewart for programming our brains enchanting our socks off.

The purpose behind this wildly tedious project was to find the true percentage of the population that chose each name, regardless of how each member of the population decided to spell it.  By combining the multiple spellings, the percentages for many names increased.  But, even the increased percentages didn't come close to the percentages of the most popular names from 100 years ago.  In comparing the newly calculated 2010 stats to those from 1910, the difference is still glaring.  The top name in 1910 (Mary) boasted %5.4454 of the little lady population.  All the Top 10 names claimed over 1% of the population in 1910.  Last year, only Sophia and Isabella beat the 1% mark.

That's a lot of math...maybe a visual aid will help?


Top girl name 2010 = SOPHIA (1.3121%)

versus

Top girl name 1910 = MARY (%5.4454)


another visual aid:

(Sophia Loren)

versus


(Mary J. Blige)


Popularity really isn't what it used to be when it comes to girl baby names.  A hundred years ago nearly 20% of the girls born were named one of the Top 10 girl names.  Last year, less than 10% of the girls born were named one of the Top 10 girl names.  Relatively speaking, Mary was a more popular name in 1910 than Sophia was in 2010 even though both were the most popular name of their year.

Next up: boy names.  By "next up" I mean in the next few days weeks.

Below is my newly calculated Top 672 girl names.  Like yesterday, where I found more than one spelling for the name, the most popular spelling is capitalized and the alternative spellings follow in order of popularity.



