The Power of Distinct Sounds

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:
  1. Naomi
  2. Stella
  3. Lucy
  4. Ellie
  5. Lydia
  6. Scarlett
  7. Harper
  8. Aria
  9. Violet
  10. Ruby
  11. Nora
  12. Paisley
  13. Mila
  14. Penelope
  15. Sadie
  16. Alice
  17. Eleanor
  18. Quinn
  19. Cora
  20. Aurora
  21. Hazel
  22. Willow
  23. Elena
  24. Eliana
  25. Kinsley
  26. Luna
  27. Adeline
  28. Nova
  29. Valentina
  30. Everly
  31. Emilia
  32. Delilah
  33. Emery
  34. Josephine
  35. Ivy
  36. Isla
BOYS' NAMES:
  1. Jaxon
  2. Grayson
  3. Nolan
  4. Easton
  5. Hudson
  6. Lincoln
  7. Leo
  8. Asher
  9. Elias
  10. Theodore
  11. Ezra
  12. Mateo
  13. Roman
  14. Leonardo
  15. Santiago
  16. Maverick
  17. Ezekiel
  18. Miles
  19. Everett
  20. Axel
  21. Kai
  22. Wesley
  23. Luca
As illustrated above, half of all the girls' entries from the 2010s have distinct sounds; the same is true for nine of twenty-three boys' names. Besides, many of the highest-rising names, including Luna, Eleanor, Asher, and Theodore, lack both rhymes and alternate spellings. 

A sound that blends into the crowd does not disqualify a name for success, but distinctiveness helps it continue to stand out even as it gets more popular; parents are less likely to tire of it. 

Do you think name distinctiveness has power?

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