After having taken a close look at the recent release of the Top Baby Names of 2011, I had some fun doing a little bit of research about the names of the Yummy Mummy Club Bloggers. Below are the most popular names among us—Jennifer, Candace, Sarah, Julie, and Kat—followed by the remaining names, in alphabetical order.
Jennifer (3.5): Jen Charon, Jennifer Kolari, Jen Warman (My middle name is Jennifer!)
Data: Jennifer debuted in the Top 10 in 1966, Top 3 in 1969, and was #1 from 1970 through 1984. It didn’t fall out of the Top 10 until 1992. Jennifer was in the Top 100 names from 1956 through 2008. In 2011, Jennifer was at #134.
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: White, Fair, Smooth
Famous People: Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Connely
At Blissdom Canada last year, out of 300 women, we counted 19 Jennifers among us. It really was the name of our generation.
Sarah (3): Sarah Deveau, Sarah Gunn, Sarah Remmer
Data: Sarah debuted in the Top 10 in 1978 and remained in the Top 10 until 2002. Sarah was in the Top 3 in 1993, and in 2011 ranked at #39.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Princess
Famous People: Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sarah Vaughn, Sarah Ferguson
Candace (2): Candace Alper (that's me), Candace Derickx
Data: I have never been in a group with another Candace, until now. Candace has never been in the Top 10 and has never cracked the Top 100, but did come close in 1984, at #101. Candace has not been in the Top 1000 since 2005, at #922.
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Clarity
Famous People: Candace Bergen, Candace Cameron, Candace Bushnell (We hate to be called "Candy.")
Kat (2): Kat Inokai, Kat Armstrong
Data: Kat has not been recorded among the Top 1000 baby names over the last 100 years. This is on account of it being a short-form of several names, as is the case with our Kats. Kat Inokai is Katalin (Hungarian) and Kat Armstrong is Katrina (Greek).
Origin: Greek (Katherine)
Meaning: Pure
Famous People: Kat Deeley is the host of So You Think You Can Dance, and other than my two fellow YMC Bloggers, she's the one who comes to mind.
Julie (2): Julie Cole, Julie Green
Data: Julie was in the Top 10 (at #10) in 1971. In 2011, Julie was #396.
Origin: French
Meaning: Youthful
Famous People: Julie Andrews, Jully Black. Also worth noting is Julie Cole, one of the four founders of Mabels Labels.
Ali: Ali Martell
Data: Ali’s full name is Alicia, so we’re going to go with that. Alicia has never been in the Top 10, but cracked the Top 100 in 1972, where it stayed until 1998. In 2011, Alicia was #259.
Origin: German
Meaning: Noble, Exalted
Famous People: Right now, it's making me think of Alicia Florrick, Julianna Margulies' character on The Good Wife.
Amy: Amy Ballon
Data: Amy debuted in the Top 10 in 1969 and was in the Top 3 from 1973 through 1977. In 2011, Amy was #143.
Origin: French and Latin
Meaning: Beloved
Famous People: For me, the name Amy always makes me think of half of my favourite singer/songwriter duo—The Indigo Girls' Amy Ray.
Caroline: Caroline Fernandez
Data: Caroline has never cracked the Top 10. The closest it got was #62, in 2001. In 2011, Caroline was #87.
Origin: Old German
Meaning: Free man
Famous People: Of course, this name makes me think of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." Sing it with me—bah, bah, bah.
Catherine: Catherine Jackson
Data: Catherine has not made it to the Top 10. The closest it got was #18, in 1914. In 2011, Catherine was #161.
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Pure
Fun Facts: The name may also have been derived from Hecate, the Greek Goddess of Magic. Catherine is the name of several queens and saints, including Catherine The Great and three of Henry the VIII's six wives. Modern day famous Catherines include Catherine Zeta-Jones and Katherine Hepburn. Not bad, eh?
Consuelo: Consuelo Berardi
Data: Not surprising, Consuelo has not made the Top 10 either. The closest it got was #339, in 1930. Consuelo hasn’t been in the Top 1000 since 1983, when it was #917.
Origin: Spanish
Meaning: Solace, Hope, Consolation
Fun Facts: Fun facts for this one were hard to find, so I asked Consuelo how she got her name.
