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Top Baby Names of the Future
Pamela Redmond Satran is the author of four novels about New Jersey housewives, including Suburbanistas and Babes in Captivity. She is also the developer of nameberry.com.
Linda Rosenkrantz is a co-developer of the baby-naming site nameberry.com and co-author of 10 books on names, including Beyond Ava & Aiden.
Ava is in, Michael is out. Looking toward the next decade, baby-naming experts Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, predict the most popular names—in 2019.
Who really cares which names are most popular now? It’s much more interesting to predict which ones are going to be popular in ten years. And more relevant too: Many parents want to know which names that sound fresh and stylish today might be heading for overexposure tomorrow.
To that end, we’ve come up with our picks for the top 20 girls’ and boys’ names of 2019, along with the reasoning, scientific and subjective, behind our choices. Some of these names are already rising rapidly through the ranks; others might still be considered cutting edge (but won’t be for long). And because we’re not perfect, we give alternative choices for each slot.
Here, the top ten names for both girls and boys for 2019.
Girls
1. AVA—Glamour Girl name beats out Eva along with other A names for top spot.
Why: Ava has come from nowhere in the past 20 years—it hovered near the bottom of the Social Security Top 1,000 in 1988, when only 167 girls got the name—to No. 5 today. That’s a 10,000 percent increase in 20 years, nearly 2,000 percent in the past decade. And using our patented Nameberry method of calculating a name’s upward slope (which would get us laughed out of any math department, but hey, we’re writers), Ava racks up an enormous 98 over 20 years and an impressive 35 in a decade.
The fact that Ava starts with an A is a further nudge toward the top. A Yale study showed that children whose first names start with A are more likely to score top grades in school, a finding that’s proven influential whether parents are deliberately choosing A names for that reason or just following the crowd that is. Over the last half century, the number of children receiving names that start with A has tripled.
Other more subjective factors promoting Ava: Its simplicity combined with the fact that few moms or grandmas bear the name. Names usually resurface after four generations. And celebrity baby influences include Reese Witherspoon’s and Hugh Jackman’s daughters.
Runners up: AVERY or ADA.
2. AMELIA—New spin on new top name Emma and longtime No. 1 Emily.
Why: In the 130 years since the U.S. government began keeping track of babies’ names, there have only ever been eight girls’ names in the No. 1 spot. Most recently, Emily held that position for 12 years, only to be unseated in the most recent statistics by cousin Emma.
What we conclude from that: It’s hard to make it to the top, and names that do tend to resemble names that already have. (Witness Jennifer and Jessica in the ‘80s and ‘90s; Lisa and Linda a few decades earlier.)
That’s why we see Amelia moving to the front of the pack, even though her stats are less impressive than those of some hotter names such as Marley or Miley. Over the past decade, Amelia’s slope is a modest 16 and percentage increase an uninspiring 200 percent. Yet Amelia is solidly in the top 100 and still trending upward, is a Top Ten name in Britain, and is seen as a worthy substitute for the way-overused Emma and Emily.
Runner up: EMILIA.
3. ELLA—All names—ella—Isabella, Gabriella, Stella—have been popular, but Ella itself gets the most attention.
Why: We confess: We were tempted to put Bella here. And thanks to the Twilight phenomenon, Bella’s slope is double that of Ella: 70 compared with 35. But Ella’s percentage increase is 1,100 over the past decade, compared with Bella’s nearly 800 since 2000, the year it began vaulting upward. And we think Twilight may push Bella into fad territory, while Ella (think Fitzgerald) is classy and timeless.
Runners up: BELLA or ELLIE.
4. VIOLET—Purple-y flower name popularized by Ben and Jen’s little girl.
Why: Statistically speaking, Violet’s rise is among the most dramatic of all the girls’ names. Starting in 1998, it’s racked up an impressive slope of 67 and a usage increase of 605 percent. The overall trend toward old ladyish names is one reason for Violet’s newfound stardom, but the high visibility of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s adorable daughter is perhaps a more important reason.
Runner up: SCARLETT.
5. LILA—The double L is the winningest name sound of the next decade.
Why: Every girls’ name with the double L sound is vaulting up the charts: Leila, Laila, Layla, Lily, Lillian, Liliana, Leilani, with the taste extending all the way to Talullah and Lucille. Of that fashionable crowd, we pick Lila to rise the furthest: simpler than Leila, fresher than Lily. Lila’s upward trajectory began in 1998, and she’s evidenced an impressive slope of 68 and a usage increase of nearly 500 percent over the past decade. Starbaby influence: supermodel Kate Moss’s little Lila.