  1. SOPHIA - Sofia
  2. ISABELLA - Izabella, Isabela
  3. OLIVIA - Alivia, Alyvia
  4. CHLOE - Khloe, Kloe
  5. EMMA
  6. EMILY - Emely, Emilee, Emmalee, Emilie
  7. MADISON - Maddison, Madisyn, Madyson
  8. AVA - Avah
  9. ABIGAIL - Abagail, Abbigail, Abigale
  10. HALEY - Hailey, Haylee, Hayley, Haleigh, Hailee, Haylie, Hayleigh
  11. ADDISON - Addysin, Addyson
  12. ZOE - Zoey, Zoie
  13. LILY - Lilly, Lillie
  14. RILEY - Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie
  15. LAYLALaila, Lailah, Leyla, Leila, Leilah
  16. MIA - Miah
  17. NATALIE - Nataly, Nathalie, Natalee, Nathaly
  18. ELIZABETH - Elisabeth
  19. KAYLEE - Kayleigh, Kailey, Kaylie, Caylee, Kaleigh, Kailee
  20. KAITLYN - Katelyn, Caitlyn, Katelynn, Caitlin, Kaitlin, Kaitlynn
  21. ELLA
  22. ALLISON - Alison, Alisson, Allyson, Alyson
  23. BRIANNA - Briana, Breanna, Bryanna
  24. MAKAYLA - Mikayla, Michaela, Mikaela, Mckayla, Micaela
  25. ARIANNA - Ariana, Aryanna, Aryana
  26. SARAH - Sara
  27. PEYTON - Payton, Payten
  28. KYLIE - Kylee, Kyleigh, Kiley
  29. AALIYAH - Aliyah, Aliya, Aleah, Aleigha, Alia
  30. ALEXIS - Alexus
  31. SAMANTHA
  32. BROOKLYN - Brooklynn
  33. MADELYN - Madeleine, Madilyn, Madalyn, Madelynn, Madalynn, Madilynn
  34. GABRIELLA - Gabriela
  35. MACKENZIE - Mckenzie, Makenzie
  36. JASMINE - Jazmin, Jazmine, Jasmin, Jazmyn
  37. LEAH - Lia, Lea
  38. MAYA - Mya, Maia, Myah
  39. ANNA - Ana
  40. ALYSSA - Alisa, Alissa
  41. HANNAH - Hanna, Hana
  42. GRACE
  43. AUBREY - Aubree, Aubrie
  44. AVERY - Averie, Averi
  45. LILLIAN
  46. KATHERINE - Catherine, Kathryn
  47. ASHLEY - Ashlee
  48. EVELYN - Evelynn, Evelin
  49. SAVANNAH - Savanna, Savanah
  50. NEVAEH
  51. VICTORIA
  52. TAYLOR
  53. ISABELLE - Isabel, Isabell
  54. JOCELYN - Joselyn, Joslyn, Jocelynn
  55. CAMILA - Kamila, Camilla
  56. AMELIA
  57. CHARLOTTE
  58. CLAIRE - Clare
  59. LILIANA - Lilliana, Lilyana, Lilianna, Lillianna, Lilyanna
  60. BELLA
  61. KAYLA
  62. LAUREN - Lauryn
  63. ALEXA
  64. SYDNEY - Sidney, Sydnee
  65. AUDREY
  66. JORDYN - Jordan, Jordynn
  67. BAILEY - Baylee, Bailee
  68. JULIANA - Julianna, Giuliana
  69. JULIA
  70. GIANNA - Giana
  71. SOPHIE
  72. JADA - Jayda, Jaida
  73. MELANIE - Melany
  74. KAELYN - Kaylin, Kailyn, Kaylynn, Kaylyn, Kaylen, Cailyn, Kaelynn
  75. ADRIANA - Adrianna
  76. CARLY - Karlee, Carley, Carlee, Carlie, Karly, Carleigh, Karli
  77. DESTINY - Destinee
  78. MORGAN
  79. ALEXANDRA
  80. LONDON - Londyn
  81. KIMBERLY
  82. MOLLY - Mollie
  83. MACI - Macy, Macie, Macey
  84. BROOKE
  85. NATALIA - Natalya, Nathalia
  86. TRINITY
  87. FAITH
  88. CADENCE - Kaydence, Kadence, Caydence
  89. LUCY
  90. MADELINE
  91. ANDREA
  92. NAOMI - Noemi
  93. ADALYN - Adalynn, Addilyn, Adelyn, Adelynn
  94. AUTUMN
  95. SCARLETT - Scarlet
  96. MARIAH - Miriyah
  97. SERENITY
  98. KENNEDY -  Kennedi
  99. STELLA
  100. MARIA
  101. RACHEL - Rachael
  102. CAROLINE
  103. GENESIS
  104. EVA
  105. ASHLYN - Ashlynn
  106. JESSICA
  107. DANIELA - Daniella
  108. ANGELINA
  109. VALERIA
  110. JAELYN - Jaylynn, Jaelynn, Jaylin, Jaylyn, Jaylen
  111. GABRIELLE
  112. ANNABELLE - Annabel
  113. JADE - Jayde
  114. RUBY -  Rubi
  115. REBECCA - Rebekah
  116. CALLIE - Cali, Kali, Kallie
  117. JAYDEN - Jadyn, Jaiden, Jaden, Jaidyn
  118. NORA - Norah
  119. PAIGE
  120. CAMERON - Kamryn, Camryn
  121. LILA - Lilah
  122. MEGAN - Meghan
  123. ELLIE
  124. VANESSA
  125. KEIRA - Kiera, Kierra
  126. REAGAN - Regan
  127. MARY
  128. ALAINA - Alayna
  129. JAYLA - Jaylah
  130. LYDIA
  131. STEPHANIE - Stephany
  132. AMY - Aimee
  133. MALIA - Maleah, Maliyah, Maliah
  134. ANIYAH - Aniya
  135. VIVIAN - Vivienne
  136. ALANA - Alanna, Alannah
  137. LYLA - Lylah
  138. AMAYA - Amiyah, Amiya
  139. KENDALL - Kendal
  140. SADIE
  141. JENNIFER
  142. HARPER
  143. NICOLE
  144. VIOLET
  145. JACQUELINE - Jaqueline, Jacquelyn
  146. MICHELLE
  147. GISELLE - Gisselle
  148. ALLIE - Ali, Ally
  149. GRACIE
  150. SKYLAR - Skyler
  151. REESE
  152. JENNA
  153. ALINA - Alena, Aleena
  154. PIPER
  155. CHRISTINA - Kristina, Cristina
  156. ELIANA - Elianna
  157. LESLIE - Lesly
  158. VALERIE
  159. ELISE - Elyse
  160. CHARLIE - Charlee, Charley, Charli, Charleigh
  161. ARIEL - Arielle
  162. DAISY
  163. CHEYENNE - Cheyanne, Shyanne
  164. VALENTINA
  165. JULIET - Juliette
  166. SIENNA - Siena
  167. KIRA - Kyra
  168. CASSIDY - Kassidy
  169. LEXI - Lexie
  170. MELISSA
  171. MARLEY - Marlee
  172. ANGELA
  173. KATIE
  174. HAYDEN
  175. JANIYAH - Janiya, Janiah
  176. ELENA
  177. SUMMER
  178. MARISSA - Marisa
  179. ELEANOR
  180. MAKENNA - Makena
  181. CLARA
  182. JILLIAN
  183. ALICE
  184. ALICIA - Alisha
  185. ABBY - Abbey, Abbie
  186. MIRANDA
  187. MILEY - Mylee
  188. EDEN
  189. MARGARET
  190. SHELBY
  191. JOSEPHINE
  192. DELILAH
  193. KELSEY - Kelsie
  194. KINLEY - Kynlee
  195. AMANDA
  196. AYANA - Aiyana, Ayanna, Aiyanna
  197. DIANA
  198. BRIELLE
  199. ANGEL
  200. DANIELLE
  201. TEAGAN - Tegan
  202. KARA - Cara
  203. CECILIA - Cecelia
  204. MELODY
  205. KYLA - Kylah
  206. PENELOPE
  207. AURORA
  208. MARIANA - Mariana
  209. ANNABELLA - Anabella
  210. CASSANDRA - Kassandra
  211. Laura - Lara
  212. ALEXANDRIA
  213. KENDRA
  214. DELANEY
  215. KATE
  216. MILA - Myla
  217. ERICA - Erika
  218. LOLA
  219. TALIA - Taliyah, Thalia
  220. ERIN
  221. HADLEY
  222. SIERRA
  223. SABRINA
  224. TESSA
  225. CHELSEA
  226. ANYA - Anaya
  227. AMBER
  228. BRYLEE - Briley, Bryleigh
  229. HEIDI - Heidy
  230. MAGGIE
  231. CRYSTAL - Krystal
  232. KARINA - Carina
  233. MCKENNA
  234. COURTNEY - Kourtney
  235. KARLA - Carla
  236. PAISLEY
  237. DANICA - Danika
  238. ELIZA
  239. TIANA - Tianna
  240. ALEXIA
  241. LINDSEY - Lindsay
  242. EMERSON - Emersyn
  243. HOPE
  244. KAREN
  245. NADIA
  246. ALONDRA
  247. HARMONY
  248. QUINN
  249. NYLAH - Nylah
  250. FIONA
  251. KAIA - Kaiya, Kaya
  252. JAZLYN - Jazlynn
  253. JOSIE
  254. EMILIA - Emelia
  255. ZARIAH - Zaria, Zariyah
  256. HAZEL
  257. LUCIA
