I recently saw a fellow berry make a thread on her favorite names and whether or not they would become too popular in the future. I thought it was a great idea… especially considering quite a few of my favorite names are in the top 100 and I would really like to shy away from the possibility of naming a child the same name 10 other girl’s in her class have.
I’m not yet expecting, but thought it would be fun to see your thoughts on these names popularity. [name_m]How[/name_m] popular do you see them becoming in the next 3 to 10 years?
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f] (not in top 1000)
[name_u]Frankie[/name_u] (not in top 1000)
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f] (ranked 590 in 2014)
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] (ranked 62 in 2014)
[name_f]Maxine[/name_f] (not in top 1000)
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] (ranked 49 in 2014)
[name_f]Rosie[/name_f] (ranked 844 in 2014)
[name_f]Stella[/name_f] (ranked 66 in 2014)
Other notes:
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f] went from 570 in 2013 to 590 in 2014. So, this name dropped in popularity.
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] seems to continue to rise slowly.
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] seems to be rising is popularity quite quickly. In 2013 it was ranked at 82 and in 2014 ranked at 49.
[name_f]Stella[/name_f] has been flip-floppy. Overall, it’s slowly rising, but often drops and rises from year to year.
Solely based on a combo of rankings, overall trends, what I’ve seen in my circles, and gut check:
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f] (not in top 1000) - There’s been no real uptick in Welsh names in the US, and despite the rise of [name_f]El[/name_f]- names I don’t think this is going very high. I’d be surprised if it made the top 1000, unless it dipped into the 900s for a couple years if it got some exposure (celebrity, film character, etc)
[name_u]Frankie[/name_u] (not in top 1000) - Maybe a bit more popular because of the rise of boyish and old-fashioned nicknames, particularly if [name_f]Frances[/name_f] rises as well. It won’t go full-[name_u]Charlie[/name_u] though
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f] (ranked 590 in 2014) Yes. Fits in perfectly with [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Hallie[/name_f], [name_f]Nellie[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f] and co. It was given to 123 babies in 2009 and 497 in 2014. Now that being said, I don’t think it’s headed for the top 250, and I think it will waffle its way up a bit. Down one year, up a bit the next - doing a two steps forward, one step back thing. Still too “out there” or old-fashioned for some families.
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] (ranked 62 in 2014) Where’s the limit with [name_f]Lucy[/name_f]? I think it will go even higher than it already is. It’s a lovely, sweet name that’s also accessible and sounds great with a lot of last names. [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] may be the new [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and could make the top 20 within 5 years.
[name_f]Maxine[/name_f] (not in top 1000) I see a rise into the top 700, maybe even top 500, especially as the grandma names from the 1920s-1930s start to sound more usable. Nickname [name_u]Maxie[/name_u], and the popularity of [name_u]Max[/name_u] for boys, can only help.
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] (ranked 49 in 2014) - This should rise a bit, too. Suddenly it feels like [name_f]Nora[/name_f] is everywhere, but also that most parents I know who have used it are under the impression that it’s still uncommon.
[name_f]Rosie[/name_f] (ranked 844 in 2014) - I see an overall rise of [name_f]Rose[/name_f] names, and [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] will be part of this. Maybe it won’t get ever past the 300s-400s, but there will be a lot more girls called [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] between [name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Rosa[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f]. ( I really love [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] and would like for it not to get too popular, by the way )
[name_f]Stella[/name_f] (ranked 66 in 2014) [name_f]Stella[/name_f]'s become more mainstream, makes a good sister for the popular [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], and I think it might see the other side of the top 50. Not poised for top-5 status, though.
Edit: I meant to say that these are all really nice names!
Worrying about how popular a name is is silly. When I was growing up [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] was not even in the top 1000, but I still had another [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] in my class. My husbands name was very popular when he was growing up, but never had another in his class until he reached high school. I would worry more on if I liked a name and if it was a name I would like my child to have for 80+ years.
Such helpful thoughts - thank you very much. I can definitely agree with most of what you said. Though I don’t want to believe [name_f]Nora[/name_f] is going to continue to rise, I know it will! It’s DH and I’s favorite name and it sounds amazing with our last name. As of now, I only know one little [name_f]Nora[/name_f], but I’m sure it’ll continue to get more popular.
Excellent point! I thought my name was rare growing up and then I reached HS and knew several people with my name. What I worry most about is naming a child and it becoming the next [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]. I literally am friends with 19 [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]'s and it’s just a bit much. It’s a beautiful name and all, but I don’t want my kid to share the same name as 15+ of her friends. I think I can be okay with a semi-popular name, but a name reached the top 5 is definitely something I don’t hope for.
