Choosing A Baby Name: Names for Success And Most Popular Baby Names

Choosing a baby name is usually a highly prioritized item on the baby planning agenda. Parents spend a great deal of time nowadays pouring over baby name books and baby name websites, trying out sounds, seeking out meanings, hopeful that the right name will bounce right off the page, clear and obvious, as if it was meant for their child all along, as if it was fate.

Is a name a random characteristic of a person or does it affect a person's destiny? William Shakespeare so famously said, "What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Did Shakespeare have a point or can a name influence a person's life? It has been suggested that the perception of oneself and the perception of others' based on a person's name may affect the way one carries themselves through life and the way that person is treated.

With that in mind, I have compiled a list of the most common boys and girls names of successful people:

Boys                           Girls
1. Steven                    1. Jacqueline
2. Ross                       2. Morgan
3. Christopher             3. Elizabeth
4. James                     4. Katherine
5. Robert                    5. Victoria

                                              
                             
If you're looking for today's most popular baby names, you'll find that the trend is a shift away from highly original and unique names towards more classic names.

The following is a list of today's top 10 most popular baby names for boys and girls, including their origins. These names have earned their top positions as they have withstood the test of time. 

BOYS - TOP 10 BABY NAMES
Baby Name			Origin
1. Noah (unisex)			Hebrew (Biblical) - Noah's ark
			Meaning: Rest, Comfort
2. Liam			Irish
			prior to 1066 C.E.
			Meaning: Desire, Guardian, Protector
3. Ethan			Hebrew (Biblical)
			Meaning: Strong, Safe, Firm
4. Mason			French
			Used in middle ages by stoneworkers
5. Lucas			Greek, from Latin "lucius" meaning
			"the bright one" or "the one  born at dawn";
			Appears in Ancient inscriptions, prior to 70 C.E.
			Meaning: Light
6. Oliver			French, from Latin "olivarius",
			at least 11th century
			Meaning: Olive tree planter
7. Aiden (unisex)			Irish and Scottish Gaelic,
			400 B.C.E.
			Meaning: Fiery One
8. Elijah			Named after Jewish Prophet
			9th Century B.C.E.
			Meaning: The Lord is my G-d
9. James			Derived from Hebrew name "Jacob",
			Appears in New Testament
			Meaning: Supplanter, One who follows
10. Benjamin			Hebrew (Biblical)
			Meaning: Son of my right hand
GIRLS - TOP 10 BABY NAMES
Baby Name			Origin
1. Emma			Derived from German,
			at least 10th century C.E.
			Meaning: Whole, Universal
2. Olivia			Derived from Latin "oliva",
			at least 13th century C.E.
			Meaning: olive
3. Ava			German, may have derived from Latin "avis" meaning
			bird" or may be a short form of the Hebrew form of the
			name Eve, "Chava", meaning "life"or "living one",
			at least 9th century C.E.
4. Sophia			Greek
			Middle ages
			Meaning: Wisdom
5. Isabella			Hebrew, Variation of Isabel, Elizabeth
			at least 13th century C.E.
			Meaning: My G-d is an oath, Pledged to G-d
6. Mia			Latin, Hebrew, Scandinavian
			at least 17th Century C.E.
			Meaning: Mine, Wished-for child, Beautiful
7. Charlotte			French, female version of name Charles,
			at least 18th Century C.E.
			Meaning: Strong, Virile, Vigorous
8. Amelia			Latin
			at least 7th century C.E.
			Meaning: Industrious, Striving
9. Harper			Scottish, Originally a last name which appears
			as early as 18th century C.E.
			Meaning: Someone who plays the harp, Pleasant, Brave
10. Abigail			Hebrew (Biblical)
			Meaning: The father's joy

Whatever name you and your significant other choose for your baby, remember that the process, albeit one to take seriously, should be fun as well and should be entirely your own. Don't let others influence your decision with unsolicited criticism. You are the parent(s) after all and you are best suited to provide the most fitting name for your child.

