March Madness 2015 Boys Semifinals

Were you paying attention to the matches over the course of the week? Because the quarter finals of March Madness baby names were truly thrilling! Some of these contests went back and forth more than once. Though let me tell you – it was nuthin’ compared to some of the matches in the girls’ quarter finals!

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

• Finn (#8) just managed to overtake Elliott (#16), 52.27% to 47.73%. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this match-up! Both names are so popular, and Elliott had the lead for a while.
• Everett (#10) upset Soren (#2), 54.4% to 45.6%. This was less of a surprise. Despite Soren’s higher seed, Everett is definitely a name on a rapid trajectory to the top. Credit that great “Ev” sound. Plus, Everett is the defending champ – he bested Soren in the 2014 finals just a year ago.
• Shepherd (#11) won out over Emrys (#14), 65.32% to 34.68%. Another surprise! I figured this one could go either way – they were easily the two most obscure names left in the tournament – but to see Shepherd win by 15 percentage points? That’s a stunner.
• Beckett (#4) knocked out Atlas (#12), 64.97% to 35.03%. Beckett is another quickly gaining name for boys, so I’m not surprised to see this name advance. Then again, Atlas has gone from quirky celebrity pick to mainstream favorite, too – so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Atlas return in future years’ competitions.

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!

Which do you prefer: Irish favorite Finn (#8) or literary surname Beckett (#4)?

Two gentle giants face off, with Everett (#10) facing Shepherd (#11).

Any guesses as to which name will join Nathaniel, Arthur, Archer, and Everett in the winner’s circle? Do you think Everett could possibly defend the title?