Halloween Baby Names 2017 SemiFinals: Witches v. Vampires

Time for Halloween Baby Names 2017 SemiFinals! The showdown continues, with just two witch names and two vampire names advancing, all vying for the chance to represent their fellow mythical creatures in next weekend’s final showdown.

Let’s review the outcome of last week’s contest, witches first:

Winifred – as in Hocus Pocus’ Sanderson sister – defeated Thessaly – from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. With a solid 56% showing against Thessaly’s 44%, Winifred advances. I think this reflects the name’s status as an up-and-coming vintage choice, a successor to Abigail.
Who doesn’t love Harry Potter? For a generation growing up on the series, Hermione comes to mind as The Witch name. And yet, Hermione just squeaked by Tabitha – even though that fictional witch joined the coven way back in 1966 on television sitcom Bewitched. Hermione commanded 52% of the vote, against a very respectable 48% for Tabitha. What gives? Tabitha probably hits that familiar-but-not-common sweet spot so many of us are after, making it an appealing possibility.

Turning to the vampires:

Twilight‘s vampire matriarch Esme handily defeated Hotel Transylvania’s friendly teenaged daughter of Dracula, Mavis. And yet there’s no question that both names are winning – Mavis re-entered the US Top 1000 last year, and Esme continues to climb. But for our purposes, Mavis takes a seat while Esme continues on. Esme racked up 55% of the vote, versus Mavis’ more modest 45%.
Amelie, the grande dame of The Morganville Vampires, handily bested Claudia of Interview with the Vampire fame, 54% to 46%. Maybe that’s another example of the Hermione-Tabitha dynamic. Claudia comes from a well-known, but much older story. Rachel Caine’s series tops the bestseller list now. But I think this is also another Mavis-Esme scenario. The name Amelie appeals more on style alone – even though Claudia fits in with plenty of current trends.

It strikes me that we name witches and vampires differently. Witch names signal wisdom. They tend towards the vintage, the quirky, the out-of-step. Vampire names feel a little sleeker, more elegant, international. Few of the witch names fit on the vampire list, and vice versa.

That brings us right up to Halloween Baby Names 2017 SemiFinals. Vote for your favorite witch name and vampire name. Next week, they face off for the title of Halloween Baby Name of 2017!