Runner up: DELILAH.
6. GRACE—Simple, cool, and well, graceful.
Why: Grace began her slow upward climb back to prominence in the late ‘70s and has been in the top 25 for nearly a decade now. But it’s a lovely, classic name that’s got staying power—it was last in the U.S. top 25 for 35 years, from 1880 to 1914—and it’s set to become the favorite middle name, taking over from Rose, of the next decade.
Runners up: GRACIE or PATIENCE.
7. RUBY—Sassy choice with a rich jewel undertone.
Why: Ruby is like Oscar: Their numbers have not increased as impressively as their fashion status. A couple of decades ago, there were plenty of little kids named Ruby and Oscar, but their parents were rarely tastemakers. Today, both names are so far in they’re out—which means they’ve still got plenty of room to travel beyond the borders of Tribeca and Silver Lake.
Runners up: GOLDIE or PEARL.
8. MATILDA—Unlikely hottie, the old-fashioned name was given star power by the daughter of Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger.
Why: There’s one big reason Matilda is back in the top 1,000 for the first time in four decades, and she’s got blonde hair and lives in Brooklyn. But there are further reasons we believe it will stay there and climb much higher, including its charming vintage feel and great nickname potential, from Mattie to Tillie to Tilda.
Runner up: MILLIE.
9. HARPER—Boyish choice with literary ties to (female) author Harper Lee.
Why: The revival of To Kill a Mockingbird meets the new tastes for cross-gendered and occupational names to make this one of the hottest choices for girls, rising from number 887 to 297 in the past five years for an impressive slope of 118. Lisa Marie Presley recently chose it for one of her twin daughters, and George Stephanopoulos and the Dixie Chicks’ Martie Maguire also have little female harp players.
Runners up: FLANNERY or SCOUT.
10. EVELYN—Grandma name just beginning to enjoy a revival, thanks to the Eva/Ava craze.
Why: Evelyn has been quietly trending upward for more than two decades now, but we see it breaking into the top 50 in the next year or two and regaining the prominence it enjoyed a century ago. In fact, Evelyn is evidence of the Hundred Year Rule, which holds that most names only come back into style after a rest of a hundred years. Evelyn was a top 20 name from 1907 until 1930.
Runner up: EVELINE.
Boys
1. ETHAN—Biblical nice guy name finishes first.
Why: Old Testament names have now firmly supplanted the New Testament. In 2008, for the first time since national records have been kept, all of the five top- ranking names—Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua, and Daniel—came from the OT. This compares to only 30 percent in 2001, 20 percent in 1994, and 0 in 1947, when James, John, Robert, Richard and William ruled. Over the last two decades, Ethan has seen a 394 percent increase in usage.
In addition to long-time favorites such as Benjamin, Samuel, and Joshua, parents are looking further afield to such long-neglected biblical choices as Isaac, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Ezra. Ethan wins out because it’s one of the friendliest, least weighty of the bunch, with its cheery ee-opening, two-syllable sound.
Runners up: Caleb or Asher.
2. AIDEN—Traditional Irish name trounces rhyming copycats Jayden, Brayden, and Caden
Why: Aiden, nouveau Americanized spelling of the conventional Irish Aidan, was almost unheard here before 1995, when it crept onto the top 1000 list with only 140 boys receiving the name. Ten years ago it had moved halfway up the list to 545, still accounting for only 367 baby Aidens across the country. But by 2008 it had leapt to 16 and 15,411 children, accounting for a just over 4,000 percent increase in mere ten years and a slope of almost 53.
For decades American parents of all ethnicities have had a love affair with jaunty Irish boys’ names, from Patrick to Kevin to Sean, Brian and Ryan. As these lost their freshness, Aidan/Aiden moved up to fill the gap, given a big push by dreamboat character Aidan Shaw, the Carrie Bradshaw squeeze on Sex and the City, who first appeared on the show in 1998, the year his name began its steep ascent.
