March Madness Baby Names 2020: Girls Opening Round

It’s the first Saturday in March, and that means …

March Madness Baby Names 2020 has arrived!

Since way back in 2011, we’ve played this game annually. I pull the most popular baby name posts from the prior calendar year. And since this is Appellation Mountain, we’re not talking Liam and Emma. Nope, this is a quirky bunch of names. Some are up-and-comers on real world popularity charts. Others reflect pop culture and curiosities that could only be a big deal in this marvelous little corner of cyberspace.

Still, the names that win tend to be a fashionable – and mainstream – bunch:

• Nathaniel and Louisa in 2011
• Arthur and Genevieve in 2012
• Archer and Isla in 2013
• Everett and Cora in 2014
• Finn and Cora in 2015*
• Theodore and Sylvie in 2016
• Leo and Wren in 2017
• Rowan and Eliza in 2018
• Arlo and Margot in 2019

*After Cora’s back-to-back victories in 2014 and 2015, we agreed to instate a new rule: all past winners are immediately retired from future competition.

This rule means that I had to count higher than sixteen to get to the most popular girl names on the site. You can read the full rundown here.

Or just read on, and get ready to vote for your favorites!

MAISIE V. EMMELINE

A possible replacement for Sadie faces a potential successor to Emma.

 

NOA V. FAYE

Two mini-names, both rare: Biblical Noa, or storybook Faye?

 

LUMI V. ESME

Two two-syllable names, spare but with big sounds.

 

MARLOWE V. TESS

Sleek and modern Marlowe or simple and traditional Tess?

 

ZUZU V. JUNIPER

Susan nickname Zuzu or June elaboration Juniper?

 

MARIGOLD V. PERSEPHONE

A pair of long and lovely names face off: botanical Marigold or mythological Persephone?

 

ANDROMEDA V. SLOANE

Celestial Andromeda or surname Sloane?

 

EVOLET V. VERA

The V showdown pits an invented name from 10,000 BC – the movie – against meaning-rich, vintage Vera.

 

Voting remains open through Thursday, March 12th. Check back on Saturday, March 14th to see if your favorites win, and, of course, to vote in the next round!