Moms and dads turn to tradition for baby names in 2011

Canadian parents are turning to the classic names we all know in naming their children.

Today's Parent executive director Sandra Martin tells 660News she's definitely seeing a turn to the ultra-conservative in her neighbourhood.

She says she wasn't surprised to see names like William and Jacob, or Olivia and Maya top the list.

Looking at the top 100 monikers, Martin says it goes two ways; parents are turning either to the very unusual or to traditional names.

Names like William and Catherine are also rocketing up the list, likely due to the recent royal visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

"I'm looking at how my kids reacted to the royal wedding," she says. "They were not remotely interested in the royal family before that happened, but here are two great looking young people who have the names William and Catherine, why wouldn't you want that for your child?"

Unique spellings were commonplace in Canada this year and Martin says that could be indicative of parents wanting a special place for their son or daughter.

Traditional boy names like Addison, Charles and Laurence all fared well, coming in at #30, #55 and #66 respectively on the girls' list.

And when it comes to celebrity names, Martin believes it's a subconscious thing as parents seek recognition for their son or daughter.

"It might not be that you admire the celebrity but there's that sort of reflection of celebrity that you want for your child," she says.

Other blasts from the past that made a return to the top 100 this year include Maude, Beatrice and Nolan.

Malik is the top boy's name of Arabic origin coming in at #71, while Mohammed would have likely made the cut if it weren't for a variety of different spellings.