Image via Wikipedia

Cross Cameron with London and you’ll end up with this rapidly rising choice.

Thanks to Tracy for suggesting the only name her husband likes.  Our Baby Name of the Day is Camden.

If Camden brings to mind only Camden, New Jersey, it probably seems an implausible pick for a child.  I’m sure the city has its good points, but political scandal, crime, and economic woes have dominated Camden’s story in the national media for years.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Camden Town is a neighborhood in northwest London.  This Camden has been home to everyone from Madness to Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens to Oasis.  George Orwell and Dylan Thomas both lived there around the same time.  The Camden Markets – there are half a dozen – draw tens of thousands of visitors every weekend, selling everything from music to mirrors.  If this was the only Camden you knew, the name might very well be as viable an option as, well, London.

The original Camden takes its name from Charles Pratt, a politician and the first to wear the title Earl Camden in the 1700s.  Pratt developed the area in the eighteenth century.  His son, the second Earl, became Marquess Camden in 1812.  Just a few years later, Regent’s Canal reached the area, and Camden Lock opened.  You can watch Kate Winslet walk around the area in her commercial for American Express from a few years back.

Camden’s history as a surname reaches back even farther.  It probably started out as Campden, from camp – enclosure – and denu – valley.  You can still visit Chipping Camden in the Cotswolds, the site of a real-life murder mystery from the 1600s, a tale so fantastic it almost has to be true.

The question is why Camden caught on as a given name.  Unlike many surname options, Camden was never in US Top 1000 until 1990.  A few theories to explain his rise:

• Cameron caught on in a big way, reaching #62 in 1990, and peaking at #31 in 2000.  Other Cam- names have followed, and Cameron still stands at #59 for boys;
• Of course, Cameron Diaz rocketed to fame in 1994′s The Mask, encouraging more parents to consider it for a daughter – and sending parents who liked Cameron for a son looking for other options;
• The long-running WB series 7th Heaven featured the squeaky clean Camden family from 1996 into 2oo7;
• In 1992, Camden Yards opened in Baltimore, home of the Baltimore Orioles.  The ballpark stands on the former site of the B&O Railroad’s Camden Station rail yard and incorporates part of a former warehouse;
• Caleb, Carter, Connor, Cole, Cooper, Carson, Colton, plus Caden and K-spellings of nearly every one of those names are also stylish;
• Place names were on the rise during the era, as were two-syllable names that end-in-n.

Add it up, and Camden goes from being an unlikely choice to an obvious one.  The UK connection gives it a certain gritty, alternative vibe, but the baseball connection is as red, white, and blue as you might wish.  With the easy nickname Cam, it is easy to see why Camden went from unranked in 1989 to #194 in 2009.  His only drawback is just that – he’s so stylish it is hard to say how high he’ll reach.

Silent Film Star Evelyn Brent; Image via Wikipedia

Ask me to name a name I think we’ll see in the Top Ten soon and this ends-in-lyn choice would be my pick.

Thanks to Sara A. for suggesting the ever so fashionable Evelyn as Baby Name of the Day.

Go ahead.  Shout.  Yell.  Through things at the screen.

“But Evelyn is a boys’ name!”

If that’s out of your system, follow me back in time.  While many surnames indicate the father’s name – Jameson or Johnson, to name just two – others suggest the mother’s moniker.  Evelyn is one such surname that comes to us via a female name, in this case Aveline.  Parents today are rediscovering Aveline as something of an Ava-Adeline smoosh.  But she’s actually related an old Germanic element, avi – desired, or possibly to the Latin avis – bird.

Avila, Avelina, Aveline, Evelina, and Evelyn were just a few of the variants in use for girls in medieval England.  Evelina got a boost in 1778 when Fanny Burney’s debut novel used the name for its title character.

Between the Middle Ages and the bestseller, Evelyn had been adopted for boys, likely through the surname.  The first one I found was born in the mid-1600s.  Evelyn Pierrepont, the Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull.  He passed his name onto a daughter, and a grandson, too.

