Baby names in Alberta

Ah, the irony of two girls named Unique. [Link]

Little baby Einstein has lots to live up to, but at least he doesn’t need to be a Messiah.

Service Alberta released its annual list of registered births and baby names on Tuesday, including handles inspired by the Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist and the anointed king of biblical prophecy.

More conventional names topped the list of 50,592 babies born last year in Alberta. With 290 iterations, Olivia proved the province’s most popular name, besting female rivals Sophia and Emma, the former reigning girl’s name, which slipped to third.

On the list of boys, Liam remained on top in 2011 with 270, 35 fewer than in 2010. And Ethan, who abdicated his nine-year reign last year as the most popular boy’s name, remained a respectable second with 257.

Almost any of the top names could comfortably fit inside a Victorian novel. But other parents decided to shuck convention. Roughly a quarter of the names — 5,694 boys and 6,994 girls — were picked once.

There’s a boy named Moo. Two girls are named Unique.

There are boys J-Cub, Smiley, and Tuff, and a girl dubbed Domino, Tuba, Camry and Jazz.

Twenty-four boys are named Finn, but there’s only one Huckleberry. Twenty girls are named Jordan, but there’s only one Eberle.

A list of admirable qualities could be constructed on girls names alone: Goodness, Lovely, Loyal, Purity, and Unity. Spiritual things are amply represented as well, with Heavenly, Divine, Praise and Amen on the list. If you’re into places, there are two Berkeleys — one girl and one boy — an Oakland, and a Malaysia. And if you want to go Meta — a girl’s name, by the way — you could pick Andromeda, Xxavier, or simply R (a boy) or J (a girl).