It’s the first weekend in March and that can only mean one thing …
March Madness Baby Names 2022 begins!
The most popular names searched at Appellation Mountain have always been a quirky bunch. After all, this site is no democratic database, with every name equally weighted. Instead, the most popular names often wait neglected, while quirky and obscure favorites feature on the home page.
The result? A sweet sixteen of most-viewed names from the site that look nothing like the most popular names anywhere else online.
I set them up in brackets, and you vote until we have just one final name to crown champion, for boys and girls.
Pop culture curiosities always make the most popular posts list, though rarely do they advance much beyond the opening round. Other names appear in the US Top 100 – but struggle to make it through the competition.
So which names win? Here’s the complete list of past champions:
- 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
- Caspian and Tess in 2020
- Raphael and Magnolia in 2021
*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.
Appellation Mountain readers also tend to be ahead of the trends. We embraced Sylvie and Louisa and Archer when they were still beginning their climb up the charts. In fact, most winning names gain in use over the next several years – at least.
Let’s look at this year’s contenders.
A * indicates that a name also took part in the 2021 March Madness competition.
NAVY*
A color name with a cool current sound, could Navy be the next Ava … or Scarlett?
OAKLEY
Surname names meet nature names, with a dash of Annie Oakely.
NOA*
It echoes Top Ten favorite Noah, but Noa is a separate, feminine name.
MARLOWE*
Harper meets Margot in sleek surname Marlowe.
PERSEPHONE*
A mythological successor to Penelope.
MAISIE*
Sparky and vintage, Maisie is a Margaret nickname that stands on its own.
FAYE*
Short and sweet, with a dose of fairytale magic.
ZELLA
An unexpected twist on Stella and Bella.
LAKEN*
A little bit surname, a little bit nature name, and a quietly rising modern favorite.
ZUZU*
An edgy Susan nickname, made familiar – and seasonal – to fans of the enduring Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life.
SENNA
A pretty nature name, but with a medicinal aftertaste that has kept it out of the mainstream, at least for now.
BERNADETTE
Vintage Bernadette could be just on the right side of granny chic.
BETTY
Sweetly vintage Betty is a former Top Ten powerhouse.
MARIGOLD*
A flower name with great short forms and a sparky sound.
ALESSANDRA
Elegant and elaborate, and just a little less expected than grand Alexandra.
VERA*
A brief name, rich with two of the strongest meanings: truth and faith.
Those are the top names on the site from 2021!
Ready, set …
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES
NAVY v. VERA
OAKLEY v. ALESSANDRA
NOA v. MARIGOLD
MARLOWE v. BETTY
PERSEPHONE v. BERNADETTE
MAISIE v. SENNA
FAYE v. ZUZU
ZELLA v. LAKEN
Thank you for voting! Polls will stay open until March 10th. Check back on March 11th to see which of your favorites advanced – and, of course, to vote in the next round!
