Searching for your baby's name is loads of fun, whether you're seeking a name for your soon-to-be baby boy or baby girl, wondering about the popularity of your own first name, or just curious about what names in the top 100 are currently hot.

What is particularly interesting is tracking the popularity of baby names over the decades. In looking through baby name lists from 1880 to the present, some amusing patterns emerge, particularly in regards to baby names for girls.

For example, in Victorian times, Biblical names such as Mary, Sarah and Ruth were very popular for baby girls. There were also many baby names that are now considered very old-fashioned like Martha, Alice, Bertha and Minnie.

From the 1920s to the 1950s certain baby names rose in popularity. These included names such as Susan, Debbie, Patricia, and Linda. All of these baby names have since waned, to be replaced, by the 1980s, with fancier names such as Jennifer, Jessica and Nicole.

However, according to the new top 100 baby names, there's been a lot of renewed interest in the more "old-fashioned" names like Hannah, Abigail and Ethan, plus many Biblical names such as Sarah, Rachel, Joshua, Jacob, and Samuel. There's also been a surge in nontraditional baby names including Madison, Ashley and Brianna for baby girls, and Brandon and Logan for baby boys.

When naming a baby there are, of course, many other points to consider besides how popular or unique a name is. Here are some helpful tips that you can use with your spouse and immediate family in choosing a name for the new baby and to make the process fun:

1. Baby names need to go nicely with the sound of your last name. Also, pick a first name and a middle name that go together well. (So maybe not something like Erasmus Beelzebub Jones!)

2. When your family finds a name you all like, observe the initials to be sure that you don't give your new baby a name with initials that will make people laugh or cause teasing by his or her peers. (For example: Pamela Iris Greer, which equals P.I.G. !)

3. You might not want a baby name that is so unusual that the other kids will make fun of your child in school which could result in low self esteem. So please do not be selfish when choosing a name.

4. You also might not want a baby name that is so trendy that it will sound funny by the time the baby is ten years old. (For example... Sunshine.)

5. Be careful not to pick a name that's really cute for an adorable little baby but will sound silly when your little one grows up. (For example, Dimples or Cutie Pie.)

6. Avoid baby names that might produce insulting nicknames when people shorten them. (So maybe not Smellonius, or Smelly for short !)

7. You and your family might not want a name that is so hard to spell or to pronounce that people will always get it wrong and therefore, your poor son or daughter will have to go through their enire life correcting people.

8. You and your family might want to pick baby names in honor of favorite relatives or ancestors, or special names that show your family's ethnic roots. You may even want to borrow a name from one of your favorite celebrities or sports athelete.

9. Study the top 100 baby names and choose one that has a special meaning that you like - maybe something that means "strong" or "kind" or "brave".

10. Look at your own family names and see if using any name combinations create unusual baby names you like. Ask other family members for their suggestions, even invite your friends to give you their opinions. Does a relative have names you like? Do be careful if the names are already used. Ask other family members to be sure your favorite unusual baby names are not given to relatives. It can become confusing in families when two people have the same names. Have fun and enjoy viewing the top 100 baby names when choosing your child's names. Enjoy and celebrate the moment. You will know it was worth every minute spent looking for that baby boy or baby girl name...a name that will identify them for their lifetime.