Patches of Names

While all new names are contemporary in style, not all contemporary names are new. New names feel contemporary, were never used for more than 50 kids before the 1970s, and show little to no signs of clear usage outside this country. This being said, there can't have been any famous people or book characters with the name who were born more than 50 years ago.  Here are some of the most contemporary names out there: GIRLS' NAMES: Bristol (#390)-Bristol, an English place name, was first used in this country in 1973. It reached the top 1000 in 2009 and is now more popular than it's ever been. Bristol can make a great update to Brittany. Everly (#43)-Before 1970, only 10 girls were ever given the name. As of the mid-2000s, Everly began to take off. It entered the top 1000 in 2012 only to hit the top 100 just five years later.  Harlow (#317)-When Jean Harlow was popular, nobody took interest in her name. Yet, Harlow first registered as a girls' name in this nation in 2002. It

They say that about every 100 years, old-fashioned names come back into style. However, the rule sounds kind of misleading for the following reasons: The rule is worded to imply perfection. By calling it the "100-Year Rule", we imply that names must begin to rise again exactly 100 years after their peak. This sounds limiting because some names come back sooner than others. Instead of the "100-Year Rule", let's call it the "Fourth-Generation Rule". That title is more open to the concept of names coming back at different times. Besides, the title "Fourth-Generation Rule" implies that names would really come back every 75-120 years.  How popular does a name have to be to qualify for the cycle? This question is rarely answered directly, but name sites make it seem like any name that ranked qualifies for the cycle. Yet, a name that only peaked in the 600s or so was never common at all. There were never many people with the name, so it's under

Because the top 10 is small, only a handful of names cycle in and out of it each decade. There were four newcomers to the top 10 in the 2010s: Charlotte, Harper, Amelia, and Evelyn. Within the last fifty years, about 4-7 names have entered the girls' top 10 each decade. The recent average number of top 10 newcomers per decade, though, is five. Today I discuss the five names that could possibly hit the top 10 by the end of this decade.  Camila (#15)-Camila is a Spanish name that combines the sounds of Amelia and Mia in a Sophia-like structure. Camila has been rising quickly and will probably reach the highest level of popularity within the next five years.  Luna (#16)-Luna has the potential to become the next Ava. It is a short antique with nature connections that also happens to feel modern. Since its top 100 debut in 2016, Luna has dramatically gotten even more popular. It will probably hit the top 10 in the next year or two.  Hazel (#33)-Old-fashioned nature names like Violet and

As much as we love cute names, there is some controversy surrounding them. Will these names be taken seriously in adulthood? Well, certain names, like Cosy and Benny, are better off as nicknames. Others, though, are cute and wear well into adulthood at once. Perhaps not all cute girls' and boys' names are nicknames. Here are some examples. GIRLS' NAMES: Ada (#209)-Ada begins with a long "a" sound and is just three letters long. I'm can't describe why it's cute, though, because it simply brings up the image of a cute little girl. Maybe pairing the long "a" sound with the "da" ending does the trick? Eve (#484)-Has anyone said that classics can't be cute? Eve defies that claim. It is just three letters long and begins with the adorable long "e" sound. It's easy to picture a "little Eve", making it a less-popular alternative to fellow classic Lucy.  Free (unranked)-Free is a bold contemporary choice while the