Disclaimer: I have a very common, very 70s name, so I do pay attention to the popularity of names and count it against them. Sometimes a name is perfectly fine, just too common or dated for me. That popularity can also push a name into my “vanilla” category. So, please keep that personal bias of mine in mind! 
Girls-
[name]Ainsley[/name]: Dislike–very nasal and vanilla
[name]Auden[/name]: I like this name; I love the poet [name]Auden[/name], and I like the name [name]Autumn[/name], and I like the unexpected twist from that name to this one.
[name]Arwen[/name]: I love this name, a lot, a lot, a lot! I am also a total LOTR fan, though.
[name]Aspen[/name]: Okay–I like the idea of this name (and names like it, i.e., [name]Astrid[/name] and [name]Aster[/name]) because they sound very crisp and clean, but ultimately, the “ass” part of the name makes them unusable, at least in the USA, where juvenile male humor reigns supreme.
[name]Blake[/name]: Very bland and vanilla for me.
[name]Calla[/name]: I really like this name, but I wouldn’t use it because I’m afraid it would get lost in the Kalies/Kellys/Callies/etc.
[name]Chloe[/name]: I used to really like this name, but now it kind of feels tired.
[name]Channing[/name]: [name]Carole[/name]? [name]Tatum[/name]? [name]Stockard[/name]? I don’t see it as very charming for a girl.
[name]Drew[/name]: Cute name; [name]Drew[/name] Barrymore is old enough now that the affiliation wouldn’t be so glaring. I’ll always think of her, but she’s one of my favorite celebrities, so not a bad thing. Plus, it’s a name that works for a child or an adult.
[name]Ellery[/name]: Interesting, but I’m kind of over the [name]Elle[/name]/[name]Ella[/name]/[name]Emma[/name]/etc. names
[name]Elodie[/name]:^^
[name]Emerson[/name]: I don’t like -son names for girls; also, personal affiliation with a guy who used this name for his character in a role-playing game, lol.
[name]Emery[/name]: It’s okay, but again, a little vanilla.
[name]Greer[/name]: I get the affiliation with the actress, but for me, it reminds me of a girl I know and don’t like. It’s also a little masculine for my taste.
[name]Gwen[/name]: [name]Love[/name] this name.
[name]Harper[/name]: I think it was really interesting a few years ago, but now that celebrities are using it, it’s losing it’s appeal.
[name]Hollis[/name]: This one I like–I know MANY girls named [name]Holly[/name], which is nice enough, but the twist on the end freshens the idea up a lot.
[name]James[/name]: Not for a girl…
[name]Leighton[/name]: It feels very inspired by [name]Leighton[/name] Meester
[name]Logan[/name]: I like this better for a boy, but it isn’t the worst of the surnames; it does feel a little dated (90s), though–back when [name]Ridge[/name] called [name]Brooke[/name] “[name]Logan[/name]” on The Bold and the Beautiful.
[name]Luca[/name]: This is very, very pretty.
[name]Micah[/name]: [name]Love[/name] this.
[name]Miller[/name]: I had a friend in school whose surname was [name]Miller[/name], and everyone called her [name]Miller[/name] in college. I don’t know if I like it for a real name.
[name]Parker[/name]: Feels dated.
[name]Quinn[/name]: Is on the bubble–nice enough name, but about to explode. I feel like it will be very dated after that, like [name]Michelle[/name] or [name]Jessica[/name].
[name]Rowan[/name]: I really like this name, but it kind of feels like the go-to name for people who love Irish/Celtic names and the idea of being earthy. (I had it on my list until I decided that, though…and yes, that description applies to me, so no condemnation!)
[name]Sage[/name]: Same sort of feeling as [name]Rowan[/name]. I like it, but it still feels safe…
[name]Savannah[/name]: Another really pretty name, but it’s off my table because it’s so popular.
[name]Sailor[/name]: I don’t like this name; the idea of using professions as names doesn’t work for me. Which is sad, because if it did, I would totally name my kid “[name]Doctor[/name].” And I would build him a TARDIS playhouse. 
[name]Sloane[/name]: It’s nice enough, but nms.
[name]Spencer[/name]: I think is a pretty name, but I think of the mid-90s when I hear it. And Pretty [name]Little[/name] Liars.
