So after tons and tons of deliberation over names, I think my husband and I have narrowed our list down to these top two names for our baby girl due in [name_f]October[/name_f]: [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] or [name_f]Matilda[/name_f].
I have loved both of these names for quite some time now and I’m thrilled that the hubs has taken a liking to them too! We’ve been trying them out on her for the last month or so to see which we like calling her the best. No clear winner yet…
The first (and only) real life [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] I have met was an Australian gal I was friends with while living in Thailand 7 years ago. I thought it was absolutely charming and I have had it on my radar ever since. I have never met a [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] in the US, but recently it has been popping up on lots of “hipster” name lists (which I don’t really understand) and I fear it will be moving up the charts.
[name_f]My[/name_f] love for [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] comes from a super cheesy and kind of strange movie from the year 2000 - Down to You (anybody else seen this one???) That’s a good 14-year love affair with a name I have never heard anyone named in real life. Now all of a sudden, [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] is getting SOOO much attention! I realize it’s the #1 name here on Nameberry, but does this translate to real life?
[name_f]My[/name_f] three part questions is: [name_f]Do[/name_f] you feel that either of these names will gain TONS of popluarity in the next few years (in the US)? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you know many (any) real life [name_f]Imogen[/name_f]'s or [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]'s and if so, what age are they? [name_m]Will[/name_m] [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] ever be the next [name_u]Madison[/name_u] and [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] the next [name_f]Emma[/name_f]???
Our top first/middle combos for these names are:
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f] ([name_f]May[/name_f] was part of my maiden name and hubs loves the nickname [name_f]Tillie[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f])
[name_m]Will[/name_m] [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] ever be the next [name_u]Madison[/name_u] and [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] the next [name_f]Emma[/name_f]???
Never. [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] has the greatest potential to rise in popularity, but I think we’re looking at [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] level popularity, not [name_f]Emma[/name_f] level popularity. I don’t think [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] will make it in the US at all. I think a lot of the views that [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] gets on this site are people who are wondering what the heck this name is and if it is pronounced the same as the terminally uncool [name_f]Imogene[/name_f].
@rlinden Uhhhg…[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]-level popularity is still MUCH too popular for my liking. Here in my neck of the woods and in my extended circle of friends, [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] seems to be the chosen name for every other little girl born! It’s a find name, it’s just gaining popularity too fast for my taste. I would hope [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] wouldn’t go down this same path, but I like it so much I may just use it regardless. I don’t think I’d ever regret using this name, regardless of its popularity…
But I like your insight on [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] and the popluarity here on NB. Perhaps you’re right, people are mostly curious but not serious about actually using it on their daughter. I think it’s quite lovely and quirky at the same time, and I’m fond of [name_f]Immy[/name_f] and Idgy as fun nicknames. Like I said, I still don’t know any real like [name_f]Imogen[/name_f]'s.
I don’t think either of those names will soar up the charts. [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] has higher probability to get popular, given that it has risen on the charts in the last few years, and was used by a celebrity… but I don’t think it will go the route of [name_u]Madison[/name_u]. It seems to be one of those names that appeals to a subset of the population, while others find it quirky or old-fashioned. [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] has not been in the SSN list in the past 100 years and is still pretty foreign to [name_u]North[/name_u] Americans. The number of babies named [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] has risen over the past 15 years ago, going from under 10 babies a year in the 1990s to 130ish last year… but it’s still over 100 babies off from entering the top 1000. It will likely continue to be used more, but I doubt it will soar up the charts to become a really popular name. Personally, I’ve never met a [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] or an [name_f]Imogene[/name_f], though I did once meet an [name_f]Imogene[/name_f] who was a really old lady from [name_f]Jamaica[/name_f].
I think you’re absolutely right about the [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] appealing to a certain subset of people who like it and find it actually usable. I know many people who think it is the ugliest name they’ve ever heard! But that doesn’t matter to me at all…I love it!
And I think you’re right about [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] - but I couldn’t help but question whether this would be the “next big thing” in names. It was in the [name_m]Huffington[/name_m] Post today! I just wasn’t sure if all this attention would lead to more acceptance here in the US.
It’s just so hard when choosing a name for my little one (this is my first) because I want it to be a name I love, but something that will age well and not ever, [name_u]EVER[/name_u] be considered trendy! I hate the idea that my child’s name will be indicative of the decade she was born - that’s something I REALLY try to stay away from. But sometimes it can be so difficult to predict how name popularity will go…
I’ve never met a real-life [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], and the only real-life [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] I know of was my best friend’s great-grandmother, who had a bakery called “[name_f]Tilly[/name_f]'s.”
