What's The Deal With Trendy Names?

General Name Discussion
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I’m sure this has been asked before, heck, I’ve probably asked in previous years, but as it continues to happen, I find myself more and more confused by the use of the word trendy to describe some names but not others.

The Oxford Dictionary definition of trendy is, and I quote “very fashionable or up to date in style or influence”. Names that are currently in style are trendy, and they define the verb of trending as “change or develop in a general direction”, meaning that they can be trending upwards or downwards, as long as there is in fact a change.

So, if any name that is fashionable or in style, and any name that changes popularity in a general direction (either up or down), then how come vintage revival names, such as Violet, Hazel, Lucy or Stella, which all have ranked higher in 2018 than they ever have previously in terms of popularity, or names that are completely new to the top 1000 within the last, say, 20 years, such as Aria (debuted in 2000 and is now #19), Penelope (re-entered top 1000 in 2001 after a 26 year absence, now ranks at #26) or Isla (ranked in 1905 and 1908, then re-entered in 2008 and now sits at #82) are not?

If it’s alternative spellings - they’ve existed for years? Karyn peaked in 1964, Nancie peaked in 1954, Bettie peaked in 1931 and Bette in 1923.

And as far as unisex names - Lauren ranked for boys as early as 1910, and for girls in 1945, Kelly ranked for boys for 48 years before debuting in the girls list in 1948.

I suppose I’m just very confused as to why Aubrey, or Skylar, or Brooklyn, or Emersyn, or Parker are too “trendy” and the term is used as a negative adjective, while other trending names like Violet, Stella, Isla, Lucy and Penelope are considered beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, etc. and rarely have “trendy” used to describe them?

So, what makes Aubrey or Remington any more trendy than Isla or Violet? Would love some opinions on this in hopes to better understand.

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I think [name_f]Isla[/name_f] is super trendy, but gorgeous. Most NB names are on trend. I see your argument.

For me I define trendy names as popular & current. I don’t think its bad or good personally.
I dont mind. But I think for some, they seem less unique. But the paradox of unique names- they become the trendiest in trying to escape the norm.

I still like [name_u]Aidan[/name_u]. Haha. Despite [name_u]Aidan[/name_u] syndrome. Its great name!

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Btw your signature flowers are so pretty.

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I think it’s because they’re more unconventional. Like [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], and [name_f]Karen[/name_f] are more “normal” names that we hear all the time while [name_u]Remington[/name_u] (especially on a girl) which is a mainly a masculine name is found as “odd” and “trendy”. I feel like [name_u]Remington[/name_u] or [name_f]Aria[/name_f] are more trendy then say [name_f]Violet[/name_f] or [name_f]Betty[/name_f] bcause they are more unknown and different. They fit that weird celebrity naming style (more into that in the second paragraph). Trendy names seem to always be names that no one has really ever thought of before. Like [name_m]Crew[/name_m]. It used to just be a word and now it a pretty popular name.

It’s also the younger generations that seem to prefer these “trendy” names because the younger generations are more laid back. Seeing a kid named [name_u]Blaze[/name_u] isn’t looked down upon anymore (like the older generations would usually see it as). Younger generations would be like “that name is bada**”. Also on this note, I think that a lot of the name trends are influenced by celebrities and their naming styles. Seeing names like [name_f]Apple[/name_f], [name_u]North[/name_u], [name_u]Blue[/name_u] [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], Kulture, [name_m]Pilot[/name_m] Inspektor, and Raddix spark something in the younger generations since that’s who they look up to.

I hope this makes sense and helps you understand it a little bit better :slight_smile:

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I think people refer to trendy names they don’t like as “trendy” but ignore if names they do like are on-trend (I agree that [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], etc are trendy). They also may see these names as different because they were also used extensively in the past (often these types of trendy names are those that were also trendy about 100-120 years ago!) whereas a lot of the other names people consider trendy are either invented more recently or don’t have a history of extensive use. But mostly I think it’s a question of taste–a lot of people don’t see names they like as trendy even if they definitionally are, if they see trendiness as a bad thing.

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Tricky one. I think trendy is often used as more of a criticism, as in, you’ll regret this name in a few years time.

I feel like the main difference between [name_f]Isla[/name_f] and [name_f]Violet[/name_f] is that they’ve always been there -even when they were less in use, they were still there, still familiar, still with a history of being used as names whereas Remmington and [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] are still newly used as names - they’re not so familiar and that bothers people.

To be honest, I feel like any name that isn’t slightly familiar is met with rejection at first -both within name communities and in the world at large.

Not sure this ramble answered your question in the slightest

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I agree that the way word “trendy” is used on this forum is confusing and doesn’t really fit the dictionary definition. When people on NB use that word they do not just mean “fashionable” or “stylish”. I think a better way of describing the NB meaning would be “non-traditional and popular”.

