For as long as I can remember, people have stumbled over my name.
The usual cast of fill-in names include Bradley, Brandon, Bentley and Barkley.
Now, regardless of the fact that I quite admire each of those names, possibly more than my own, none of them are the name that was bestowed upon me by my lovely parents.
That name is Brantley, a name that has long been cast into the shadows of more popular 'B' names.
But not anymore.
The U.S. Social Security Administration released a list of the most popular baby names in the United States on Monday, and lo and behold, Brantley is making a push for the top spot.
Well, sort of.
According to the Social Security office, Brantley was the fastest rising boys name in the year 2011, leaping a whopping 416 spots.
Yes, Brantley is officially the 320th coolest name in the country, meaning Jacobs around the world best beware.
Although 2011 represents the 13th consecutive year in which Jacob tops the list for boys, we all know that America is about progression. And if Brantley can have another year like it did in 2011, maybe Jacob will be an afterthought.
Brantley will be the crossover name of the year, hot on the heels of Sophia, the top girls name in all of 2011.
Now, if we can somehow get a Kardashian sister to name their son (or daughter) Brantley, we can really get this movement started.
In the meantime, I'll continue to wear the name like a badge of honor. No more answering "Brad" when the Starbucks/Coffee Bean/It's a Grind barista asks for my name.
As for the top 10 names on the list (as if anyone cares about the names that land before 320), here they are listed below, courtesy of your local editor, Brantley.
Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
Top 10 Boys Names:
1. Jacob
2. Mason
3. William
4. Jayden
5. Noah
6. Michael
7. Ethan
8. Alexander
9. Aiden
10. Daniel
Top 10 Girls Names:
1. Sophia
2. Isabella
3. Emma
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Abigail
8. Madison
9. Mia
10. Chloe
You can see the entire press release here.
