Top 10 Baby Name of 2006

Here are some baby name suggestions from the Top 10 Baby Names of 2006 list.

Rank	Girls	Boys
1.	Emma	Aiden
2.	Madison	Jacob
3.	Ava	Ethan
4.	Emily	Ryan
5.	Isabella	Matthew
6.	Kaitlyn	Jack
7.	Sophia	Noah
8.	Olivia	Nicholas
9.	Abigail	Joshua
10.	Hailey	Logan

Remember, whatever name you choose My Very Own Name personalized children's book based on your child's name is always a great gift.

Top 10 Baby Names - Harry Potter-style

Having a child is a magical thing - it transforms us from ordinary individuals into Parents, people that other people, albeit smaller, and generally wetter, are now dependant on.

Sometimes, however, even Magic can't help pare down your top 10 baby names list when your little bundle of joy is on the way.

Carmen Black gives us an entertaining peak into the lives of Harry Potter's best friends, Ron and Hermione, 19 years after the end of the Potter series as they are trying to name their second child.

We see that great wizards, even those at the top of their class, sometimes need to look around for inspiration:

"Victor Hugo is a French author. He wrote books like Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I like the name Victor."

"Well...well I don't." Both were quiet until Ron added, "Trust you to use famous authors' names as inspiration instead of a baby name book."

For those Muggles looking for some magical inspiration, you can try The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby.

Top 10 Baby Names - Most popular names in New Jersey for 2006

Rank	Male name	Female name
1	Michael	Isabella
2	Matthew	Ava
3	Daniel	Emily
4	Joseph	Sophia
5	Anthony	Olivia
6	Nicholas	Samantha
7	Ryan	Ashley
8	Christopher	Madison
9	Joshua	Mia
10	Alexander	Julia

Top 10 Baby Names - Nyah, Nyah, Nyah!

Browsing the top 10 baby names used to be a simple way to find a popular, safe name for your child. Who could not like a little Ryan, John, or Amber? A fifth-grader, that's who! Biff would be happy to welcome Cryin' Ryan, Johnnykins, and Amber-Lamper that Pees in her Pamper into his classroom, and probably send them home in tears.

Worried about the drawbacks of a name you are considering for your little bundle of joy? Babynamer.com lists "Drawbacks" for each name, otherwise known as "embarrassing nicknames." You can either click on one of the favorite names on the home page, or type a name into the search bar to get information - in addition to nicknames, BabyNamer gives the origin and alternative forms of each name in it's database. A great resource once you have your short list of names.

What's in a Name? A lot - if it's a Baby Name!

Baby names are becoming a big business - According to NBC's Today Show, baby naming consultants charge upwards of $300 to help parents figure out an appropriate moniker for Tom, Dick, or Harry. Or Charles, or Keeshawn, for that matter. A lot is riding on these choices, folks! Matt evokes someone open to new challenges, Tiger is full of energy, Janet ultra dependable. The decision you make now could affect how people judge your child for the rest of his life.

Perhaps you don't want a Plain Jane or John Doe - for a name that is truly out of this world, try browsing through Brooklyn writer Robert Schnakenberg's new book, Sci-Fi Baby Names. Maybe you have a little Tuvok, or a darling little Jabba - who wouldn't want their bundle of love to be thought of as an oversized, alien slug?

Top 10 Baby Names for Jewish customs

The top 10 baby names in Hebrew may sound a bit different from the English, but the process of choosing a name in any language is essentially the same. For religious Jews living in America, baby-naming can be tough. Many traditions require a Hebrew name, such as being called to read publicly from the Torah in synagogue, or standing under a Chupah to get married. It has become very common for religious Jews to choose not one, but two different names for their children - one to be used in Jewish rituals, and one to be used in the secular world, ie College and the workplace.

To narrow down the choices, it is common to choose a Hebrew and English name that begin with the same letter, such as Linda in English and Leah in Hebrew. A set of names might two versions of the same name, like John in English and Yonatan in Hebrew. Or, an English name might be a translation from the Hebrew - for instance, Vered in Hebrew and Rose in English.

Here are some popular Jewish names, taken from the 1990 U.S. census.

Male Names Aaron (Aharon) Adam Benjamin Daniel David Jonathan (Y'honatan) Joseph Joshua (Y'hoshua) Michael Samuel (Sh'mu'el)

Female Names Deborah Elizabeth (Elisheva) Judith (Y'hudit) Mary (Miriam) Rachel Rebecca (Rivka) Ruth Sarah Sharon (a place name in the Bible) Susan (Shoshanah)

You can read more about Jewish names at Judaism 101.