MM basketballsWe’re at the half-way point for March Madness Baby Names!  That means it is time for the semi-finals round.  We’ve said good-bye to so many great names, and this week is no exception.  Emmeline, Esme, Mila, Noa, Indie, Sloane, Eithne and Nevaeh were all offed in the opening round.  Who advanced this time?

  • Elodie pulled ahead of Lila.  They were probably the two most popular names in the round.  Those are always tough decisions to make.
  • Lorelei snuck past Romilly.  Both names are unusual three-syllable picks for girls.  I think Lorelei is one that we’ll really hear take off in the next few years.  She’s a little bit like Mackenzie, though – with lots of possible spellings, it might be tough to pin down just how popular she is.
  • The battle of the two four-letter names saw the slightly more conventional Isla edge past Clio.  It was the most resounding victory of the day, proving once again, that we tend to go towards the mainstream in March Madness.  That’s not a problem, necessarily.  Just like we expect the conventional basketball powerhouses to bring home the trophy, at AppMtn the winners tend to be broadly popular.
  • More proof: Adelaide bested Ottilie.  Ottilie is a real name nerd favorite, but Adelaide wins accolades, too.  She’s been to the semi-finals before.  In 2012, she lost to Genevieve.

At the start of competition, I would have picked Adelaide as my favorite to bring home the trophy, but now I’m having doubts.  She’s up against top seed Elodie in this round, and that could really change things.

It’s time to vote for your favorite girl names, and don’t forget to check out the boys’ semi-finals, too.

The lovely, French Elodie takes on the vintage, regal Adelaide

Two romantic picks face off: German folklore’s enchanting Lorelei versus the Scottish – and equally alluring – Isla

Voting closes on Friday, March 22.  Results are announced on Saturday, March 23, and the final round of voting begins Saturday afternoon!

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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8 Comments

  1. I guess I don’t like German names as I voted against Adelaide and Lorelei. I’m hoping Isla wins. My money’s on Finn and Isla as the competition winners!

  2. Was anyone else tempted to vote against their favourite name to keep it under the radar? lol. I couldn’t do it because my number one pick was up against Indie and it would have been on my conscience to nominate Indiana Jones’ moniker as a girls’ name…I’m hoping Adelaide or Lorelei wins it!

  3. I love both Elodie and Adelaide! Such a tough pick, but Elodie won out because I could actually see myself using it 🙂

  4. You’re right about the more mainstream names being the ones to survive in tournaments like these; I once did some like these on the Nameberry games forum with the Top 16 names (for each gender) from some past decades (on one occasion the 1930s and later the 1970s), and the more classic names (as opposed to the trendier ones of the time) are the ones that moved on. For example, with the ’70s tourney, Elizabeth (the most evergreen of the 16 on the girl’s side) won (though you’d be pleased to know that Amy was the runner-up).