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Help[Opinions] Baby?
I was just looking through name popularity and for some reason in the 90s, there was a surge in popularity of the name Baby! Why would you name a kid Baby? They arnt going to be a Baby forever? Why?
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it's not what you think ...
People were not actually naming their kids Baby. A few did, probably, but very few. What happened is that babies were registered with the SSA before they had a legal name and "baby" is a place holder. If you go back earlier than the nineties, especially in the earliest popularity lists, you will see "names" like Baby, Female, Boy, and Unknown. In the mid-20th century you'll see "Brain." This doesn't mean anyone was going around being called Unknown; it just meant the baby's name was not known when the birth was registered or the SS number was assigned. And in the case of Brain, that's just a typoed Brian.
People were not actually naming their kids Baby. A few did, probably, but very few. What happened is that babies were registered with the SSA before they had a legal name and "baby" is a place holder. If you go back earlier than the nineties, especially in the earliest popularity lists, you will see "names" like Baby, Female, Boy, and Unknown. In the mid-20th century you'll see "Brain." This doesn't mean anyone was going around being called Unknown; it just meant the baby's name was not known when the birth was registered or the SS number was assigned. And in the case of Brain, that's just a typoed Brian.
Might be a typo of Babbie or Barbie, if not a placeholder name (Infant has been used, too!).
Yes I used to know a girl named Baby several years ago. It was her legal birth name. Her family is Mexican, not sure if it has any cultural influence. But I think overall she was embarrassed by her name, which is really unfortunate. She also didn’t have a middle name so there weren’t any other options for her.
I highly doubt that's a name... and if it is... that's a horrible name.
I came across the name "Son" recently. Not a fan!
I came across the name "Son" recently. Not a fan!
It's not a name, it's a placeholder for babies that haven't been given a name. The same goes for Boy, Male, Female, Unknown or Infant.
Now, I can see Baby as a nickname for Barbara but only in very informal contexts.
Now, I can see Baby as a nickname for Barbara but only in very informal contexts.
Baby is often used as a placeholder. It's not really a name. I'm pretty sure someone else will come up with an article to explain
I met a woman once whose name or nickname, I didn't want to ask, must have been Baby because she was introduced to me as Aunty Baby. I managed not to call her by that name!
Then there's Baby as a code word for a girlfriend, used by pop vocalists so that every young man could identify with the heroine of the song (and, if they were lucky, buy the record or tape!) whether in real life the girl they were interested in was named Kim or Alexandra or anything in between.
Then there's Baby as a code word for a girlfriend, used by pop vocalists so that every young man could identify with the heroine of the song (and, if they were lucky, buy the record or tape!) whether in real life the girl they were interested in was named Kim or Alexandra or anything in between.
"No one puts Baby in a corner!" I'm guessing it was popular in the early 90's? If you know that quote, you'll know why it was popular ;)
This message was edited 5/25/2025, 10:00 AM