There's a theory floating around -- can't remember where I read it -- that mothers (who apparently have far more decision making power over naming rights than that of the husband or simply father) name their newborn in large part through the lens of pop culture. TV soap operas, which were once the province of day time television, but now have crept, disguised, into prime time evening hours, supply the 'source material' for impressionable young women to name their babies. And there are unspoken rules to such programming content's characters. So you end up with exotic names for the female leads: Pilar, Marissa, Sidney, Dakota, Alexandra, Rachel, Paris, etc.; and staid conventional names for the male 'good guys': David, John, Michael, Joseph, Peter, Thomas. And swarthy European; latin, or bloc country names for the 'bad boys': Stephano, Dimitri, Roberto. When a famous TV show's character is unappealing or otherwise perceived as an historic relic, that fact can have a profound effect upon baby naming. Gone from the most-named list are Hazel, Ethel, Darin, Maude, Perry, Dawn, Betty. I guess the names are a reflection of perceived qualities in modern role models which are usually manifested in fictional character's names. And since everyone watches TV, that's the current most-used source for those role modes. What was once the Bible, or great books, or famous leaders, is now replaced in large part with the pop culture of the moment. Then you get the overlay of regionalism. In Texas, for instance, you get a lot of Chase, Hunter, Derek, James, Hector, Juan. And African American names. Got to love them. But now there's a backlash by black mothers of a certain educational level or higher against historically black names, the names automatically associated with blacks. There's a perception those names will hold their children back, deny them opportunities for jobs and advancement. Some even apply a gender filter, so keen is their filter for discrimination. So, they take the easy race and gender markers out of the name. Baby girl names become Alexandra ("Alex"); Cameron ("Cam"); Sidney ("Sid"). New England Indeterminate. It's as if the moment's struggles get played out in naming conventions. Now, as to Mohammed as a top choice for England...
