This or That

Mohamed’s a top baby name in St. Cloud

Bob CollinsBob Collins Jan 10, 2018
47

Nothing scares some Americans like the name given to a baby, apparently.

It’s a fairly innocuous annual exercise in St. Cloud, Minn., when the St. Cloud Hospital posts its list of popular names for babies.

So last Thursday, there was no reason to expect much when this year’s names were revealed by the hospital.

Henry was the top-ranked name. A good, solid name in the mold of Patrick Henry, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Winkler.

Liam was second most-popular and we all know why. It has to be actor Liam Neeson, who a few years ago fought wolves in a movie after his plane crashed in the snow, until he ran into a den of them. Nothing says America like getting devoured by wolves.

It’s the third-rating name that has scared the anti-immigrant types: Mohamed.

The Star Tribune didn’t even bother turning on the comments on its story today because they know Minnesotans too well.

They didn’t need it. They had Twitter.

“Creeping Sharia,” tweeted another.

The online freakout is also becoming an annual thing as some people feel threatened by the idea that people would give babies the names they wanted to.

“Our community is really growing and you can see that in hospitals,” Hudda Ibrahim, who wrote a book on Somali immigration to the region, tells the Strib. “People are keeping those traditional names.”

Like Jack, which came in at number 4.

Ava, Isabella, and Emma were the top-ranked names for girls.

Welcome to the world, Mohameds, Henrys, and Isabellas. Make it better, although you’ve got your work cut out for you.