3. MILO—Parents like the upbeat, energetic O-ending.
Why: There’s something contagiously cheery about names that, like ‘hello’ and ‘cheerio,’ end in the vowel ‘o,’ and Milo—which bears a resemblance to the happy word ‘smile’ and the celebrity-inspired hottie Miley—is definitely the one heading up. After first appearing on the Social Security list in 2001, it’s been climbing ever since, showing a 297 percent increase and a slope of 67.
Hollywood is high on these o-ending names: Liv Tyler, Sherry Springfield, and Ricki Lake all chose Milo for their sons, Robert Downey, Jr. has an Indio, Colin Firth a Mateo, Jill Hennessey a Marco, Madonna a Rocco, Taylor Hansen a Viggo, the David Beckhams and Jon Bon Jovi have Romeos and Ricky Martin, doubling the Latin theme, named his twins Valentino and Matteo.
Runner up: Leo
4. CHARLIE—Unisex nicknames are finding their way onto the birth certificate.
Why: As our society becomes increasingly casual, with kids and most adults on a chummy first-name basis, it’s not surprising that for the first time since the Age of Aquarius parents are going directly to nicknames over the more formal versions of names. This trend took off first in the UK, where Alfie and Archie and Ellie and Evie have been hot for over a decade. In another flashback to the ‘60s, there is a strong unisex element, as celebrities like Rebecca Romijn, Julie Chen, Denise Richards and Tiger Woods are naming their daughters Charlie and Sam. Over the past ten years, Charlie has shown a 96 percent increase, while in the same period, the full name Charles, has dropped down in the ratings. Charlie has been on the girls’ list since 2005.
Runner up: Sam
5. OSCAR—Odd Couple name gains wide acceptance.
Why: Oscar has gone from a roly-poly fuddy-duddy grandpa name to a hipster favorite, and it is set to spread far beyond its limited upscale environs. Baby namers of 2019 will be choosing retro names like this and will be turning to even more serious, solid, somewhat fusty names such as Arthur, Walter, Victor, Edmund, Everett, Leon, Theodore and Julius, which are just beginning to come out of the attic now.
Runner up: Felix
6. RYDER—Western cowboy name gallops up the list.
Why: Ryder has shown one of the biggest leaps on the boys’ list, with a ten-year 1,081 percent increase and a steep slope of 72, thanks to its relaxed cowboy feel. Unlike similar names like Harper and Sawyer, which have drifted into the girls’ column, Ryder is unequivocally masculine, a factor important to the many parents increasingly concerned about the feminization of male names. The 2004 naming of Kate Hudson’s son Ryder gave the name additional momentum.
Names ending in er—most of which refer back to ancient occupations—are also trending up, with Tyler, Cooper, Parker, Hunter, Carter, Tanner, Sawyer, Gunner, Walker, Porter and Chandler all ranking in the top half of the Social Security rankings.
Runner up: Wyatt
7. CASH—The failed credit economy has lasting impact on baby names
Why: Call it coincidence, but Cash has become a viable baby-name option since the economic downturn. Just on the list since 2003, when there were a mere 165 currency-named kids, the number of babies receiving the name jumped to 1,370, indicating a 730 percent increase and a 119 slope. Chase (also spelled Chace) was also on the rise. But baby namers are split on their confidence in luxury-goods names: Valentino and Armani are up, but Tiffany, Chanel, Mercedes and Lexus are tanking.
Runner up: Chase
8. RIVER—Parents go green with nature names
Why: Yes, environmental consciousness extends even to baby names as parents look to nature for inspiration. There is a whole gardenful of flower names for girls, whereas the tendency is to look across the river and into the trees for boys. Over the last ten years, River has seen a 66 percent increase, and a slope of 72.
In addition to River (which entered the list in 1994, one year after the death of River Phoenix) and the hippieish Ocean, this category also includes Forest and Field, the fast-rising river name Hudson, and, newer to the mix, Banyan, Birch, Cedar, Pine, Oak, Sage, Sky, Hawk, Trout, Fox and Wolf, any of which could make its mark by 2019.
Runner up: Hudson
9. KAI—A winning combination of gentle and exotic
Why: The merging of several trends has made Kai an unexpected winner. It’s multi-multi-cultural, having roots in the Hawaiian, Japanese, Navajo and Scandinavian cultures, it’s short enough to make an ideal middle name, but unlike many of the currently popular powerboy single-syllable boys’ names like Colt and Holt, Kai shows the softer, more melodious side of boy-naming. Kai –which was used by Jennifer Connelly for her son--has seen a giant bounce in the past twenty years, increasing 1,029 percent for a 31 slope.