  258. DANNA
  259. ESTHER
  260. LELIANI
  261. REYNA - Raina, Rayna, Reina
  262. FATIMA
  263. XIMENA
  264. CAMILLE
  265. PRESLEY
  266. CORA
  267. ALEJANDRA
  268. GENEVIEVE
  269. ANNIKA - Anika
  270. BIANCA
  271. MALLORY
  272. ESMERELDA
  273. LENA - Lina
  274. ARIA - Ariah
  275. BRYNN
  276. DAKOTA
  277. JAYLEEN - Jaylene
  278. WILLOW
  279. VERONICA
  280. ISLA
  281. IVY
  282. MIRIAM
  283. JOANNA
  284. KELLY
  285. KINSLEY
  286. HALLE - Hallie
  287. PHOEBE
  288. TIFFANY
  289. EMERY
  290. JOURNEY - Journee
  291. LANEY - Lainey
  292. CARMEN
  293. IRIS
  294. NINA
  295. GEMMA - Jemma
  296. SANIYAH - Saniya
  297. ADELINE
  298. HEAVEN
  299. KIARA
  300. GEORGIA
  301. PARIS
  302. GUADALUPE
  303. SELENA
  304. BRAELYN - Braelynn
  305. EVANGELINE
  306. LIANA - Leanna
  307. TATUM
  308. ROSE
  309. AUDRINA
  310. FERNANDA
  311. LUNA
  312. SASHA
  313. SAGE - Saige
  314. ANGELICA
  315. LORELEI - Lorelai
  316. RUTH
  317. AYLA
  318. ANABELLE - Anabel
  319. AINSLEY
  320. YARETZI
  321. RAEGAN
  322. ATHENA
  323. MONICA
  324. TATIANA
  325. GRACELYN - Gracelynn
  326. ANASTASIA
  327. NOELLE
  328. JULISSA
  329. BETHANY
  330. IMANI
  331. KENZIE
  332. RAELYNN - Raelyn
  333. JAMIE
  334. APRIL
  335. YASMIN - Yazmin
  336. CYNTHIA
  337. ALESSANDRA
  338. JANE
  339. CASEY - Kasey
  340. ARABELLA
  341. MIRIAM - Maryam
  342. NAYELI
  343. CAROLINA
  344. JULIE
  345. GIA
  346. JANELLE
  347. ANNIE
  348. ELAINA
  349. JIMENA
  350. LYRIC
  351. SHANIYA - Shania
  352. FINLEY
  353. DULCE
  354. RYAN - Ryann
  355. ANNE - Ann
  356. ITZEL
  357. HOLLY
  358. ANGIE
  359. ELLE
  360. ESTRELLA
  361. ELLIANA
  362. SARAI
  363. BRENDA
  364. BRITTANY
  365. HARLEY
  366. DAHLIA - Dalia
  367. ADELAIDE
  368. HELEN
  369. KARISSA - Carissa
  370. CIARA
  371. JOHANNA
  372. LACEY
  373. SHAYLA
  374. BRIDGET
  375. TERESA - Theresa
  376. LILIAN
  377. PAOLA
  378. SERENA
  379. CELESTE
  380. TENLEY
  381. NATASHA
  382. AMARI
  383. BRISA
  384. DANA
  385. PARKER
  386. AILEEN
  387. NIA
  388. BRENNA
  389. KIERSTEN - Kirsten
  390. DESIREE
  391. JALIYAH
  392. ANAHI
  393. DAYANA
  394. KAYDEN
  395. LANA
  396. LUCILLE
  397. IVANNA - Ivana
  398. LOGAN
  399. VIVIANA
  400. JOY
  401. PRISCILLA
  402. DAPHNE
  403. DENISE
  404. SKYE
  405. ROWAN
  406. FRANCESCA
  407. ELISA
  408. AMIRA
  409. LIZBETH
  410. KENLEY
  411. KIMORA
  412. GLORIA
  413. MELINA
  414. BRYNLEE
  415. LIBERTY
  416. ARACELI - Aracely
  417. CLAUDIA
  418. MIRA - Myra
  419. SANDRA
  420. JAYCEE
  421. NANCY
  422. MIRACLE
  423. ANNALISE
  424. AZARIA - Azariah
  425. CINDY
  426. MARISOL
  427. YARELI
  428. ELOISE
  429. ASIA
  430. HELENA
  431. MAEVE
  432. JUSTICE
  433. WHITNEY
  434. OLIVE
  435. MARILYN
  436. CLARISSA
  437. FARRAH
  438. ADA
  439. AMANI
  440. JANESSA
  441. SYLVIA
  442. MCKINLEY
  443. SKYLA
  444. BRISTOL
  445. GWENDOLYN
  446. KALIYAH
  447. ROSA
  448. TORI
  449. AYLIN
  450. DYLAN
  451. KRISTEN
  452. MARIE
  453. KIANA
  454. RIHANNA
  455. WENDY
  456. REGINA
  457. EVE
  458. ROSALIE
  459. SLOANE
  460. AMYA
  461. KATHLEEN
  462. JUNE
  463. ASPEN
  464. ELSA
  465. PERLA
  466. MEREDITH
  467. RAQUEL
  468. SAMARA
  469. RAVEN
  470. VIRGINIA
  471. JAYLEE
  472. PATRICIA
  473. SHERLYN
  474. SHILOH
  475. ISIS
  476. LINDA
  477. ANGELIQUE
  478. PAITYN
  479. ANSLEY
  480. DIAMOND
  481. MARINA
  482. TABITHA
  483. SELAH
  484. ELSIE
  485. LEIGHTON
  486. HAVEN
  487. AMARA
  488. ARELY
  489. SARIAH
  490. AMERICA
  491. BRINLEY
  492. TARYN
  493. MILAN
  494. GRETA
  495. MERCEDES
  496. PHOENIX
  497. CHRISTINE
  498. ELLEN
  499. VERA
  500. TARAJI
  501. KEYLA
  502. SIMONE
  503. AMELIE
  504. AISHA
  505. CATALINA
  506. HEATHER
  507. SHANNON
  508. JESSIE
  509. ZION
  510. LUCIANA
  511. ADRIENNE
  512. IRENE
  513. YESENIA
  514. PALOMA
  515. JANAE
  516. JOLIE
  517. AMINA
  518. EVIE
  519. BARBARA
  520. MARTHA
  521. ABRIL
  522. DEANNA
  523. ALANI
  524. KENYA
  525. SONIA
  526. ZARA
  527. LISA
  528. ROSEMARY
  529. PAULINA
  530. ELIN
  531. ARIELLA
  532. CORINNE
  533. JAKAYLA
  534. CHAYA
  535. CAROLYN
  536. CELIA
  537. EMMALYN
  538. LUZ
  539. ZANIYAH
  540. ILIANA
  541. GIADA
  542. CHERISH
  543. GIOVANNA
  544. CAMPBELL
  545. LARISSA
  546. FELICITY
  547. JULIANNE
  548. TAMIA
  549. INGRID
  550. YOSELIN
  551. BRIA
  552. DEBORAH
  553. HARLOW
  554. TARA
  555. FRANCES
  556. JENNY
  557. SAWYER
  558. MORIAH
  559. RYLAN
  560. SANAA
  561. YARITZA
  562. SUSAN
  563. LIBBY
  564. ELAINE
  565. MATILDA
  566. PATIENCE
  567. ANALIA
  568. SHARON
  569. ALIANA
  570. MARITZA
  571. TESS
  572. KARSYN
  573. CHANEL
  574. ARMANI
  575. AZUL
  576. CHANA
  577. PAULA
  578. EDITH
  579. ALIZA
  580. AMIRAH
  581. EMBER
  582. LIVIA
  583. LEIA
  584. AKIRA
  585. BEATRICE
  586. EILEEN
  587. IRELAND
  588. KENNA
  589. HADASSAH
  590. DEMI
  591. MALAYA
  592. MICAH
  593. ALAYAH
  594. ALMA
  595. ANGELINE
  596. AYLEEN
  597. CHARITY
  598. NOLA
  599. MAYRA
  600. BELEN
  601. BELINDA
  602. BREE
  603. KATRINA
  604. MARA
  605. MILLIE
  606. RENEE
  607. JOYCE
  608. KYNDALL
  609. LILIA
  610. SHYLA
  611. JUDITH
  612. MEADOW
  613. SALMA
  614. TANIA
  615. NEVEAH
  616. RAYNE
  617. SARAHI
  618. BRIELLA
  619. JANET
  620. LANIYAH
  621. STACY
  622. KARMA
  623. LIZETH
  624. MARLENE
  625. PRINCESS
  626. RIYA
  627. DOMINIQUE
  628. ADELE
  629. BRITNEY
  630. ADELINA
  631. DIYA
  632. ESME
  633. KAYLEEN
  634. DIXIE
  635. ROSELYN
  636. YAMILET
  637. ARYA
  638. DAMARIS
  639. JEWEL
  640. MATTIE
  641. YAMILETH
  642. EMMY
  643. AUDRIANA
  644. ESPERANZA
  645. JAMYA
  646. KINSEY
  647. KAI
  648. PRECIOUS
  649. KIMBER
  650. LORENA
  651. MINA
  652. PEARL
  653. WILLA
  654. JASLENE
  655. JOLENE
  656. KAIRI
  657. RIVER
  658. SHAYLEE
  659. INDIA
  660. MILAGROS
  661. ZURI
  662. AMIAH
  663. DEVYN
  664. DONNA
  665. MAE
  666. PAMELA
  667. XIOMARA
  668. LEONA
  669. LILITH
  670. ALAYSIA
  671. VIOLETA
  672. DANIA

