Top Ten Baby Boy Names of 2006

Every year, expecting parents all over the world prepare for the arrival of their new child by choosing a baby name. For some, this is an easy task, and for others, it is an agonizing endeavor. A name is something that will be used to identify your child for the rest of their lives. Will it have positive or negative connotations? Will it help them be successful, popular, environmentally conscious, or smart?

There is a lot to consider when naming a child but recent findings from data cruncher and economist Steven Leavitt, author of "Freakonomics" suggest that names have very little to do with how a child will turn out.

Each year, there are names that rise to the top of the heap as the most popular baby names. Here are the most popular baby boy names for 2006:

Boys

1. Aiden - Celtic, meaning "fire". Aiden was in the top 10 list for 2005, but with a different spelling: Aidan.

2. Jacob - Hebrew, meaning "the supplanter". The most popular Jacob is probably from the bible. Jacob, the son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, had his name changed to Israel and was the father of the 12 Tribes of Israel.

3. Ethan - Hebrew, meaning "strong, firm". Ethan has been a surprise in the top ten for the last 5 years. It's possible some of it's popularity has come from the Mission Impossible movies with their main character, Ethan Hunt.

4. Ryan - Gaelic, meaning "little king". Female versions of Ryan are Reagan or Regan. Until the 20^th century, Ryan was traditionally a surname.

5. Matthew - Hebrew meaning "gift of God". Matthew has consistently been one of the top ten baby names since 1970 when it came it at number 10. In the 80's it rose to number 3 where it stayed through the 90's. Starting in 2000, it has started to slide back down the chart.

6. Jack - English, form of John which means "God is Gracious". Jack follows a new trend of single syllable names for boys. Nearly 20% of boys names are just one syllable, while only 6% of girls names are.

7. Noah - Hebrew, meaning "rest, comfort". Noah is probably one of the biggest movers onto the top 10 most popular baby names. In 2005, it was 23^rd on the list and in 2004, it was 29^th.

8. Nicholas - Greek, meaning "victory of the people". The name Nicholas became popular with Saint Nicholas of Myra, the inspiration for Saint Nicholas, or Father Christmas.

9. Joshua - Hebrew, meaning "Lord is Salvation". Joshua has enjoyed the number 3 or 4 position on the top ten most popular baby names for the last 5 years. Time will tell if the slipping trend will continue.

10. Logan - Gaelic, meaning "from the little hollow". Logan is an example of how place names have been popular baby names.

Choose a name from this list and your child will be almost guaranteed the opportunity to know lots of other kids with her same name. This may result in your child having to come up with a nick name to differentiate themselves from all the other Ryans and Aidens running around the playground.

However, choosing a name from this list will also ensure that very few people will be stumped by your child's name. They will not have to struggle to pronounce it, nor will it be easily forgotten.