Names

What’s in a name?

Authorities have released the names of the victims of Friday's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in which Adam Lanza, 20, reportedly killed 27 people, as well as himself. Lanza's rampage began when he shot and killed his mother, Nancy, at her home before he drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed six adults and 20 children before taking his own life.

We had planning on starting fresh this week; moving on from the Colorado movie theater tragedy and returning to coverage of movies and television. But one more thing before we proceed. Let’s take a moment to meet the victims and remember all who died far too soon.

It’s common knowledge that many states have towns called Springfield, based on the number of them who thought they were the inspiration for the hometown of TV’s ‘The Simpsons,’ only to find out they weren’t. But there are other city or town names you may not have heard of, and for good reason.

The Social Security Administration has come out with its annual list of the most popular baby names, and for the 13th straight year Jacob was the number one name for a boy. This is part of a broader trend toward names from the Old Testament (or possibly ‘Twilight‘), with Noah snagging the fifth spot and Elijah and Joshua at 13 and 14.