Lesson learned: the silent "h" is almost always the less common spelling.  Other lesson learned: this was the most difficult project I have undertaken in the name of Next Stop Baby.  So, when I wrote earlier that you could expect the boy name equivalent in weeks, make that months...

What did I miss?  Did I lump any names that you would have kept separate?  Should I have lumped more names together?

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

A New Top 20

I have come up with a new Top 20 most popular (girl) baby name list for 2010.

Last week I received a new comment on an old post.  The post (here) was about how the meaning of "popular" has changed over time when it comes to baby names.  In 2010, 1.0756% of the baby boys born were named the most popular boy's name, Jacob.  In 1910, 5.4920% of the baby boys born were named the most popular boy's name, John.  And so, it would seem, that names are more unique nowadays.

Now, here is the comment (by "S"):

As Katie pointed out with Isabel(le), variant spellings are popular and might mask how common a name is, just going by the statistics.  Also, a lot of people might be going for the same nickname, but choose different longer names.  Like all the Belle/Bella names, the Ella/Ellie names, the Emma names, etc. You still might avoid duplicating names on the coat hanger if they use her full name, but not if you're yelling the nn out in a crowd.  Also, the stats are for the whole of the US.  Frequency of the names can vary by state and region.  You can look up name stats for your state on the SSA website to get a better idea of which names are popular where you are.



A gratuitous picture of Bella.  
I figured with all the Katniss talk lately
(here, here and here
she deserved it.

The comment raises three interesting points:

1.  One name can be spelled many ways
2.  Former nicknames are current full names
3.  Name popularity by state and region


I've already addressed #3 in a prior post (here), which is one of my favorite posts of all time because it featured one of my favorite website discoveries of all time.  Points #1 and #2 are interesting ideas that I hadn't thought of when I originally wrote Most Unique Name Ever.  Being the Type A personality that I am, I couldn't just acknowledge the insight and move on.  No.  Instead, I decided to revisit the statistics and check out both theories.  

I started with the consideration of uncommon name spellings.  I looked at the entire Top 1,000 list of girl names (from 2010) on the Social Security Administration website and clumped together single name pronunciations that were spelled multiple ways.  SEVERAL hours later I realized that I wasn't going to get to the boy names any time soon, much less get to point #2.  But I will...some day.

I did eventually finish analyzing the girl names, a few apple cider donuts helped the process.  Big shout out to Stew Leonard's for those delicious treats.  Below is a new Top 20 most popular girl names of 2010 list - my list.  It's more accurate than the list on the SSA website, or so I think, because it accounts for multiple spellings of a single name.  The most popular spelling is listed in all capital letters and the other spellings follow.  Where there is no list that follows, there were no alternative spellings.

  1. SOPHIA - Sofia
  2. ISABELLA - Izabella, Isabela
  3. CHLOE - Khloe, Kloe
  4. EMMA
  5. OLIVIA
  6. EMILY - Emely, Emilee, Emmalee, Emilie
  7. MADISON - Maddison, Madisyn, Madyson
  8. AVA - Avah
  9. ABIGAIL - Abagail, Abbigail, Abigale
  10. HALEY - Hailey, Haylee, Hayley, Haleigh, Hailee, Haylie, Hayleigh
  11. ADDISON - Addysin, Addyson
  12. ZOE - Zoey, Zoie
  13. LILY - Lilly, Lillie
  14. RILEY - Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie
  15. MIA - Miah
  16. NATALIE - Nataly, Nathalie, Natalee, Nathaly
  17. KAYLEE - Kayleigh, Kailey, Kaylie, Caylee, Kaleigh, Kailee
  18. ELIZABETH
  19. KAITLYN - Katelyn, Caitlyn, Katelynn, Caitlin, Kaitlin, Kaitlynn
  20. ELLA

There is much to discuss about the list above - how it compares to the list on the SSA website, how the percentages have changed by combining multiple spellings, how there are 8 ways to spell Haley.  And, above is only the Top 20 list.  I have the full 1,000 to show off.  But, for today, I'll leave it at that.  Stay tuned (likely tomorrow) for some deep-ish thoughts on all of the above.

***Don't forget to enter the Little Partridge giveaway (HERE)!!!

UPDATE (11/29/11...some hour past my bedtime): After a few more calculations (joining a couple more alternatively spelled names) I have a slightly updated Top 20 girl name list.  Most notably, Layla joined the Top 20 and Ella was booted.  Olivia also beat out Chloe for the 3rd spot.




  • SOPHIA - Sofia


  • ISABELLA - Izabella, Isabela


  • OLIVIA - Alivia, Alyvia


  • CHLOE - Khloe, Kloe


  • EMMA


  • EMILY - Emely, Emilee, Emmalee, Emilie


  • MADISON - Maddison, Madisyn, Madyson


  • AVA - Avah


  • ABIGAIL - Abagail, Abbigail, Abigale


  • HALEY - Hailey, Haylee, Hayley, Haleigh, Hailee, Haylie, Hayleigh


  • ADDISON - Addysin, Addyson


  • ZOE - Zoey, Zoie


  • LILY - Lilly, Lillie


  • RILEY - Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie


  • LAYLA - Laila, Lailah, Leyla, Leila, Leilah


  • MIA - Miah


  • NATALIE - Nataly, Nathalie, Natalee, Nathaly


  • ELIZABETH - Elisabeth


  • KAYLEE - Kayleigh, Kailey, Kaylie, Caylee, Kaleigh, Kailee


  • KAITLYN - Katelyn, Caitlyn, Katelynn, Caitlin, Kaitlin, Kaitlynn
  • Monday, November 28, 2011

    Cyber Monday Giveaway (Thanks Little Partridge!)

    WINNER IS KIM!!!

    Thanks to everyone for participating in the Little Partridge.  Kim, the second ("anonymous") entrant emailed me her name and email address (she had trouble using the comment function, damnit!!!).  She loved the nautical pieces from Little Partridge.  Congrats Kim!  



    Next Stop Baby is participating in today's cyber Monday fun.

    Just in time for the holidays, Little Partridge is giving away a Baby's 1st Christmas set (below).  The set includes everything you see: a long sleeve onesie, a festive tutu, a burp cloth (the cupcake) and gerber daisy hair accessory.  The winner will choose the size of the onesie (0-3 m, 3-6 m, 6-12 m, 12-18 m) and the onesie design (either the heart you see below or a personalized letter monogram).


      
    Prize: Baby's First Christmas set (onesie, tutu, burpcloth, flower hair accessory).
    How to enter (and win): Go to the Little Partridge Etsy Shop and check out all the adorable, handmade baby products.  Then post a comment (on this blog, BELOW) about your favorite.  And that's it. One entry per email address.  "Anonymous" entrants won't count, so leave a name.
    Enter by: Wednesday, November 30th, 2011 at 5 pm (EST)
    Number of Winners: One
    Shipping: US only
    Winner Announcement: One winner will be selected using http://www.random-draw.org/ and posted by Friday (12/2/11). So, check back!


    Here are a few of my favorite Little Partridge items: football onesie, gender neutral burp clothes, toy and pacifier clips.










    Friday, November 25, 2011

    Stuff People Google 28

    Today's Stuff People Google hit home-ish for me.  I have a friend who asked how much money he or she (I'm not giving this away) could expect in wedding gifts.  Said friend wanted to make some future spending plans based on their upcoming nuptials.


    how much money do people get at their first baby shower


    For the record - POOR TASTE.




