Irish Names Still Popular in Kansas
Irish and Celtic names once again figure prominently in the most popular babynames in Kansas.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has released its statistics (PDF) on names chosen for babies during 2007, and the Irish name Aiden (and its varied spellings) has come out at number 1 for boys names for the 4th year running.
There’s some good information on the history of the name Aiden on MedievalScotland.Org.
Connor is in there too, at position #23.
In the girls names Katelyn and Mackenzie feature again, but I’m not convinced that Kaylee is truly of Irish origin. It’s hard to tell after so many years of anglicization of Irish and Scottish names, especially in an era when people just make up names and spellings.
I’m also not sure about the origin of some popular boys’ names like Kaden, Jayden, and Brayden, but I think their father was a duck.
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We first mentioned all this Irish names being popular in Kansas business 2 years ago, you know.
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
Lack of Irish connection / correctness of spelling / etc. (Aiden???) in the list aside, I have to ask about the name “Addison”. Is that not a surname or an endocrine disorder? I never heard of a woman called Addison. Perhaps they are yet young and in years to come a famous woman called Addison Wesley, Addison Squaregardens or Addison de Sease will be a household name.
There was a time I was up on the names of the very young in Kansas, and it wasn’t an uncommon thing for names we know as surnames to be used as first names.
I have a vague recollection of once meeting or maybe just hearing of a young girl called Addison, but I would never have guessed it to be among the most common names given to baby girls last year let alone the most popular name.
You’re probably right and we’ll have to wait for these kids to grow up famous. My money is on Ms de Sease.