What a time it is for list-o-maniacs. Not only are we being inundated with "best of" assessments of the current annum, but also for an entire decade.
So it's somehow refreshing to come across a "most of" list instead of a "best of," and not just because they tend to provide a more accurate window into our world. They also can be just plain fun.
Take baby names. It's probably not a huge surprise that Madeline topped the girls' list for 2009, partly abetted by such spellings as Madelyn, Madeleine and Madelynn -- as opposed to Madison, which finished second all by its lonesome, followed by Emma, Hannah and Olivia.
In the latest evidence that everything comes back in fashion at some point, two of the top names come from perhaps our most iconic mid-20th-century actresses (non-Marilyn Monroe Division): No. 6 Audrey and No. 8 Grace.
Speaking of thespians, perhaps we're due for an Aiden Quinn comeback (although the ardent actor would first have to recognize the impotence of being so earnest).
Heading up the 2009 boys' name list: Aiden/Aidan/Aden, finishing well ahead of No. 7 Braden/Braeden/Brayden. These must be poetic times, because Owen, Ethan, Jackson and Evan also cracked the top 10.
While traditional spelling might be out the window, the most popular names of the decade were decidedly old-fashioned, as the biblical Jacob headed the boys' list and the Austen-ish Emma ruled the roost among baby girls.
BILL WARD