His contemporary, John Evelyn, was among the world’s first conservationists.  In 1661, he wrote about air pollution issues in London; he was also known for encouraging the planting of trees.  Evelyn was one of the scientists who co-founded the Royal Society in 1660.  His surname was used for Evelyn College, the women’s college at Princeton, as well as the corporate name Crabtree & Evelyn.

Then came the novelist Evelyn Waugh, born in 1903.  Brideshead Revisited, published in 1945, is among his best known works.  Here’s a trivia fact: his first marriage was to a woman named Evelyn.

Into the early twentieth century, we can find plenty of men named Evelyn.  But by the early 1900s, the tide changed.  Evelyn ranked in the US girls’ Top 100 from the 1890s through the 1950s, peaking at #10 in 1915.

Famous female Evelyns include:

• Evelyn Ay was 1954′s Miss America;
• Evelyn Brent was a silent film star – though she was born Betty Riggs;
• Evelyn Preer was an early African-American film star, crossing from silent film to talkies and the stage;
• There’s also actress Evelyn Keyes, who had a long career playing supporting roles in Hollywood successes like Gone With the Wind and The Seven Year Itch;
• Disco gave us Evelyn “Champagne” King;
• You might remember seeing runner Evelyn Ashford win gold in the 1984 Olympics;
• Soprano Evelyn Lear and ballerina Evelyn Hart add an artistic edge.

Artists, writers, academics, and politicians round out the list.  No wonder – Evelyn has never left the US Top 1000, and even when she was out of fashion, she only fell to #289 in 1977.

Today, nearly any name with a V is in vogue.  Evelyn appeals to parents who want something longer than Eve, Eva, or Ava, and like her gentle, antique feel.  She’s also at home with respellings like Madelyn and nouveau coinages like Gracelyn.  Variant Evalyn has some history, too, and is generating plenty of interest.  (The heiress who donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian was Evalyn McLean.)

In 2002, she ranked #98; by 2009, #39.  She’s often heard on discussion forums.   And so Evelyn is almost certainly headed to a playground near you.

Thanks to Melissa for suggesting Stella as Name of the Day.

Stella is Latin for star, and she’s appropriately big in celebrity circles.  Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith used the name for their daughter in 1996, when Stella was unranked in the US.  By the time Tori Spelling welcomed her daughter Stella on Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood in 2008, the name had climbed to #186.

Her comeback isn’t just about star power.  Stella was a Top 100 staple from the late nineteenth century into the 1920s.  Her -ella ending fits with many of today’s most popular choices, from Isabella to Gabriella to just Ella.

Catholics have referred to Mary as Stella Maris since the ninth century.  Her title may have been based on a typo.  In the fourth century, St. Jerome called her stilla maris – a drop in the sea.  You’ll find seaside parishes, schools and at least one monastery referred to by the name all over the world.

The Elizabethan-era poet Sir Philip Sidney was the first to use Stella as a personal name when he wrote his “Astrophil and Stella” sonnets in the 1580s.  If you unpack the Latin, Astrophil is a a lover – phil - of stars – astro, making Stella the logical choice for his object of desire.

While Estelle was indeed in use in Medieval France, it isn’t clear when Stella debuted.  It may have been Charles Dickens’ use of Estella in Great Expectations, published in the 1860s, that sparked the rise of all three.

For rise she did, and not just for people:

• In 1879 there was a short-lived push for the US to mint a four dollar coin, officially called the Stella;
• Belgian beer Stella Artois was first brewed during the 1926 Christmas season.  Artois was the surname of the brewery’s founder;
• Stella D’Oro cookies were named by an Italian immigrant Joseph Kresivich for his family bakery in the Bronx, back in 1932, though they’re now owned by Lance.

The coin didn’t make it, but the consumables are widely available today.

