Recently I finally finished reading Freakonomics. It's an interesting book with lots and lots of references (the social scientist in me loves me references) and creative thinking.

Part of the book addressed baby names -- past trends, current trends, and the future. Essentially, if I understand correctly, the thought is that the names start with the "privileged" in society and work their way down to the lesser privileged (i.e. in terms of income and education).

But there are always the people who get names from other sources than the Joneses with the three level house, four cars and boat down the street. E.g. I'm sure we've all heard of the mother who theoretically got her baby's name off the package of some lemon or orange Jell-O. (Which is another discussion entirely.) We have friends who named their daughter after a Coca-Cola beverage. (It was Rice's fault.) Maybe people people name their daughter after their favorite novel from their youth, as one woman on the hill did.

But I have found the new and most wonderful source for baby names. I used to think it was a great source for naming characters, but now I know the truth.

Drum roll, please.

The new source for baby names is your spam box. That's right, ladies and gentlemen -- next time you're pregnant and due to have said baby, look to your spam for the best names.

Today's best name for a girl: Katida Moore.
Boy's name: Fevaq.
Name for twins (from the same spam): Yaffa and Ephedra.

You know I'm on to something.

Incidentally, I evidently named my first born after an ancient prophet who was supposed to kill his kid. (I say tongue in cheek.) Okay, how about I named my kid after the man who joins Judaism, Christianity and Islam together?

The second was named after a couple of old dead guys who evidently didn't feel that they had enough real estate. (Seriously, that wasn't the intention, but I was theoretically quite hopped up and on a lot of pain meds when LD was named.)

In any event, according to Freakonomics, Hebrew names are quite popular right now (good laws, I'm one of the masses even though no one has ever heard of Avadore's name in Idaho ... well, except our accountant from Chicago), and Alexander and William are both in the top five names of children that indicate a higher education in parents in California, being number three and number five, respectively.

I am evidently a part of my culture after all. Who knew?

Seriously, though. You know, if someone hasn't already, someone is going to name their kid Ephedra.

***

And in other news, Julia C. Porter's Heart's Revenge is now available for purchase. You know you want one. The MIL is certainly getting one for her birthday.

I wonder where Julia C. Porter got her name? Hmmm... :).