[name_f]Penelope[/name_f] and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] are names that have a long history of use – [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] is from Greek mythology and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] is the name of a saint – so I don’t see them as being trendy. They’re traditional/historical names that happen to be popular right now. Whereas [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] and [name_u]Remington[/name_u] weren’t commonly used as given names until fairly recently. Names like those lack the respectability of older and more established names. I think that is the reason why non-traditional “trendy” names tend to get negative responses on NB, whereas the more established “trendy” names tend to be praised.

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Interesting point. I do think ‘trendy’ is often used to refer more to the style of the name than the name itself. For example, Stella is currently popular and therefore is technically a ‘trendy’ name, but it has a longer history of use, even if it’s not an evergreen classic, and people, therefore, don’t tend to refer to it as ‘trendy’. Emersyn or Remington, on the other hand, are also up-and-coming names, but they fall into the category of a more modern, generation-defining style. Stella and Violet are not names that will define their generation because they don’t stand out as unique or inventive; Emersyn and Remington do. So, names like Bloom or Fifer, then, might be called ‘trendy’, even if they aren’t popular, because the styles of quirky nature names and occupational names are.

As to ‘trendy’ being a negative thing, I think it’s all a matter of opinion. I think some trendy styles are more unconventional than others, and I agree with a previous poster that some will use the word ‘trendy’ to hint that you might regret the name in the future. But I certainly think there’s nothing wrong with liking trendy names! After all, names do become popular for a reason. Everyone can have a different style, and I do think “too trendy” as a reason for telling someone they shouldn’t use a name they love should be used very carefully.

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I agree with previous users that it has a lot to do with how long the name has been around (at least as a first name.) It’s a lot about whether the name is “classic” or not. While both a modern-trendy and a vintage name may be at the same level of popularity, one is considered trendy because no one knows for sure yet whether it will survive the test of time.

([name_f]EDIT[/name_f]: I realize there’s not exactly an entirely uniform consensus on the subject, that’s just generally how I define those terms and I know there are exceptions like the ones you pointed out that are considered “stunning” despite being fairly new to the mainstream naming game.)

That said, trendy IS often used as a negative term among namenerds and I don’t think that’s fair. Is [name_u]Remington[/name_u] my current style? No, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with the name, and I can easily picture an adorable little [name_u]Remington[/name_u] whose name suits her perfectly!

I’m the sort of person who unironically puts names like [name_f]Starlight[/name_f] and Cobweb in my signature. I’m not in a position to be calling modern names tacky.

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I would generally call names like [name_f]Isla[/name_f], [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] etc trendy, because they are currently on trend. But I’m aware that in the naming community the word ‘trendy’ is usually used as a negative for names that have appeared in the last 20-25 years.

I think people are almost always against what they view as ‘new’ even if it’s irrational and their reasoning for it is shakey at best. And ‘trendy’ is just the word people are using to talk about this feeling, even though it’s not a very accurate term. I’ll admit to having been like that myself as a teenager and first getting into names (You can’t use [name_f]Neveah[/name_f] it’s so trendy!) but thankfully I grew out of that. Hopefully by having the hypocrisy pointed out other people will move away from it too.

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I’m probably guilty of using “trendy” myself, when in fact it’s not the right word to use. Like some previous posters have said, I see “trendy” names being of a certain style rather than a certain popularity. They’re generally newer (or have only just gained attention) and will likely be associated with this generation. [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], for example, has a long history of useage and isn’t tied to a particular period in time, while [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] could be used to represent naming trends from this era for years to come. “Trendy” names are what I typically see as being the [name_f]Karen[/name_f] or [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] of the 2010s and 2020s. Though of course, all names have to start somewhere and a lot of these “trendy” names could end up one day being in the place of names like [name_f]Lucy[/name_f].

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Although I agree with your post [name_u]Haley[/name_u], I simply advise not to change the world too much by yourself. I love some trendy or even passe names like [name_f]Destiny[/name_f] and [name_f]Megan[/name_f], but focus should be on what you love and what you will love to name your kids, not forcing your opinion on people.

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Thanks everyone, the insight has helped! I was really just confused - I’m the type of person who has to use terms very literally - so using it to describe some names on trend and not others genuinely had me confused by it.

I thought at first it was a way to describe unique spellings or unisex names, so my explanations in my post about the usage of those were almost a way of me thinking out loud to explain why those thoughts also didn’t make sense.

I wasn’t aiming to push or force my opinions on anyone though, I was just hoping someone could explain it better for me because I truly didn’t understand.

Thanks again everyone! Now it makes a lot more sense, lol.