barack_obama

Have you heard?  Babies around the world are being named Barack– or Obama.  The New York Times, The Washington Post, FOX News, National Geographic News, Reuters, and the Associated Press have all reported on the latest baby naming craze.

The names of Barack’s wife and children– Michelle, Malia and Sasha– have also inspired first and middle name choices.

The good news is that we’re making progress towards accepting nontraditional naming choices.  The AP explains:

Electing someone named Barack Obama president reflects a shift in attitudes about names that’s been going on in American society for the past few decades, says Laura Wattenberg, a name expert and author who runs the blog The Baby Name Wizard.

“As a group, American parents are naming much more creatively and are striving to be distinctive with the names they pick,” she said, pointing out that shift started in the 1960s when Obama was born and has only accelerated in the last 25 years or so.

So while certain names may be more popular and prevalent than others, it’s not by much, she said. In 2007, Jacob was the most popular name for boys. But Wattenberg pointed out that only 1 percent of boys were given that name.

In contrast, a century ago, 7.5 percent of parents chose the top name, John.

A president named Obama could break down the perception “that there is such a thing as a ‘normal’ name,” said Wattenberg.

“It’s a powerful symbol of breaking down barriers where it wasn’t that long ago where kids with a non-English name would go to school and teachers would routinely change it. The president having a non-English name is a sign that we’re not squeezing everyone into that box,” she said.

I wholeheartedly agree!

It’s interesting to note that Obama was the given first name of the president-elect’s Kenyan great-grandfather, but was later used as the family’s surname.  This is a trend that I’ve seen gaining momentum in the United States.  Many couples are choosing completely new family names of special significance.  I’ve seen Meadows for a love of open spaces, Bell for Buddhism inspired mindfulness and Carolina because the couple met and married there.  I even know of a gay couple who gave their adopted daughter the last name Scott because the two of them shared the first name Scott.  The practice of using a beloved family member’s first name as a surname is an attractive option for the modern couple who wants a “team name” and is looking for a compromise.

Would you name your baby Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia or Sasha?  Would you consider using a family member’s first name as a surname?