BabyNames.com Announces Top Names of 2004

    LOS ANGELES, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- According to BabyNames.com, parents
 are leaning toward Celtic names for their boys this year.
     "Traditional names like Michael and Andrew have dropped on the list, while
 Celtic names like Aidan, Dylan, Connor and Logan are now making the top 10, "
 says Jennifer Moss, creator and co-owner of BabyNames.com, "In the past 5
 years or so, we've noticed this Celtic influence in the girls' lists, and now
 it's crossing over to the boys'."
     However the name Madison has remained at the top of the list for girls for
 the past five years, despite the fact that it means "Matthew's Son."  Why?
 Moss responds, "I think it's because Madison is a strong, yet feminine name.
 It conjures up visions of a both a Madison Avenue powerbroker and an innocent,
 beautiful cinematic mermaid -- what an incredible combination of traits."
     54% of the 2,500 BabyNames.com members surveyed said what most influences
 their baby name choice is the sound of the name.   Second to sound, parents
 are most likely to choose a unique name, supported recently by Gwyneth
 Paltrow's new arrival Apple and Julia Roberts' twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus.
 But do the kids appreciate the uniqueness of a name?  "I grew up hating my
 name," says Jolyon Terwilliger, 34-year-old web developer from Portland,
 Maine, "Kids can be cruel and evil and the first thing they go for is your
 identity -- it's a terrible thing to be ashamed of your name."  Terwilliger
 adds, "But as I grew up I realized that I had a strong, unique persona because
 of it and it suited me well."
     BabyNames.com has been online since 1996, and receives over 1 million
 unique visitors a month.  Aside from names and meanings, BabyNames.com offers
 parenting and childcare advice, guest essays, cartoons, monthly photo contest
 and active message boards on all topics.   For more information, visit
 http://www.BabyNames.com.
 
     Top 20 names of 2004:
     RANK       BOYS                     GIRLS
     1          AIDAN / AIDEN / ADEN     MADISON
     2          ETHAN                    EMMA
     3          CADEN / KADEN            ABIGAIL
     4          CALEB                    RILEY
     5          DYLAN                    BAILEY
     6          JAYDEN/JADEN             CHLOE
     7          JACOB                    ISABELLA
     8          CONNOR                   HANNAH
     9          LOGAN                    HAYLEY/HAILEY
     10         HAYDEN                   AVA
     11         JORDAN                   OLIVIA
     12         RYAN                     ALEXIS
     13         CAMERON                  MACKENZIE
     14         ANDREW                   CADENCE
     15         ADDISON                  TAYLOR
     16         JOSHUA                   GRACE
     17         NOAH                     PAIGE
     18         ELIJAH                   EMILY
     19         ALEXANDER                AALIYAH
     20         EVAN                     ADRIANA
 
     What kind of names, in general, do you prefer?
     Popular/Top20 (Emily, Michael)                          10.44 %
     Popular Name, Unusual Spelling (Genipher, Mathu)        56.58 %
     Biblical (Rebecca, Matthew)                             3.38 %
     Nature (River, Meadow)                                  2.53 %
     Nouns (Apple, Chase)                                    14.41 %
     Places (Denver, Dakota)                                 2.9 %
     Surnames (Parker, Harrison)                             0.93 %
     Unique/Created (Timberly, Deshawn)                      8.84 %
 
 
     When it comes time to name your baby, what will MOST influence your
 choice?
     Name after parent                                       5.79 %
     Honor friend or family (non-parent)                     8.4 %
     Popularity ranking                                      1.23 %
     How it sounds                                           54.42 %
     Celebrity name                                          0.56 %
     Uniqueness                                              29.61 %
 
     This release was issued through eReleases(TM).  For more information,
 visit http://www.ereleases.com.
 
      CONTACT:
      Jennifer Moss
      Jennifer@BabyNames.com
      (310) 575-6638
 
 

SOURCE  BabyNames.com