Posted: 20 Jan 2010 09:25 AM PST

Charles E. Ramirez / The Detroit News

Mount Clemens -- Two "A" names -- Anthony for boys and Ava for girls -- were the most popular monikers for Macomb County babies last year.

That's according to a list of the top names for newborns in 2009 released by Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh today.

Jayden, which can either be a boy's or girl's name, rounded out the top three names -- along with Anthony and Ava -- for the 3,896 births recorded in Macomb County.

Other popular names parents in the county gave to children last year included Jacob, Isabella, Michael and Olivia.

Among the more creative names parents came up with were: Darling, Blessing, Heaven, Gold, Eden, Genesis, Kharma and Athena.

"A lot of parents were pretty creative this year with names," Sabaugh said in a statement. "You get a sense for how excited some new parents are just based on what they name their children."

Sabaugh also said naming children after places was also big last year. Her office recorded names for infants such as Ireland, Georgia, America, Memphis, Jerzey, Paris and Brooklyn.

cramirez@detnews.com (586) 468-2905

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Cool celebrity baby names - iVillage UK

Posted: 21 Jan 2010 04:48 PM PST

Get the up-to-the-minute word on what's hot and what's not in babies' names and make sure you're as hip as any celeb with the ultimate naming guide, Cool Names for Babies

Baby naming seems to have become a competitive sport among celebrities. The goal: the coolest name in town - a difficult task when your colleagues' babies are named Rafferty, Jaz, and Rebel.

And what are we poor mortals to do, hearing such baby names? If not follow suit, then at least we can feel inspired to be a bit more adventurous in our choices of names. Just as celebrities influence our taste in clothes, hair and make-up, they also give us a new template for baby naming.

Here are the coolest celeb baby names of recent years and the famous parents who chose them.

Alaia Stephen Baldwin
Unusual, haunting and lyrical.

Amandine John Malkovich
A distinctive Gallic name with a French sense of style. Plus, it has an appealing nutty flavour.

Apple Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin
The coolest parents around come up with a suitably hip name.

Assisi Jade Jagger
Sir Mick's granddaughter was given this unique name, evocative of the lovely Umbrian hill town.

Atticus Isabella Hoffman and Daniel Baldwin
Associated by most people with the noble lawyer played by Gregory Peck in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird.

Ava Aidan Quinn/Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe/John McEnroe
One of the hottest celebrity favourites.

Banjo Patrick and Rachel Griffiths
The name of one of the main characters in the classic comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner. For more conservative occasions, he can always be called Jo.

Betty Kitten Jane Goldman and Jonathan Ross
Could any pair of names give off a more retro-camp vibe than this? Siblings are Honey Kinney and Harvey Kirby.

Blue Angel Dave Evans
U2's 'The Edge' earns his own epithet in making this fringe choice for his daughter.

Chester Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks
It's fashionable partly because this megawatt Hollywood couple chose it.

Cosima Nigella Lawson
Elegant and exotic.

Daisy Boo Jamie Oliver
The playful middle name makes it stand out.

Dexter Diane Keaton
A nerdy boy's name comes alive when given to a girl.

Dixie Dot and Bibi Belle Anna Ryder Richardson
Tons of alliterative pizzazz!

Elijah Bob Patricus Guggi Q Bono
Don't try this at home.

Gulliver Gary Oldman
Has an engaging energy.

Iris Sadie Frost and Jude Law
These cool baby namers picked a bloom that has long been out of fashion and made it cool again.

Levi Roan Green Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke
Levi is one of the few biblical boys' names to escape overuse and remain cool.

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Men: If Your Wife is Pregnant, these tips could save your life - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com

Posted: 22 Jan 2010 04:31 AM PST

By Eric Ruhalter

January 22, 2010, 7:30AM

sign_caution_blk_lg.GIF.gif Be good to your pregnant wife so you'll live long enough to meet your baby.

If your wife is pregnant you are on the verge of your life's greatest joy. However, you're also in tremendous danger. Pregnant women have surging hormones. If you find PMS difficult to navigate, pregnancy will open your eyes to a whole new world of slippery slopes. Mind you, she deserves the courtesy and the special attention. By and large your contribution to the birth of this child involves doing something every man wants to do day and night anyway. And until you've peed a grapefruit, you'll never really quite understand what you're wife's going to go through when having your baby. So take heed….

-Your pregnant wife has an internal instinct to "Nest." "Nesting" is a quaint way of saying, spending way too much money on decorating a nursery and buying baby stuff. Let her. And when she's nesting and asks your opinion about something, you'd better have one or pretend you do. Do your best to have the same opinion as her.

-You'll get ultrasound photos on some of your visits to the Obstetrician. These images will look nothing like anything. It's like looking at a Doppler radar weather map. However, you should coo at this photo as if it were the actual baby alive and in your lap, or your wife will think you're "not excited." Do not ever be "not excited." Always be "excited."

-When selecting baby names first offer to name the child after your wife's dad. Even if his name is something really stupid.

-Pregnant women have "cravings" for particular foods. With your mouth closed, you should acquire said food for her at the first mention of any such food. If you have any misgivings about your wife getting heavy while pregnant, you should make absolutely sure that you never ever under any circumstances mention, allude to or even hint at them.

-Repeat after me: "Honey, from behind you, you can't even tell that you're pregnant!"

-In the later stages of pregnancy when she's at max size, refrain from providing large dinosaur footstep sound effects when she's walking across the room, "KOOOSH !! KOOOSH!! KOOOSH!!!" Same goes for making Beeping truck-in-reverse sound effects any time she moves backwards.

- In the delivery room, don't say: "The baby's almost out. How come you still look fat?"

I strongly urge you to heed this advice, as your wife in her hormonal state is significantly more likely to set fire to you while you sleep. So just help out as much as you can, shut up, and rub her feet. And congratulations!

Eric Ruhalter lives in Morristown with his wife and 3 children. Watch the hysterical video looking inside Eric's amusing and insightful gift book: The KidDictionary: A Book of Words Parents Need to Describe Their Kids. It is available on Amazon through his cool website: www.TheKidDictionary.com. It's a great gift for anyone who has kids, knows kids, knows someone who has kids or ever was a kid. (And that's everyone!)

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