Runner up: Luca
10. MAXIMUS—A name bound for maximum exposure.
Why: In the nine years since it’s come into play, Maximus has jumped 613 percent and racked up a slope of 31. It all started with the release of Gladiator, in which the powerful Russell Crowe character embodied the name. And then there is the meaning—who could resist dubbing their son a name that means “the greatest”? Offshoots and variations—Maximilian, Maxwell, and good old Max—are all trending up, with plenty of celeb cred: Jennifer Lopez, Lance Armstrong, Charlie Sheen Christina Aguilera, and Kerry Katona are all part of the Max brigade.
Another Maximus factor is the august Roman -us ending, with other names like Atticus, Cassius, Augustus and Magnus heating up.
Runners up: Max, Maxwell, Maxfield, Maximilian
Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz are the developers of the baby-naming site nameberry.com and the authors of 10 books on names, including Beyond Ava & Aiden.
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namedujour
I just wanted to name my kids something that people could spell. Having spent my life spelling my name for people, I was really really over it forever. So for my first, I picked Matthew. Then I learned that in the Bible Belt, people don't know from their Bibles that it has two T's. I had to spell it for them.
One failure down. Tried again, and picked Peter because it wasn't Michael (a name I don't like) and only has one spelling so you can't get it wrong. It was a joy to say, "Peter" and watch people write it correctly without further instructions. Then he shortened it to "Pete" and received a note from a high school classmate addressing him "Peat."
I'm glad I'm done having kids. Wish I was done spelling my name for people...
Caradog
'Peat' was a mock. HIGH SCHOOL, remember?
Matthew and Peter? What year, 1947?
namedujour
Cute, Caradog. It wasn't a mock. The kid was an idiot like all the many, many idiot adults who spell Matthew with one T.
I tried for an "uncommon" name with Matthew, only to learn too late (I was out of the loop) that it had reached number 5 that year. Peter I chose on purpose because I knew he'd be the only one, and he was - but even AS the only one, everyone would know how to spell it without being coached. Matthew always hated his name, because he always had seven others in every class, and Peter always loved his...because he was the only one. (I scored really big with that one.)
Why did you ask (in a derisive tone)? Do your kids have POPULAR names? Are they Taylor, Madison and Michaela? Do you spell them Taylyr, Madysin and Mykayla? Or do you have a string of kids with names that all begin with the same letter?
That's precisely the sort of thing that makes me gag, and why I avoided it at all costs. If you give a kid a popular name, everyone will always know how old he or she is (Brittany is 17 now, and Ashley is 24. That won't be as happy a thought when Brittany is 47 and Ashley is 54), and know you were a slave to fashion - or functionally illiterate, and didn't know how to spell the name. Or both.
It's a dangerous thing, naming a kid.
nikkiworthy
I just noticed that Matilda is on the list. My 6 year old's name is Tilly, which is a nickname of Matilda. I just love her name! I also have a 7 year old boy and his name is Lawson.
RedPandaMafia
My little siters name is matilda............. with an H I think it is alot better than matilda because it is a great name but with a twist When i was 5 i could not pronounce her name so i called her Tilly NO ONE ever nicknamed there child Tilly until now IT MAKES ME SO MAD!
pmya77
Many idiot adults (like you for instance) don't understand that some just because one person spells something one way doesn't mean all of us have to.
I ask even when I think I know how to spell a name because so many people do spell them differently. If it bugs you so much with your name go change it! I have to spell my name for everyone, and if they are reading it most people don't say it correctly. This hasn't bothered me since I was about 12. It's just the way things are.
banniecole
I named my son Mathew with one T. I have known how to spell it properly but he named after an uncle. I have regrets about it but I am not an idiot. Look at all the weird names out there and lets just be grateful that I didn't name him Apple or Coco or Suri like the celeb trend is going
stilljustme
Maybe you should have looked into it a bit more before you picked a name that actually has more than one legitimate spelling. Mathew is a variant of Matthew. It also has a Hebrew origin and is a common surname. And in some families it is a tradition. I would not consider myself and idiot, as I have a 145 IQ and am a college graduate. I was also aware enough to know that when I gave the name to my son, in honor of his uncle, there were multiple spelling. But thanks for the general insult.
mole3691
How can you not like the name Michael? It means "one who is like God."
