Patches of Names

England has a lot of nickname-style and classic/vintage names higher on their charts than America. However, there are some exceptions: Abraham has never left the top 1000 in the United States, and now ranks just below the top 200. In England, Abraham ranks down in the low 600s, which is shocking considering the similar-sounding Ibrahim's top 100 status over there.  August sounds like he can be popular among other vintage revivals like Archie and Chester in England, but he is not. He only ranks in the 400s in England, even with the birth of Princess Eugenie's son. In the United States, though, August is nearing the top 100.  Calvin , as with many uncommon classics, can easily reign alongside Edward and George in England. However, Calvin ranks down in the 800s in England while soaring in the American top 200. Former president Calvin Coolidge and the Calvin and Hobbes comics tie this name to America, anyway.  Edgar  has an Old English style that would make him more pop...

I recently read Laura Wattenberg's post on Namerology about how the name predictions she made over fifteen years ago compared to actual trends. At the end of the post, she recommends including distinct-sounding names when making predictions. I never thought much about distinct sounds, expect as a preference among some parents, but I can see why they have more staying power than mix-and-match names like Paisley and Grayson (neither of which seem headed towards the top 20). When parents hear names ending in "-ley" and "-son" all the time, they might tire of the sound and, hence, gravitate towards more unique choices.  Below, I have listed every new top 100 entry from the 2010s that has remained there since, and I bolded and colored the distinct names: GIRLS' NAMES: Naomi Stella Lucy Ellie Lydia Scarlett Harper Aria Violet Ruby Nora Paisley Mila Penelope Sadie Alice Eleanor Quinn Cora Aurora Hazel Willow Elena Eliana Kinsley Luna Adeline Nova Valentina Everly E...

Once upon a time, around 300 years ago, the throne of Hanover came to England. Hanoverian princess Amelia Sophia Eleanor brought along her nickname.  Emily, despite having separate origins, often anglicized Amelia in her early days of consistent usage. Her root form, the Roman Aemilia, even looks like Amelia in structure. While Amelia comes from the Germanic Amalia, meaning "work," Aemilia, as with many Roman girls' names ending in "a," is a feminization of Aemilius, meaning either "rival" or "persuasive."   Emily, alongside Latinate Emilia, saw occasional use in England during the two centuries before Hanover's 1700s arrival. Her usage only increased over time; Emily spent the entire Victorian era in the top 20, ranking in the top 10 during 1870 and 1880. She then declined, leaving the top 100 by 1934. In the United States, Emily first ranked in the top 100 most years between 1880 and 1917, moving in and out throughout her last several y...

New year, new names! It is time to list 25 names prominent in pop culture and/or on trend at the moment, 13 girls' and 12 boys' names, that are bound to make it big in 2025: GIRLS' NAMES: Violet (#16) Lady Bridgerton Penelope (#23) Third season of Bridgerton focuses on Penelope's romance Eloise (#80) Popularity of "elle" sound Daughter of Sofia Richie and Elliot Grange born May 2024 Lucia (#109) Character Greco in TV series The White Lotus   Phoebe (#191) Fame of American singer-songwriter Bridgers and English actor Waller-Bridge Stevie (#244) Daughter of Kristin Hodge and Jon M. Chu born November 2024 Florence (#521) Fame of actor Florence Pugh Actor Florence Hunt as Hyacinth in Bridgerton Louise (#586) Daughter of Mandy Moore and Taylor Goldsmith born September 2024 Romy (unranked) Character in upcoming Disney Plus animated series The Doomies Joan (unranked) Daughter of Cayley and Brandon Jenner born July 2024 Annabeth (unranked) Character in Disney ...

With 2024 drawing to a close, I am going to nominate one girls' name and one boys' name that defined the year: Elle The sound has appeared in several celebrity babies' names this year, including Sofia Richie and Elliot Grange's Eloise, and Erin Heatherton and Karol Kocemba's Elia. Influencers Aspyn Ovard and Parker Ferris also had their third daughter, Elle, this year. This is becoming the sound of this generation. Santiago Mateo recently became the first Spanish boys' name to enter the top 10. Besides, Elaine Welteroth and Jonathan Singletary had a son named SantiGold this year. The trend for Spanish boys' names and the "santi" sound might allow Santiago to catch up with Mateo. What names do you think defined 2024?

As with many masculine surname-names, Wyatt has plenty of history, associating itself with outlaw Earp and ranking in the charts almost every year since 1880. However, it was never popular until the last few decades; Wyatt has only been a top 100 staple since 2004. Wyatt Earp gave his name a rustic cowboy charm as well as reminding parents of its history. Alongside being a modern traditional, Wyatt has a distinctive sound with one dominant spelling. Finally, despite its roots as a surname, Wyatt feels more like a first name and is almost fully masculine in usage.  Parents who find Wyatt too popular, or those searching for brother names or simply more names to love, will find this list useful. Here are multiple names below the top 100 inspired by Wyatt: Atticus Famously connected to Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird , this name hails to Alabama. Nothing rhymes or sounds like Atticus, either, and it has a bit of history despite being more popular today (but still below the top 2...