2014 Most Popular Baby Names

So Christmas for us baby name fanatics just arrived, and in case you're new to this scene, it means that the new SSA ranking with the most popular names of last year has just been released. Its usually followed by a short period of excitement where you examine every little detail of the top 1000 and beyond, and then you fall into a sort of post partum depression where the excitement is gone, before the anticipation starts to build up again usually at the start of the year.

But enough about my mood cycles when it comes to baby names, here is the newest top 10 for both genders:

BOYS

01 Noah
02 Liam
03 Mason
04 Jacob
05 William

Name In Trend: Kyrie

Kyrie is a name of greek origin that means "the Lord", through the root kyrios. I suppose with that meaning, you could say it is a religious name, that isn't as in your face as say Messiah for example. However, given the person who popularized the name in the US, professional basketball player Kyrie Irving, this moniker is now more of a sports related name, a companion for Xavi or Crosby. The official original pronunciation is "kee-ree-ay", but since Kyrie Irving pronounces his name as "kai-ree", the latter pronunciation has taken over, which I guess is what most people would assume if they never heard of it before. Personally, I find both valid.

Kyrie is a fresh name in the SSA rank, as its only been there for 2 years.  In terms of baby numbers, here is the graph:

Kyrie was flying completely under the radar with approximately 10-30 baby boys getting the name every year, until 2011 came around. This was the year Kyrie Irving rose to fame as a promising new basketball player, so it makes sense. It terms of SSA rank numbers, Kyrie first debuted in 2012 at #866, and in 2013 it shot up to #590. With Kyrie Irving remaining a strong player in the court, I can only assume this name will keep trending. It's always nice when parents get inspired by positive role models, and this is certainly the case. Kyrie also has a very pleasing sound to it, a very cheerful upbeat name, and as an incredible bonus you get the chance to use the nickname Kai/Kye if you wish. It has spun the alternative spelling Kyree, which is also trending for boys.

Do you also think Kyrie will be a name to watch in the future? Share your thoughts with me and don't forget to place your vote in the poll.

Similar names include: Kylan, Kyler, Skyler, Kyson, Cairo, Kieran, Kerry.

Alternative spellings include: Kyree, Kairi, Kyrey, Kairee.

Uncommon Names...

I normally don't talk about stuff that doesn't fit this blog's purpose, but I decided I had to tackle this subject because I felt personally targeted by something I saw. So I read this article about giving kids uncommon names, especially boys, would result in them being depressed and becoming violent. This is the kind of "study" that I just refuse to believe, borderline offensive. What's funny is that the data most of these studies provide is highly debatable.

First, from my experience, I've met several guys with uncommon (not wacky) names that had no problems groing up. I'm also a testimony to that since I'm named Skye, and while there are several Skyler's that go by that as a nickname, few have Skye as a full name. This also applies to guys with the so called "unisex" names, I've never met one that was exclusively bullied because he had a "girls" name. Bullies don't bully someone because of their name, they will bully kids that they feel are "weaker" because of the way they act, they sence fragility and prey on it. Of course they will most likely make fun of their name, but they'll make fun of pretty much everything about them, it won't matter to them if you're a John or a Kerry, both will get teased. I've met several men with unisex names that were never bullied, because they never put themselves in that position, and others named Christopher, Matthew and Michael who were teased to no end - and that's just the way things work when it comes to bullies.