March Madness 2015: Girls Semifinals

I’m not saying that the boys quarter finals of March Madness baby names weren’t exciting. They were, and none of the matches was a landslide victory.

But the girls quarter finals? Hoo nellie! Every vote counted. No name won by much more than six percentage points, and one of the matches was decided by less than a percent!

Here are the results for March Madness Baby Names, Girls Quarter Finals:

• Elodie (#1) bested Mira (#9), 51.23% to 48.77%. See what I mean about close? Elodie has made it to March Madness before, so I was kind of hoping this might be her year. And yet Mira has done so well that it’s hard to say goodbye.
• Selah (#7) toppled Everly (#2), 52.85% to 47.15%. Hello, upset! Everly is a fast-rising style star, while sleek Selah is a dark horse, a Biblical name that should fit with Sarah and friends – but has never quite caught on. It’s a very Appellation Mountain outcome, isn’t it? The timeless, obscure gem over the trendy headline-grabber.
• Wren (#3) wings past Lena (#6), 55.67% to 44.33%. I had no idea what to expect from this match-up, but if I were betting, I’d have probably put money on Lena. But I’m delighted to see Wren advance – it’s my daughter’s bonus middle.
• Cora (#4) just barely, barely, barely knocked out Magnolia (#12), 50.37% to 49.63%. If I had closed the polls earlier or left them open just a little bit longer, it could easily be Magnolia moving forward. Cora was the 2014 champ, and part of a cluster of names I’m watching closely in 2015. Could Cora take the crown again?

So now, on to the semifinals! Voting remains open through Friday, March 27th, with the winners announced on Saturday, March 28th – and voting opening in the big final match-up on Saturday, March 28th, too!

Do you prefer fancy French Elodie (#1) or spare and elegant Cora (#4)?

Sleek Selah (#7) faces high-flying Wren (#3).

Any guesses as to which name will join Louisa, Genevieve, Isla, and Cora in the winner’s circle? Do you think Cora could possibly defend the title?