Ah, the unholy power of
pop culture.
According to the Social Security Administration, the top two baby names of 2009 were Jacob and Isabella. And how traditional is
that? In the Old Testament, "Jacob" is
famous for grabbing his brother Esau by the heel, stealing Esau's birthright,
and fathering the twelve tribes of Israel. In Hebrew his name is "Ya`aqob," which literally means, "heel
puller." As for "Isabella," her name goes back even farther; in Hebrew she is "Elisheva," or "my God is my oath." She was married to Aaron, making her Moses'
sister-in-law. From Elisheva we also get
"Elizabeth," so she is responsible for tons of name derivatives like Betsy, Beth, Lizzie...
Not to mention
Bella. Hmm...Bella. Where have we heard that name recently?
Turns out this spike in name
popularity isn't driven by a sudden interest in the Book of Genesis, but
rather, by an obsession with the Books of Twilight. The "Twilight" series has become a pop culture
phenomenon, topping Harry Potter's sales records, spawning two hit movies and
soundtracks. At the center of the action
is Bella Swan, who has more than her share of teen anxiety: her boyfriend is a vampire, and she's
thinking of becoming one too. "Jacob" is her friend Jacob Black. His main problem is he's falling in love with
Bella. But he also has to deal with another
small complication: he's a werewolf.
As for Bella's brooding
boyfriend, Edward Cullen, why isn't he more popular on the baby-name
parade? Well, he's moving up the charts. In 2009, "Edward" rose 11 spots to No. 13,
and "Cullen" is the fastest mover of
2009, up a whopping 297 slots versus 2008.
All of which has created
an interesting irony: a yearful of Old Testament tots who are actually named
after unholy monsters.
But you should probably keep that to yourself. If you're invited to any 1-year-old's birthday party this year, don't forget to bring along a present and a fun attitude. Tell the parents how adorable the child is. But please, refrain from saying, "Happy Birthday, you cute little blood-sucker."
You can read previous installments of
the quick Sliver in our online archive.
Just go here: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs015/1103023679528/archive/1103033975377.html
|
