Naming your baby is often a very tough decision and most parents spend days (and nights) talking about different names that they like (or don't like). All in all it has a lot to do with feelings and associations. What does that exact name mean to you? Did you know a great person that you would want to name your child after while your partner thinks or a hated childhood classmate?

In the year 2005 the top names in the United States by gender were: GIRLS – (1) Emma, (2) Emily, (3) Madison, (4) Kaitlyn, (5) Sophia, (6) Isabella, (7) Olivia, (8) Hannah, (9) Makayla and (10) Ava. For the BOYS it was (1) Aidan, (2) Jacob, (3) Ethan, (4) Nicholas, (5) Matthew, (6) Ryan, (7) Tyler, (8) Jack, (9) Joshua and (10) Andrew.

Most if not all of these names sound familiar and you might even know several people with one of the names. They are extremely popular and have been so for quite a while. But event though they are so familiar my guess is that you have never though of the origin of the name and the meaning that was once associated with the particular name.

After reading this article you can impress your family and friend with some background on the name they have carried for years. If you would like to know the meaning of your own name or the name of someone you know I suggest that you go to Google and type “name”+meaning.

Emma – Female name originating from the old German (European) language. It means “Universal” and “All Embracing”. The name has been in the top 1000 popular names in the US ever since 1880. Emma is pronounced EM-ah. Besides being a popular first name is is also a very popular surname.

Emily – Female name originating from the old German and Latin language. It means “Industrious” and “Eager”. The name has been very popular ever since names were recorded (1880) and have really soared ever since 1960 and are currently peaking. The name is pronounced EM-i-lee. Emily comes in 5 other variant forms: Amelia, Emelia, Emilee, Emilia and Emilie.

Madison – Unisex name originating from old German and English language. It means “Son of a mighty warrior” and “Son of Maud”. From this we can see that this name has not always been unisex but now girls have taken the name by storm ranking it third in 2005. It is pronounced MAD-a-son. The five most popular variants are: Maddison, Madisen, Madisson, Madisyn and Madyson.

Aidan – A unisex name that is pronounced AY-den. It is of Irish origin and means “Fiery”. The name is an anglicized form of the ancient Gaelic name Aedan, a pet form of Aed. Name of a bishop of Ferns (seventh century) who was noted for his kindness and generosity. Saint Aidan (Ireland, seventh century) established the monastery of Lindisfarne, one of the great centers of learning of its time.

Jacob – A boys name taken from Hebrew with the meaning “Held by the Heel” and “Supplants”. The name is pronounced JAY-kub. According to the biblical story he was the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the twin brother of Esau. Jacob had 12 sons and one daughter and it is said that they became the ancestors of the nation of Israel.

If you're interested in looking up some of the other names I strongly recommend using Google as described earlier. For the most popular names you'll be able to find what you're looking for within the first 3-4 search results. Happy searching.