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How Can I Avoid Giving My Baby a Name That Will Get Too Trendy?
Filed under: Baby Names, Expert Advice: Pregnancy, Expert Advice: Babies, Expert Advice: Just For You
Dear Name Lady:
We have a very common last name, so we don't want to choose a name for our baby girl that is too common. We've ruled out the current top 25 names. But there are a lot of names that we like (e.g., Annabelle and Eva) that are in the top 100s now and seem to be rising in popularity. Do you have any suggestions -- either of specific names or general trends to look out for -- on how to avoid choosing a name that will top of the charts in a few years?
- Jane
A lot of parents today suffer from "name acrophobia" -- the fear that their favorite baby name will climb to the dizzying top of the popularity charts. Is there any surefire way to avoid picking the next Jacob or Emma?Indeed there is. If you want to know the deep, dark secret, come closer so I can whisper. Ready? To avoid an upcoming hit name...pick a name that nobody likes, not even you. After all, the names that rise are the names with broad appeal.
What, you don't want to name your son Buford? Then let's cut to the core of the problem. What you and I and many others want is to have it both ways. We want a name that's fashionable, yet not in fashion. We want everybody to like the name we choose, but nobody to consider choosing it themselves.
Not surprisingly, that's a difficult target. If you do stumble across a familiar, attractive name that nobody's using, a hundred other parents are probably stumbling across it at the same time. But there are a few rules of thumb that can help you identify the most likely fast risers:
- Watch out for hot sounds. Sound-alike groups like Aidan, Braden and Hayden often sweep up the charts together. Similarly, the rapid rise of Isabella was an early sign that Annabelle was heading upwards.
- Follow the momentum. Name popularity isn't just about a name's current ranking, it's about where it's been and where it's heading. Take a look at the historical trend for Annabelle at the Baby Name Wizard's NameVoyager, and you'll see a name that's pushing upwards. Meanwhile, a name like Julianna is at the same level of popularity, but seems to have settled in steadily. That makes Julianna a good bet to avoid the kind of super popularity you're worried about.
- Choose something timeless. Names like Johanna and Cecilia have held steady for generations, never really going in or out of fashion. Even if they do become more popular, that timeless history should protect them from sounding too trendy.
Do you like names that are uncommon, or trendy? Share your experiences! And if you have your own question to Ask the Name Lady, drop her a line!
Related: Old-Fashioned Names: Good or Bad?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
10-26-2009 @ 6:38AM
Elizabeth said...Having an uncommon name is something that as a child I hated, but as an adult I've grown to love. My first name is Taryn, which according to the name charts has never been above #225 in terms of popularity. I was always the only Taryn in my class, and sometimes in the school. It used to bum me out that I could never find my name on little key chains at gift shops like the other Courtney's and Jennifer's. It wasn't until I became an adult that I really began to appreciate the uniqueness of my name, and the fact that it is uncommon makes me that much more memorable to people I meet.
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12-28-2009 @ 3:13PM
Sarah said...I know how you feel! I would really like to use welsh names for my children, because of my welsh heritage, but right now welsh names are really trendy because they often have the -an, -en endings! Examples are two of my favorites - Owen and Dylan. If a name has an -an -en ending odds are its a welsh name. What really gets me is that most of the people naming their children trendy welsh names don't even know that they're welsh! (Or where Wales is for that matter.)
Reply
12-28-2009 @ 11:39PM
jaimie smith said...my daughters name was jossette, I have seen the name three times in diffrent states with a diffrent spelling. her middle name was angelique niether name you dont see often and both are very pretty
hopefully this helps you
Reply
12-29-2009 @ 12:15AM
Janet said...Jossette...Angelique....? Were you possibly a "Dark Shadows" fan in the 70's?
12-29-2009 @ 12:21AM
jaimie said...i never heard that show. I was born in the late 70's I thought the names were pretty and I never heard of either of them used
Reply
1-11-2010 @ 12:34PM
4themusic said......how's your daughter doin' in school, jaimie?
1-16-2010 @ 5:52PM
Somhair said...Yea, i know what you mean. My mum wanted to call me theo but she was to ill and hadn't told anybosy so my sister named me samantha. All through primary school i loved my name because nobody else had it (i went to a really really small school only 65 pupils). But then in secondary school i realized just how popular my name was loads of people had it. so i started making people call me somhair ((sore) sam in irish its) stuck and i've never met anybody with that name. If people say they don't like it, i tell them that its a good job its my name and not theirs. When i complained to my sister about it she said that i should consider my self lucky because my brother wanted to call me tom (having three big sisters was hard on a 9 year old) . Another of my sisters told me that he wouldn't have called me tom because that was his imagionary friends name.
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