I think that you need to look around where you live and see the really popular names. If you live in a non-diverse, upper middle class enclave in the northeast of the US (like I do) the very popular names are going to be a bit different than a small southern town, midwest city, or a vibrant urban center. I chose a name for my daughter that was very popular where we live. If you just look at the SS list you wouldn't think it would be that common, but in our little corner of the world it was. Talk to everyone you know with kids in daycare and preschool and see what's trending. L&D nurses are also a good resource. In the big scheme of things it doesn't really matter, of course. I still love her name and she does, too. But she does get a bit tired of always using her last initial