Baby names 2007 (England & Wales)
I was bored so looked up the most popular baby names for 2007 after reading the old "pet names" thread.
BOYS
1. Jack
2. Thomas
3. Oliver +1
4. Joshua -1
5. Harry
6. Charlie +4
7. Daniel +2
8. William -1
9. James -3
10. Alfie +6
GIRLS
1. Grace +1
2. Ruby +2
3. Olivia -2
4. Emily +1
5. Jessica -2
6. Sophie
7. Chloe
8. Lily +1
9. Ella +2
10. Amelia +6
The popularity of some of the names seemed to mirror the public image of a celebrity namesake. After Leona Lewis’s X-factor victory in December 2006, her first name jumped 236 places to rank 198th in the list and Britney dropped 550 places after she lost custody of her children.
Clinical psychologist Linda Blair says that a child's name can have a dramatic effect on their life: "Research has shown that if you have an unusual name in your generation, you are more likely to report to a mental health clinic with problems.Having an usual name would mean a child would be more likely to be noticed and could be teased. On the other hand, if you are a confident person, having an unusual name could mean it helps you along in life, standing out on shortlists, for example." Those who do go for quirky, "should work on their children's self-esteem."
And it turns out that what's in a name can end up being part of a child's personality. "If someone named their child after a creative relative, for instance, they might notice everything creative the child produced. They end up reinforcing behaviour and building up the traits they expect," she says.
Do you think your name can have an impact on your personality or how you behave?
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