"The week before my mom had me, she was watching a movie on TV about a princess in Spain—her name was Consuelo. No one in my family had ever heard of that name—not traditional first born Italian name for 1973. Then years later, when we were cleaning out my grandmother's attic, my mom found an old shoe box with old family photos. On the back of one of the old B&W pictures, there was a woman standing in a field. On the back of the photo it said 'Consuelo.' So, I had a great-great-cousin who was named Consuelo!"
Dan: Dan Thompson
Data: For the past 100 years, Daniel has been in the Top 100 baby names. Daniel made its first appearance in the Top 10 in 1976, then fell to #11 until 1981, when it was back on the Top 10 list. Daniel has not been below #12 since 1972, but has never been in the Top 3. In 2011, Daniel was #10.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is my judge
Fun Facts: Elton John's song, "Daniel," was written in 1973 by Elton John and his writing partner, Bernie Taupin. It went to #2 on the pop charts and #1 on the adult contemporary charts. It is one of my favourite songs. Also, I went to summer camp with no less than six Daniels. We called them each by their last names.
Danielle: Danielle Botterell
Data: Danielle has never been in the Top 10. The closest it got was in 1997, at #14. In 2011, Danielle was #207.
Origin: Hebrew and French
Meaning: God is my judge
Fun Facts: In 1971, Danielle broke through to the Top 100 most popular baby names, where it remained until 2004. For 11 of those 33 years, it was in the Top 20.
Dara: Dara Duff-Bergeron
Data: Dara has never been in the Top 10. The closest it got was #486, in 1980. Dara hasn’t been in the Top 1000 since 1993, when it was #953.
Origin: Many (see trivia below)
Meaning: Many (see trivia below)
Fun Facts: Hebrew meaning: "nugget of wisdom"; Cambodian meaning: "star"; Irish meaning: "oak tree"; Gaelic meaning: "second"; Persian meaning: "prosperous."
Emily: Emily Chung
Data: Emily debuted in the Top 10 in 1991 and has been there ever since. Emily was in the Top 3 from 1994 through 2008, and was #1 from 1996 through 2007. In 2011, Emily was #6.
Origin: English
Meaning: To Strive, Excel, or Rival
Famous People: Poet Emily Dickinson, Author Emily Bronte, Indigo Girls' Emily Sailers, actresses Emily Watson and Emily Blunt.
Erica: Erica Ehm
Data: Erica has never been in the Top 10. The closest that it got was #31, in 1986 through 1988. In 2011, Erica was #481.
Origin: Norse
Meaning: Ever Powerful, Ruler of the People
Famous People: As per the above meaning, Erica Ehm—famous as Canada's first female VJ on MuchMusic—is the creator and publisher of Yummy Mummy Club.
Gav: Gav Martell
Data: Gav's given name is Gabriel (Gavriel in Hebrew, and his nickname is Gav). Gabriel has never cracked the Top 10, but has made it as far as #21, in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, Gabriel was #24.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God's Able-bodied One or Hero of God
Famous People: Whenever I hear this name, I always think of Peter Gabriel!
Kim: Dr. Kim Foster
Data: Kimberly was in the Top 10 from 1964 through 1977. In 2011, Kimberly was #67.
Origin: English
Meaning: Regal Hill
Famous People: Kim Kardashian, Kim Cattrall, Kim Basinger, Lil' Kim
Krista: Krista Swanson
Data: Krista (also spelled Christa) has never been in the Top 10, and the closest it has come was #136, in 1970. Christa fell off the Top 1000 in 2008, when it was #893.
Origin: Eastern European
Meaning: Follower of Christ
Fun Facts: This is one of those names that we often see with varied spellings, including Krista, Christa, and Krysta.
Lisa: Lisa Thornbury
Data: Lisa debuted on the Top 10 in 1959, was #1 from 1962 through 1969, and remained in the Top 10 through 1976. In 2011, Lisa was #703.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God's Promise
Famous People: Lisa Bonet, Lisa Kudrow, and, of course, THE Mona Lisa.
Loukia: Loukia Zigoumis
Data: Sorry, Loukia, according to the US Social Security Adminstration, Loukia has never cracked the Top 1000 baby names.
Origin: Greek
Meaning: from the male Loukas, meaning "from Loukiana"—an Italian region. Also for Luke, one of the Evangelists.
