You can see in my signature what my top names are and particularly the boy list - they’re all suddenly being called “overused,” “hipster,” “too popular” and/or “trendy” by many people on this forum. Some of these names I have liked for many years and now suddenly others are all about them too. I noticed almost all these names were listed in Nameberry’s top 100 of 2013.
Should I start panicking or is this just a “Nameberry thing” and it’s not a true reflection of general popularity outside the Nameberry world?
For whatever reason, I love girl names and have a ton I’m all about. Boy names are a different story. I think I have come across every boy name at least 10 times and the ones on my signature are the only ones that still strike my fancy. I know myself and if I find that any of these are indeed getting too popular or trendy, my love will dissipate.
Any insight for me to help put it into perspective? And if you [name_f]DO[/name_f] believe some of these are legitimately popular, any suggestions of similar names? Maybe by some chance I missed a gem…
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t panic. I just searched each of your boy names here on NB, and I would encourage you to do the same so you can look at the SSA-stat chart to see exactly how popular each one is.
I would say the trendiest names on your list are [name_m]Declan[/name_m] and [name_u]Finn[/name_u]. [name_m]Both[/name_m] are Irish names (now a hot item) which entered the U.S. Top 1000 around the year 2000 and have risen steadily since. [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] and [name_m]Ewan[/name_m] are not yet in the Top 1000, which means in real life they’re very rare here. However, they could legitimately be called “trendy” since they follow the Gaelic, 2-syllable, ends-in-N “cool boy name” trends. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t be surprised if you see more of [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m], with its similarity to [name_m]Declan[/name_m].
[name_m]Miles[/name_m] is trendy, but its rise has been slower than [name_m]Declan[/name_m]'s and [name_u]Finn[/name_u]'s. [name_m]John[/name_m], as an enduring classic, can hardly be called trendy, but it is popular. [name_u]Dean[/name_u] is trending up a little now, but it’s been pretty popular for the past several decades. [name_m]Sean[/name_m] was a precursor to [name_u]Finn[/name_u]–its peak has passed.
All of the boys’ names on your list are handsome, sturdy and in good taste. I wouldn’t worry too much about one or another being “too trendy.” Best wishes!
[name_m]Declan[/name_m] and [name_u]Finn[/name_u] are certainly the ones on your list with the most attention these days. I highly doubt you will see a a flurry of Lachlans anytime soon. Try searching more conventional sites and the SSA database for actual name rankings. The Nameberry Top 100 is based on searches and page views (hence, [name_m]Django[/name_m] at No. 4). I wouldn’t panic just yet. I don’t like trendy, either, so I know how you feel. I always thought my first son would be named [name_m]Kaden[/name_m]. I had no idea how popular it was until I started looking before he was born 2 years ago. I went with a more unique name, but if you love a name, you should use it.
[name_m]Declan[/name_m] was my top name for the past 5 years. My husband and I said [name_m]Declan[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u] would be our son’s name (my daughter would have been named [name_m]Declan[/name_m] if she were a boy). Now, sadly, I am starting to lose that loving feeling for it because of its “trendiness” and growing popularity.
I have a very popular name for my generation so I want to avoid that with my children, but I’m not into “out there” names either.
Names on your list I think are gaining popularity in the “real world” or are already fairly popular:
[name_m]Declan[/name_m]
[name_u]Finn[/name_u]
[name_m]John[/name_m]
[name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] (at least in Australia)
[name_m]Miles[/name_m]
[name_m]Sean[/name_m]
[name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] is Top Ten in Australia but not even Top Thousand in the US.
[name_m]Declan[/name_m] and [name_u]Finn[/name_u] are shooting upwards but I think in the US they’re not super-trendy yet. They could become so, thouh. [name_u]Finn[/name_u] is more popular than variants like [name_m]Finnian[/name_m], if you’re that worried.
[name_m]John[/name_m] is classic and I wouldn’t say trendy or at the height of any of its popularity spikes, nor likely to suddenly vault up the charts. Assuming you LIKE [name_m]John[/name_m] (and you must?) now is a perfectly reasonable time to use it.
