Leo, Lincoln, Nora and Amelia topped the list of local baby names in 2018, according to data from Dubuque’s hospitals.
Leo was the most popular boy’s name at MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center, and Nora, the most popular girl’s. Lincoln and Amelia were the top names at UnityPoint Health-Finley Hospital.
“I think we’re seeing a trend back to traditional names and family names as well, which is cool,” said Amy Wright, director of maternal child services at Mercy.
There were 777 live births at the hospital in 2018.
The names rounding out Mercy’s top 10 list were Owen, Henry, Maverick, William, Carter, Jack, Noah, Theo and Wyatt for boys and Charlotte, Emma, Elizabeth, Grace, Amelia, Ella, Evelyn, Harper and Mila for girls.
Lincoln topped the list of most-popular boy’s names at Finley for the second consecutive year in 2018. Other popular boy’s names at Finley included Beau, Henry, Nolan, Abel, Oliver, William and Wyatt. The most-popular girl’s names at the hospital included Lucy, Emma, Mila, Avery and Olivia.
Jenni Scott, manager of Finley’s Family Birthing Suites, said many parents sought unique names for their children.
“People come in and don’t want a name that everybody else is going to have,” she said.
Of the 701 live births at Finley last year, 238 of the girls and 191 of the boys were given unique names.
Wright said most parents come to Mercy with a short list of potential names.
“The majority have it pretty narrowed down if they know the sex, or, if they don’t know the sex, they come with a couple of possibilities.”
A closer look at the local top 4
Leo: Leo is Latin for “lion,” has served as the name of Roman Catholic popes and is associated with popular actor Leonardo “Leo” DiCaprio. Leo is as popular a name now as it was in 1929, according to Social Security Administration records. Leo fell out of favor in the 1960s and ’70s, then began to rebound in popularity in the early 2000s.
Lincoln: Lincoln originated as a surname based upon an English place name with Celtic roots meaning “lake settlement.” Lincoln has been a male given name in the U.S. since the 19th century, when it was popularized by the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. The name fell out of favor in the 20th century — it was the 999th most-popular boys’ name in 1986 — but began to regain its place in 2013, when it entered the top 100, according to Social Security records.
Nora: Nora is among the 30 most-popular girl’s names nationally, according to Social Security records. The name surged in national popularity in 2014, when it entered the top 50. The name hasn’t been this popular since 1900. The name is short for Honora, an Anglo-Norman name from the Latin for “honor.”
Amelia: Amelia is the eighth-most-popular girl’s baby name, according to Social Security records. It cracked the top 100 list of popular girls’ names in 2004. The name derives from a Latin word meaning “industrious” and “striving.”
Sophia, Jackson top national list
Sophia has topped the list of most-popular girl’s names nationally for nine straight years, according to surveys conducted by the website BabyCenter.com.
Jackson is the top boy’s name nationally for the sixth consecutive year, according to the website.
The fastest risers in the popularity charts include Everly, Isla, Leo and Carson.
Looking back
Fifty years ago, Lisa, Michelle, Kimberly, Jennifer and Melissa topped the list of popular girl’s names, according to Social Security Administration records. The top boy’s names from 1968 were Michael, David, John, James and Robert.
In 1918, national birth records indicate the most-popular names included Mary, Helen, Dorothy, Margaret and Ruth for girls and John, William, James, Robert and Charles for boys.
This story was originally published in the Telegraph Herald.
