Name: Charles Rating: 5 Once the province of cerebral types and the odd royal, Charles has been jolted in recent years by an influx of new blood. Charles Bukowski and subsequent, lesser-known Charleses have succeeded in pounding the dickens, if you will, out of its stodginess; while Manson has added the fringe element so desperately needed. Charles has since broadened to become a hamlet for the slightly quirky and downright insane. Origin of species indeed. Name: Jennifer Rating: 2 Property values dropped precipitously following uncontrolled growth in the ‘80s. Attempts to diversify (Jennye, Jennie, Jeniffer) only succeeded in cheapening the brand. Today, it is a choice for only the most unimaginative and desperate. Name: Basil Rating: 2 Basil will be lucky to maintain even the slightest foothold in the post-millennial name economy, barring an unforeseen resurgence of Victorian nostalgia. Its last hope, the movie adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ Basil, went straight to video. And with the advent of cooking and haute cuisine over the last few decades, human Basils are finding it harder and harder to compete with the herb. A Web site, www.basil.com, begs wanly for e-mail patrons. Name: Haley Rating: 9 Already popular for girls, this boutique franchise (Hallie, Halley, Halle) had reached its saturation point until The Sixth Sense and its star, Haley Joel Osment, introduced a new flavor and a new gender. Look for this name to boom in the 2000s. Name: Monica Rating: 5 Since the unfortunate White House events of 1998, Monica has suffered a serious PR blow; but it does show signs of recovery. Though "Made Especially for You by Monica" is not likely to replace "Monicagate" in the American consciousness anytime soon, time may allow the name to eventually restore its respectable reputation. Name: Wesley Rating: 8 Symbolizing down-home without going too downscale, Wesley is poised to dominate the male name market. As if being associated with the title Supreme Allied Commander were not enough, hot actors Snipes and Bentley have staked their claims early. Having successfully thrown off its stuffy English origins, Wesley is making a new name of itself. Name: Prince Rating: 1 Woefully out of date and headed for extinction as both a prefix and a proper name, this fad has been begging to be put out of its misery. The Artist Formerly Known as Prince punctuated this in the early ‘90s, while Prince Be of P.M. Dawn and Prince Paul have gone the way of Prince Charles: obscure and irrelevant. But some are slow to come around: Michael Jackson insisted on it for his son. Still, don’t look for a revival unless Disney decides to produce The Little Prince. Name: Kobe/Coby Rating: 7 Eclipsing the earthquake-levelled Japanese town of the same name is no small feat, but thanks to basketball star Kobe Bryant, boys may have a fresh alternative to Coby in the coming years. Coby itself was revitalized (previously best known as an electronics company and also many canines) by soccer great Coby Jones. Both versions say sporty, on-the-move, and right-on for Y2K. Name: Billary Rating: 10 Quaint, yet modern. Unisex, yet sexual. New York, yet universal. It’s a bridge to the millennium. <--index