Stella got her biggest boost from literature and film:

• 1918′s Stella Maris starred Mary Pickford as an invalid who ultimately finds true love – though she’s the only one who ends happily;
• Olive Higgins Prouty’s 1923 novel Stella Dallas is about a woman who sacrifices everything for her daughter’s happiness.   Multiple film adaptations and a long-running radio show followed;
• Jazz standard “Stella by Starlight” was composed for 1944′s The Uninvited, the tale of a haunted mansion by the sea.  Lyrics were added later, and it has been oft-recorded and performed since.
• But the big kahuna, is Tennessee Williams’ 1947 A Streetcar Named Desire and the film that followed.  Marlon Brando bellowing “Stella!” is a cinematic classic, but her life is not one you’d choose for a daughter.

As a given name, Stella’s decline started in the 1940s.  Maybe it was her association with so many suffering women, but odds are she simply sounded dated after so many years’ heavy use.

In 2010, however, Stella sounds fresh.  She’s also nickname-proof and appropriate for a child or an adult.  Add it all up, and you’ll find her only drawback is that she’s so very appealing.  Odds are good that you won’t be the only parents discovering Stella!

He was the fastest rising name for boys born in 2008.  Is he a new classic or just a flash in the pan?

Thanks to AN for suggesting Jacoby as Name of the Day.

Jacob has been King of the Mountain since 1999.  The long-time #1 name for boys born in the US was given to more than 250,000 newborns in the 2000s alone.  He’s been in the Top Ten since 1993 and the Top 100 since 1974.

Little wonder that parents have gone looking for variations:

• As an independent name, Jake ranked #112 in 2008, down a few places from his peak of #96 in 2000.  He’s actually charted in the Top 1000 every year since the stats were established in 1880;
• Jakob has only ranked since 1983.  He peaked at #171 in 2001, and had fallen to #309 in 2008.  Jaykub and kin have been spotted, too.

Then along came Jacoby.  The surname first appeared in 1983, but never quite caught on.  And then, bang!  In 2007,  Jacoby jumped nearly 300 spots to #623 and then another 200 the following year, to an all-time high of #423 in 2008.

That’s a lightning fast gain in baby naming stats.

If Jameson can catch on, why not Jacoby?  While the first generation of surname names in vogue tended to evoke New England prep school rosters, recent entrants are more diverse.  Jacoby – traditionally Jewish – feels a little different.  And yet his classic rhythm fits with traditional masculine monikers from Anthony to Zachary.

Plus there are nicknames aplenty – the obvious Jake or Jack, and the appealing Coby.  And this is where the Jewish surname owes a hat tip to Japan and the NBA.

Kobe Bryant’s parents were inspired by a steakhouse serving beef from the Japanese city famed for its cattle.  The year after Bryant joined the NBA, his first name debuted at #554.  As his career took off, Kobe rose to #222 by 2001.  His personal life has prompted some parents to look elsewhere for inspiration, but Kobe still ranked #408 in 2008.

It’s not just about beef and basketball, either.  The hoop star first made headlines when sound-alike Cody was a Top 50 pick.

Notable Jacobs are many, from Esau’s twin in the Bible, to Molly Ringwald’s Sixteen Candles crush.  Jacobys are harder to come by, but include:

• One of Barbossa’s cursed crew in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise;
• The Boston Red Sox’s Jacoby Ellsbury;
• Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix.

If there is one frustration with Jacoby it could be settling on a pronunciation.  I’ve heard two:

• ja KO bee, the sound favored by a lawyer in my hometown;
• JAK oh bee, the pronunciation that springs to mind when I think of Jacobean England – the era immediately following the reign of Elizabeth I.

Depending on the language, ya KO bee or YAK oh bee are possible, too, though I doubt they’d appeal as first names.  But who can say?  After all, Nameberry called the rise of Cohen and company The Most Unlikely Mainstream Trend of 2010.  And while Jacoby shares none of Cohen’s controversy, it is possible he’ll be tainted by association.

Overall, Jacoby’s sound is incredibly appealing.  Part-20th century classic, part-cutting edge choice, it is easy to imagine this one catching on – and staying.  Like Tyler and Jackson, he may be poised to join the fraternity of last names permanently promoted to first name status.

Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Miles as Name of the Day.

