10 Names that Made 2021

With 2021 coming to a close, it's time to look back and reflect on this past year in terms of given names. A lot has happened in the naming world this past year. Today I look at 10 boys' and girls' names that have defined these events. 

I will be using gender-neutral language here. The suffix "ess" has been applied to female members of certain professions, such as acting, to imply that they're lesser than men. 

August

Mandy Moore had a son with this name in February. A month later, Princess Eugenie gave birth to August Philip Hawke. It would be great if August gets a boost from both of these births because it is a classic name that's becoming popular again. Now at #155, August is not far away from the top 100. While August is timeless, it's not boring. August also has fresh nickname options such as "Auggie" and "Gus". August is a nature name as well, connecting to the eighth month of the year. All these ingredients are things parents are currently looking for in names. 

Cosmo

Celestial names Luna, Nova, and Stella are all popular for girls. No celestial names are popular for boys yet, but some have potential. Cosmo, which refers to the entire universe, is one such name. It made headlines this year after Scarlett Johansson  gave this name to her son. Cosmo's similarity in ending to Mateo and Leo can also make this more popular. 

Dolores

American actors Jeremy Allen White and Addison Timlin have a little girl named Dolores Wild White. Even though she was born in 2020, she was born late enough in the year to have influenced parents in 2021. The Disney movie Encanto also featured a Dolores. Dolores topped the charts from the 1920s to the 1940s, meaning that this name should be coming back now. It also fits in with popular Spanish names Camila and Elena. 

Ida

Actor Jenny Slate and author Ben Shattuck welcomed daughter Ida Lupine in February 2021. Hurricane Ida stroke in the second half of this year. That storm might not be the best association, but it still tied Ida to 2021. Now that Ada is almost back and Iris is approaching the top 100, it's about time for Ida, which topped the charts a century ago, to follow. 

Kylo

Today's parents love to reinvent classics and past favorites. Think Mateo instead of Matthew and Luca instead of Lucas. Likewise, Kylo is a spin on former favorite Kyle. It is also the name of Han Solo and Princess Leia's son in the famous Star Wars films. This modern name is not just fantastical, but, like Cosmo, it has the trendy "o" ending. Kylo rose sharply in both the United States and England this year. Perhaps it made the English top 500 for the first time. 

Lilibet

This name made headlines when Prince Harry and Meghan's second child was born. Lilibet mixes the sounds of Lillian and Elizabeth, both of which are timeless classics. Hence, Lilibet can shorten to both Lily and Betty, which is a vintage nickname due for revival. Lilibet hasn't ranked yet, but it could become more popular in 2022 thanks to the royal baby. 

Maeve

Maeve is completely new to the top 200. At the same time, Maeve has roots in the past thanks to a warrior queen from Irish legend. Mythological names are big at the moment; think Aurora and Luna. The same is true for Celtic names like Riley and Isla. Single-syllable names like Grace and Quinn remain popular as well. This being said, Maeve has all the ingredients to reach the top 100. What put Maeve on this list, though, is a character from the Netflix series Sex Education. That association sent Maeve into the English top 100. 

Sienna

Siena, spelled with one "n", was a character in Bridgerton. Princess Beatrice also had a daughter named Sienna this year, a surprising choice among royals. It's not surprising among Americans, though. At #166, Sienna is more popular now than ever before. Besides the royal birth, there are several reasons why Sienna could hit the top 100. It's similar in sound to elaborate hits Gianna and Savannah. It also means "red" like Scarlett and Ruby. Sienna could also update former hit Sierra. 

Ted

The Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso put this name on parents' minds in 2021. Ted is a nickname for Theodore that can easily fit in with Jack. While the English embrace fellow Theodore nickname Teddy, some parents might find it too cute to age well. Those who still love nicknames might, thus, might rather use just Ted. It sounds like a fresh alternative to classic three-letter nicknames like Joe, Sam, and Tom.

Wilder

This surname name describes 2021 completely. It has been more wild than 2020 with vaccines coming in and our world reopening. In addition, the name has been given to two celebrity babies this year. One was born to actors Kim and Brant Daugherty this spring. The other was born to actor Kieran Culkin and former fashion model Jazz Charton at the end of this summer. Wilder mixes the beginning sound of Wyatt with the structure of elaborate surnames like Jameson. 

Which of these names do you think best represent this past year?

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