Trendy reality star names quickly circle the drain

by Angie Felton (Subscribe to Angie Felton's posts)
May 15th 2008 4:30PM

Filed under: Playground Bureau, Weird But True

Naming a baby after another living person is always risky. You can just never know if Uncle Sammy is going to fall off the wagon or your beloved soap star will end up in rehab.

And in case you were thinking of searching for a baby name in prime time television, don't! According to stat followers at Name Voyager, the unique monikers of reality stars remain popular for about as long as the show's running season.

Examples include Talan, which according to Name Voyager was the #1 fastest growing name in America in 2005, the same year Talan Torriero appeared in Laguna Beach. Just 2 years later the name took a free-fall in popularity leaving behind children that have to explain that no, they were not named after hawk claws.

Other names parents were wise to avoid to keep from dating their entertainment viewing habits for life include: Tristan (from The Bachelor), Sheyla (from Cantando por un sueño, Singing for a dream), Akeelah (from Akeelah and the Bee), Sherlyn (Spanish TV star), and Nathalia (believed to have appeared on the naming chart in 2006 because of the prominence of the name Natalee Holloway.)

It's hard enough to make a name in this world, it just seems cruel to saddle sweet babies with names from people who appeared on a short-lived reality show!