For many parents, Miles strikes exactly the right note between unusual and familiar.  He sounds smart, stylish and perfectly appropriate for a small child or a grown man.  It is easy to see why Miles is catching on.

That’s the hitch – Miles is catching on.  He might sound like an antique revival, but both Miles and variant Myles are currently at their most popular.  In 2008, Miles came in at #167 while Myles charted at #266.  Combined, he is about as popular as Patrick, Oliver or Oscar.

Miles’ meaning is debated.  He could link to the Slavic element mil – gracious, the name Michael or an occupational surname for those in service.

Most often you’ll hear Miles connected to the Latin mil – solider.  In theater of Ancient Rome, Miles Glorious was the standard name for any boastful soldier.  Roman writer Plautus titled a play Miles Glorious circa 200 BC.  Many centuries later, Stephen Sondheim borrowed the name for a character in 1962′s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

No one suggests that Miles shares origins with the Old English mil – the source of our word mile – but perhaps the shared sound lends Miles some of his adventurous spirit.

The name’s earliest use was probably in Greek myth.  Myles was the son of Lelex, and inherited the throne of Laconia from his dad.  His granddaughter, Sparta, is said to have inspired the name of the city.

The name first appears in English after the Norman invasion.  It seems likely that the legendary Myles and the Norman Milo or Mile are not connected.

Famous bearers of the name include:

• Captain Myles Standish, the capable military adviser to Plymouth Colony;
• The first complete translation of the Bible into English was completed by Miles Coverdale in the sixteenth century;
• During World War II, Miles Browning was a highly decorated US Naval officer, remembered for his service during the Battle of Midway;
• More recently, jazz great Miles Davis – born Miles Dewey Davis III – is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and mentor to many other twentieth century musicians.

Today’s parents might also think of one of several fictional Miles, including:

• In Natalie Babbitt’s 1975 novel Tuck Everlasting, Miles is a member of the Tuck family, brother to Jesse;
• Macauley Culkin’s character from 1989 comedy Uncle Buck;
• Star Trek character Miles O’Brien, who claims descent from the High Kings of Ireland;
• Lost’s Miles Straume, introduced in the show’s fourth season.  His name is said to be inspired by word maelstrom – a whirlpool;
• Paul Giamatti’s character, frustrated writer and wine snob from 2004 movie Sideways.

Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Julian as Name of the Day.

In the late 90s, a friend named her son Julian hoping for something just a little different.  She knew women named Julie and Julia, but Julian seemed distinctive for a son.

As it happens, lots of parents had the same idea.

From #355 in 1968, Julian gained steadily in the 70s, 80s and 90s.  He entered the US Top 100 for the first time in 2000, and now stands at #61.  Julian is even more popular in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Norway, while the French Julien finds favor in the Top 100 of both Quebec and Belgium.

The truly old school – and slightly less common – appellation is Julius, the name of an important patrician family in Ancient Rome.  There are three possible sources for their name:

• The Latin ioulos literally means downy-bearded and implies youth;
• The name may also relate to the god Jupiter via the term Jovilios;
• Lastly, the Julii considered themselves descendants of Julus, a legendary figure and the son of Trojan war hero Aeneas.

The best known member of the family was Gaius Julius Caesar.  When he wasn’t inventing salads, Caesar expanded Rome’s territory dramatically.  He remains widely acknowledged as one of history’s greatest military strategists.

More famous Romans followed, then a handful of early saints, starting with the seventh century Saint Julian of Toledo.  There’s also Saint Julian the Hospitaller, an Oedipus figure who became the patron saint of innkeepers – but odds are that his story is pure fiction.

Over the years, the name has been worn by:

• UNESCO founder and founding member of the World Wildlife Fund, scientist Julian Huxley;
• Civil rights activist Julian Bond;
• Alt rock pioneer Julian Cope;
• British actor Julian Glover, known for playing some legendary bad guys;
• John Lennon’s firstborn;
• World-famous cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, brother to Broadway’s Andrew Lloyd Webber;
• Julien Temple is a British director of rock docs and music videos including 1980′s kinda-sorta story of the Sex Pistols, The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle.