[name]Veda[/name]: Most “V” names sound to harsh for me; the combination of “V” and “d” sets my teeth on edge.
Boys-
[name]Alden[/name]: I like the homey feeling of this name, and it makes me think of Reverend [name]Alden[/name] from [name]Little[/name] House on the [name]Prairie[/name]
[name]Bennett[/name]: Nice, kind of bland
[name]Colin[/name]: ^^
[name]Cooper[/name]: I like this one, and I always have.
[name]Davis[/name]: NMS; I don’t like the name “[name]David[/name]” to begin with, and [name]Davis[/name] doesn’t do much to change that opinion.
[name]Everett[/name]: I know a lot of Berries love it, but I think of a kid with a bad chronic sinus drainage problem and anti-social behavior when I hear this name.
[name]Ellis[/name]: Mixed feelings–nms, nothing really wrong with it though.
[name]Ever[/name]: This is interesting, and I think I like the idea of it being used for a boy.
[name]Flynn[/name]: Like this name. (Prefer [name]Finn[/name], but [name]Flynn[/name] is nice, too.)
[name]Gage[/name]: NMS. I had a friend with this surname, and it just never appealed to me.
[name]Gavin[/name]: I like this okay, but I knew a kid in junior high named this and it took me years to break the negative association; I prefer [name]Galen[/name].
[name]Gabe[/name]: Prefer [name]Gabriel[/name], but I like [name]Gabe[/name].
[name]Grant[/name]: I don’t like this name–too associated with someone I know who left his wife because he couldn’t handle helping her heal after a nearly fatal car accident. Yeah.
[name]Graham[/name]: I [name]DO[/name] like this name; it’s very masculine but still feels approachable–like a guy who can do it all.
[name]Gray[/name]: Feels kind of cold.
[name]Harrison[/name]: It’s okay, but reminds me of the Vonnegut story, “[name]Harrison[/name] [name]Bergeron[/name].”
[name]Holden[/name]: [name]Will[/name] always be [name]Holden[/name] Snyder from As the World Turns, which I watched religiously in college, so it feels kind of old to me now, lol. He was a good guy, though.
[name]Jameson[/name]: I love this name; love [name]Jameson[/name] whiskey, too.
[name]Xavier[/name]: I really like this name!
[name]Jonas[/name]: Nice name
[name]Lachlan[/name]: It’s okay, but nms. Kind of generic Celtic, like [name]Rowan[/name].
[name]Laughlin[/name]: ^^
[name]Leo[/name]: I really like this name a lot. It’s feisty without being aggressive, and regal without the pretension.
[name]Leif[/name]: Meh.
[name]Leon[/name]: [name]Will[/name] ALWAYS be [name]Roseanne[/name]'s awful boss on [name]Roseanne[/name].
[name]Liam[/name]: I do love this name, but it’s becoming frightfully popular, which is my only misgiving.
[name]Madigan[/name]: Hm. I like this more for a girl.
[name]Monroe[/name]: Okay, I have personal reasons to not like this. And people will argue over how to say it…some will say “Muhn-ROW”; others will say “MAHN-row.” [name]Trust[/name] me on this.
[name]Noam[/name]: Oh, nice. Very nice.
[name]Nolan[/name]: Kind of wimpy.
[name]Palmer[/name]: I wouldn’t use this. Zoom ahead to a junior high boy’s locker room.
[name]Reed[/name]: I like this name. It has a fresh and clean sound.
[name]River[/name]: Nice name, but I think it’s going to the girls. ([name]River[/name] Song on [name]Doctor[/name] Who being a prime example.)
[name]Wade[/name]: I’m Southern, and this name is delightfully Southern. [name]Love[/name].
[name]Wyatt[/name]: My cousin just named her baby this–I love it.
[name]Emmett[/name]: NMS, but I see the appeal.
I also disagree with [name]Leighton[/name] being trendy. I think it is sort of strange that [name]Parker[/name] was seen as fine, but [name]Greer[/name] wasn’t feminine enough…I also can’t see [name]Colin[/name] or [name]Gavin[/name] on old men. I think of [name]George[/name] or [name]Edward[/name] when I think of the elderly. Gnome is pronounced differently, it’s [name]Noam[/name], No-uhm.
