The popularity of names for newborns waxes and wanes. In the good old days, the newborn could well be named for mom or dad or grandpa or grandma.
But today, new names have joined the list, chosen, according to one study, by a lemming-like tendency to follow the crowd.
The given name of the first baby born this year at Mercy Regional Medical Center – Evelyn – wasn’t among the most bestowed there. But it was the 10th most popular among parents in Colorado in 2013, the latest year for which Social Security Administration records are available.
Otherwise, popular baby names at Mercy in 2014 were clustered. Among the five most popular girl names were Sophia/Sofia (8), Paisley (7), Isabella and Abigail (6 each) and Mia (5). The most popular boy names were Liam, Wyatt and Henry (6 each), Logan and Alexander (5 each).
Tessa Thomas-Peterson, a Bayfield businesswoman, combined tradition and contemporary sources in naming her four children, including one on the way.
Daughters Nova, 10, and Lily, whose due date is April 17, are named for grandmothers. She chose McKenzie from a name in a book for a 15-year-old daughter. Floyd, 2, is a nod to rock band Pink Floyd, a favorite of her dad, Vern.
“His father wanted to name him Hannibal, but I said, ‘No way,’” Thomas-Peterson said.
A couple who didn’t stick with the crowd were Brittany Jayne Dodd and Alex Ray Peña. Dad, a buffed weightlifter, liked Jaxx, the name of a smoothie shaker, for their 5-month-old son. Mom pulled his middle name, Rykynn, out of nowhere.
They have a daughter, Kataleya, 2, who was named after the character Cataleya in the 2011 movie “Colombiana.” Cataleya, a genus of orchid, became a baby name. It was the 446th most popular girl name in 2013.
The most popular names during the last 100 years, from 1914 through 2013, were dominated by two mainstays: Mary, the overall frontrunner for girls, held the No. 1 ranking 42 times. Michael, the boys’ No. 4 overall, was No. 1 for 44 years and consecutively from 1961 to 1997.
While traditional names prevailed over time, a new phenomenon may be at work. Kids are named for Hollywood celebrities or rock stars, no doubt, but scientists offer a new take on the selection process.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and City University in London say the results of their recent studies show that subconscious herd mentality leads to name selection.
In an online game, researchers flashed faces before people and asked them to give the person a name. Players were given money if their pick coincided with that of another player and were penalized if names didn’t match.
But after each round, players were told what names others had selected. As the game went on, disparity diminished, and a clear set of names became apparent.
Research co-author Andrea Baronchelli from City University labeled the phenomenon “spontaneous emergence” and likened it to an invisible hand.
“Everyone is trying to agree with their social circle, and spontaneously there will be the emergence of a single consensus,” Baronchelli said.
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