I honestly think [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] (or [name_f]Tillie[/name_f], my preference) is an absolutely adorable nickname! I love the idea of a great grandmother with the name [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] - so spunky!
I do know a little [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], maybe 7 or so, and I have the impressions that’s it’s fairly popular among educated urbanites–as are [name_m]Henry[/name_m], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], and other names that are big on Nameberry. Users here are not representative of the general population! I’ve worked in schools in NYC, both public and private, for over ten years, and never met an [name_f]Imogen[/name_f].
I love both names too. [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] might be becoming more popular thanks to the musical version of the [name_m]Roald[/name_m] Dahl book but that’s the only reason I can think of if it’s on the rise. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone called [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] or [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] - the only [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] I can think of was a contestant on the UK version of Big Brother several years ago!
Neither [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] nor [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] will be considered trendy. You can never be sure about “[name_u]EVER[/name_u]” but I think you’ve got the next couple of years covered. 434 girls were given the name [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] in 2013, there were about 4,000,000 babies born last year, let make half of them girls, so out of ca. 2,000,000 (or let it be only one million) there are only 434 babies named [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], which is a pretty low number and nothing to worry about.
The only [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] I’ve ever met was British. I’ve never met a [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]. I don’t think either will be in the top 100 any time soon!
@vasilisa - I’m sure as a teacher you really get to see a variety of names! I really do get the feeling that [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] is not really used here in the US. Is there any way to know how many baby’s received this name last year?
@bungo - Yes - I also get the feeling that [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] is a fair bit more popular in the UK than here in the US. Part of the reason I love [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] and [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is that they are popular in other countries (Uk, Australia, etc) but not here in the US. I feel that this makes them not SO obscure that people have never heard of them but still off the radar.
@opheliaflora - Thank you for the reassurance that these names will never be trendy, it’s like my worst fear! I can’t believe that only 434 children were named [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] last year! When you put it that way, it seems like only a drop in the bucket! So loving on this name!
I’m from Australia so totally the wrong demographic to answer your question, but I wanted to say how much I love both of these names!
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f]'s been a favourite of mine forever, but it’s top 20 here in Australia :(. I only personally know a few though. Absolutely gorgeous name! One [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] I know goes by [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] (my favourite nn); another by [name_u]Mattie[/name_u].
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f] I’ve loved for a while, but unfortunately I met an unpleasant [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] which has slightly ruined my opinion of the name. I know at least five Imogens.
@jem - I know that [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is CRAZY popular in Australia! [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it’s really due to the song ‘Waltzing [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]’??? (That’s what I always hear people say when they are talking about the name’s popularity in Australia). Anyway, it’s rather more obscure here and I’m totally in love with it! Ijust hope it stays on the outskirts of popularity over here in the US!
Also still loving [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] in all her quirky goodness! It’s such a shame when one bad apple spoils a name for you! I am like that with the name [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], which I used to love until I met an unfortunate girl with this name and it was forever ruined!
In the US, 131 baby girls were named [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] last year. By comparison, the #1 name, [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], was given to 21,075 girls. The bottom name on the top 1000 was [name_u]Collins[/name_u], and that was given to 248 baby girls.
Further to my other comment, if you go to the Social Security Name database (Popular Baby Names), towards the bottom, you can click on “Background Information” and if you then go to “Beyond the Top 1000”, you can download files that show the number of babies given each name in every year from 1880 onward. Any name given to 5 or more babies will be there. You can also download the data for each state, so you can tell if a name is popular in your area.
I’ve also never met a [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] or [name_f]Imogen[/name_f]. I think the names are popular on name boards such as this, but not so much in real life. [name_u]Love[/name_u] both! Really loving [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] [name_f]Iris[/name_f]! [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] was one of my top names for LO due in [name_u]August[/name_u].
I personally do not think that either of these lovely names have [name_u]Madison[/name_u]/[name_f]Emma[/name_f] potential. [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] has a lot of positive (sort of under the radar) pop-culture references and has never become trendy so I just do not think that it is ever going to at this point. I would probably be more put off by [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], because while I have only ever known one (she is a baby - about 6 months), I am hearing this name everywhere also! I love it but it would make me nervous.
as a side note, I am naming my girl due in [name_f]October[/name_f] as well, [name_f]Luna[/name_f], which has skyrocketed in recent years but it remains unchageable for me, as I’ve had it in my mind for my daughter since I was fourteen. I cringe when I see it mentioned anywhere as a name, but it’s so very sentimental to me that I can’t let go. With each little kick, I see my sassy [name_f]Lu[/name_f] I think choose a name you really love and you’ll never regret it.
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f] and [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] are my favorites of your selections! love them lots! best of luck xo
I think choose a name you really love and you’ll never regret it.