Struggling to come up with a name for your imminent arrival? Here are the ten most popular names for baby boys in Queensland for 2009, including a brief explanation of their origins and meanings and some famous namesakes.
Make sure you check out our baby girls list as well.
1. Cooper (2008 - 2nd) – you guessed right. Cooper means ‘barrel maker’. Traditionally a surname, Cooper has burst into baby name charts around the world, but especially in Queensland. There must be someone named ‘Cooper Cooper’ out there somewhere.
Famous namesake - Cooper Cronk (rugby league footballer).
2. Jack (2008 - 1st) – where would nursery rhymes be without the name ‘Jack’? Originally Jack was a variant of the name John.
Famous namesakes - Jack Kerouac (author), Jack Nicklaus (golfer) and Jack Nicholson (actor).
3. William (2008 - 4th) – a timeless classic, William comes from the German form (Wilhelm) and means desire or will (wil) and helmet or protection (helm).
Famous namesakes - William the Conqueror (monarch), William Shakespeare (playwright) and William Blake (poet).
4. Lachlan (2008 - 3rd) – a Gaelic name that means ‘warrior from the land of the lochs’.
Famous namesakes are thin on the ground, but for Lachlan Murdoch (media mogul).
5. Riley (2008 - 5th) – meaning ‘rye clearing’ but also a contemporary respelling of ‘Reilly’. Rather interestingly, Riley is a more popular girl name in most of the world outside of Australia. The origins of the term ‘the life of Riley’ are uncertain, but it means to live a life of fortune and prosperity.
The most famous namesake is known by a different moniker altogether – B.B. King (musician).
6. Oliver (new entry) - derived from the Latin olivarius - meaning olive tree. Oliver is becoming increasingly common throughout the western world, but is especially popular in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Famous namesakes - Oliver Stone (film director) and Oliver Cromwell (politics).
7. Joshua (2008 - 7th) – Hebrew in origin and meaning ‘Jehovah is Salvation’. Joshua has been one of the most popular names in the English speaking world since the 1960’s.
Despite its popularity, it’s hard to find a famous namesake. The best we could find is Josh Brolin (actor).
8. Thomas (2008 - 6th) – Aramaic in origin and meaning ‘twin’. Thomas has retained its status as a popular name for centuries. The term ‘doubting Thomas’ is based on the biblical account of Thomas the Apostle, who (initially) doubted the resurrection of Jesus.
Famous namesakes - Thomas Edison (inventor), Thomas Jefferson (U.S. president) and Sir Thomas More (beheaded statesman).
9. Ethan (2008 - 10th) – a Hebrew name meaning ‘firm’ or ‘long-lived’, Ethan has become especially popular as a name since the early 1990’s.
Famous namesakes - Ethan Hawke (actor) and Ethan Coen (film director).
10. Noah (2008 - 9th) - Hebrew in origin and meaning 'peaceful'. According to the Bible, Noah was the patriarchal survivor of the Great Flood and the builder of the Ark.
Famous namesake - Noah Taylor (actor).
