Patches of Names

I recently discussed notable rises within the girls' top 1000 names. Now I move on to the notable falls.  While many names entered and rose within the top 1000 in 2023, there are also a lot of names that declined or dropped off of the charts. Here are five new entries and five movements within that serve as examples: DROPOUTS Casey This spelling has become the last to drop out of the top 1000, cementing Casey (and Kacy, Kacie, etc.) as a name of the previous generation.  Elsa Before Disney's Frozen , Elsa was an under-used classic. Its first departure from the top 1000 implies Frozen ruined the name for many parents-the movie is everywhere and overly-merchandised, after all. India This controversial place name has ranked on-and-off within the fringes for over a decade. Since people have become more cautious within the past few years, India might be gone for good. Jada A hit during the 2000s, Jada fell out of the top 1000 after ranking most years since 1969. Alternate spelling J

I have already discussed the top 100 for boys and girls as I do every year. However, I will also start a tradition of discussing notable rises within the top 1000, both new entries and movements within the charts. Several new names entered the girls' top 1000 this year and several already-ranking names rose. To narrow it down, I will list five notable new entries and five notable rises within the girls' top 1000: NEW ENTRIES Aura With Aurora and Aurelia on the rise, it is not surprising Aura debuted in the top 1000 at #960. Even though it first ranked before 1902, this light-inspired name feels more modern than vintage.  Eleanora Eleanor, at #14, has gotten more than popular enough for parents to seek alternatives. Eleanora, debuting at #946, is an obvious choice. The name will also appeal to lovers of Isabella and Nora. Miller Surnames leading to vintage nicknames, such as Emerson shortened to Emmie, are currently hot. Miller, which can shorten to Milly, has recently joined th

I recently wrote about the new top 100 girls' names; today I will move onto the boys' names. DROPOUTS AND ENTRIES While I expected four names to leave the top 100, the number was actually five. Here are this year's top 100 dropouts: Adam fell from #97 to #102 after returning to the top 100 for one year. If it continues declining, this classic name's time is definitely up. Jameson dropped from #85 to #103 after six years in the top 100. It seemed like a perfect honor name for a James, but -son surname names are declining. Xavier , the first dropout I expected, fell from #100 to #105 after over 20 years in the top 100. Nicholas fell from #98 to #109, as I expected. This classic name, a top 100 hit since the 1970s, is clearly tired. Short form "Nick" also sounds dated. Greyson enjoyed seven years in the top 100 before falling from #95 to #117. Surname names ending in -son must really be declining, then. Two of the names I expected to leave the top 100 ended up st

The new top 100 girls' names came out this past Friday. Like every year, I guessed some changes right and found others surprising. DROPOUTS AND ENTRIES As with last year, more names left the top 100 than I expected. Here are the eight dropouts: Aubrey -This name dropped from #81 to #101 this year. I knew this Audrey sound-alike was heading out, but I did not expect it to this year; it dropped less than twenty spots last year.  Ayla -This potential double-"a" Isla sound-alike fell from #98 to #104 after just one year in the top 100; a fate I, of course, did not expect. Serenity -As I expected, peaceful Serenity fell from #96 to #105 this year after 14 years in the top 100.  Bella -I did not expect Bella, often a short form of Isabella, to leave this soon since it only dropped 12 spots in 2022. Yet, it fell from #85 to #106. As Isabella continues to decline, Bella has definitely lost its freshness. Skylar -As with Serenity, I expected this top-100-name of over 10 years to f

I predicted the new top 100 girls' names a few days ago. Today, I will focus on the boys' names. Every year, at least a few names depart from the top 100. These names are usually dated or tired, which suggests parents are moving on from old trends. Here are the boys' names I think will leave this year: Colton -Colton has been declining since its 2019 peak at #59. Having fallen nearly 20 spots from #74 to #91, Colton only has ten spots to fall.  Jeremiah -This Biblical spin on dated Jeremy has been gradually falling since the second half of the 2010s. It fell ten spots to #93 in 2022, meaning ten more spots will erase it from the top 100.  Nicholas -This classic name has been gradually declining since the 2000s. It fell six spots to #98 in 2022, meaning it's almost out of the top 100. Xavier -This name stayed at #100 in 2022, but is has been slowly declining since 2010. Besides, just one drop will take Xavier out of the top 100. While a group of names leave the top 100 e

The new name data is coming out this coming Friday, so it's time to make predictions once again. I will start with the girls' names. Every year, a group of names leave the top 100. It is necessary to have some names leave every year because the girls' top 100 still has a lot of dated or tired names. Here are the girls' names I think will leave this year's top 100: Skylar -Since peaking at #42 in 2016, Skylar has been falling quickly. It dropped 11 spots in 2021 and 13 in 2022. A drop of at least 14 spots will take Skylar out of the top 100.  Nevaeh -This backward-spelling of Heaven, popular since the mid-2000s, sounds like a fad name with celebrity influence. Its time is running short, too, since a fall of just six spots will dethrone Nevaeh. Serenity -this virtue name, popular since 2009, has been falling fast since ranking #69 in 2020. It dropped 16 spots in 2021 and 11 in 2022. If Serenity drops five more spots, it is out. While multiple names leave the charts ea