Lately I’ve been thinking about the popularity of names from one generation to the next, specifically looking at where names were ranked in 1990 vs. 2020, a 30 year span. And it’s got me wondering and predicting which names will be popular in another 30 years in 2050.
Below is a list of 2020’s top 10 girl names, along with their rankings from 1990. All were already in the top 350 in 1990, except for 3 names, [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], and [name_u]Harper[/name_u]. [name_u]Harper[/name_u] didn’t appear in the top 1000 until 2004 and by 2015 she was already top 10. Another fun little fact: While all of these names (except Harper) have been somewhat popular in the past, [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] is the only name that has ever been in the top 10 before (#10 in 1915).
Looking at this data, and using your baby name expertise, what names do you predict will be the top 10 in 2050? [name_u]Will[/name_u] there be a couple wild cards that shoot up the charts? [name_u]Or[/name_u] do you think they will all be names that have been steadily climbing? [name_f]My[/name_f] prediction is hidden below! I can’t wait to see what you all think!
[name_f]Olivia[/name_f] -1990: 72
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] -1990: 130
[name_f]Ava[/name_f] - 1990: 954
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] - 1990: 287
[name_f]Sophia[/name_f] -1990: 251
[name_f]Amelia[/name_f] -1990: 194
[name_f]Isabella[/name_f] -1990: 890
[name_f]Mia[/name_f] -1990: 341
[name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] -1990: 220
[name_u]Harper[/name_u] -1990: not ranked, given to only 12 girls!
[name_f]My[/name_f] prediction
Summary
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]Willa[/name_f]
[name_f]Flora[/name_f]
[name_u]Esme[/name_u]
[name_u]River[/name_u]
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]
[name_f]Opal[/name_f]
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f]
[name_u]Wren[/name_u]
It was so hard to narrow it down to just 10!
And just for fun, some possible wildcards…
[name_u]Fern[/name_u], [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Runa[/name_f], [name_f]Sunday[/name_f], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f].