|
Every year, the Alberta, Canada government publishes a list of top baby names. From the unique to the traditional, Canada’s baby naming habits show that they can go with the flow and very much set themselves apart from baby naming trends worldwide. Check out the list of most popular Canadian baby names of 2008.
 Thinking outside the box: Unique Baby Names
Canadians found inspiration in a myriad of places for their babies’ names last year, from movies to history to music and beyond. These are just some of the unexpected monikers that hailed from the province, and some possible sources that prompted them:
Anakin (as in Skywalker from Star Wars)
Delorian (a play on the automobile the Delorean)
Gonzo (perhaps a tribute to Hunter S. Thompson)
Harloquinn (a variation on Harlequin, or just Quinn)
Leia (another Star Wars character)
Leonidas (from the movie 300)
Napoleon (notorious emperor of France)
Natorious (a play on the word notorious)
Optimus (after Optimus Prime from the cartoon The Transformers)
Queen (the rock group, or just a tribute to the monarchy)
Xerxes (King of Persia, also featured in 300)
Zephram (a play on the character Zefram from Star Trek)
Zeppelin (after the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin, or a blimp, take your pick)
And then there are the names that were inspired by anything from nature to food to a random jaunt through the dictionary. Whatever child has a name like one of these will certainly stand out from the crowd: Anarchy, Castle, Jazzy, Jury, Science, Taffy, Tyranny, Tree.
Top of the charts: Popular Baby Names
How do Canada’s baby-naming habits compare to the most popular names in the United States? Girls in the United States number in the thousands for names like Emma, Isabella, Olivia, Madison and Emily. And there are plenty of little boys carrying the titles Aiden, Logan, Ethan, Jacob and Noah. Here’s how Canada’s trendiest names lined up in 2008:
Top 10 Baby Girl Canadian Names
Ava (tied with Olivia)
Emma
Emily
Sarah
Isabella
Sophia
Madison
Hannah
Chloe
Grace
Top 10 Baby Boy Canadian Names
Ethan
Jacob
Alexander
Joshua
Liam
Logan
Nathan
Matthew
Noah
Owen
For the eighth year in a row, Ethan took the top slot for boys while Ava held the winning title for girls in 2006 and 2007 and tied with Olivia in 2008 as the most popular choice for the little ladies.
On the map
Canada has unusual names, traditional names, and they’ve upheld the popularity of some of the most recent naming trends. What this nation has also done is create their own trend by borrowing a bit unexpectedly from their southern neighbors.
One family paid homage to a person who defined the United States in 2008 – the new president. The parents of two Alberta boys born last year named one child Barack and the other Obama… names that may be climbing the charts in years to come.
But also unique to America is its geography, and Canadians borrowed liberally from cities and states nationwide to put themselves on the map: Boston, Dallas, Memphis, Milwaukee, Montana and Nevada. Other parts of the world got some love as well, with babies being named Cairo, Cyprus, Rome, Venice and Vienna.
Whether creating traditions themselves or working with existing themes, Canadians have baby-naming down to an art.
Read More:
Popular Baby Name Trends 2009
Foreign Baby Names
Popular American Baby Girl Names and Boy Names by State
More From SheKnows Explorer
 |
And get more name ideas later on.
Popular Names 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Don't Just Search - Find The Perfect Name!
Ava (tied with Olivia)-Never met an Ava.I met Olivias though.
Emma-I only met 1 Emma.
Emily-I met about a thousand Emilys.LOl.
Sarah-I met lots of Sarahs.
Isabella-My name is Isabella...I met a few other people with this name.
Sophia-I met lots.
Madison-I never met a Madison.
Hannah-I met 1 Hannah.
Chloe-I met a few Chloes.
Grace-i met about 2 Graces.
Ethan-I never met any Ethans.
Jacob-I think I met 1.
Alexander-I met lots.
Joshua-I dont remember anyone with this name.
Liam-Never met a Liam.
Logan-Never met a Logan.
Nathan-I only met a few.
Matthew-I met lots of Matthews.
Noah-I never met any Noahs.
Owen-I never met an Owen.