unexpectedness

Not a Lot of People Are Naming Their Babies ‘Barack’

Even though he was, for much of last year, synonymous with “Hope,” Barack Obama’s first name didn’t make it into the list of the 1,000 most popular baby names for 2008. According to the Times, his daughter Malia’s name jumped more than 50 spots on the list, while Sasha — already a popular moniker — hovered around the same level. For the eleventh year in a row, Jacob was the No. 1 boy’s name, and for the first time, Emma surged to the top spot for girls (ever since Rachel named her daughter Emma on Friends in 2002, it’s been in the top ten). In a surprise move, “Jayden” came in at No. 11, after a steady climb since Britney Spears picked the name for her son in 2006.

In case you were wondering (and we know you were), “Jessica” is the 59th most popular name for girls. It’s been on a steady decline since being in the top ten in 2000. “Christopher” is No. 9. And, wait for it … “Daniel” is the fifth most popular on the list of boys’ names. Twist!

Few Baby Baracks, but Emmas Abound [NYT]

Not a Lot of People Are Naming Their Babies ‘Barack’