Keeping track of the current presidential campaign has become more important than ever, if only for the sole reason that it may make you a given name trend prophet.

While childproofing the house and stacking up on diapers may all be valid steps in preparing for a new arrival, parents still deciding on a baby name may want to add campaign-tracking to their baby to-do list.  Politicians at the forefront of the upcoming presidential campaign may bring your baby name choice to the height of national popularity or take it down into obscurity.  Take the name Hillary for example.  The name had a spike in popularity since the late 80's, reaching an incredible climax across the nation in 1992.  However, with former President Bill Clinton taking the White House in 1993, the name quickly plummeted in popularity, the spelling Hilary completely disappearing off the charts.  Either Republicans are having more babies or parents are simply avoiding names that will associate their offspring with such prominent political personalities.  

It may seem unfair for personal political opinion to knock a perfectly innocent name out of popular use, however name associations by the mass public are one of the most influential factors in the creation of baby name trends.  Take Hollywood for example.  Celebrity baby names such as Maddox, Brooklyn, Tallulah and Willow have experienced an incredible popularity boost since being selected by the Hollywood elite.
 
Who will be the next politician to make waves on the baby name popularity charts?  With so many parents looking for a unique name, presidential candidate Barack Obama may unknowingly be influencing the fate of newborns across the country.  If Hillary Clinton wins the election, it may very well take the name out of extinction and to the top of the charts.  And if the Social Security Administration's given name statistics can be taken as any indication of the election outcome, John McCain, whose name is currently in the 20th spot for baby boy names, may want to start packing for his move to the White House.

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