andygirl
I feel for you. No matter what you name your kids, someone will get it wrong. My parents wanted to name me Athena. Thank god they went with Andrea, but my mom swore no one would ever call me Andy (because that's a boy's name) and everyone does. Drives her nuts. But it's better than getting the "Ondrea" vs. "Andraya" pronouciations. And you'd be suprised how people misspell Andrea. I've gotten Andria and Ambria and Andea. You'd think my name wasn't that hard, but people will mess up anything. I just roll with it. If it sounds even close, I'll usually respond.
ohyouchick
well my name is spelled different, and people spell it wrong every day of my life....but i like it because it's different. Its maegan- there are a million other megans and meagans out there, but not near as many maegans. one thing it has done for me though, is that i never spell anybody else's name wrong because it irritates me when someone spells mine wrong
shaygirl
This was very interesting article. Good strong names, not cheesy.
enough
My guys...Max and Sam...have always loved those names.
Smith1979
My wife and I will soon be welcoming our first child and we were seriously considering "Moxie Crimefighter" but then realized it was taken...
supershawn
haha, thts cute!
sds791
omg. that poor child would have been criticized to death with a name like that.
Vangeliko
Wow, thats cute though, LoL! How about Horton, or Diablo, but i like Buffy the Vampire Slayer,!!!
flyoverland
What? No Barack?
cast03
I actually threw up in my mouth a little when i read this.
I guess naming your child this would guarantee they get awards for things they didnt do, titles for thing they havent earned and jobs they don't deserve.
smart thinking
sds791
your a schmuck.
RedPandaMafia
yeahh......and?
Ramonjesus
There is a very narrow group of our diverse City and land that leans to these names. Our son was named after Gabriel Garcia Marquez, his name Gabriel is strong. And being born on the day Nelson Mandela walked out of Robbins Island we almost gave him a middle name - Mandela.
The day is coming even in this enjoyable website when someone is going to say, Raul is the next big name. Oh, you did mention Isabella, maybe I'm being touchy.
ohsure
This article must be targeting caucasians.
RedPandaMafia
Why? I guess I see your point but why? :)
DaisyAndDandyLions
Agreed. Gabriel is strong. More people should use it; love the reference to Gabriel Garcia Marquez as well. Love in the Time of Cholera is genius.
Vangeliko
I really have known some couple who named thier kid "Skylab", well, that was the time when a skylab fell down on earth, remember that year?
sophia5
I'm thinking Michael Jackson's son's name " BLANKET "
will catch on like wild fire, evolving into variations such as
" FLEECE, RAYON, POLY... short for Polyester, and for
those parents on the Upper West Side . . . CASHMERE.
Trilby
From the playgrounds of Philly: Velour and Qianna. Also Cunard (a boy). From pre-school: Channel and Shalimar. Sisters, of course!
jakers
Channel? As in "change the..."?
FiestyRoxie
You asshat, thats "Chanel" as in the brand. Not "channel" as in a TV channel. Duh. Know your designers!!!
lark817
I remember a great joke from a comedian. Her friend said she had named her twin boys Lemangelo and Orangelo and the comedian replied, "Give me a break, those names are Lemon Jello and Orange Jello."
overdue
Cunard? Like Connard? 'Asshole' in French?!
aeirv22
his name isn't blanket, it's Prince Michael II. His nickname is blanket....nice try though.
jal0304
I think you're correct in thinking that these names will be popular because this country is based on popularity rather than intelligence. its a shame to see names be such an issue when there are more important things to think about! Like how are we gonna feed the damn kid we just gave a stupid name to? It's funny how names have such a high level of importance... too bad Albert (Einstein) was taken over by Alfred ( E. Newman) in the popularity vote! Should show the Intelligence quota among current Americans! GOD bless America and the stupid people whom reside in it!
namedujour
For people who are still working on their families, I have one more thing to add. I said before that I had a Matthew and a Peter, strictly for spelling purposes. However, I'd inadvertently hit upon a "theme" - which means trouble. People kept asking me, "So when are you going to have the REST of the Apostles?"
I worked with a woman whose theme was Variations on the Name John. Her first was Ian, and her second was Sean. People kept asking her, "Did you know that both names mean John?" She heard that daily. Then people would ask, "So when are you going to have Juan?"
