Genealogists can learn quite a bit from the first names of their ancestors. Sometimes, a first name can give you clues about the heritage of an ancestor. There are many families who have certain names that are handed down from one generation to another one. Often, though, parents are inspired by the popular culture when they name their babies. A first name can give a glimpse into what your ancestor’s social world was like.
There is now a list of the most popular baby names for 2010, for both boys and girls, which comes from data compiled by the Social Security Administration. A quick glance over this list reveals that many parents are very much inspired by popular culture when they select a first name for their baby. Decades from now, these names will give clues about what sorts of things were popular when that person was born.
The most popular name for girls in 2010 was Isabella. This name can be easily shortened into “Bella”, which just so happens to be the name of the main female character in the Twilight book (and movie) series. Number two on the list was Emma. The actress, Emma Watson, played Hermione Granger in all of the Harry Potter movies.
Olivia was the third most popular name for girls. This name could have been inspired by the actress Olivia Wilde who appeared in the movie “Tron: Legacy”, and who played the character of Thirteen on the television series “House”. There also is a popular children’s picture book series about a cartoon pig named Olivia. The books are written by Ian Falconer.
The name Sophia is the fourth most popular. It could have been inspired by the actress Sophia Bush, who plays the character Brooke Davis on the television show “One Tree Hill”. The fifth most popular name for girls in 2010 was Ava. One can only hope that this name was not given to people’s daughters from fathers who are fans of the video game called Alliance of Valiant Arms, (or A.V.A.).
The most popular name for boys in 2010 was Jacob. Again, this relates to the Twilight series. The character Jacob was a potential love interest for the character Bella. Number two on the list was Ethan. Pair that with the middle name of Allen, and you have named your son after a furniture store. Third on the list was Michael, which is a name that tends to be popular every year, and in many countries.
Number four was Alexander. If I had to make a guess, I would think that this name could, potentially, relate to the character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show named Xander Harris. Number five on this list was the name William. This is another name that continually pops up on the lists of most popular baby names.
Other names that rose in popularity recently include Maliyah, for girls, and Barack, for boys. Parents who name their son Barack are influenced by the name of our current President, Barack Obama. He has a daughter named Malia, which is inspiring people to name their daughters by the alternative spelling of the name, Maliyah.
Image by Luis Markovic on Flickr