Is it an homage to the former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin? You betcha! The name’s popularity spiked when she arrived on the national political scene. Of course, many new parents are always on the prowl for new and unusual names – perhaps they just liked the sound of it.

Does that mean baby Palins could be as common as the Olivias, Emilys and Madisons down the road? Nah. Probably not.

The number of Palins recorded by the BabyCenter web site grew from 3 per million in 2008 to 20 in 2009, and down slightly to 16 in 2010. With statistics like that, you’ll have just as much luck running into a baby Biden as a Palin.