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Read or heard 9/25

  1. Christian
    • Origin:

      Greek or English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "anointed one or follower of Christ"
    • Description:

      The name Christian has fallen a bit from its 90's and 00's heights, but it's still quite popular. Once considered overly pious, Christian is now seen as making a bold statement of faith by some, while also having secular appeal for others. Christian's enduring popularity may be influenced by such celebrities as Christian Slater and Christian Bale, not to mention the fashion world's Dior, Lacroix, Louboutin and Audigier.
  2. Bobby
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Robert
    • Meaning:

      "bright fame"
    • Description:

      Bobby is the quintessential mid-century nickname, the name of the son on Mad Men and overused to the point of cliche. Though Robert is still a highly popular choice, most Roberts today are called by their full name or Rob or Robbie rather than Bob or Bobby.
  3. Cassie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Cassandra, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "prophetess"
    • Description:

      Though not much in use, still retains a cozy Little House on the Prairie-type pioneer feel.
  4. Kate
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Katherine
    • Meaning:

      "pure"
    • Description:

      Kate, in the headlines via Catherine Middleton aka the Princess of Wales, has been as pervasive as Kathy was in the 1950s and 1960s, both as a nickname for Katherine and Kaitlyn and as a strong, classic stand-alone name.
  5. Savannah
    • Origin:

      Spanish
    • Meaning:

      "flat tropical grassland"
    • Description:

      A place name with a deep Southern accent, the once-obscure Savannah shot to fame, with others of its genre, on the heels of the best seller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was set in the mossy Georgia city of Savannah. Originally a substitute for the overused Samantha, Savannah is now popular itself, long among the top girls' names starting with S.
  6. Sydney
    • Origin:

      Variation of Sidney, English from French
    • Meaning:

      "Saint Denis"
    • Description:

      Sydney was a hot girls' name in the 1990s, but she's arguably still cool. One of the original old man names adopted for baby girls, Sydney's popularity may be down but she's not out.
  7. Andy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Andrew, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      Although we prefer Drew to the old Raggedy Andy, Andy has overtaken Drew as a name in its own right. About twice as many baby boys are named Andy, just Andy -- though about eight times as many parents go with the full Andrew.
  8. Gary
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "spearman"
    • Description:

      When Gary cracked the Top 10 in 1950, it was one of the first nonclassic boys’ names to do so, largely due to Gary (born Frank) Cooper, who was renamed after Gary, Indiana, his agent's hometown. Now, a 65 years later, Gary isn't particularly high in the charts, and has lost any glitter it had. May we suggest the fuller name Gareth?
  9. Julie
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "youthful, sky father"
    • Description:

      Wildly popular in the 1960s and '70s, Julie is no longer anywhere near as stylish as the name's longer forms. Try Juliet, Juliana, or even the more grownup Julia.
  10. Andrea
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Andrew, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      Andrea — a feminine form of Andrew (and a male name in several European cultures) — comes with a good selection of pronunciations — ANN-dree-a, AHN-dree-a, or ahn-DRAY-a — each with a slightly different image: girl next door/slightly affected/downright mysterious
  11. Derek
    • Origin:

      English from German form of Theodoric
    • Meaning:

      "the people's ruler"
    • Description:

      Derek started out as a sophisticated Brit, but the name became so common over the last decades of the twentieth century that it lost much of its English accent, along with its stylish edge. Derek was a Top 100 name in the U.S. for 25 years, from 1970 to 1995, after which it began to decline.
  12. Amber
    • Origin:

      Word name, English
    • Description:

      Though perhaps not as currently stylish as Ruby, Jade, or Pearl, Amber has a colorful history (remember the notorious Forever Amber heroine?). Unfortunately, it does come with the "Amber Alert" connotation for modern parents (and their children).
  13. Diego
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of James
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      The energetic Diego is rising rapidly along with a lot of other authentically Spanish baby names that work perfectly well with surnames of any origin.
  14. Jake
    • Origin:

      Hebrew, diminutive of Jacob
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      This unpretentious, accessible, and optimistic ("everything's jake" -- meaning OK) short form of the top name Jacob is itself widely used, though more parents these days are opting for the full name Jacob. Jake (born Jacob) Gyllenhall is its most prominent current bearer.
  15. Monica
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "advisor"
    • Description:

      This saintly name--she was the mother of St. Augustine--plummeted after the double whammy of Lewinsky and the demise of Friends.
  16. Ashley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "dweller near the ash tree meadow"
    • Description:

      Ashley was a sensation in the 1980s and 1990s; it hit Number 1 in 1991. Ashley is still pretty but more and more parents are turning to newer names like Ashlyn and Aubrey, and spellings such as Ashleigh and Ashlea. If you hear the name Ashley in a playground today, it's more likely to be the mom than the little girl.
  17. Virginia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "virginal, pure"
    • Description:

      A literary name and a place name with a grand yet familiar feel, Virginia has been in the US Top 1000 since records began in the late 19th century. Also familiar in Spain, Brazil and Italy, recent years have seen it rank around the #500 mark in the States.
  18. Chad
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "battle warrior"
    • Description:

      Despite all the "hanging," "dangling," and "pregnant" chad jokes of the 2000 election, this saint's name and remnant of the Brad-Tad era didn't get a boost in popularity. But Chad still holds some surfer-boy appeal for a number of modern parents.
  19. Jay
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "jaybird"
    • Description:

      Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular mid-century choice, Jay was in the Top 100 from 1956 to 1970. In the last couple of decades he was replaced by such more elaborate forms as Jayden, Jaylen, and Jayce. But Jay could make a comeback in tandem with cousins May, Kay, Fay, and Ray.
  20. Damon
    • Origin:

      English variation of Damian
    • Description:

      Damon is a name with a strong, pleasing aura (much like the persona of Matt D.) and extremely positive ancient associations. From the classical myth, Damon and Pythias have become symbols of true friendship, as Damon risked his life to save his friend from execution. And Damon of Athens was the fifth century philosopher who taught both Pericles and Socrates.

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