| The answer to the question is; well, it | | | | lists: |
| depends on who you ask and where you live. | | | | |
| In the good old US of A, at the time of | | | | The site's top ten lists for 2005 were as |
| writing (February 2006), the official figures | | | | follows: |
| were not yet published. It therefore remains | | | | |
| to be seen whether the top two names of 2004, | | | | Boys: Aidan, Jacob, Ethan, Nicholas, Matthew, |
| Jacob and Emily, will retain their positions | | | | Ryan, Tyler, Jack, Joshua , Andrew. |
| as the top baby names of 2005. | | | | |
| | | | Girls: Emma, Emily, Madison, Kaitlyn, Sophia, |
| Americans retain a very traditional attitude | | | | Isabella, Olivia, Hannah, Makayla, Ava. |
| to naming their children and those two names | | | | |
| have actually been at the top of the official | | | | While we wait, let's see what the most |
| list since 1999, the first year that Jacob | | | | popular 2005 baby names were in the UK. |
| beat Michael to the number one spot. Emily | | | | |
| has been the most popular baby girl name | | | | Looking at the 2005 official girls' names |
| every year since 1996! | | | | list, we see that Emily, which was the most |
| | | | popular name in the UK as well as the US in |
| In fact, the top 10 most popular baby names | | | | 2003 and 2004, was replaced in 2005 by |
| have hardly changed since the beginning of | | | | Jessica - a name which has been steadily |
| the decade. The full lists for 2004 were: | | | | increasing in popularity in the UK since the |
| | | | beginning of the century. However, in the |
| Boys: | | | | boys' list, the name Jack firmly held onto |
| | | | the top place it has held for the whole of |
| Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Ethan, | | | | the last 11 years. |
| Andrew, Daniel, William, Joseph, Christopher. | | | | |
| | | | The full top ten lists in the UK for 2005 |
| Girls: | | | | were: |
| | | | |
| Emily, Emma, Madison, Olivia, Hannah, | | | | Boys: |
| Abigail, Isabella, Ashley, Samantha, | | | | |
| Elizabeth. | | | | Jack, Joshua, Thomas, James, Oliver, Daniel, |
| | | | Samuel, William, Harry, Joseph |
| As you can see, these are 2 lists of very | | | | |
| traditional names and very much based around | | | | Girls: |
| biblical names - particularly in the case of | | | | |
| the boys' names. | | | | Jessica, Emily, Sophie, Olivia, Chloe, Ellie, |
| | | | Grace, Lucy, Charlotte, Katie. |
| So what can we expect for 2005? Well, in the | | | | |
| absence of official figures, one indicator | | | | Reflecting the general trends for more |
| comes from a very popular baby name website | | | | adventurous naming of baby girls, rather than |
| that has conducted a poll which suggests that | | | | baby boys, it seems that Jack reigns supreme, |
| in 2005, Jacob and Emily will be beaten into | | | | while there has been yet another change at |
| second place by Aidan and Emma. Whilst Emma | | | | the top of the girls' list. However, the |
| has been fighting with Emily for top spot for | | | | indications are that the popularity of Jack |
| the last 3 years (and even sounds very | | | | is decreasing and it is a fair bet that it |
| similar), the sudden popularity of Aidan is | | | | will lose its top spot in 2006. |
| much more surprising, since it was at number | | | | |
| 40 in the official 2004 list. However, | | | | In the meantime, any bets on the most popular |
| perhaps we shouldn't read too much into this, | | | | US baby names for 2005? It's fun to follow |
| since Aidan was at number 2 in the website's | | | | the trends and changes, but if you are |
| list of the same year. Obviously that | | | | looking for a name for a soon-to-be or new |
| website's member's have a particular liking | | | | baby, just remember that you don't have to be |
| for Aidan! | | | | a slave to tradition, or popularity. Why not |
| | | | strike a blow for individuality - as long as |
| It will be interesting to see how this site's | | | | you child won't find it embarrassing in later |
| top ten lists compare with the official 2005 | | | | life... |