Even if you've never had a baby, odds you've spent at least a few minutes of your time googling baby names. And hey, guess what? If you searched for “Elizabeth” or “Michael,” you contributed to the recently released list of the most Googled baby names of 2014. Google Trends just ranked its data by state, and you guys? The results are…somewhat surprising. Not because they're unique, but because of the exact opposite reason: They're all rather…normal.
Now, I realize that to say that it's “tricky” to choose a name for your child is quite the understatement — but it's true. After all, this tiny person is going to have that name for their entire life. And not only that, but unlike naming, say, your cat, whatever moniker you bestow upon your offspring could have some pretty wide-reaching consequences for them. Research has shown that names matter, and for a huge variety of reasons. For that reason, perhaps it's unsurprising that the top Google baby name searches are pretty standard — giving your kid an unusual name may make them stand out, but not necessarily in a good way.
(And yes, I realize as I write this that I myself have something of an unusual name. The irony does not escape me.)
Interestingly, the most googled names aren't necessarily the ones that new parents actually named their kids. Social Security Agency's just-released list of popular baby names for 2014 covers that ground — and while there's some overlap (Emma and Olivia, for instance, are in the top three for both lists), the ranking isn't anywhere near the same. Names that made the SSA's list that didn't end up on the Google list include Madison, Abigail, and Charlotte for girls, and Noah and Mason for boys. Not going to lie: The Google boys' name list is a heck of a lot more interesting (Ziyon, anyone? Or Ezekiel? How about Finn?)
You can head on over to TIME to see maps laying the whole field out; in the meantime, though, here are the top five names for both girls and boys:
The Top Five Girls' Names:
1. Elizabeth
2. Olivia
3. Emma
4. Ava
5. Emily
The Top Five Boys' Names:
1. Michael
2. James
3. Avery
4. Ethan
5. Joshua
Images: Syda Productions/Fotolia; Giphy (11)