Avoid potential irritants - that's my only advice. They'll be with you for life.
jaxdesert
Our new daughter's name SEEMED reasonable until she started attending her first doctor's visits. I was horrified to hear to nurse come out and call her:
"DIARRHEA? DIARRHEA?"
I was thinking you MUST be taking the piss but nope for some reason her name,although read phonetically,is badly mispronounced as THAT instead. Great. She is doomed.
RedPandaMafia
HOW SAD!!!!!! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD BELIEVE SOMEONE WOULD NAME THEIR CHILD THAT?!?! I NOW HOW YOU FEEL! whats her name by the way?
smookiebear
I'm curious... what IS your daughter's name? I can not begin to imagine what name someone could possible mistake for Diarrhea.
JustMe4Now
I have a guess! Is it Dareya, wait, Dareah,... Dahreea...(hmmm...). Well, I don't know how to spell it, but that's my guess: Dar-ee-a.
Am I right???
Vangeliko
Well, im guessing but it could be "Daireah"...
MWaterman
LMAO
wizardmaster123
what wrong with unuasal names,my three daughter have very unusal names and they made it though life just fine, my 20 year freshman in college is named Journey-Lynn,my 16 is named Luxana Lin and my three year old is named Kira Lyn. The children are great, they never did drugs, drinking or failingin school.
BeckyBopp
All three of your daughters have the same middle name? Thats the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You may have been creative with the first names but it's like you just gave up with the middle.
reasonable
are you SURE the three year old doesn't do drugs?
Nephele
I'd love to know which names of Hispanic origin you've noticed moving steadily up the popularity lists, given the fact that the U.S. Census Bureau informs us that our Hispanic population is the nation's fastest growing minority group, and is expected to triple by the year 2050.
As this continuing growth will result in more visibility of Hispanic names in the world of entertainment and news, it should be interesting to see how this may influence naming trends among the general population.
Great predictions all around, Pam and Linda! I really enjoyed reading this article!
Womanvet
Nephele I like your screen name its very pretty.
Womanvet
Also as far as hispanic names go, My husband and I gave our Daughter an old fashioned hispanic name without even realizing it and we are both caucasian
RedPandaMafia
haha :) what did you name her?
shirleyfeeney
Great list!
On the Hispanic names, my husband is Hispanic and I'm an Irish-American. We figured we'd give the kids Irish first names since they already had the Hispanic last name. Our daughter's name is quite common on the East Coast but not so much here on the West. Not only will she be spelling it out for everyone, but she'll be pronouncing it for them too. I don't care--Siobhan is a beautiful name!
Myra81
My husband and I are both hispanic, but we didn't want a traditonal latin name. We wanted something simple and sweet. His family argued with us in the hospital, not more then 24 hours after he was born over it. We needed a more latin name, how was his Great Grandmother gonna pronounce his name. Needless to say we went with Sean Kingzten. Is that latin enough for you. :-)
GateKeeper
To create a name for my children to come will be the most original concept ever...and hopefully no one at that moment has the name..
Caradog
That's pretentious and failure-bound. Take a load off.
smookiebear
Yes, originality is so pretentious. Give up and get in line with Cara.
DaisyAndDandyLions
Ditto Caradog. Do you really believe that you will be successful here. There's a reason that some names stand the test of time and some names are re-tread. They work. Don't doom your child by your "originality."
bonitachica1608
It's ok to be original, but don't go over the top (Apple is not a childs name) Usually an 'original' name ends up being something that is a name, but not in the top 20, or 100.
Vangeliko
Yeah right! Here's some original taken from somewhere...
- Backslash, Capslock, Space, and hey how about Delete or Escape?
Any more sugestions?
prthatrocks
Wow, this was absolute crap. You have to be kidding me? These are all names associated with the poor nerdy kids that get the snot beat out of them every afternoon, after class, by kids named Spike, Dirt, Turd, and Fist.
namedujour
It sucks to get old, doesn't it? All those people naming babies think the names are "fresh". Whereas we know they're ugly.
BTW, did you know that the easiest way to get your kid beaten up in the first half of the 20th century was to name him Jason? They considered it a noxious fruit fly name, back then. Then look what happened in 1970. Times change.
