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Obama Win Sparks Baby Name Craze - Updated

AOL
posted: 104 DAYS 5 HOURS AGO
comments: 2211
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(Nov. 29) - On the morning of Nov. 5, just hours after the United States elected Barack Obama as its next president, 10 boys were born at a hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Six of them were named -- you guessed it -- Barack Obama.
The Illinois senator's historic win isn't just changing politics, it's making a very unusual name much more popular, both abroad and here at home in America.
The New York Times reported that the names Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have inspired first and middle names across the country.
A president named Obama could break down the perception "that there is such a thing as a 'normal' name," said Laura Wattenberg, a name expert and author who runs the blog The Baby Name Wizard. Barack has never made the top 1,000 names in the U.S., although it is expected to shoot up the charts now.
Presidential naming trends have happened before. Franklin surged to number 33 in 1933, and Lincoln, Kennedy and Reagan became popular in the 1990s. Obama, however, is a much less common surname than those of past presidents.
The Washington Post reports that there are about 11,000 Clinton families and 60,000 Bush families in the U.S., while there may be fewer than 20 families named Obama.
"I'm not related to the president, but I think Obama is a good name to have right now," said Nicanor Obama, a 28-year-old Virginia resident. He said after getting pulled over for driving too fast recently, an officer let him off without a speeding ticket, saying, "Well, I'm going to let you go because you have the Obama name."
Think you know what names are popular in the U.S. right now? Click through the galleries below to see the top 10 for boys and girls -- a few will surprise you. And then check out some really bizarre baby names parents have recently chosen.
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2008-11-30 10:52:09
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MONROE LAW

08:41 AMDec 04 2008

Every study done of name perception shows that parents who give their kids off names do them no favors. We will have to wait and see how popular Obama is after his term ends before making projections about how children named after him will be perceived. We may see a lot of "Barrys" rather than Baraks in a few years

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Pcny1953

05:07 AMDec 04 2008

What kind of people would name their kid "Uh?"

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Mosron

07:46 PMDec 04 2008

I did get a new cat. He is black and white and I call him Barack. And a tabby named Grizzebella from "Cats". Man, do they eat a lot.

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Mosron

07:44 PMDec 04 2008

Eurythmy2, strong women? You mean like Sarah Palin?

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SpdDin

05:45 PMDec 03 2008

Hate is what keeps this world fro perfection. Hate is a deadly deseise that infects us all. But why do we hate, because people are different from us to tell the truth i think we hate because we're afraid of what we don't see. How other people live. Hating someone who hates you, doesn't make the problem better, does it.

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Bombaybridgefilm

10:51 AMDec 03 2008

America is fighting Islam (Muslims) worldwide, and we will have a fake, half MuslimPresident in The White House. The joke is on Americans. Do the stupid mothers know that they are giving Muslim name to childrens, while this country is fightingMuslims.?

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(2)

Eurythmy2

06:37 AMDec 03 2008

Barack Obama represents what's Right in the world!! Ignorant Hate Mongering, Uneducated Morons represent all that is Wrong in the world! The Hate Mongers should slither back unders the rocks that they came from!! Sore Losers will Forever be Losers because the only time they feel good is when they Hate! Their Lives are pathetic because they are pathetic, sick souled folks who contribute Absolutely Nothing to society! BAAA BAAAAA BUSHEEP,HAVE YOU TONS OF FEARS? YES SIR, YES SIR, WE HAVE THEM ALLLLLLLL YEAR! WE'RE AFRAID OF BLACKS,WE'RE TERRIFIED OF JEWS,WE'RE AFRAID OF STRONG WOMEN AND THOSE FERINERS TOO! WE SPREAD OUR SICK HATRED AND SPOUT OUR B U L L S H I T LIES AND WE'LL BE AFRAID TILL THE DAY WE DIE!(which can't be soon enough for the sane folks in the world) The Hypocrits will spout Religion as they spout Hate and Fear!Just a reminder, Jesus Did Not Say "Hate Thy Neighbor!"Hell is waiting for you...mmmmmm toasty!!

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MStonnell

03:51 PMDec 02 2008

Does that mean we should also name our kids Hussein after him??

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Mamadeez43

10:23 AMDec 02 2008

even the most innocuous article about the Obamas turns into such a nasty hate fest. We are all Americans. Let's have some spirited, intelligent debate. Not name calling and low blows. No more citing Internet sites obviously not written by anyone who speaks fluent english and claims to be the state department or Hawaiian hall of records website. Shame on you people.

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(6)

Eurythmy2

09:22 AMDec 02 2008

Hate Mongrering is No Laughing Matter! !Lying Hypocrits are not funny either! The Unbelievable Damage that Bush & Cheney Have Created has brought us to the state we are in now! If you are Not Appalled, you are blind, Deaf and Dumb and enabling the problem! Still not laughing!

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