Cool and Unique Baby Boy Names and Baby Girl Names are the result of today’s hottest naming trends, as it appears that many parents are looking for the Uncommon, Exotic, and Unusual.
We are definitely opting for unique baby names that are less familiar and that give our children a feeling of distinction (as a matter of fact, since 1993 there have been close to 1000 girls actually named “Unique” each year in North America.) In the 1950s, the top 10 names for both boys and girls made up a whopping 25 % of all names given to babies each year. In the 2000s, the top 10 boys and girls names account for only 10% of all names. This means that we are choosing a wider variety of names and tending to avoid the old standards.
So what, exactly, are the biggest naming trends today?
Old Fashioned is Fashionable
Traditional names from the 1800s are definitely back in fashion, especially for girls. Keep in mind, though, that some of these are incredibly popular and found consistently on the top 10 list. However, other names have been pulled from the less popular ranks and are starting to get new attention. These names include Alice, Charlotte, Lillian, and Miriam for girls; Julian, Lance, Russell, and Oliver for boys.
James not Jim
Excuse Me, But Who Are You Calling Lizzy? My Name Is Elizabeth! |
Despite our desire for individuality, there are some popular Traditional names that have stood the test of time and will not be shaken from our favorites list. This is especially true for boys’ names, where we tend to be less adventuresome. But even here we are creating new trends by avoiding the common nicknames and retaining the full formal names that sound more distinguished and less ordinary. For example, Jim, Bob, and Bill are now very firmly James, Robert, and William, and Elizabeth will tell you that she is definitely not a “Liz”.
Creative Spelling 101
Where we were once happy to simply replace a “Y” with an “I”, we are now tending to be more creative with the spelling of a name. This is especially true for those traditional favorites. For instance, Nicholas has been given a modern twist with Nickolas, Niclas, Nikolaus, Nichalas, etc…and Emily is now often Emalee, Emilly, Emmaly, or Emyle. An interesting consideration, if you are keen to follow this trend, is that the Institute for Naming Children Humanely (yes, this organization does actually exist!) states that the average child with an unusually spelt name will spend 58 days of her life spelling her name out for people!
Let’s Be Inspirational
Inspirational Names That Create Positive Feelings And Images Are Popular Choices Today. |
Another common naming trend today is to use a word that people relate to with positive feelings. These inspirational and unique baby names can be of places, sentiments, occupations, or have other meanings that people generally feel good about. Names such as River, Faith, Justice, Unity, and Judge are examples. However, care must be taken that they don’t create a stereotypical impression that your child may not want to live up to.
Last Names First
Surnames, which have been popular in the past for use as middle names, are now becoming a hit as first names. They tend to be strong sounding and androgynous, which is another up and coming trend. Especially popular, are surnames that contract to feminine nicknames for girls, or masculine nicknames for boys. Examples of these are Madison (Maddy), Emerson (Emmy), Patterson (Patty) for girls or Jackson (Jack), Bradshaw (Brad), Hudson (Hud) for boys. Many of these names also describe occupations–another hot naming trend.
What’s Good For The Goose
Unisex names are a top pick these days. However, since names that were once equally popular boys or girls names seem to establish a more feminine feel over time, this trend is more common with girls. Boys with unisex names can often be the object of teasing and find this hard to live with. Some of these names include Ashley, Courtney, Jody, and Kelsey. However, some unisex names seem to have maintained a firm footing in both the boys’ and girls’ camp. Examples of these are Alex, Brett, Cameron, Riley, Rory, and Quinn.
Something Exotic
Our desire for individuality has taken us to different parts of the world in search of a creative choice. Celtic names have been particularly popular in the past few years, bringing us boys names such as Liam, Dylan, Aidan, and girls names like Brynn, MacKenzie, and Kaitlin. However, Russian, Swahili, Hawaiian, and other exotic ethnic names are gaining popularity and supplying us with very unique baby names. How about Elan (Native American), Kia (African), Laela (Arabic), and Helena (Greek)?
Can’t Find It? Invent It!
For those who really want Unique Baby Boy Names or Baby Girl Names—one of the newest trends is to just invent it. One of the most popular methods is to simply string two or three different sounds together into something that is pleasing to the ear. It seems that the sounds that top inventor’s lists are sharp beginnings with long vowel sounds in the middle (i.e. Kay, Jay, Bai, Hay, Ty) and then certain standard endings are added. Some examples of these would be Kaylin, Baileigh, Jayden, and Braydon. A second inventive trend is to join two names into something original. How about Katelyn, Leeann, Raeann, Tedrick, or Tyshawn?
It’s All About Branding
We’ve all heard the talk these days about how important branding is to a product’s success. But what about brand names for your baby? This is one of the newest and most controversial trends in naming today. This trend apparently reflects the aspirations that parents have for themselves and for their children, and can include brand names of luxury cars, perfume, clothing, and even food. So if you want a really different name for your child, look to your favorite consumer goods. Choices today include Infiniti, Chevy, Chanel, Cannon, and Armani. Believe it or not, in the year 2000, 2 babies were actually named ESPN!
So, if you are into trends and wanting something a bit different in a name—try one of the above. Unique Baby Names will give give your child something that is distinctly his or hers!