Fictional characters abound.  Anne Rice’s series about a family of witches includes Julien Mayfair, the lone warlock in the family.

John Galsworthy revived the medieval variant Jolyon for four characters in The Forsyte Saga.  One was called Jo, another Jolly.  The youngest answered to Jon.  If Julian is current and Julius is slightly more unusual, Jolyon is truly daring.

Julian fits right in with Sebastian, Elijah and Nathaniel – all fellow Top 100 choices.  And therein lies the challenge.  Many parents probably arrive at Julian hoping for something just a little different – so many, in fact, that if you’re hoping for a truly distinctive choice, you might have to keep looking.

Or not.  After all, with his deep historical roots and quite current style, Julian has charm to spare – and share with others, too.

But can we really credit Stephenie Meyer’s paranormal romance series with the rise of Isabella?  An article in Australia’s Herald-Sun attributes Isabella’s increasing popularity down under to the series.  Turns out the paper was just parroting the results reported by BabyCentre Australia.

I don’t buy it.

Don’t get me wrong.  I think Twilight names will rise.  The four books in the series were all New York Times bestsellers, and the movies have done well at the box office.

And yet, attributing Isabella’s popularity to the series doesn’t seem right.

Isabella was already a Top Ten name when Twilight was published in 2005.  In the US, Isabella charted at #6 in ’05, up one spot from #7 in ’04.  As of 2007, she’d risen to #2 and stayed there in 2008 – the year the movie was released.

The character is almost exclusively referred to as Bella in the books.  In 2005, Bella stood at #208 in the US.  By 2008, she’d risen to #122.  There might be a smidge of Twilight-effect at work there, but Bella probably would’ve gained anyhow.  Related names – think Top 50 choices Ella and Gabriella – have been on the upswing in recent years.

While plenty of expectant moms – and probably a few dads – have certainly read Twilight, Meyer’s core audience is probably some years away from any real baby-naming.  Which reminds me, BabyCentre’s Top Name lists only reflect data reported to BabyCentre – not official government stats.

If we look back to the 1990s, we can watch Isabella’s rediscovery.  In 1990, she re-entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in more than four decades at #895.  In 1992, Tom Cruise and Australia’s Nicole Kidman bestowed the name on their daughter and the name jumped to #488.  Plenty of celebs followed suit.  Matt Damon used the name in 2006.

Lastly, from JLo to Dora, choices with Latin flair have been embraced by plenty of parents – not just those with Spanish roots.

What I’m watching isn’t the rise of Isabella, but the trends for Edward.  He fell to an all-time low of #148 as of 2008.  But he could be due for a reversal.  Could a dashing vampire help Edward shed the Eddie Munster image and reclaim his regal vibe?

So far – at least in the US – it isn’t happening.  But something tells me that parents who love the classics, but worry that William and James are too common might just rediscover Edward.

Thanks to Bevin for suggesting Owen as Name of the Day.

There are several possible origins for Owen:

• Some link him to the Welsh word for yew tree- ywen;
• There’s also the Welsh word for lamb – oen;
• The Gaelic loghunn – youth – is another option.
• He’s often listed as a Welsh form of Eugene.  If that’s the case, then he comes from the Greek eugenes - well-born.

The Eugene connection seems promising, especially since his alternate spellings over the years included Eoghan, Eoghann and even Eugein and Ougein.   Plenty of names are translated into other languages and transformed – Katherine as the Yiddish Reina or the Mohawk Kateri, for example.  But others are match-ups.  A writer looking to Latinize Eoghan may’ve settled on Eugenius, even if the names were previously unrelated.

Other forms abound – the medieval Owain, the Breton Even and the French Ivain to name just a few.

