Last year's pop-culture highlights and the names they rocketed through the Social Security Administration's Top 1,000 most popular baby names of 2010 list:
- Teen Mom - Maci, Bentley, Farrah
- Keeping Up With the Kardashians - Mason, Khloe
- Twilight series - Emmitt, Rosalie, Bella
- Tiger Woods scandal - Elin
- Singer-song writer Adele - Adele...obviously
I also have a feeling that Jerseylicious bombshell Briella Calafiore was the reason behind the first time appearance of Briella in the Top 1,000 list. My biggest stretch of reasoning as to how pop-culture influenced a name trend: the untimely death of Patrick Swayze in 2009. This led to a lot of cable networks replaying his classics - Dirty Dancing
, Roadhouse
and the unforgettable Point Break
. What was Patrick Swayze's character's name in Point Break? Bodhi. No last name, just Bodhi. And Bodhi made the list for the first time, ever, in 2010.
, Roadhouse and the unforgettable Point Break. What was Patrick Swayze's character's name in Point Break? Bodhi. No last name, just Bodhi. And Bodhi made the list for the first time, ever, in 2010. These are my completely anecdotal guesses at the names and name trends that will make waves in 2011. You heard it here first.
- Adele and Adelina continue to climb the list in a BIG way
- More names will become gender neutral. In 2010, the boy name list gained Leighton and Tatum and the girl list gained Kai, Tegan and Sawyer. Maybe we'll see some girls named Tristan, Bennett and Finn and some boys named Paige and Skye.
- The return of more girl names that peaked in the 1960's like Suzanne, Rose and Marilyn. Names of this decade have a historic and feminine feel without seeming ancient and flowery. Ideal.
- I'm not sure the whole corporation name trend for boys is behind us (names that sound more like businesses than babies, i.e. Kyron and Lathan). I expect more of the same.
- On the other hand, I predict that a backlash to the corporation name trend will finally kick off. There will be a rise of classic male names that were popular in the early 1900s like Frederick, Everett and Wallace.
- Pippa. The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is presently a pop-culture phenomenon and will remain a historical highlight of 2011 forever. Kate's gorgeous sister Philippa Middleton was the talk of all towns following her poised participation in the celebration and her envy-worthy silhouette in that maid of honor dress. I predict a first time appearance of both Philippa and Pippa on the Top 1,000 list next year.
