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Sunday Summary: 3.26.23

March 26, 2023 By appellationmountain Leave a Comment

Sunday Summary: 3.26.23It’s officially spring, and that’s the start of busy season.

First there’s the annual release of name popularity data, slated for May 12th this year. (Mark your calendars!)

Then there’s July and August, typically peak season for births in the US.

But for now, it’s still calm, so I took a minute to completely revamp the weekly newsletter.

The all-new Baby Name Hopscotch is a quick read: two names, one piece of advice, and three lists to inspire. Sent every Tuesday, from me to you.

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Now, back to the name news for this week:

I’ve always liked rare, even extreme names, and I’ve mellowed on them more + more. But I still think Cowboy is a bit much. Even though our acceptance of unusual names is growing, a name like Cowboy is still a lot to live up to. Grace might be clumsy, but she’s one in a crowd. If Cowboy isn’t a swaggering, outdoorsy, athletic kind of kid who lives up to his name? That could be painful.

Of course, it’s worth noting that our nearest + dearest aren’t always up on names. This mom was told that her top names for her baby are just awful. But Arthur and Edith are great names – and they’re both trending. Especially Arthur, which is a solid Top Ten choice in England & Wales. (Since it’s a mumsnet question, I’m assuming the author is British, but my reaction applies pretty much anywhere in the English-speaking world.)

Slate tackles the issue of action hero names. I’ve talked about this question before – why are all action heroes named Jack, James, or John? – but this author adds more nuance to the discussion. In particular: AM readers probably know that J is the most popular first initial for boys in the US, and has been for ages – but this author shows that J names are still over-represented among fictional heroes.

I can’t prove it, but I went five for five. These challenges are so fun!

Do you use two last names on social media so you’re find-able? I don’t, but it’s definitely practical. But will the experience of these women change how we think of ourselves? Or how we use our names in other settings?

Oh, and remember what I said about busy season? The best time to book a call for help with your naming decision is … definitely before your baby is in your arms. (Though I take those calls, too.)

That’s all for this week! As always, thank you for reading and have a great week!

Boy Names 3.26.23 Girl Names 3.26.23

March Madness Baby Names 2023: Boys SemiFinals

March 25, 2023 By appellationmountain Leave a Comment

March Madness 2023 boys semfinals

March Madness Baby Names 2023 started with sixteen names for boys, ranging from time-tested favorites to new up-and-comers to names that (nearly) no one is using. Your votes have narrowed that field to eight names, and now to just four. Those names will advance to the semifinals contest. The competition just keeps heating up, too! […]

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March Madness Baby Names 2023: Girls SemiFinals

March 25, 2023 By appellationmountain Leave a Comment

March Madness Baby Names 2023: girls semifinals

March Madness Baby Names 2023 continues with the SemiFinals! And this? This is where the contests get HARD. Let’s look back at last week’s QuarterFinal match-ups. No upsets and – in the end – no close calls. Just lots of decisive wins from some lovely names. (Though the names they took out of the competition […]

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Name Help: Another Elizabeth?

March 24, 2023 By appellationmountain 23 Comments

Name Help: Should Her Name Be Elizabeth?

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! Liz writes: My husband and I have a son named George Daniel, after […]

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Top 100 Boy Names: Coolest, Classic, New

March 23, 2023 By appellationmountain 15 Comments

top 100 boy names

The Top 100 boy names combine Old Testament traditionals with regal classics, bold modern word names and modern surname names. A popular name can be cool, classic, novel, even edgy. Especially for our sons, classics have always played a role in the Top 100 boy names. But that’s changing in recent generations, with evergreen picks […]

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Nickname Cash: Cassian, Cassius, Kashton

March 22, 2023 By appellationmountain 3 Comments

nickname Cash

The nickname Cash can be short for many a longer name, many of them rare and surprising – but made more wearable by the easy short form. CASH as a BABY NAME Of course, Cash is king. It’s long been a surname, as in Johnny Cash. There are several possible origins. It’s a surname for […]

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Baby Name Kai: Cross-Cultural Star

March 21, 2023 By appellationmountain 21 Comments

baby name Kai

The baby name Kai might belong to a medieval knight or a modern surfer. Thanks to Clio for choosing our Baby Name of the Day. THE ROUND TABLE Back in the earliest tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, we find Sir Kay, foster brother to the king. Sometimes he’s brave […]

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Boy Names Starting with G: Grayson and Gates

March 20, 2023 By appellationmountain 3 Comments

boy names starting with G

Boy names starting with G include traditional George and Biblical Gabriel. They’re familiar, handsome choices for our sons. But the letter also suggests a big number of surname options, from current favorites to rising possibilities. Rare and overlooked G boy names abound, too. As of 2021, G represents the fourteenth most popular first initial for […]

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Sunday Summary: 3.19.23

March 19, 2023 By appellationmountain Leave a Comment

Sunday Summary: 3.19.23

A few years ago, I was talking to a parent about a name for her new baby. Her older child had been named, as she put it, “after a bird.” (It wasn’t in the Top 1000 then, and still isn’t … though it’s not as rare as it was then.) The thing was, she said, […]

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March Madness Baby Names 2023: Boys QuarterFinals

March 18, 2023 By appellationmountain 2 Comments

March Madness 2023 Boys QuarterFinals

The first round is finished, and we have our winners from the initial boys’ match-ups of March Madness Baby Names 2023! Before we get to the next set of contests, let’s take a look at our Opening Round. MARCH MADNESS BABY NAMES 2023: BOYS OPENING ROUND RESULTS James bested Ronan … though not by much! […]

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