From J.Jordan (08.06):

ps your askings site, children's first words - anecdotally, I've come
across quite a few cases of 'car' coming in third or fourth, along with
'dog' or 'cat' if the household has one - all interesting things with
self-propulsion, perhaps?

This from Hannah (07.05):

As for first words, surely it depends on what the
mothertongue is, as to what the parents count as a
first word and not just babbling. We are all born with
an innate tendancy toward communication, but each
learn HOW depending on what's around us. I was born
with the ability to do that cool African
click-in-the-throat thing, but never learnt how
because my parents are English-speakers. Most babbling
with an 'm' sound is interpreted as an attempt to say
'mother/mom/mum/mama' in most  west-european
countries, but in Finland, where the word mother is
something like 'heiti' -- m-sound babbling would not
be given the same emphasis, and if a Finnish toddler
babbled something that sounded like 'mum', it woudn't
be counted as their first word.

Friends of mine have another theory about first words
being a reflection of the person you will become. My
sweet, sensible, dutiful friend Carys's first words
were 'good girl.' My dark, sardonic friend who reads
Machiavelli on the bus, had 'no' as her first word--
"can I have the teddy, Rosie?" "No." "would you like
a--?" "No." etc. My completely debauched, druggy
friend Felix's first word was 'bugger', and a family
friend who was born in Italy and now works in opera
said the word 'apricot' in Italian - I forget the
translation, but it's about five syllables long.

  As for my first word and what it says about me--
I've no idea- the neglectful bastards forgot mine and
my brother's first words.

This from Hannah (05.05):

I don't think an accurate one has ever been compiled. They probably
use a small sample of babies from upper-middle-class areas who say
things like "mother", "father" and "cavier".

Yesterday I was looking through my mum's book collection for a
photography book I needed for a college presentation and I found one
of those scary "BABY'S FIRST" books, that record the baby's first
smile, the baby's first laugh, the baby's first poop and the baby's
first words (mine was 'dog'). You simply send your research conductors
to different parts of the country where they ask mothers to see these
books. I think most mothers are overjoyed to glance back at these
humiliating books nostalgically, prodding at the face of the plump
baby in the picture and coo "Wasn't he adorable?". Therefore access to
these books will be easy. (STAGE ONE - CLEARED)

HOWEVER, scientific proof shows that babies learn the "d" sound before
the "m" sound because it is easier to say, and therefore they usually
say "daddy" before "mummy". Mothers, bitter at their husbands who are
out working (or drinking?) whilst they stay at home to care for the
baby, the baby who says HIS name first (that bastard!), will probably
write "mummy" before "daddy" on the list. Therefore the list may be
unrealistic, due to mother bias. I am surprised my mother recorded
"dog" before her own name. I myself would be quite offended.