Decontee Williams was so excited by Obama’s victory on Tuesday night that she started jumping up and down — and went into labour. Twelve hours later, Barack Jeilah was born at Phoenix Baptist Hospital to Williams and Prince Jeilah. “I love Barack Obama, and I love the name,” said Williams, 31, who came to the US as a refugee from Liberia in 2003. “In Africa, we call it a blessing.”In the last week, Barack, Obama, Michelle, Malia and Sasha have become inspirations for first and middle names across the US, according to news reports. But the Obama baby boom has been even more pronounced in Kenya, particularly in Kisumu, an area in the western part of the country where relatives of Obama live.From Election Day through Saturday afternoon, 43 children born at the Nyanza Provincial Hospital in Kisumu were named after the Obamas, with 23 boys given the first and middle name Barack Obama and 20 girls named Michelle Obama.Pamela Odhiambo, who gave birth to a girl during Obama’s victory speech in Chicago, named her Michelle Obama. “It’s a new start, a new beginning,” said Odhiambo, 18.There have been other presidential naming trends in the past century, according to Social Security Administration data. Franklin jumped to No 33 in 1933, up from No 147 in 1931. Dwight surged in the 1950s and Lyndon in the 1960s. Theodore hit its peak in the first decade of the 20th century.“Honouring new Presidents with baby namesakes used to be an American tradition,” said Laura Wattenberg, author of The Baby Name Wizard. But she pointed out that the custom faded around the time of Watergate as people became more cynical about the presidency.Wattenberg said Barack and Obama might break that trend. Blacks tend to be more open to new names and to naming children after public figures. Also, Obama drew strong support from people of child-bearing age, and his name sounds fresh.