    Wednesday, November 23, 2011

    Gender Neutral Nursery - Brainstorm

    I've written plenty of posts on gender neutral nurseries (plenty = five).  There was yesterday's post on an orange nursery (here) and earlier posts on a gray and yellow nursery (here), a fish themed nursery (here), an owl themed nursery (here), and a neutral toned nursery (here).


    Remember all these lovely products and images?


    Orange and white everything


    Grey and yellow art

    Fish pillows

    Owl bedding

    Neutral colored everything

    It seems I've instinctively focused my nursery suggestions to color and animals.  Meaning, I've left a lot untouched - polka dots, plaid, Winnie the Pooh, fabric textures, jungle, ocean...and a lot of other stuff.  What have you seen lately by way of gender neutral nurseries?  What unisex scheme did you choose or will you choose?  Do you agree that owls are way overplayed in nursery decorating and baby products in general?

    I on purpose accidentally forgot that I also wrote about a Peter Rabbit themed nursery (check it out here...if you want).

    Tuesday, November 22, 2011

    Orange You Excited to Decorate a Gender Neutral Nursery?

    Another gender neutral color (other than yellow...and green...which is the new yellow) is orange.  Maybe orange will become the new green?  Orange and turquoise is a trendy color combination, but a little too modern and loud for my taste.  I prefer bringing the orange down with white, cream and tans.






    1. Macaroni pumpkin crib bedding set by Nurseryworks ($330-$340)
    2. Orange slice pillow by Winter Petals ($39)
    3. Chunky baby blanket by How Cute Are You? ($25)
    4. Owl coin bank by Z Gallerie ($12.95)
    5. Orange dandelion photograph by Carl Christensen ($15)

    Monday, November 21, 2011

    Telltale Signs

    Technically, us ladies are physically ready to have a baby the moment we get our first period, but it usually takes a bit longer for our hearts and brains to catch up.  When the stars align and that full mind-body-soul-readiness manifests itself, articulating the feeling can be difficult.  Being "ready" to have a baby is a funny thing.  It's a state of being, an abstract idea that can't really be described in terms of how or why it comes about.  It's like loving someone - you can describe all the things that you love about a person, but describing the emotion itself is hard (if not impossible) to do.  On the other hand, actions tend to speak louder than words (or so the saying goes) and there seem to be a few telltale signs of a "ready" person.

    Fiscal prioritizing.  All of the sudden trying the hottest restaurant, buying the newest seasonal fashion trends and planning the next vacation are no longer priority.  Money is more consciously spent and more frequently saved.  Long term financial priorities take front seat and trendy must haves fall to the wayside.

    Totally not grossed out.  Vomiting, pooping, boogers and drooling are no big deal.  People love holding babies.  We specifically visit babies for the opportunity to hold them, seeing our friends and family is collateral.  There's nothing better than that perfect baby smell and soft baby skin as you cuddle your new mini best friend.  But, all things come to a crashing halt when your adorable bestie spits up all over your favorite cashmere sweater.  There's usually a quick pass off to mommy and a run to the bathroom to try and minimize the damage.  When you respond by giggling and shrug that you've been in dire need to bring the sweater for a good dry cleaning anyway, that's a serious moment of truth.

    Are you thinking - SO cute or SO gross?
    (image here)


    Virgin margaritas taste the same as the real thing, pretty much.  No one's saying that your taste for Cabernet will suddenly vanish, but the thought of not being able to drink alcohol on New Year's Eve is no longer the biggest downer in the world.

    Jealousy (much like imitation) is the sincerest form of flattery.  Every toddler, baby, pregnant lady and stroller in your line of sight is noticed.  People who want to live in Paris watch French movies, eat French food and obsessively eavesdrop on strangers with French accents.  People who want to have babies follow baby blogs....ehem...watch television shows about babies and awkwardly stare at every baby and pregnant lady that crosses their path.

    What are the other telltale signs that you're seeing in people around you 
    or you saw in yourself when the time was right?

    Friday, November 18, 2011

    Stuff People Google 27

    The "things" reference in this search phrase is fantastic.  It's sort of like a psychological game - whatever word you instinctively replace with "things" speaks to your personality.  Sex? Happiness? Home cooked meals? Grammatical correctness?


    does things stop when you have children



    Thursday, November 17, 2011

    2011 Baby Name Predictions - Revisited (Boys Only)

    Every year, the Social Security Administration updates their website with the 1,000 most popular boys and girls names of the prior year.  This year, the list was posted in May.  I immediately and intensely studied the list, of course.  By "studied" I mean scratched my head, searched some especially unique names on the internet, asked my dog for her thoughts and made a couple nonsensical spreadsheets.  The end result was a series of posts that note the changes from 2010 to 2011 (girl name post here, boy name post here) and some predictions about the 2011 trends that I think will show up on next year's update (here).

    With the year coming to an end, I've decided to revisit my predictions and make a few last minute corrections before my time is up.  If you think this is cheating, then fine.  I'd like to think of the May post as a rough draft and the posts today (and yesterday) as the final product.  Below is a list of the boy names that I predicted would find popularity in 2011.  Like yesterday, I'm going to add some to the list and cross some off.


    Boy Names
    Everett
    Frederick
    Kyron
    Lathan
    Paige
    Skye
    Wallace


    August and Henry.  Before I even discuss the names on the list, I'm adding these two.  I hear them everywhere.  Every baby boy I meet or hear about seems to be named one or the other, though I've yet to meet an August Henry or Henry August.  They are the choices of celebrities, coworkers, friends and strangers.  Both are classic and strong choices (think: August Anheuser Busch, Sr. and Henry Kissinger).

    Everett.  I still like it.  A lot.  It's classic and strong like August and Henry, and has the added bonus of sounding like a first name or last name.  This type ambiguity seems to be a lasting trend.

    Frederick.  I'm not sure about this one.  People are certainly into the long (read: many letters in length) classics.  Nathaniel, Christopher and Alexander are Top 100 standards.  But, Frederick might be too old classic.  Other than Freddy Prince Jr., nothing comes to mind by way of recent Federicks, Freds or Freddys.

    Kyron is an odd name, in my humble opinion.  It makes me think of Enron or a software company.  On the other hand, it's a mash up - a mash up of Kyle and Aaron - and folks love mash ups (on Glee and with baby names).  I'm going to stick with Kyron, but I find it about as baby name friendly as Katniss (more on that here).  Before I end the discussion on mash ups, I'm adding Brayden to the list.  It's technically not a mash up, but it sounds like one.  It fits somewhere between Brandon, Raymond and Grayson...which is also getting added.  Gray is a hot color and Grayson is a hot name.

    Lathan is out.  It's even stranger than Kyron.  If it's trying to mimic Nathan, then there's a major issue: Nate is a great nickname for Nathan, but Late does not work as a nickname for anything, ever.

    Paige is staying on the list with a slight adjustment - I'm dropping the "i".  The "i" makes it too feminine to be used as a boy name.  So, Page will stay on the list.  It's gender neutral and neatly falls into the popular category of boy names that are also job titles: Mason, Hunter, Tanner, Sawyer...and Jasper.

    Skye is a big YES thanks to fashionista Rachel Zoe.