[name_m]Sean[/name_m] is past its spike/trend.
I find [name_m]Milo[/name_m] much trendier than [name_m]Miles[/name_m], which feels reasonably classic.
The girls I would say are not especially trendy/popular in the US.
I think your names are fine. To put it in perspective for you, in the real world, the names are;
[name_u]Dean[/name_u] - rising in popularity over the past 12 years, but currently at 260 in the US.
[name_m]Ewan[/name_m] - not in the US top 1000.
[name_m]Miles[/name_m] - gained over 100 spots in the past 12 years, [name_m]Miles[/name_m] is just outside of the top 100, at #111.
[name_m]Declan[/name_m] - made leaps and bounds from #545 in 2000 to #143 in 2012.
[name_u]Finn[/name_u] - another one who made leaps and bounds, gaining over 400 spots in the past 12 years, likely thanks to Glee. Currently #291
[name_m]John[/name_m] - classic, NOT trendy, however very popular, at #28. [name_m]John[/name_m] has fallen since 2000, when it was #14.
[name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] - not in the US top 1000
[name_m]Sean[/name_m] - actually fallen off the top 100 in recent years, [name_m]Sean[/name_m]'s currently 144.
There’s the stats for you The only ‘trendy’ ones, I say, would be [name_u]Dean[/name_u], [name_m]Declan[/name_m], [name_m]Miles[/name_m] & [name_u]Finn[/name_u].
It helps to look at your state on the SSA site if you’re in the US. You can see last year’s most popular names in your state – I looked up a couple of my favorites and was relieved to find that they weren’t in the top 100 here or any bordering states!
When nameberry’s “most popular” lists are also posted on the [name_m]Huffington[/name_m] Post, people in the comments are flummoxed, and pretty much think we’re all nuts. They think it’s the SSA list and are mortified, or that nameberry must be “run from some guy’s basement.” So, I doubt the lists reflect real world popularity.
I agree that [name_u]Finn[/name_u] is pretty trendy now. I know of three babies named [name_u]Finn[/name_u] born in the past few years (although one really a [name_m]Finnegan[/name_m]). [name_m]Declan[/name_m] seems to be rising pretty fast too. [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] seems like the kind of name that could rise in the US, but it’s currently not in the top 1000. I wouldn’t be too worried about the others, though I’m obviously not psychic. [name_m]John[/name_m] is a classic that seems fresh and rare these days. [name_m]Sean[/name_m] is actually declining slightly. It’s less popular now than it’s been since 1963.
I would also say, though, that if you’ve loved a name for years, you should use it despite rising popularity. None of these names is likely to rise to the popularity of a [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] or [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] from when we were young.
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t panik!
I agree with pp’s that you should consider checking out how popular the names truly are.
Most countries seem to have databases where you can check out how often a name was used in the previous few years.
(Germany for examples doesn’t but for the US you can download the list of names and plug in names on the SSA website).
Judging popularity by how often a name shows up on a name-site is dangerous business. [name_m]Just[/name_m] because we all like a name doesn’t mean we are all giving our future son that name. (I have a dozen names in my signature for each gender - I am definitely not planning on giving birth to or raising two soccer teams.) So just keep that in mind. If a name you love shows up all over a name site - that is a wonderful thing. It means people will really love this name too - but hopefully they don’t love it as much as you do and they just are considering it without actually using it. (Sorry that was a bit rambly).
Take a look at the SSA stats for your state. I’ve found that can really change your perspective. For example, [name_m]Declan[/name_m] is 73 spots higher in Massachusetts than it is on the national list.
I’m glad I’m not alone, I am having a very tough time with boy names and was horrified at how popular every name I like has become. I had a very popular name growing up and hated it so much I really don’t want to do the same. [name_m]Finnegan[/name_m] was my top pick but I would like to avoid the [name_u]Finn[/name_u] as a nickname if it’s that popular.
The only ‘trendy’ ones, I say, would be [name_u]Dean[/name_u], [name_m]Declan[/name_m], [name_m]Miles[/name_m] & [name_u]Finn[/name_u].