RedPandaMafia
I KNOW!!!!!! ALSO IT BUGS ME WHEN PEOPLE NAME THEIR KIDS SOMETHING CUTE AS A BABY BECAUSE FYI THEY WILL GROW UP AND WHO WANTS TO BE 44 YEARS OLD AND BE NAMED PRINCESS OR ANGEL?!?!?!
namedujour
PS. I'm not THAT old. I only read that thing about "Jason" somewhere - I didn't personally experience it. But I still know how you feel.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
bcaldwell
OK some of the names I can stomach like Ethan, Aidan and even Charlie for the boys and Mathilda has an old charm about it. But names like Kai, River , Milo and Ryder....for boys? That's almost child abuse. Personally, I'm all for traditional names whether they be OT or NT...although I'm not sure I'd want to name my son Ezekiel because you know everyone is going to call him Zeke and that's a nickname that just bugs me.
slcsteph
LOL you cracked me up, I have a nephew and a second cousin on my in-law side named Ezekiel and Ryder...and another new second cousin named Tirzah!
I'm into the names that stood the test of time over MANY generations, and named my son William. My daughter may have a slightly more exotic name, but will stick closer to classic than whats being thought up these days.
kgriffith721
We are choosing our baby's names because of relatives that have impacted out lives. Our first girl will be Ava Lynn. My grandmother's name is Ava and I have a lot of relatives with the middle name Lynn, including my mother-in-law and my sister. Our son will probably be Joseph Freamon. Joseph (we plan to call him Joey) is my husband's grandfather and Freamon is my great-grandfather's name.
I have found a lot of my friends are going with family names, and those that aren't are going with things that are on this list...including a Harper.
iAMalsoKgriffith
you probably wont believe me but my name is K. Griffith as well and my grandmother's name is Ava... To me thats the coolest coincidence ever since we're reading about names!!!
ohyouchick
i think keeping names in the family is great- i plan to do the same with my children
RubberPimple
With regards to the traditional Irish boy's name Aidan, we recently gave our daughter the middle name "Aidyn" for several intersecting reasons. It's a nod to her genuine Irish heritage (she's Irish, English and Japanese on her Mother's side) and we were certain the meaning of the name ("little fire") would fit her personality quite well. We have not been disappointed. Swapping the "a" for a "y" feminized it a bit, we think, and at the very least made it unique. The two dominant sounds in the name also have a meaning in Japanese, which her mother and grandmother speak and we are teaching her, as well.
BriTae
I have the name Aidyn as my daughters middles name and I spell it with the y also. I thought I was the only one. I have a sons named Taegun. Unusual?
ohyouchick
i think taegun is cute....but the name aiden, aidyn, or however you wish to spell it is becoming way too common
DaisyAndDandyLions
Using a Y to "feminize" a name is a trend I just don't get. Do people really think that bastardizing the spelling of a BOYS' name makes it more feminine? Really the only thing that it causes is spelling confusion. The poor child will have to spell her name for people and explain why her parents didn't have the good sense to give her a girls' name her whole life. Couldn't you have given her a beautiful Irish girls' name with a beautiful Japanese middle name? There are MANY of each!
slcsteph
I have to wonder why you're so rude about it? Does it matter? I am inclined to agree just over personal preference, but for God's sake, the name Aidyn for a little girl is not bad! She could be Charly! lol. I think your rude insult over a living child's name cancels out whatever bastardization you think surrounds it. For example, I would rather have the middle name Aidyn than a mother who lives for her emotions and judgments without any restraint or thought of others.
RubberPimple
Yes, people DO think that, and, as a matter of fact, it DOES make it more feminine. And, if you consider the meaning of the name, "little fire", that certainly has no gender implication, now does it? Your characterization of our name choice is juvenile and insulting. "Bastardizing"? Perhaps we should all name everyone the same old names in the same old way with the same old spellings. Ever wonder how we even arrived at such a diversity of names in the first place? How about experimentation. How about creative variations. You seem to think that people only began to tinker with names recently, and this illustrates your lack of perspective. This is hardly a "trend". It's been going on for as long as people have given names.
Vangeliko
you are right slcsteph, and anyway it's non of our fkg bizniz what a parent should name their child! I love that name by the way. I did change some letters in my daugthers name too, and its perfect, she loved it.
