Click here to visit the new home of ParentDish!

Hot on HuffPost Parents:

 

Baby Names and Meanings: Most Popular Names of 2009

by Amy Hatch (Subscribe to Amy Hatch's posts)
Jun 28th 2010 10:00AM

0Comments

Filed under: Babies


Name Meanings

Plenty of websites will help you research baby names and meanings. Credit: Getty


When choosing a child's name, its meaning is sometimes secondary to the name itself, but some parents make their choices based on both baby names and meanings. The top 10 boys and girls names of 2009 all have a wide variety of origins and meanings.

There are plenty of places to look for ideas for baby names and meanings these days, both online and off. There are books, websites and blogs all dedicated to finding the right baby names and meanings for your child. The Social Security Administration issues an annual report of the top 10 baby names every year and meanings often can be found using a simple search for "baby names and meanings."

We used the popular and comprehensive baby name website, BabyNameWizard.com and NameCandy.com, both created by Laura Wattenberg, who is also "The Name Lady" columnist for ParentDish, to look up the top 10 baby names and their meanings for 2009.

The top 10 baby names and meanings for girls, according to the website BabyNameWizard.com, are:

  1. 1. Isabella: Spanish, derived from the Hebrew Elizabeth, which means oath of my God
  2. 2. Emma: Germanic, means strength
  3. 3. Olivia: Elaboration of Olive, used by Shakespeare as the name of the heiress in "Twelfth Night"
  4. 4. Sophia: Borrows from the Greek, meaning is wisdom
  5. 5. Ava: This name is of uncertain origin and is thought to be short for the German name Avia, which also is of uncertain meaning. Possibly from the Hebrew for life, or the Latin for bird.
  6. 6. Emily: This Latin name means excel or rival.
  7. 7. Madison: English, was a common pet form of Matthew in the Middle Ages
  8. 8. Abigail: Hebrew, means rejoicing, and also "a lady's maid"
  9. 9. Chloe: Greek, synonymous with blooming
  10. 10. Mia: Short from of the Latin Maria, meaning "star of the sea"

The top 10 baby names and meanings for boys, according to BabyNameWizard.com, are:

  1. 1. Jacob: Hebrew, means supplanting, was the name of the son of Moses
  2. 2. Ethan: Of Hebrew origin, means strength
  3. 3. Michael: This name means "Who is like God?" and is also the biblical name of God's archangel.
  4. 4. Alexander: Greek, means a defender or helper of mankind
  5. 5. William: This Norman name means resolute protector.
  6. 6. Joshua: Of Hebrew origin, it means God is salvation.
  7. 7. Daniel: This Hebrew name means God is my judge.
  8. 8. Jayden: A combination of Jacob and Aidan, the meaning is uncertain.
  9. 9. Noah: Hebrew, name of the patriarch who was bidden by God to build an Ark
  10. 10. Anthony: Latin, means priceless

When it comes to baby names and meanings, however, there are few definitive ways to find the meaning of more creative names like Jayden and the popular Nevaeh. Nevaeh is "heaven" spelled backwards, and Jayden (or Jaydon) is a "made up" name, as well. However, many baby names have very clear ties to the Bible, as is the case with many of the top 10 names of 2009.

No matter what baby names and meanings you decide on, you'll find that the name takes on its own characteristics unique to your child as you watch them grow and change over the years.

Tags: 2009, baby-names-and-meanings, babynames, babynamesandmeanings, meanings, parent-dish, top10names

Your<span>Voice</span>

Ask Us Anything About Parenting

Get Answers

Recently Asked

More Related Questions

FollowUs

Flickr RSS

TheTalkies

AskAdviceMama

How can I get my teenage son to open up?
AdviceMama Says:
Start by teaching him that it is safe to do so.
Read more

More Recent Questions: