Saturday, February 12, 2005

The Name Game So I went and checked out the NameVoyager at the The Baby Name Wizard website, not because I'm soon to be a daddy, but because I had nothing better to do (insider tip: that's how most of the links on this site are found). The Baby Name Wizard helps you come up with all sorts of ideas for ways to traumatize your child for their first eighteen years until they can legally change their name.  Personally I don't need it.  I've already decided that if I am ever lucky enough to have a son, his name will be Strong Bad.  And if I'm lucky enough to have a girl, her name will be Strong Bad.  Bases covered. Now The NameVoyager allows you to track the popularity of a name over the last century.  Being the self-centered and incredibly superficial person I am, I plugged in "Alex" to see if what I've always suspected was true.  Turns out I was right. Check out this screen cap of the results for "Alex" in the Name Voyager.  I was born in 1971.  Note how the popularity of "Alex" as a name for babies skyrocketed after that.  Coincidence?  It has tapered off a bit recently, but I attribute that to my moving across the Atlantic.  I'm just not spending enough time back in the States to keep the surge going.  But I'll bet you anything, if they ever come out with Der NameVoyager, the number of Kinder crawling around with Alex carved on their crib is sure to be on the upswing. Related links: Strong Bad Mail:  index of all the episodes Bad Celebrity Baby Names:  poll for the worst famous baby names of 2004 The Worst Baby Name Book Ever:  comprehensive guide to shaming your baby 11:10:25 AM     |

© Copyright 2005 Alex L. Mauldin.