Please leave a comment below with the names you have chosen for your child(ren), and how you picked them.

Top 11 Nursery Rhymes/Songs for Baby

Here is a compiled list of the top 11 nursery rhymes and songs for your baby, with lyrics attached:

(Please feel free to comment below with your favorite songs/rhymes)

1. Twinkle Twinkle

Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

2. Old MacDonald Had A Farm

Old MACDONALD had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a cow
E-I-E-I-O
With a moo moo here
And a moo moo there
Here a moo, there a moo
Everywhere a moo moo
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O

(Repeat with different animals:

Pig-Oink

Horse-Neigh 

Duck-Quack

Sheep-Baa

Chickens-Cluck)

3. Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.

One for my master,
One for my dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.

4. This Old Man

This old man he played one

He played nick nack on my drum

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played two

He played nick nack on my shoe

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played three

He played nick nack on my knee

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played four

He played nick nack on my door

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played five

He played nick nack on my hive

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played six

He played nick nack on my sticks

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played seven

He played nick nack up in heaven

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played eight

He played nick nack on my gate

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played nine

He played nick nack on my vine

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

This old man he played ten

He played nick nack on my hen

With a nick nack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

This old man came rolling home

5. Mary Had a Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb
Little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go

He followed her to school one day
School one day, school one day
He followed her to school one day
Which was against the rule
It made the children laugh and play
Laugh and play, laugh and play
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school

And so the teacher turned him out
Turned him out, turned him out
And so the teacher turned him out
But still he lingered near
And waited patiently
Patiently, patiently
And wai-aited patiently
Til Mary did appear

Mary had a little lamb
Little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go

6. The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round
Round and round
Round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish
Swish, swish, swish
Swish, swish, swish
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish
All through the town

The driver on the bus goes 'move on back'
Move on back
Move on back
The driver on the bus goes 'move on back'
All through the town

The people on the bus go up and down
Up and down
Up and down
The people on the bus go up and down
All through the town

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep
Beep, beep, beep
Beep, beep, beep
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep
All through the town

The babies on the bus go 'waah waah waah'

Waah, waah, waah

Waah, waah, waah

The babies on the bus go 'waah, waah, waah'

All through the town

The mommies on the bus go 'shh, shh, shh'

Shh, shh, shh,

Shh, shh, shh

The mommies on the bus go 'shh, shh, shh'

All through the town

7. Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The bird looked at the clock,
The clock struck two,
Away she flew,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The dog barked at the clock,
The clock struck three,
Fiddle-de-dee,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The bear slept by the clock,
The clock struck four,
He ran out the door,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The bee buzzed 'round the clock,
The clock struck five,
She went to her hive,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The hen pecked at the clock,
The clock struck six,
Oh, fiddle-sticks,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The cat ran round the clock,
The clock struck seven,
She wanted to get 'em,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The horse jumped over the clock,
The clock struck eight,
He ate some cake,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The cow danced on the clock,
The clock struck nine,
She felt so fine,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The pig oinked at the clock,
The clock struck ten,
She did it again,
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The duck quacked at the clock
The clock struck eleven,
The duck said "Oh Heavens!"
Hickory Dickory Dock.

Hickory Dickory Dock,
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck noon,
He's here too soon!
Hickory Dickory Dock.

8. Grandfather's Clock

My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf
So it stood ninety years on the floor
It was taller by half than the old man himself
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more

It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born
And was always his treasure and pride
But it stopped, short never to go again
When the old man died

Ninety years without slumbering
tik, tlk, tik, tok
His life seconds numbering
tik, tok, tik, tok
It stopped, short never to go again
When the old man died

9. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream

(Alternate Lyrics:

Row row row your boat

Gently down the stream

If you see a crocodile

Don't forget to scream, ahhhhh)

10. The More We Get Together

The more we get together
Together, together
The more we get together
The happier we'll be

'Cause your friends are my friends
And my friends are your friends
The more we get together
The happier we'll be

11. Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again