It’s that time of year.
The official Social Security Administration list won’t be out until May, but unofficial lists have been circulating since mid-December.
Here at AppMtn, I can’t possibly claim that the most popular posts will be reflected in the Top Ten – or even Top 100 – baby names in use. Many of the names I write about are obscure. Some are downright weird. (Habakkuk, anyone?) Others probably chart simply because AppMtn is one of the few sites to cover the name in any detail.
And yet, if you look at the lists carefully, there are ripples. A few of these are definitely coming to a playground near you.
The Top 20 Names of the Day for Boys, as judged by the most popular posts:
- Finn – The top boy’s Name of the Day for two years, Finn is definitely a name on the rise. But with plenty of formal choices for the birth certificate, Finn is deceptive. In 2000, he ranked #834. By 2008, he’d climbed to #368. That still seems obscure, but factor in Finnegan and Finley, and that number nearly doubles.
- Etienne – He’s not in US Top 1000, but the French version of Stephen continues to chart in the AppMtn Top Ten for the second year.
- St. John – Chalk this one up to curiosity.
- Eamon – On the other hand, Eamon – with his Irish roots and vowel-rich sound – could catch on. He’s far more dashing than his English equivalent, Edmund.
- Caelin – Most of you indicated that history aside, Caelin wouldn’t make the cut for you, thanks to his resemblance to nouveau – and often feminine – names like Kaylin.
- Declan – He continues to edge up in the US rankings just a bit, and probably represents one that parents are considering as an alternative to Aidan and friends.
- Elliot – Decades after E.T. flew across movie screens in his bicycle basket, Elliot is finally catching on. With two equally valid spellings, file him with Finn – more popular than he seems at first glance. Elliot ranked #332 in 2008. Add in Elliott, just a few places behind at #386, and this one would rank around #225 in the US. He’s also among the newest batch of boys’ names parents are considered for girls, probably because of the nickname Ellie.
- Angus – Parents seeking a formal name for Gus might be cautiously considering Angus, but he remains rare in the US.
- Kelly – I wrote about Kelly for a boy, and some parents are reclaiming him for Team Blue. But it is certainly possible that many – even most – of the page views still reflect the use of Kelly for girls.
- Ronan – Just like Eamon and Declan, this one continues to edge upwards slightly as a possible replacement for Aidan.
- Alexander – I write about Alexander quite a bit. It is my firstborn’s name, after all. His ranking probably reflects how very many other boys share the name, too.
- Gavin – He’s still climbing, up to #30 in 2008.
- Elmer – Perhaps he’s in the next wave of hipster baby names, but most searches seem to be related to Mr. Fudd.
- Donncha – See St. John. He’d be dashing in Dublin, but in Des Moines you’d be explaining your son’s name thrice daily.
- Roarke – As short names for boys gain in favor, Roarke might catch on.
- Remy – Sure he’s a rat. But he’s a Disney Pixar rat who can cook.
- Asher – Like Finn, Asher is one of those names that seems original – to lots of parents, all at the same time. In 2000, he ranked #579. By 2008, he’d climbed to #206.
- Cohen – Ah, controversial Cohen. Yes, he’s only #18 on this list – but his post has only been up for a month. Leaping from #650 in 2004 to #356 in 2008, like it or not, Cohen is catching on.
- Holden – He feels like one of those names that fits with current trends nicely, but might not ever quite catch on. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – though his appearance on this list suggests he might be more popular than I think.
- Jude – He’s likely to benefit from the trend towards shorter names for boys, and Jude Law doesn’t hurt any. But Jude probably makes this list at least partially because he was among the first few dozen names I covered, back in May 2008.
Compared to the 2008 list, there are a few changes. Vaughn, Orrin, Aoyun, Rhys, Raphael and Xavier all dropped out of the Top Ten. Finn moved up from #2 to #1.
I’m curious to hear your reactions – and standby for the girls’ list later this week!
Filed under: Site News, Year in Review | 8 Comments
Tags: Angus, Ronan, Raphael, Aidan, Rhys, Finn, Ellie, Elliot, Elliott, Jude, Declan, Etienne, Orrin, Aoyun, Finley, Finnegan, Vaughn, Xavier, Eamon, Edmund, Alexander, Remy, Caelin, Kaylin, Roarke, Kelly, Gavin, St. John, Elmer, Asher, Holden, Stephen, Habakkuk, Donncha, Cohen
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I am astounded and fascinated that Roarke made the list. I have loved this name for ages, yet, whenever mentioned on YA, it gets a negative response. Very few people in my experience actually like it.I don’t think it will be in the top 100 in the US; if it does, not for many years, though.I have Roarke Logan on my list.Asher I can completely agree with. It’s becoming known a lot more and I think parents are using it as an alternative to Ashton. Asher seems to fill a lot of requirements for the new trend of going back to vintage,classic and even Biblical names- which could be a stretch. I have Asher West & Asher Nathaniel on my list.I have seen Remy around a lot as well.Elliot & Finn make sense.I can even understand Cohen &Declan,but, not really Gavin. It’s most definitely an interesting list.
It’s bizarre, as the list is actually filled with 2 or 3 favs and a couple of names that are my least,least favorites.Is it just me, or does it seem like Celtic names are becoming more popular?
Nice post, as always .
Happy New Year
Happy New Year, Juliet! I think Roarke fits somewhere in between the nouveau Cade or Cash and the more classic Jude or Finn. But I don’t think he’s likely to take off – while BabyCenter’s stats probably do reflect what parents are seriously considering, many of the names profiled here are read as much for curiosity as actual baby names.
Could the popularity of Elliot for girls be related to Elliot on ‘Scrubs’?
Ugh to Cohen and Asher. Can’t we Jews hold on to anything?
That’s a nice point, Photoquilty – you’re absolutely right that she’s prompting many parents to look at Elliot as an option for a daughter.
Sorry ’bout Cohen and Asher, but they’re gone!
Actually, Asher is also a Christian name. Asher is in Genesis. Cohen I can understand why you feel the way you do, but Asher is in the Bible & therefore also a Christian name like Luke, James, Mark etc Parents are stealing a ‘Jewish’ name at all
Remy? Godness, I hope for a boy! I’m surprised to see him here, especially since he didn’t get the warmest or most enthusiastic responses when he was featured. I know, Remy still sits in my malepossibles list because I really like him but there are other names I love more.
Angus is the only other name up there I like enough to think about for myself but I have a soft spot for Roarke, firmly like Alexander despite popularity and can easily see Asher’s appeal, even if it’s not one I’d feel comfortable using.
Photoquilty, I’m with you on the Cohen thing, though. It’s a friend’s surname and he’s rather horrified at it’s use as a non Jewish kids first name.
But Remy still floors me. I ‘m really hoping it doesn’t shoot skyward for girls!
Happy New Year to All!
I love the idea of St. John, but I don’t think I could ever use it — definitely not in the first place. So I agree, I think people are curious about the name, but unlikely to use it. To me, Holden sounds like a place name since it’s a small town in our home province and that we at one point considered moving too. However, it does fit the trend of male names.
Our friends who named their daughter Tamar were going to go with Asher had it been a boy.
It will be interesting to see how popular these names actually become. Right now, I don’t know anyone so far who has actually used them, I wonder if that will change?
Declan’s my number one boys’ name! I’ve also got Éamonn on my boys’ shortlist.
I’d love to use Donncha or Angus, but I’m in the USA and no where near that ballsy. Also Angus=beef here.
Due to a serious love for the Wizard’s First Rule books/Legend of the Seeker tv show, I’ve got a serious namecrush on Kahlan. Pronounced KAY-len. Like Caelin. :/