These Names Were Once Hidden Gems. What Happened?
It’s the ultimate baby name dream: a name that’s stylish and appealing, yet undiscovered. I published my first “Why Not?” list back in 2004. How well have those choices stood the test of time?
Boyish Nicknames for Girls Are Coming Back Again—With a Twist
You should expect to meet a lot more Frankies, Stevies and Georgies in the years ahead. And you should expect most of them to be girls.
The Many Faces of X
The letter X has put its stamp on the past generation of American baby names. X is now a force to be reckoned with—but not for everyone.
To “Infinity” and Beyond
Once upon a time, there was only Charity. Today, dozens of different -ty words grace America’s baby name stats, and the concepts they express range to, quite literally, Infinity.
Add H: America’s Silent Trend
There’s a new letter in town, and it’s just for show. Allow me to introduce the “ornamental H,” an alphabetic flourish that’s adding a stylistic—not phonetic—note to names like Whyatt, Khadence and Ameliah.
4 Things We Learned From the 2020 Baby Name Data
Some quick notes on themes emerging from the new national baby name statistics. 1. Masculinity Through Word NamesOver one thousand names made their all-time debuts in this year’s name stats, 500+ each for boys and girls. Common English words appeared three times more often among the boys’ names. I suspect […]
The Fastest-Rising Names of the Year, 2020
2020 was a year like no other. In a time of loss, division and moral reckoning, the fastest rising names of the year were not hot new celebrity names, but memorials. Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in January, 2020. Kobe was […]
The Surprising Story of Boys Ending in -A
Once upon a time, something happened to boys’ names ending in the letter A. Or rather, two somethings. Starting around 1970 the typically female -a ending was twice transformed, and the sound of American boys hasn’t been the same since. See for yourself. The top black line in this chart […]
Look Ma, No Consonants!
Vowels have been squeezing out consonants in names for years. Now they’re cutting out the middleman. More and more, vowel sounds follow one another in baby names without any consonant buffer—just ask Liam or Noah.
Goodbye, Gavin: These Long-Time Favorites are On Their Way Out
Name trends have momentum. Once a name’s popularity starts heading downhill, you can count on it continuing that way unless acted upon by an outside force. Right now, 14 favorite names of the past generation are tipping down that slope. These names have just hit their lowest point since the […]
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