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