MauriceBendix
Hey, Ladies,
Newsflash: There might be one or two babies who aren't white and suburban and kitschy. E.g., Hispanics, blacks, people of other faiths.
smookiebear
And thank God for that! I'm white and even I can't stand 90% of the names on this list. I was sure this was a joke until I read the credits for this article.
slcsteph
While I'm not a fan of this list anyway, I will say that these women are white (and old)...and I'm sure any other cultural background doing the article would gravitate more towards their own common tastes....white, black, hispanic, etc are not bad words...we simply come from different regions, we have different beliefs, and we have different customs...of course you're going to always step on each other's toes in a "melting pot" you just have to deal with it and try to get along! That can't happen crying foul over everything. We are the same species, just born and bred in other areas, no one is better than the other just by cultural bloodlines alone. Since other "minorities" are still considered minorities or aren't registered with SS, the names probably aren't comparable on the boom in popularity of many of these "white" names that are recorded. But not all blacks, hispanics, etc are choosing something straight out of their roots...some pick names like the ones in the list which helps raise the popularity.
chefsx4
Sorry to break it to you, but white and suburban is not a faith. Simply a color and a locale.
Vangeliko
I think what he/she meant is COLOR, LOCALE & CREED! Well, a simple sense which is common could be used here.
Vangeliko
Good thinking MauriceBendix, how about some other guys/gals here with a son/daughter named Abdullah or Fathima, Mohammed or Abdulrahman? well, isnt it trendy, fresh and......?
robinson
My first name is in the top 5 for girls listed in this article. From an era filled with Lindas, Karens, Michelles and Judys, when I heard MY particular name mentioned I always knew it was ME. I appreciated having a somewhat seldom used (yet not crazy) name. Frankly, I'm kinda sorry to see that it may be getting more popular!
jam2mrl1
Were hispanic names left out intentionally or what? Whose idea was this anyway?
ghlongley
What good is a cool first name if it doesn't go with your last name. Names need to flow into each other.
sammysuuue
HAHAH that's what I'm saying....who made these names up? THEY SUCK! You took the words right out of my mouth jam! I was just thinking "really? these are the top names?" I feel bad for the future!! .....future white kids that it :D
jhub32
For everyone up in arms about the lack of Hispanic and/or other ethnic names on the article's lists, the current top ten for girls, according to the social security administration, is: Emma, Isabella, Emily, Madison, Ava, Olivia, Sophia, Abigail, Elizabeth and Chloe; the top ten for boys is: Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua, Daniel, Alexander, Anthony, William, Christopher, and Matthew. The ladies writing the article were likely using basic math, statistics and probability--check into the baby naming chapter in the book Freakonomics--to extrapolate from recent years' naming trends and predict where the movement in names will have happened in 10 years. If you want to see a long history of baby names and their popularity, go to: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ For the record, the name Jesus started at number 80 in 1994, peaked at #66 in 2002 and 2001 and has been declining slightly since then, to land at #79 in 2008. The name Maria was at #47 in 1994 and is at #64 for 2008. However, the name Ava has gone from #751 in 1994 to #5 in 2009; Aiden was at #935 in 1995 and has moved to #16 as of 2008. This isn't racism, it's math.
jhub32
For everyone up in arms about the lack of Hispanic and/or other ethnic names on the article's lists, the current top ten for girls, according to the social security administration, is: Emma, Isabella, Emily, Madison, Ava, Olivia, Sophia, Abigail, Elizabeth and Chloe; the top ten for boys is: Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua, Daniel, Alexander, Anthony, William, Christopher, and Matthew. The ladies writing the article were likely using basic math, statistics and probability--check into the baby naming chapter in the book Freakonomics--to extrapolate from recent years' naming trends and predict where the movement in names will have happened in 10 years. If you want to see a long history of baby names and their popularity, go to: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ For the record, the name Jesus started at number 80 in 1994, peaked at #66 in 2002 and 2001 and has been declining slightly since then, to land at #79 in 2008. The name Maria was at #47 in 1994 and is at #64 for 2008. However, the name Ava has gone from #751 in 1994 to #5 in 2009; Aiden was at #935 in 1995 and has moved to #16 as of 2008. This isn't racism, it's math.
Vangeliko
Agree with you Jam, and how about German names, Japanese or other Asian names? And most of all how about the Arabic names? Shall we make them in the TOP list too?
overdue
Probably someone who's writing an article in an English language paper, and who assumes the readership is mostly English speaking and living in North America.
Just a hunch.
That said, I have the easiest three-lettered name to pronounce for Americans, yet living in France the French go ballistic trying to comprehend my name.
Thank you.
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