DEL.ICIO.USAs with fashion, popularity moves in cycles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/19/06
After seven years of dominance by a Texan named Lance, the Tour de France today has another American leader. His name is Floyd.
Floyd?
 BAS CZERWINSKI / Associated Press | ||
| Bicyclist Floyd Landis' name reflects his Mennonite family's background. | ||
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It's a name that evokes figures from the past. Pretty Boy Floyd, the Depression-era gangster, and Floyd Patterson, the boxing star of the '50s. While this new famous Floyd doesn't necessarily mean the name is making a big comeback, it is part of a bigger trend of parents picking names that faded in popularity for a generation or so.
Old-fashioned names like Ava, Milo, Hazel, Hugo and Clara are coming back. Last year, Emily ranked as the top name for newborn girls, while Jacob topped the list for boys, according to BabyNameWizard.com, which tracks trends.
Floyd Landis' name is not only traditional but also reflects his cultural background. He comes from a Mennonite family in Pennsylvania Dutch country, said Cleveland Kent Evans, professor of psychology at Bellevue University in Nebraska and author of "The Great Big Book of Baby Names."
The name also underscores the fact that male names tend to stick around longer than female names.
"When male names go out of style, they don't go out as completely as women's names because some people are always willing to name their sons after the father [or other male relatives]," Evans said.
What was once passé is now considered hip, Evans added. There's an unofficial 90-year rule for names, so names that sound threadbare to a baby boomer might sound like a great classic to a Gen Y'er.
"People in their 20s think Hazel is cool, but people over the age of 40 think it's old-fashioned," he said.
Oana and Errett Hogrefe also selected an old standard for the baby girl they're expecting. They've decided to name their daughter Mary Anca, after a relative.
"We didn't want someone extremely close," Oana Hogrefe said. "We wanted at least a generation of space."
They also wanted a name that wasn't too unsual. "We wanted to give our kids a break," said Hogrefe, who's all too familiar with people mispronouncing her name.
But old-fashioned names don't work for everyone. Cathy and Eric Lawrence of Sandy Springs named their 2-year-old son Logan. But he'll have to wait until his brothers are born to learn their names. The Lawrences prefer to rely on instinct rather than their family tree. One thing is for sure, names like Floyd or Homer are not on the list.
"I don't want to give [my children] some old person's name," Cathy Lawrence said.
Some parents don't mind reaching way, way back in time to find the right name. Tietra and her husband, Stephen Jones of Riverdale, are considering biblical names such as Matthew or Micah. Tietra Jones, who works as a registered nurse, said she can't believe the names some people select.
"It's got to pass the résumé test," she said.
Name that decade
Comedians get a lot of mileage out of novel names celebrities give their kids. Remember Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple? But lots of celebs go with the tried-and-true. Guess when these names were most popular:
a. Sean (Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's son)
b. Violet (Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's daughter)
c. Deacon (Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe's son)
d. Lola (Chris Rock and Malaak Compton-Rock's daughter) See quiz answers.
Classic names that have made a comeback:
Boys: Hugo, Leo, Milo, Ethan
Girls: Ava, Clara, Hazel, Sadie
Classic name that's popular with Georgians: Ansley
Source: Cleveland Kent Evans, author of "The Great Big Book of Baby Names"
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