What are the most popular names for baby boys, and what are their meanings?

In the last decade, these were the 50 most popular names for boys in the United States (listed in order of popularity):

Jacob: Hebrew. Meaning: Held by the heel, one who holds another back.

Michael:In the Bible, the archangel closest to God, the divine messenger who carries out God's judgments. Hebrew. Meaning: Who is like God?

Joshua: Hebrew. Meaning: The Lord is my salvation.

Matthew: Hebrew. Meaning: Gift of God.

Daniel: Hebrew. Meaning: God is my judge.

Christopher: Greek and Latin. Meaning: Christ-bearer.

Andrew: Greek. Meaning: Manly, valiant, courageous.

Ethan: Hebrew; Etan is the modern Hebrew spelling. Meaning: Permanent, firm, strong.

Joseph: Hebrew. Meaning: He (God) will add or increase.

William: A variant form of the Old French name Willaume and the Old High German Willehelm. Meaning: Resolute protector.

Anthony: Original form is Antonius. From Greek and Latin. Meaning: Flourishing (Greek) or worthy of praise (Latin).

David: Hebrew. Meaning: Beloved.

Alexander: Greek, from Alexandros. Meaning: Protector of men.

Nicholas: From the Greek nike, meaning victory, and laos, meaning the people. Meaning: Victory of the people.

Ryan: A short form of Bryan or Bryant (Brian or Briant). Derived from the Celtic and Gaelic name Briareus. Meaning: Strong.

Tyler: British, possibly meaning a house builder.

James: English form of the Hebrew name Jacob. Meaning: Held by the heel, supplanter.

John: Hebrew. Meaning: God is gracious, God is merciful.

Jonathan: Hebrew. Meaning: God has given.

Noah: Hebrew. Meaning: Rest, peace.

Brandon: A variant form of the Irish name Bran. Meaning: A raven.

Christian: From the Latin christianus. Meaning: A Christian.

Dylan: Welsh. Meaning: The sea.

Samuel: Hebrew. Meaning: His name is God, or God has heard.

Benjamin: Hebrew. Meaning: Son of my right hand.

Zachary: A variant form of Zechariah. Hebrew. Meaning: The remembrance of the Lord.

Nathan: Hebrew. Meaning: He gave, implying a gift of God.

Logan: From Middle English and Old Norse. Meaning: A felled tree.

Justin: A variant form of Justus. Meaning: Just.

Gabriel: Hebrew. Meaning: God is my strength.

Jose:  Spanish form of Joseph. Meaning: He (God) will increase.

Austin: English variant forms of the Latin August and Augustus. Meaning: Revered, exalted.

Kevin: Gaelic. Meaning: Handsome, beautiful.

Elijah: Hebrew. Meaning: The Lord is my God.

Caleb: Hebrew. Meaning: Faithful.

Robert: From Old High German. Meaning: Bright fame or famous counsel.

Thomas: From Hebrew and Aramaic. Meaning: A twin. Also, Phoenecian. Meaning: Sun god.

Jordan: From the Hebrew yarod. Meaning: To flow down, descend, a descendant.

Cameron: Celtic. Meaning: Bent nose.

Jack: A pet form of the name Jacob. Meaning: Held by the heel, one who holds back another, supplanter.

Hunter: Old English. Meaning: To search, hunt.

Jackson: Use of the surname son of Jack as a first name.

Angel: Greek. Meaning: Messenger or saintly person.

Isaiah: Hebrew. Meaning: Salvation of the Lord, or the Lord is my helper.

Evan: A Welsh form of the name John. Hebrew. Meaning: God is gracious, God is merciful.

Isaac: Hebrew. Meaning: He will laugh.

Mason: From Old French macon. Meaning: A worker in stone.

Luke: The English form of Lucius.  Latin. Meaning: Light.

Jason: Greek and Latin. Meaning: Healer.

Gavin: Scottish form of Gawain, a Welsh name. Meaning: Little white hawk or falcon.

Picking a baby name is easy for some parents, more difficult for others. Some of us have favorite family names that have been passed down for generations and we want to carry on the tradition by giving that name to our child. We have emotional attachments to certain names - sometimes, a beloved family member, such as a mother, father or sibling and sometimes a character in a favorite book or movie, or even a place with a name that lends itself easily to a name. For others, it's a difficult choice, knowing that the name we give our child is something he or she will carry with them throughout their life. For many, the giving of a name to a child is a sacred trust with many messages and good fortune attached to it.

So, for most of us, naming a baby is not something that is done lightly. But where do we begin? There are so many choices! And it seems that even if we think we're being oh-so-original in our choice - we unwittingly name our child right in the middle of a national trend and land in the top 100 of baby names for the year!

First and Last name combinations

Be careful about how the first name you select sounds with your last name. If your last name is, for example, Woods - you probably don't want to name your son Forrest or Woodrow; if your last name is Ford, you probably should think twice before naming a child Chevy. A first name that sounds almost identical to a last name can also be difficult for a child, such as John Johnson or Jack Jackson (it seems masculine names lend themselves more to this than feminine names). In the United States and Great Britain, many given names are derived from surnames, so there can be a lot of sound-alikes.

Giving a middle name

Is it necessary for a child to have a middle name? No, it's not. It's entirely up to the parents whether or not their child has a given name and a surname alone, or a given name and one or more middle names. Giving a middle name is traditional in the U.S., and gives a child distinction from others who may have the same or similar name. It is also used to show respect to those we love and/or respect, by passing their name along to a child. It's probably best not to give a child more than two middle names, however. And for heaven's sake, make sure the child's initials don't make an acronym that will embarrass them! Amy Sue Smith isn't going to want to put a monogram on anything. You get the idea.

Nicknames

Some parents have a tendency to give a baby a nickname in utero, which sometimes sticks with the child throughout its life. With the current use of ultrasound, it's possible to know the gender of your child long before its birth. Try to pick a name and, if applicable, a nickname early in the pregnancy and then use that instead of something like "peanut." You may find such nicknames endearing, but a child will find them less endearing the older he or she gets, especially if classmates at school tease and make fun of it.

Don't Let Your Other Children Pick The Baby's Name

The naming of a child really is an adult decision. Asking your other children "what should we name the baby?" implies that their input will be seriously considered. You might be surprised at the response you get, ranging from their favorite Sesame Street character (Elmo wouldn't really be all that bad - would it?) to a character in a Pixar movie (how about Wall-E?). If you want to involve your children, put up a list of names you're considering and ask them which ones they like best, but make sure they understand you're asking for their opinion as a family member - but you are going to make the final decision!

Don't Name Your Baby After a Pet

A lot of people give their pets "human" names. My mother had a friend who was always confusing the name of her grand-daughter with the name of the family dog, because they were very similar. It was funny when the grand-daughter was a baby - I'm not sure she found it as amusing when she was a teenager. There are few secrets in families and if you name your child after your favorite childhood pet or your family dog that died during the pregnancy, I can almost guaranty that one day someone will spill the beans. If you're going to give your pets "people" names, make sure they aren't names you're going to want to use in the future when you have children!

Here are the top names in the U.S. for 2008. We'll be bringing you more baby names and meaning of baby names to help you pick your baby name.