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Harlan Community, Schools' Ethan Knudson and Lily Hegarty sport two of the more popular names given children these days in Shelby County, but overall it appears parents are trending toward giving their newborns more unique, one-of-a-kind first names.
A look at the names of babies born at Myrtue Medical Center in 2008 show of the 92 little ones, only a handful have the same first names. And even those names don't match the most popular from a few years ago.
Consider Easton, Riley, Wiatt and Carson for boys, or Annelyse, Daytona, Zsofia or Braelin for girls.
National baby experts say that naming a baby has become serious business. Cleveland Evans, a psychology professor at Bellevue University in Omaha who studies fashions and fads in names, is past president of the American Name Society. He has been quoted as saying names tell you much about the way we see ourselves in relation to society.
In the past, upper-class families have opted for traditionally-connected names to the upper crust like Eleanor or Henry. Blue-collar families aren't as attached to the past, and come up with down-to-earth names like Joe or Jane. But that's not the case anymore.
More popular names from the past like Mary or David have given away to new names like Nevaeh (heaven spelled backwards) or Zayden.
Parents these days often check the internet, baby-name books and even Social Security data to see what their baby's names will mean, if they're unique enough or have negative connotations. They check web sites or even hire professionals to help in the name search.
Before choosing a name for the baby, experts say parents should consider the implications of the name they have selected for the baby. What might be cute, in vogue or a parental favorite when the baby is born might not be when the child is older.
Evans has said that with all the names to choose from, selecting a name is difficult, but choosing one hard to spell or a different spelling of a more popular name may cause struggles later in life.
Nevertheless, experts say the current interest in unusual names should continue to grow. Baby names is one of the top searches on the internet, right beside the weather, maps or directions.
