In the News: Jackson

Though the media has already bombarded you enough with Michael Jackson stories this week, we feel that the last name Jackson is noteworthy not only because of the King of Pop, but also its recent popularity for boys.

Jackson is a great boys name for several reasons:

1. It can be shortened instantly to a classic: Jack
2. It is a last-name-turned-first-name (which we love)
3. Historical significance to our country: Andrew Jackson
4. Easy to spell, say
5. Unique but common at the same time
   

On the downside, it has become much more popular in the past 10 years (moved from #183 in 1998 to #32 in 2008). On the plus side, we think it is classic enough to stick around for a while.

FabNames Spotlight - Sawyer

Because of the television show Lost, perhaps we should be filing this name under "In the News"?

However, we wanted to spotlight this former surname turned contemporary modern first name for boys. Sawyer is an English occupational surname for someone who made a living from sawing wood, but more recently it has roots in modern literature (Tom Sawyer) as well as modern music (Sawyer Brown). The name has a modern, yet rugged feel.