Is Archer is the new Amber?

I was shocked today to read an article about the up and coming baby names, or as referred to in the article as "Soon to be Popular" names. And there, right at the top, was my precious unique name I found for my baby boy "Archer"!! I was shocked!

See the deal is I'm an Amber. I'm an old Amber. There aren't many old Ambers (not that I am that old). I've never met or heard of an Amber older than me. I was named after the protagonist in the book Forever Amber, published in 1944. I loved the TV show My So Called Life, and her BFF's Mother's name was Amber, but I found that outright impossible and it made the show unbelievable to me. Think about it, have you ever met someone over 40 named Amber?

Howard Stern once said all girls named Amber grow up to be strippers. But that is a different generation of Ambers. When I was 18 or so, suddenly Amber was the new Ashley, and every little girl running away from her parent was named "AMBER!!". When my Mother picked it, it was throughly unique and even scandalous. See the Amber in Forever, was adulterer. And now it is common (not adultery, the name). Is the same thing going to happen to my Archer?

We wanted a unique name, but not weird. Original, but not difficult to pronounce. Im a big fan of the Johnny Cash song "A Boy Named Sue", but I didnt want to give him a name to teach him to be tough. "So I gave you that name and I said goodbye, I knew you'd have to get tough or die".



He isnt named after the Scott Bakula character on Star Trek Enterprise or Mister Archer from the Age of Innocence (sorry Kim!). Apparently there is a character on Private Practice named Archer, but my son is 7yrs old, and that show is new. He was named for his astrological sign, Sagittarius, the symbol of which is an Archer. Its unique, without being weird and original, but not hard to pronounce. While I know he's not the only one, to this day, I have never met another person named Archer.

After being shocked (for several hours, actually) I decided to read the whole article. And actually, I don't believe it for one second. Other "Soon to be Popular" boys names? Hugo (Someones been watching too much Lost), Caspian (Prince, perhaps), Lachlan (Isnt he the favorite Murduch son) and my favorite Rufus (no comment). No, I dont think these names will be screamed out on playgrounds in the next few years. I think we're safe!

Post Script:
When I read this entry to my Archer, he said "No, I hope Im still the only one".