This post should actually read Emily: Happy!, but I don’t have a picture for that.
The Social Security Administration announced its list of top baby names this week, marking the first time in my recent life that the release of its annual list has actually made my day.
Emily, you’re going down!
That’s right, Emily is going out of fashion. Well, it’s still third on the list of most popular names, but I can only hope that people will get a little more inventive, and Emily will go the way of Ashley (my sister’s name), and make its way farther down the list.
Now, I’m sure there are a ton of people out there who share their name with people they know, but there’s something special about Emily’s. Emily’s write novels. Emily’s have big red dogs. There is a book out there, The Other Emily, about a girl named Emily who is shocked and forlorn when she discovers that someone else shares her name. I personally had three best friends named Megan in grade school and I can attest, only an Emily would let the existence of another Emily get her down.
There is even a really wonderful poem by my favorite Irish poet, Medbh McGuckian called “The Most Emily of All,” which I think best captures the essence of Emily.
My husband once put together a list of songs with Emily in the title, and you are forewarned: Emily’s are schemers! They’ve got agendas, and plans, and they will break your heart (Emily means “industrious”).
I am totally an Emily.
Parents can name their kids anything they want. But I think they should deliberate long and hard about whether or not their precious will actually become an Emily.
At the very least, I would request that new parents look for some new options so I’m not turning my head like a confused golden retriever every time I walk through the grocery store.
May 12, 2009 at 6:52 pm |
A Golden Retriever! :>)
It’s funny, growing up I yearned for a sweet name like “Emily”. I was sure my parents had made up my name (when your dad is named Karl, it’s only logical, isn’t it?).
and then there’s my middle name . . . Gay
~Karla
May 12, 2009 at 6:57 pm |
My favorite is Emily Slumber by the Allstonians.
A toast to Emma domination!
May 12, 2009 at 7:03 pm |
Emily is a sweet name, and I love it. it’s a great name, it’s just too ubiquitous. My husband and I often throw around the name game. We try to come up with the worst name possible. I’d type it here, but it’s just too bad.
Your middle name is so Gay. Just kidding. My grandma has a friend name Beulah who goes by Boo.
Thanks also for the link to the emily poem, although if you read Emily Strange, you know Emily’s no standing in the sun…
http://www.emilystrange.com/beware/about/emily.cfm
May 12, 2009 at 7:09 pm |
There were a few in my small town that were the talk of the school – Shirley May Leak & Delightt Knott. Their names made me realize when it’s inappropriate to be humourous.
but yeah, my brothers were given such cool middle names – it’s just not fair, I tell ya!
How did you fare with your middle name?
May 12, 2009 at 7:13 pm |
Just fine. It’s lovably ordinary.
May 12, 2009 at 8:22 pm |
Growing up, there were two Emily’s in my class, but four Jenny’s. So we were organized: Jennifer, Jennie, Jenny, and Jen. It was crazy.
It’s interesting to see that the names for girls are getting more varied, and the boys names seem to stay on the traditional side. I mean, I knew plenty of Ethan, Michael, and Christopher’s growing up, but not a single Chloe or Ava.
Have you ever played with the name tools on this site: http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager the name voyager, especially is cool, tracks the popularity of names over time.
May 12, 2009 at 8:59 pm |
I love naming trends. Especially the ridiculous misspellings. I mean, Xavier with a ZXavier? seriously?
We have spent many happy hours on the baby name wizard.
May 13, 2009 at 10:26 pm |
Do you know about the Thomas the Tank Engine character “Emily”? A funny song about this helpful engine here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3VTviROfUc&feature=PlayList&p=E0390E03268B8B30&index=19
May 13, 2009 at 11:38 pm |
No, I didn’t. I wonder sometimes if media producers have been capitalizing on the popularity of Emily by adding a lot of Emily characters. Grumble grumble.
May 14, 2009 at 3:57 pm |
I’m sure that is part of the product development mix? What parent can resist giving darling Emily her very own Emily train???
May 14, 2009 at 4:17 pm |
How about her very own Emily horse.
In other Emily news, I didn’t realize until recently that one of my favorite childhood books, Emily’s Runaway Imagination, takes place in Oregon. I’ve never heard of anything so perfect.
May 16, 2009 at 10:34 pm |
A French song for your list: “Dans Les Yeux d’Émilie” by Joe Dassin. That means “In The Eyes of Emily”. It’s about the St. Lawrence River.