[name_u]True[/name_u], but I think names are so much broader than they were in the 70’s-90’s. Like [name_f]Emma[/name_f] is the #1 name in the usa right now, but I dont know anyone with that name. Also on the ssa site “For 2014, the number of births with name [name_f]Nora[/name_f] is 4708, which represents 0.243 percent of total female births in 2014.” Which is really a very small percentage. [name_m]Even[/name_m] [name_f]Emma[/name_f] only represents 1% of births.
To me, [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_f]Stella[/name_f] are already popular. I know multiple children with each name. [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] has the right stuff to be very popular. The last Cornish name to become wildly popular was [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f]. [name_f]Maxine[/name_f] probably isn’t going up the charts any time soon.
Edited to add: If you love a name, still use it. As others have said, just because it is popular, doesn’t mean that you will meet another child with that name, or they will have one in their class. My niece had a number one name for her birth year, and she is the only one my family knows.
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], and [name_f]Stella[/name_f] seem pretty popular. The rest, I can’t see them being too popular. Also, I don’t think any of those four would be the “next [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f].”
That’s a good point. The availability of names is growing every day. And I think more and more people are exploring with names and creating new ones. So, what was popular in the 90’s, may not mean what is popular today reaches the same numbers as back then. I feel a lot better about those [name_f]Nora[/name_f] numbers lol. I’m going to have to look more into that when I do name a child. It fascinates me.
Appreciate your thoughts! I used to only like names outside the top 1000, but more “popular” names have grown on me and the naming style I have just so happens to be a bit trendy right now. I really love the old-fashioned names.
That’s funny. I used to think I’d never go for a popular name. Some names I like have risen in popularity, and some I’ve started to like, probably because I see and hear them more, and they grow on me. My husband is a big fan of [name_m]Luka[/name_m], and now I’d consider it, but I really didn’t think I could like something so “popular”. A lot of old fashioned names are quite trendy now, which is fine with me since so many are lovely!
[name_f]Frances[/name_f] is on the rise. Masculine nicknames for girls are on the rise (e.g. [name_u]Charlie[/name_u]). And [name_u]Drew[/name_u] Barrymore named her second daughter [name_u]Frankie[/name_u]. For all of these reasons, I think [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] will be very popular soon enough.
The other names I see rising to/staying in the top 100 are [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] and [name_f]Stella[/name_f].
I can’t see [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] or [name_f]Maxine[/name_f] truly making it big.
With “too popular” posts, I usually point out that “popular” and “trendy” aren’t the same thing. A name like [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] is trendy, but not really popular. A name like [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is popular but not trendy. And, a name like [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] is a classic, so it doesn’t matter how popular or trendy it gets.
Generally, I think “nickname names”, which make up most of this list, will be a short-lived trend. So, as they become more popular, they become a lot less appealing and interesting.
Names that will maintain their “cool” factor no matter how popular they get:
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
Names that won’t become popular:
[name_f]Maxine[/name_f]
Names that will lose their “cool factor” the more popular they get (these are all nickname names except for [name_f]Elowen[/name_f]):
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f]
[name_u]Frankie[/name_u]
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f]
[name_f]Nora[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosie[/name_f]
The last Cornish name to become wildly popular was Jennifer
Argh! I had heard that [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] was Cornish but STILL I called it Welsh! Sorry!
For what it’s worth, I don’t see any of these being in the “guaranteed future top 5” category. [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_f]Stella[/name_f] are growing, but I think they aren’t quite the kind of names that will ever achieve THAT level of mainstream appeal.
I think [name_f]Stella[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] have the greatest popularity potential. Maybe [name_f]Rosie[/name_f]? I think American parents would gravitate toward [name_f]Rose[/name_f] though.
For me, [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] and [name_f]Stella[/name_f] are popular names already! [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] and [name_f]Maxine[/name_f] seem to be popular here on Nameberry and their popularity could increase. [name_f]Maxine[/name_f] because of all the modern trends going on, [name_m]Mark[/name_m] Zuckerberg’s daughter and the [name_u]Max[/name_u] nickname on a girl (Gender Bending names but not really) and [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] because it’s a great alternative to all the [name_f]El[/name_f]- names that exist and because of the familiar ending that reminds me of the more common [name_u]Owen[/name_u] or [name_u]Rowan[/name_u]. [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] is only in 844 because [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] is more of a nickname-like name! I feel like [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] varition names are becoming increasingly popular (although nothing too crazy). Besides [name_f]Rose[/name_f], you have [name_f]Rosa[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] and so on… Same goes for [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], I feel like it is perceived as nickname for [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] (vintage names are making a comeback!).
I’m the same way! I always thought I would never want a name that was anywhere near the top 100. The names I like are pretty old fashioned and I agree… it’s definitely trendy right now. But luckily, trendy doesn’t always last, which means maybe a lot of these names won’t grow “too popular” over the years.