    Wallace may seem like a bad gamble (if I were actually betting on these guesses).  The first Wallace that comes to mind is Wallace from Wallace and Gromit, which doesn't conjure intellect and success.  But, it's also masculine (think William Wallace), vintage and...the kicker...British.  If we learned one thing in 2011, we learned that Americans are obsessed with British Royalty.  Who isn't?  Who didn't wake up at the crack to watch Wills and Kate get hitched?  You at least recorded it on your Tivo or DVR, right?  So, I'm keeping Wallace and I'm adding Harry.  Adding William would be officially cheating given that William has been in the Top 20 list since 1901, and is usually in the Top 10.

    The new and improved boy name list:



    Boy Names
    August
    Brayden/Braydon
    Everett
    Frederick
    Grayson
    Harry
    Henry
    Kyron
    Lathan
    Page
    Paige
    Skye
    Wallace


    If you have no clue who Wallace and Gromit are, watch the clip below.  
    It's claymation British humor at its finest.


    Wednesday, November 16, 2011

    2011 Baby Name Predictions - Revisited (Girls Only)

    Back in May I posted my predictions for the names that would be hot in 2011.  Here's the recap for girl names:


    Girl Names
    Adele
    Adelina
    Bennett
    Finn
    Marilyn
    Philippa
    Pippa
    Rose
    Suzanne
    Tristan


    For the reasoning behind this list, and the boys name list, check out the original post (here).  Now that 2011 is almost over, I'm going to revisit the lists.  Today is for the girls, tomorrow is for the boys.  Ladies first, of course.  I'll scratch a few off the list and add a few on.

    Adele and Adelina, check and check.

    Bennett....eh.  Maybe no for Bennett.  I still think that Masculine girl names will be hot, but Bennett might be too masculine.  Instead I'll add Avery and Emery to the list.  These are both masculine-ish names but with the "y" ending feel more acceptable as a baby girl's name and they both allow for nicknames that are super hot - Ava and Emmy.

    Finn I'm keeping.  Call me crazy, but it's cute yet masculine and similar to Quinn, which has steadily climbed the top 1,000 list over the past 20 years (from 942 to 253).

    I think I'm ahead of the times with Marilyn.  My guess is that Marilyn might be more popular in 2011 than 2010, but not noteworthy so.  However, I'd wager that Marilyn will be B-I-G in 2012.  In just a week, Michelle Williams will star as Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming film My Week With Marilyn (in theaters 11/23/11).  I suspect that she will remind everyone that Marilyn Monroe is a true icon and that Marilyn is an awesome name.

    Philippa and Pippa definitely stay on the list.  Pippa Middleton continues to be an enigma, as does her name.

    Rose.  I'm not sure Rose will be making a come back.  I'm going to scratch that off the list too.  People are digging traditional names and feminine names.  But not names that are both traditional and feminine, like Rose.  Traditional names have to be a little less flowery, like Charlotte.  And feminine names have to be a little more unusual, like Azalea.  So, I'm going to add Azalea, Dahlia and Daphne.

    Primrose.  While I'm nixing Rose, I think the longer version Primrose might be a hit thanks to The Hunger Games.  If your counting, I've officially written about The Hunger Games three times this month.

    Suzanne is a wild card.  I'm going to cross it off the list, though I may regret that.  Maybe Susanna instead?  Hmmm...nope.  I don't know why, but I've changed my mind on this front.

    Tristan.  I'm scrapping Tristan too.  It's masculine, or at least gender neutral, which is good.  But, like my Bennett nix, it may lack intrigue.  Instead I'm adding a different category of masculine names - nicknames.  What were once nicknames for boys are now full names for girls.  Example, I have a friend who named her daughter Frankie.  Adorable!  So I'm adding Frankie and Joey.  (Not Franny and Zooey, which I openly admit went over my head.  I needed a book club for that one).



    Girl Names
    Adele
    Adelina
    Azalea
    Avery
    Bennett
    Dahlia
    Daphne
    Emery
    Finn
    Frankie
    Joey
    Marilyn
    Philippa
    Pippa
    Primrose
    Rose
    Suzanne
    Tristan


    Click here to watch the trailer for My Week With Marilyn.  Who plans to see it in the theatre?



    UPDATE (11/18/11) - The Huffington Post (with a writer from nameberry.com, my favorite baby name website as you know) came out today with an article on the Top 12 baby name trends for 2012.  Let me say this: You read it HERE first!!!  Here is the article.

    Tuesday, November 15, 2011

    A Common Name

    I have an important question, but before I get to it you should know that I've unofficially decided that ALL this week's posts will be about baby names.  There's no specific motivation behind this choice and it's unofficial because I tend to change my mind.  If you have any topics of interest regarding baby names, shoot me an email (nextstopbabyblog@gmail.com).

    Back to the highly crucial question - how do you feel about common baby names?  I don't mean to ask how you feel about naming your son Aiden or your daughter Sophia.  By "common" I mean famous or well known to the general public (versus popular).  I've come up with three categories of names that fall into this definition:

    1. A name that is the exact name of someone famous (i.e. Michael Jordan)
    2. A name that is the exact name of someone fictional (i.e. Betty Boop)
    3. A name that is sorta kinda a noun (i.e. Ruby Stone)

    My guess is that you're thinking NO.  No you cannot name your son Michael if your last name is Jordan.  I saw an Oprah episode several years ago when a little girl came on the show because her name was also Oprah Winfrey.  The Oprah Winfrey wanted to meet the other Oprah Winfrey.  It was intended to be a cute and funny segment before the main show, but I kind of felt bad for the little girl.  She was honored to share the name, but I couldn't help but think of all awkward introductions she would suffer...for the rest of her life.  Imagine reviewing a resume from Oprah Winfrey?  Or being the mailperson who delivers Playgirl to Oprah Winfrey's house?

    Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey are extreme examples.  What about lesser known celebrities and more common names.  I doubt there are too many Woods parents who are obsessed with the name Tiger.  But what about Mr. and Mrs. Roberts who love the name Julia?  Or Mr. and Mrs. Williams who love the name Michelle?  Chris Martin is both a common name and a lesser known celebrity, as compared to Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan.  Would you think twice about choosing Christopher if your last name was Martin?

    I knew a guy in college named Tom Collins.  It should be no surprise that his favorite drink was a Tom Collins.  He embraced the intrigue.  Was that easy for him to do because Tom Collins is the name of  a tasty gin drink versus world famous actor (i.e. Tom Cruise)?  Or maybe he was just a laid back guy and a more uptight individual wouldn't have been able to enjoy recognition.

    HERE is the perfect Tom Collins recipe,
    according to Esquire.com


    I'll move on to the third category of names.  When your last name is a noun do you have to avoid first names that are nouns?  Some examples:

    • Chase Fox
    • Jet Black
    • Forrest Green
    • Piper Song  

    Are these names cool or not so much?  For those who think these are absurd names, what about throwing in a middle name that breaks it up - June Elizabeth Day.  Does that make help?  Or are certain names just off limits despite how much you love them?  Must you give up your dream of naming a daughter Scarlett because you married John Letterman?

