Births were up last year both in Jasper and across the province, where a record-breaking 50,543 babies were born in 2008.

Fifty-one babies were born to Jasper parents last year, up from 44 in 2007, according to Scott Donaldson, executive director of corporate communications and public relations for Aspen Regional Health. Being up by seven is equal to a nearly 14-per-cent increase. 

The tally of babies born to Jasper parents was 42 in both 2006 and 2005.

In Alberta, the births were up four per cent from 2007, and 24 per cent from five years ago. The two previous records for the province were 48,589 in 2007, and 45,465 in 1983. 

In 2008, the Vital Statistics branch of Service Alberta recorded the births of 26,017 boys with 5,513 distinct names, and 24,526 girls with 6,829 different names.

For the eighth year running, Ethan was the most popular name for boys, picked by 366 families. Olivia and Ava were the top choices for girls, at 236 each. Ava was the sole number one selection in 2006 and 2007.

In the top 10 names, Liam, Nathan, Noah and Owen replaced Benjamin, Connor, Evan and Ryan from five years ago. There was even more movement for girls’ names, with Ava, Isabella, Sophia, Chloe and Grace among the most popular choices, replacing Hailey, Sydney, Megan and Jessica in 2003.

Leonidas, Napoleon, Xerxes, Barack and Obama all appeared once each in 2008 as names for boys with parents who might have an eye to leaders past and present.

Names appearing in science fiction or literature were among the unusual monikers chosen by parents. From Star Wars, the name Leia was chosen for eight girls, while Anakin was picked for three boys. Optimus, a name appearing in Transformers, and Zephram, from Star Trek, were choices for one boy each.

Writers were represented in names like Huxley (for one boy), Anaïs and Bronte (one girl each), while characters might have influenced choices for boys such as Ignatius (one) and Atticus (five), and girls, with Ophelia (one).

Parents looking to give their children unique names came up with Brazen-Lee, Coal, Delorian, Gonzo, Jazzy, Jury, Natorious, Rexall, Sequoia, Stetson and Zeppelin for boys, and Anarchy, Castle, Harloquinn, Jetaime, Queen, Science, Taffy, Tree, Tyranny, Valkyrie and Whiteangel-Victoria for girls.