But let’s just call it a name of uncertain derivation and move on to notable Owens:

• In the 500s, Saint Eogan founded a monastery;
• Around the same time, Owain up Urien was a Welsh warrior prince;
• The prince may have been the inspiration behind the name of the legendary Owain, one of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table;
• Owen I ruled the Kingdom of Strathclyde in the 900s;
• A 14th century resistance fighter, Owain Glyn Dŵr, rallied the Welsh against the English.  He was the last Welsh Prince of Wales and appeared in Shakespeare’s history Henry IV, Part 1 as Owen Glendower.

Then there’s Owen Tudor, who founded a dynasty.  The Welsh solider entered the household of the dowager Queen Catherine of Valois as a courtier.  They apparently married in secret – and it is possible that their marriage was not legally valid.  But no matter.  They had five children together, including a son, Edmund.  Both Owen and Edmund died during the Wars of the Roses.  England’s civil war raged for three decades, but in the end, Edmund’s son, Henry Tudor, became Henry VII of England.  (Though Henry VII’s claim to the throne was through his maternal side – but that’s another story.)

You’ll find the name in use steadily over the years.  In 1923, playwright Owen Davis scored a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Icebound.  Nashville’s Owen Bradley propelled many beloved country music stars to fame, including Pasty Cline and Conway Twitty.

More recently, there’s:

• Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen from Star Wars;
• Celebrated novelist John Irving penned A Prayer for Owen Meany in 1989;
• Season Five addition to the cast of Gray’s Anatomy, Dr. Owen Hunt;
• Torchwood’s alien-hunting doc Owen Harper;
• And, of course, there’s actor and comedian Owen Wilson.

While Owen has a long history of use, he is undeniably at his most popular right now.  He entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2002.  Over at Nameberry, he ranks on their list of users’ favorites for boys.  Celebs have used it for their starbaby boys – ER alum Noah Wyle used it for his son; singer Michelle Branch called her daughter Owen.

It’s hard not to like Owen, with his upbeat sound and long history.  Only trouble is that lots of other parents like him, too.  At #58 in the US, he’s still far from overexposed – even if he can’t be considered unusual.

This masculine moniker is one possible option.  Thanks to Photoquilty for suggesting Asher as Name of the Day.

While Ashley and Asher share a syllable, they aren’t related.  Ashley (and Ashton) are Old English place names and surnames.

Asher, on the other hand, has his roots in the Bible.  Flip to the Old Testament, and you’ll find his adventures outlined.  One of Jacob’s sons and founder of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, his name has been is use among Jewish families for generations.

You’ll sometimes find Asher listed as a twin name for Felix.  They share an uplifting  meaning – happiness, from the Hebrew osher.  The Tribe of Asher was considered quite fortunate, too – Asherites are usually considered prosperous and wise.

As with many a Biblical moniker, there’s some debate about the name’s origins.  Others have suggested Asher is related to the god Ashur, the Father of the Gods in Assyrian lore, or possibly Asherah, an ancient Semitic mother goddess.

Asher gained ground following the Protestant Reformation, though one of the earliest prominent American settlers a leader in the first Jewish settlement in the US.  Asher Levy was among the two dozen Jews who set sail from Brazil for New Amsterdam back in 1654.

American history also gives us:

• Asher Benjamin, an architect active in the early 1800s.  His style dominated New England right up until the Civil War;
• Painter Asher Durand was a close friend of Thomas Cole – considered the founder of the nineteenth century Hudson River School – and also an early leader in the movement;
• Nineteenth century politician Asher Robbins served in the US Senate from Rhode Island.

Much like the mega-popular Jacob, the name remained in use in Jewish circles.  Asher Ginsberg – better known by his penname Ahad Ha’am – wrote widely in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries of the need for a Jewish home in Palestine.  In 1972, Chaim Potok penned My Name is Asher Lev, about the struggles of an artistic boy born into a Hassidic Jewish family in 1940s Brooklyn.  Potok himself is said to have identified strongly with Asher.

Asher is worn as a middle name by 80s Brat Packer actor Judd Nelson and legendary playwright Arthur Miller.

From 1880 through the 1990s, Asher occasionally appeared in the US Top 1000 and was in sparing use.