    Okay, I've officially posed a dozen questions.  Thoughts?  (#13)

    Monday, November 14, 2011

    Katniss Backlash

    I recently declared that Katniss is not a real name (here).  A couple major things have occurred since that post.

    First, I started reading The Hunger Games.  I've only finished a few chapters, so I can't yet tell you if I love it or hate it.  But, I can tell you that I'm enjoying it much more than I did the first book of The Twilight Saga.  This has no connection to whether Katniss is a real name, but I thought it was worth following up on.
    Second, I've since looked into the number of names that have been derived from written works.  There are tons.  This just makes sense.  Before there were telephones, television or internet, people communicated through writing - newspapers, poetry, letters and books.  In addition to spreading ideas and information, written communication introduced and popularized names.  While I'm not going to take back my declaration (because I'm stubborn and I wouldn't personally name my child Katniss), I will share a few details of my findings. 

    Jessica.  The first documented use of the name Jessica was in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.  Who knew?  Bill Shakespeare also created the name Miranda in his work, The Tempest.  The name Pamela was invented by Sir Philip Sidney in The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia.  Poet Jonathan Swift originated the name Vanessa for his 1713 poem "Cadenus and Vanessa".

    There are also a handful of names were made popular, though not invented, by a writer.  Wendy.  You've heard of this name, yes?  J.M. Barrie popularized the name Wendy in his little known book, Peter and Wendy (the story of Peter Pan).  Charlotte Bronte popularized the name Shirley in her novel entitled Shirley.  Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games, didn't invent the word Katniss, but she will most certainly be responsible for popularizing it as a name.



    Katniss is a plant. 
    Here is a guide on how to grow the katniss plant...
    if that strikes your fancy.
    (image here)

    Technical Difficulties

    A number of faithful fans and first time readers have let me know about some repeated technical difficulties that Next Stop Baby has suffered.

    Commenting - There was a long standing issue with the commenting function.  I got many an email (nextstopbabyblog@gmail.com) informing me that a comment had been attempted and failed.  It took a lot of researching and tweaking, but I think I've finally resolved this one.  Yes?  Anyone have commenting issues lately?

    RSS Feed - Recently I've been getting feedback that my RSS Feed is busted.  I haven't a clue how this happened or why, but I wanted to update you that I'm working on it....which could take a while.  The commenting fix came about after 6 months of efforts.  In the meantime, you can subscribe to Next Stop Baby: there is a "Follow by Email" function on the right side of your computer screen (scroll down).  By entering your email address you will receive an email every time I post something new and once in a while when I update or correct an old post (grammar mishaps get even the best of us).  

    Thank you for letting me know when things don't work and please continue to do so.  AND, come back at noon for a real post!  


    Friday, November 11, 2011

    Stuff People Google 26

    Associating certain names with certain personality traits or physical attributes is natural.  For example, Betty makes me think of a 1960's housewife and Olga makes me think of a large eastern European woman.  I wonder what name associations came up from this google search.


    smelly coworker names



    Thursday, November 10, 2011

    Look, DON'T Touch

    Today's post was inspired by a good friend's awkward encounter with a rude person.  This good friend, also a good mom, read last week's post (Rude People and Socks) and immediately emailed me the following story:

    My friend (Mom) is in the grocery store with her tiny, beautiful, perfect baby girl.  Baby Girl is happily hanging out in a baby carrier, checking out the tomatoes along with mom.  A woman unknown to Mom and Baby Girl approaches them in a tizzy.  Mom assumes she's overtaken by Baby Girl's adorableness (you would be, I swear she's just the cutest baby ever) and must comment.  Not so.  Woman proceeds to berate Mom for letting Baby Girl be in the grocery store without warmer clothing.  Mom isn't too ruffled, she's become familiar with aggressive advice from strangers, but it's still pretty annoying.  Then Woman grabs Baby Girl's shirt sleeves and tugs them down and around Baby Girl's fingers.  Strange, rude Woman is apparently trying to shield Baby Girl's hands from the brutal cold of the produce section.  

    This may be two too many stories about rude people in the last couple weeks, but I had to share because there is a bigger story here.  Rude people will be rude people.  This is true no matter how much I complain about it (here, here and here).  New and old moms alike can learn to deal with nosy questions and inappropriate comments.  Everyone can (and must) learn to deal with social ineptness in general, because it's inescapable.  But, touching a baby without permission or touching someone else without permission (i.e. a pregnant belly) is unacceptable.

    If some stranger put her paws on my non-pregnant belly I'd call her an asshole and judo chop her jugular.  I shouldn't have to explain this point, but I will: people are entitled to privacy of their person.  This is a social rule and I'm pretty sure a legal one too.  Meaning, touching a stranger's baby bump without permission is wicked rude and illegal (or should be).  The same goes for touching a baby without permission.  Just because babies are non-verbal and therefore unable to enforce their own privacy rights, doesn't mean you may take their silence as a "Sure, make my sleeves into makeshift mittens."  Unless you ask and mom gives you the green light, keep your mittens to yourself.  Period.


    Speaking of mittens - I love these (by Birda, $38)


    Wednesday, November 9, 2011

    Top 10 List - Baby Carriers

    It's time for another item on the Top 10 Most Essential Baby Products List (longest list title ever).  A month ago I asked for your thoughts on the truly, seriously, absolutely most essential baby products (here is that post).  The idea behind my inquiry was that when my baby craze turns into baby mama I'm going to need to get some baby stuff.  BUT, I live in a tiny apartment and I won't have much space to store said stuff.  Hence the list.  I'm on a mission to find the most compact versions of the most essential baby products.

    A baby carrier is today's essential product.  It's second on the list and no, you're not crazy, I've never posted the entire list.  If you give away the cow for free, nobody is going to buy the milk.  And, truth be told, the list is sort of a work in progress.

    The List so far (in no particular order):
    1. Place to Sleep
    2. Carrier

    At first I wondered if a baby carrier is in fact essential.  Why can't one just carry her baby in her arms? From my non-mother point of view, a baby carrier seemed like a convenience, a bonus gadget.   Realizing that I couldn't rely on my outsider perspective, I asked some new moms about baby carriers.  Did they have one?  How often did they use it?  Is it really essential?  Every new mom (without exception) told me that she had a carrier and she used it often.  The moms unanimously agreed that carriers are essential.  I also started to notice how many baby carriers I see on a daily basis.  They're everywhere.  I would wager that carriers are used just as much as strollers, if not more.

    Why are baby carriers essential?  Because there are a lot of activities that require two hands.  The carrier keeps the baby warm, cozy and peaceful while the mom can grocery shopping, get a coffee at Starbucks and travel on the subway.  You know how I feel about strollers on the subway (more on that here).  Carriers, however, are welcome on the subway.  And, for apartment dwellers, carriers are far more compact than strollers.







    Maya Wrap ($74.95)




    Belle ($109.95)


    Sunday, November 6, 2011

    Happy NYC Marathon Day

    Today is the NYC Marathon and I'm about to go watch a friend...or, rather, try to find a friend amongst the tens of thousands of people who are running this year (over 45,000 ran last year).

