What are as the hottest 2010 baby names trends?  Here, our 15 top picks:

　　MOST FASHIONABLE CONSONANT

　　L, by far, with the booming fashionableness of almost every L name for girls, and most especially those with two L sounds: Lila, Lola, Layla, Leila, Lily, Lillian, Delilah, Tallulah, even Lulu and Lucille.

　　NEW “IT” VOWEL

　　E, with Emma taking over from Emily (now number 3) at the top of the girls’ list, and a range of E names for both boys and girls rising through the ranks: Ethan, Eden, Eleanor, Emmett, Eli, Eliza, Elijah, Ella, Evan, Eva, Eloise, Evangeline, Elliot, Esme, et nearly al.

　　LATEST GENDER-BENDING TREND

　　Male-female name equivalents: Auden and Audrey, Isaiah and Isabella, Theo and Thea.  In fact, an association with a popular name of the opposite sex is enough to propel an unlikely choice to prominence: Edison on the coattails of Addison, for example, or Malachi hitching a ride with Makayla.

　　BIGGEST POP CULTURE INFLUENCE

　　Twilight, which has catapulted Edward (another E name) from boring old man name to sexiest boy on the block, may boost Bella to number one, and popularize such unlikely choices as Cullen and Esme.

　　MOST SURPRISING COMEBACK NAME

　　Felix, replacing Oscar.  The X factor is important in several names getting another turn in the sun — Dexter, Rex, all forms of Max – as well as some new choices, such as Maddox, Paxton, and Jaxon.

　　COOLEST MIDDLE NAME TREND

　　Double and triple middle names à la the British royals, using mother’s maiden plus another, or honoring both grandmothers or fathers at the same time.

　　MOST UNLIKELY MAINSTREAM TREND

　　Jewish surnames, specifically Cohen and Jacoby, have become hot among Middle American, distinctly non-Jewish parents.  Miller is also rising.  Next up: Shapiro?

　　FRENCH FASHION THAT WON’T MAKE IT HERE

　　Prune, most chic among names for little Parisian girls, is unlikely to find a following in the U.S.  Though its true translation, Plum, is definitely finding favor.

　　HOTTEST TREND INSPIRED BY A CELEBRITY BABY NAME

　　Did an incipient trend for bird names inspire Nicole Richie and Joel Madden to name their newborn son Sparrow, or was it the other way around?  No matter.  Bird names are the latest genre of nature names, now that the gardens of flower names have become overgrown.  Up and coming avian names: Lark, Wren, Hawk, Dove,  Anything but the dated Robin.  Then there’s also the genetic Birdie, daughter of Maura West.

　　BIGGEST BIG PICTURE TREND: ECONOMICAL NAMES

　　In this era of tighter budgets and darker outlooks, 2010 baby names will be getting both shorter and more light-hearted. We see a trend toward nickname names ahead. For boys, these are economical one-syllable names: Bob, Joe, Gus, Hal, Hank, Max,. Such short forms – in every sense of the phrase are stylish and getting more so in Europe, with Jack the number one name in England, Tom tops in France, Bas and Sem popular in the Netherlands.

　　For girls, the nickname trend adds an “ie” onto the end of every name: Gracie, Ellie, Evie, Maisie, Josie. Trendlet: boys’ nicknames – Lou, Charlie, Sam, Frankie – for girls.

　　NEWEST RETRO TREND

　　We predict the revival of serious, no-frills names that haven’t been considered for babies in several generations: Adele, Alice, Dorothy, Edith, Evelyn, Florence, Lenore, Louise, and Marion for girls; Arthur, Frank, Harold, Harvey, Martin, Raymond, Victor, Vincent, Walter, Warren for boys. Having trouble imagining such sober names on cute little kids? We said the same thing about Moses and Matilda a handful of years ago.

　　ETHNIC NAME GROUP MOST LIKELY TO RISE

　　Latin names, both Spanish and Italian—Seraphina, Mateo/Matteo, Valentina/Valentino, Cruz, Romeo, Lucia and Luciana, and Paloma.  Even as one study says Hispanic parents in the U.S. are less likely to use Latin names after two or three generations, such choices are gaining in acceptance among non-Latino American parents.

　　GIRL TREND READY TO JUMP THE SHARK

　　Rose as a middle name has become as wilted as such old school connective names as Lee and Lynn, Ann and Marie.  And Grace is coming up fast behind it.

　　BOY TREND READY TO JUMP THE SHARK

　　Two syllable faux surname-names.  When people are naming their sons after prisons such as Ryker, it’s time to stop.

　　TREND WE’D MOST LIKE TO SEE DIE

　　Reality TV names that feel about as authentic as the people behind them – Khloe, Audrina, Jaslene.  Come on, people,  Even Jackson, as in Michael, is a more unambivalently worthy namesake.

　　Check out our trend predictions for 2011!

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