Today many parents won’t think of Asher as especially Jewish or Biblical.  Instead, he fits in perfectly with current trends – in fact, he’ll probably strike some as nothing more than a novel spin on Ashley and Ashton.  He climbed to #206 in 2008, and seems poised to continue his rise.  Consider the company he’d keep in the US Top 100:

• Carter
• Connor
• Cooper
• Hunter
• Tyler

And that’s not counting other Biblical favorites, like the Top 10 Jacob and #15 Noah.

Little wonder he appears on plenty of baby name forums.  Asher feels perfectly current and would sound just right on a modern boy.  The only challenge?  He may very well be bestowed on many modern boys in the next decade.

Thanks to JNE for suggesting Audrey as Name of the Day.

56 years after her starmaking turn as princess-on-the-lam Ann/Anya, Audrey Hepburn remains the most famous bearer of her name.  But she’s far from the only notable Audrey.

You’ll hear this one on playgrounds today, and might find her on your family tree.  She’s steadily ranked in the US Top 1000, appearing in the Top 100 back in the 1920s and 30s.  (She peaked at #59.)

Audrey has fared even better in the 21st century, re-entering the Top 100 in 2002 and reaching #44 in 2008.

And why not?  She fits right in with borrowed-from-the-boys choices like Ashley, Avery and Aubrey, as well as staples like Emily and Mary.  Nursery schools are packed with little starlets called Ava, Natalie and Grace, too.

Speaking of stars, Roman Holiday was a smash back in 1953.  Newcomer Audrey Hepburn nabbed the Oscar for Best Actress.  Gregory Peck played journalist Joe, who knows Ann/Anya’s secret identity – but ultimately decides to keep their adventures to himself.  Miss Hepburn’s star rose as she headlined Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady.

There’s also something ladylike about her.  She’s brief, but complete – more Mary than Molly.  And yet Audrey started out as a nickname.

The Anglo-Saxon Æthelthryt comes from elements for noble and strength; you’ll find Etheldred and Etheldreda in use during the Middle Ages.  (Visit London and you can tour England’s oldest Roman Catholic Church, St. Ethelreda’s, built in 1290.)

Saint Æthelthryt was a seventh-century princess longing for the religious life. She agreed to a political marriage instead, but when things went whopperjawed, she ended her days at an abbey in Cambridgeshire.

The princess would probably have answered to Awdrey.  And here’s one possible shortcomings.  The annual fair near her abbey was called St. Awdrey’s Fair.  Inexpensive lace goods – St. Audrey’s lace – on offer at the Fair are the origin of the word tawdry – cheap.

There’s also Shakespeare’s Audrey in 1599′s As You Like It.  She was a none-too-bright goat-herd in the Forest of Arden.

By the seventeenth century, Ethelreda was long out of naming fashion.  The Puritans dropped Audrey, at least partially because of her negative associations.  (They weren’t big on bestowing saints’ names anyhow.)

Another Etheldreda/Audrey was the illegitimate daughter of King Henry VIII.  Born in the 1520s, Audrey Malte served as one of the future Queen Elizabeth’s attendants while big sis – Queen Mary I – had her rival locked up.

There’s a shortage of Audreys between Tudor England and the nineteenth century.  In 1902, bestselling author Mary Johnson released her novel, Audrey.  It became a silent film in 1916.  Johnson’s story ends tragically, but sold well – and could be the reason Audrey rose so dramatically during the early twentieth century.

Other notable Audreys include:

• Actress Audrey Meadows, best remembered as Alice on television’s The Honeymooners;
• French actress Audrey Tatou, known for her turn as Sophie in The Da Vinci Code and the title character in 2001′s Amélie;
• Some of today’s parents could’ve been influenced by Sherilyn Fenn’s wicked Audrey Horne on Twin Peaks;
• There’s also Kim Raver’s Audrey Raines from 24.

Overall, there’s much to recommend Audrey.  She fits a variety of styles and manages to be both current and timeless.  In fact, that’s her only drawback – she’s such a great name that your daughter would probably have to share it.