    Thanks to Amber Miller, I'm keeping my eye out for some pregnant runners.  You may remember Ms. Miller being the 27-year-old who ran the Chicago marathon earlier this year while 39 weeks pregnant.  Shortly after running (it took her a little under 6.5 hours), she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.


    This is the Miller family post marathon and childbirth.



    What do you think: Crazy or Amazing?

    Friday, November 4, 2011

    Stuff People Google 25

    I feel for this lady.  I hope it's not the same person from Stuff People Google 9.


    pregnant and i am going to vomit





    Thursday, November 3, 2011

    Katniss Is Not a Real Name

    The title of this post says it all - Katniss is not a real name.

    It's an answer to a question that I feel is plaguing my favorite baby name website, Nameberry.  I check it out on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis.  I love the witty blog articles.  I love scrolling through all the name lists like "Geezer Names for Girls" and "Nouveau Names on the Rise".  And, I love checking out the "Today's Most Popular Name" feature, which is a cluster of the most searched names on Nameberry on any given day.  It's a great website to kill fifteen minutes or two hours (click here for other websites that I kill time on).

    For the past several months, Katniss has been a name featured in Nameberry's "Today's Most Popular Name".  It's always there.  Front and center, large and pink.  The larger the name the more times it's been searched.  Everytime I pop over to check out the latest in baby names I see Seraphina (thanks Ben and Jen) and Katniss.



    A screenshot from Nameberry yesterday.  
    You'll notice the prominence with which Katniss is featured.




    For those of you who are thinking, KATNISS?  WTF?  I can explain its popularity, in part: The Hunger Games.  You've heard of The Hunger Games, yes?  It's followed in the footsteps of the Twilight Saga as the next, best, cheesy, teenage, science fiction, drama, romance series.  The heroine of the Hunger Games series, who will be played by Jennifer Lawrence when it comes to movie theaters everywhere in March 2012, is Katniss.  Just as Bella and Isabella became wildly popular baby names thanks to the Twilight Saga, it seems that Katniss is becoming a top baby name choice thanks to The Hunger Games.


    Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss.  Fierce.
    Looks like she could kick Kristen Stewart's ass.


    The part I can't explain is why people have decided that Katniss is a real name (versus the name of a science fiction heroine).  Katniss is like Spock - it's a character, not a name.  People didn't have to make that distinction with Bella or Isabella, because both had been within the top 1,000 most popular baby names (per the social security website) since 1880.  Katniss has never been on the social security website's top 1,000 baby names.  Will it join those ranks in the next couple years?  If it's popularity on Nameberry is any indication, then yes.

    What do you think - is Katniss a "real life" name?  Am I being a baby name party pooper?  Will I be eating my words in a couple decades?  And, more importantly, have you read The Hunger Games and how does it compare to the Twilight Saga?

    Wednesday, November 2, 2011

    Rude People and Socks

    I've previously written about my astonishment at how rude people can be to pregnant women (read about that here).  By "people" I mean strangers, acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors friends and family alike.  By "rude" I mean everything from critiquing dietary choices to admonishing birthing plans.  It seems that being visibly pregnant gives others a ticket to judge.

    But the rudeness doesn't end with the baby's birth.  My formerly pregnant friends are currently new mothers (no shock there).  With this transition, I've quickly learned that the ticket to judge pregnant women becomes a season pass to humiliate and belittle new moms.  It's awful.

    My quick letter to all the judging, belittling, humiliators that are so rude to pregnant ladies and new moms:

    Dear Everyone, what are you thinking?!!!  As Teresa Guidice and Melissa Gorga say (to at each other) - ZIP IT!


    Teresa Guidice versus Melissa Gorga
    Who's already excited for Season 4 of RHONJ?!!


    And now, a short(ish) narrative of some unsolicited advice from a rude, rude lady.

    A young mother is walking down the sidewalk on a warm fall day.  Her 3-month-old son is happily strapped into a baby bjorn, facing his mothers chest.  His chubby little legs are kicking and he's doing that adorable drool/gurgle thing, which is only adorable because he's a baby and not a 40-year-old man.  A woman and her husband approach the new mom and baby.  The couple is visibly older than the new mom, by several decades.  
    The older woman says, "I just have to say something..."  
    The new mom readies herself for a sweet compliment about her son's perfectly rosy and round cheeks.  "Those socks are much too small on his feet," says the older woman as she shakes her head in scorn.   
    Record scratch.
    The older woman continues, "They just are.  I had to say something.  Look at the color of that baby's legs!"  
    The new mom's eyes dart to her son's legs in a moment of genuine concern.  They appear just as chubby and cream-colored as they were that morning, when he was sockless.  Nothing concerning.  Nothing concerning at all.  The new mom stares at the older woman, desperate to end the awful exchange.  
    The older woman turns to the older man and repeats, "I had to say something, just look at those socks." 
    The new mom walks away.  Pissed.

    Shame on this older woman (also something Melissa Gorga would say). 


    Socks and sandals - a true crime. 
    (image here)


    In case this older woman happens to be an avid reader of Next Stop Baby, let me offer some advice of my own: When you see a mother doing something that you don't agree with, STOP.  Take a moment.  Would you verbalize this same concern if the situation wasn't between a mother and a child?  Would you tell a grown man that he was wearing his socks too tight?  Probably not.  You probably wouldn't have even noticed the grown man's socks in the first place.  You're not the mommy police, so stop sniffing out non-issues and harassing people.

    Have you ever witnessed one of these awkward exchanges?  When, if ever, is it okay to say something about someone else's mothering skills?

    Tuesday, November 1, 2011

    Elephant Nursery

    Elephants are clearly not as trendy as owls in the world of babies and nurseries.  But they are definitely just as cute, right?  Maybe even cuter?  

    In addition to being adorable, elephants can also be cool, contemporary and mature.  I'm always interested in decor themes that can transcend nursery boundaries into adult design because I live in a small apartment.  A strong theme in a small apartment can over take the entire space.  Picking a theme that works for a whole space (nursery, bedroom, living room and even kitchen) is especially important when it's small.  Imagine 800 square feet full of leopard print from rug to pendant lamp.  Scary.  Elephants, on the other hand, could work.  In moderation.


    Elephants work for babies.

    via amazon.com



    Elephants work for grownups.

    by Z Gallerie


    Some ideas for a baby boy's elephant themed nursery.



    1. Elephant print by Pumpkin and Butterfly ($18)
    2. Elephant lamp by Uncommon Goods ($20)
    3. Plush striped elephant by The Land of Nod ($16.95)
    4. Eli's elephant nursery bedding by Pottery Barn Kids ($24.50 - $99)
    5. Elephant clock by Uncommon Goods ($29.99)



    Some ideas for a baby girl's elephant themed nursery.



    1. Elephant print by Galerie Anais ($14)
    2. Elephant and balloon pillow by Tailorbird Designs (25 euro)
    3. Stuffed toy elephant by Rabbits Moon ($38.50)
    4. Pink and gray elephant crib bedding set by Carter's ($137)
    5. Elephant baby blanket by Kiki Kiddos ($55)