Fun Facts: When you Google "Loukia," our very own Loukia—@MrsLouLou—comes up on the first page.
Maija: Maija Moments
Data: Maija, spelled this way, has never been in the Top 1000, but the more popular spelling—Maya—got close in 2009, at #61. In 2011, Maya was #64.
Origin: Many (see trivia below)
Meaning: Many (see trivia below)
Fun Facts: In Hindu philosophy, Maya means "Illusion"; in Hebrew it's short for "Ma-ayan," meaning "brook"; in Persian it means "generous"; in an Arabian or Indo-Pak context, it means "honourable matriarch"; in Greek mythology, Maya was the mother of Hermes. When spelled with a 'J,' it is of European descent. This is only a selection of the meanings and origins of the name Maya.
Marc: Marc Saltzman
Data: Marc hasn’t made it to the Top 10. The closest it got was #60, in 1970. In 2011, Marc was #574. The more traditional 'Mark' debuted on the Top 10 in 1955, where it remained until 1970. In 2011, Mark was #159.
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Dedicated to Mars
Famous People: Mark Twain, Mark Wahlberg, Marc Jacobs
Maureen: Maureen Turner
Data: Maureen has never been in the Top 10. The closest it got was in 1948, when it was #88 (then #89 for the next two years). In 1997, it was Maureen’s last year in the Top 1000, when it was #938.
Origin: Irish and Gaelic
Meaning: Star of the Sea
Trivia: Maureen O'Sullivan was Jane to Tarzan in 6 Tarzan movies between 1932 and 1942. Maureen from now on, Me Candace, you Jane.
Natalie: Natalie Richard
Data: Natalie has never been in the Top 10. It got close in 2008, at #13. In 2011, Natalie was still close at #14.
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Birthday, as in the Birth day of Christ
Famous People: Natalie Wood, Natalie Portman
Ryan: Ryan Durrell
Data: Ryan has never been in the Top 10, but came close at #11 in 1986, 1990, and 1991. In 2011, Ryan was #25.
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: King
Fun Facts: Ryan is becoming increasingly popular as a girl's name.
Sharon: Sharon DeVellis
Data: Sharon was in the Top 10 in 1943 through 1949. In 2011, Sharon was #823.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Fertile Plain, from the Bible—refers to the flat land at the foot of Mount Carmel.
Famous People: Sharon Stone and Sharon Osborne (if you listen to the voice in your head right now, you can hear Ozzie bellowing for her).
Susie: Susie Moshenberg
Data: Susie has never been in the Top 10. The closest that it got was #120, in 1912. Susie was last in the Top 1000 at #944, in 1988. Susan, however, was in the Top 10 from 1945 through 1968, and was in the Top 3 from 1957 through 1964. In 2011, Susan was #781.
Origin: Hebrew (Susan)
Meaning: Lily
Fun Facts: The phrase "Suzy Homemaker" has its roots in a line of functional, battery-run doll accessories, from the mid 1960s, that included an oven, vacuum cleaner, washing machine, blender, and hairdryer. The term became so popular that it is now used to describe the stereotypical housewife. The Suzy Homemaker Doll was second only to Barbie in popularity, in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Trina: Dr. Trina Read
Data: Trina has not made it to the Top 100, but made it as far as #172, in 1970 and 1971. Trina last appeared on the Top 1000 list in 1990, at #917.
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Pure
Fun Facts: Our Trina is a sex coach and sexologist, and at the moment, I'm amused to learn that her name means purity. In the words of Alanis Morissette, "Isn't it ironic? Don't you think? A little too ironic. Yeah, I really do think."
Wanda: Wanda Lynne Young
Data: Wanda has never been in the Top 1000 baby names. The closest it came was #47, in 1934. Wanda hasn’t been in the Top 1000 since 1990, when it was #979.
Origin: Polish
Meaning: Wanderer
Fun Facts: Before I met Wanda, I would have referenced the movie A Fish Called Wanda. Now, seeing the meaning of her name, I think of her wandering the aisles of the bookstore, in search of the next great book to read, recommend, and discuss.
So, there you have it. To every name there is data, origin, meaning, and stories. I hope that I might have shared something new. If y'all have anything to add, I'd love to hear it.
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