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BABY GIRL NAMES
 So,
you or your family member or friend are having a baby girl. One of the first
things that usually happens is that you realize your significant other wants to
run out and purchase dolls, flower onsies and princess baby girl bedding, as
well as paint the room a nice shade of pink! Another common reaction is to start
figuring out what baby girl names work for you and your significant other! I
hope the following information on baby girl names is helpful in making your
decision.
History of Baby Girl
Names
Historically, baby girl names came from a pool of names dating back to
prehistory (real early!) as well as compound names meaning different things with
names like Thordis, Thorgunna, Thorhalla, Thorkatla and Thorunn.
During the Judeo/Christian period, baby girl names
came from the biblical names such as Rebecca, Sarah, Rachel, etc. Anyone who was
Christian was also favored to use names such as Mary, Martha and
Kristin/Christina. Even other religions held to the same position in naming
their baby girls after religious figures which still stands today. Cultural
shifts, due to war and supremacy was also influential on names with Normans and
French names of Germanic origins and names like Emma and Matilda. Male names
were always held to more importance and more has been written on their origins.
Class also had an effect on what the baby girl name would be as well.
In more recent times, it has been a certain
tradition in families, mainly for cultural reasons, for baby girl names to
mirror their heritage. In present tradition, many will choose a baby girl name
that comes from a derivative of someone who has passed on that was close to you
or your spouse. This is seen as an honor and respect to those that have passed
on to keep their name alive! If the first name is not used this way, many times
the middle name is chosen in remembrance of a loved one. It is superstitious in
many cultures to name your baby girl after a living person but has been done. In
addition, many Asian cultures consider naming the baby girl after a loved one a
sign of disrespect as they believe a baby does not take the name of one's
elders.
A third way of baby girl naming is by a favorite
name of the parents have been. Many times, it is a more common present or trendy
name and at times from a favorite movie character or idol. Many times a parent
will name their baby girl after their favorite TV star or singer. It is not a
coincidence that the most common baby girl names of a few years ago were Jessica
and Ashley (taken from the Simpsons), Britney (Spears), and Jennifer (Aniston).
It is still a very popular way to name baby girls today.
Baby Naming Ceremonies
and Traditions
Many religious and cultural groups believe it is an honor to have a baby girl
naming ceremony. In the Jewish religion, on the eighth day, there is a brit mila
which is an honorary baby naming ceremony. This festivity is a party for friends
and family. A baptism and Christening are other events where the baby girls name
is honored during the ceremony. Nmakarma is the Indian baby naming ritual which
is much more than announcing the name of your baby girl. This ritual is a formal
introduction of the baby girl to her community. The Japanese baby girl naming
ceremony is traditionally held on the seventh day after the baby girl's birth
while in Sierra Leone, a baby is not named until the umbilical chord falls off.
As you can see there are many cultures and many ways of honoring your baby girl.
All of these events can either be traditional, religious, or just plain out
information and relaxing! It should all be up to what the parents want in a baby
naming.
Most popular baby girl names reported by the
Social Security Administration as of May 11, 2007 are:
Baby
Girl Name #1: Emily
(Meaning: Industrious and Striving- Latin in origin)
Baby Girl Name #2: Emma
(Meaning: Whole and Complete- German in origin)
Baby Girl Name #3: Madison
(Meaning: son of the mighty warrior- Old English in
origin)
Baby Girl Name #4:
Isabella
(Meaning: God's Promise - Hebrew (Isabel) and Spanish in
origin)
Baby Girl Name #5: Ava
(Meaning: Life - Germanic and Hebrew in origin)
Baby Girl Name #6: Abigail
(Meaning: father of exaltation - Hebrew in origin)
Baby Girl Name #7: Olivia
(Meaning: Olive Tree/Peace - Latin in origin)
Baby Girl Name #8: Hannah
(Meaning: Favored Grace - Hebrew in origin)
Baby Girl Name #9: Sophia
(Meaning: Wisdom - Greek in origin)
Baby Girl Name #10:
Samantha
(Meaning: God Heard / Flower - Hebrew and Greek in
origin)
Most of these names above have been the most
popular baby girl names for the past 10 years! Previous popular names that are
not in the top 10 include Jennifer, Jessica, Ashley, Britney, Mary and Lisa.
What is also interesting are the following popular
baby girl twin names in combination taken from the March 2007 social security
administration:
Ella,
Emma
Madison, Morgan
Gabriella, Isabella
Faith, Hope
Mackenzie, Madison
Hailey, Hannah
The baby girl names were taken from the top 20 in
order (that were mixed in with baby boy twin combination names).
Name Help
When choosing a baby girl name that is right for you and your significant other,
it is important to take into consideration what you both like for names. What is
meaningful for you, your culture and your family heritage? One important point
that is only a suggestion is to create a name that is not hard or difficult to
spell. For instance, I had a friend named Holly but the name was spelled by his
parents as Holleigh (and she wasn't European). Just think of how many times your
child will be correcting people misspelling or mispronouncing their name which
sometimes has an affect on them.
Another important point is not to give a funny
baby girl name to your princess such as calling her princess. There have been
cases I have seen where parents have named their daughter Chanda when her last
name was Laire. Other names of people I grew up with or heard about are Suzie
Slutsky, Moon Unit, and Rumor. It is important to think of your baby girl's
first, middle and last name and how it would sound together and in combination
before choosing the final name. We need to be sensitive of how they will be
treated in school and what their name rhymes with so they are not ostracized.
Strong Names
It is always fun to look up what a name may mean. Later in life, your baby girl
will be looking up their name and it is great when it means something "of
strength". For instance, my friend's baby girl's first and middle name means
"Powerful and Beautiful". If you look above, you can find some very "strong" and
religious names that are meaningful, even if you are not religious.
Let us know your thoughts or information on baby
girl names. We look forward to hearing from you. You can email us at
mommy@babygirl101.com |
