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! With just over 63% of the vote, venerable James advances. Classic names have won the whole tournament before, like Theodore and Arthur, but never this classic.
Otto wins over Jules. Again with right around 63% of the total, friendly, upbeat Otto is the champ in the Opening Round match. With o-ending boy names trending, Otto has a shot at winning the whole thing!
Kai squeaks past Hal. In the battle of the mini names, modern favorite Kai took almost 56% of the tally, against vintage revival Hal. Kai feels like it could be unstoppable, a very twenty-first century favorite.
Torin notched a commanding victory over Huxley. With nearly 70% of the vote, Torin’s win was significant. Neither name cracks the current US Top 1000, but AM readers have voted for some March Madness winners, only to have them catch on in the next few years.
Hayes won decisively against Phoenix. Coming in at nearly 68% of the result, Hayes continues to the QuarterFinals. Hayes is very much an up-and-comer with the potential to win it all …
Cosmo sailed past Koa. This contest seemed like a match between two unconventional choices. While Koa ranks higher in the US right now, it’s Cosmo that won the day, with almost 58% of the whole. Never underestimate the power of a celebrity baby name with an on-trend style.
Wesley defeated Blaise. Racking up nearly 65%, popular Wesley sends Blaise back to obscurity. Wesley straddles the line between a classic and a current favorite, the best of both worlds.
Wells wins the day, leaving Jones behind. Both -s enders had their fans, but Wells scored almost 67% to Jones’ meager just-over-33%. Like Hayes, Wells is an s-ending name that feels like it could be the Next Big Thing.
Now that we have our victors for the opening round, it’s time for the QuarterFinals!
MARCH MADNESS BABY NAMES 2023: BOYS QUARTERFINALS
JAMES v WELLS
OTTO v WESLEY
KAI v COSMO
TORIN v HAYES
Thanks for voting!
Polls stay open through Wednesday, March 22nd. Come back on Saturday, March 25th to see if your favorites advanced – and, of course, to vote in the next round!
Otto and Otis land firmly in the canine category for me. : / But, I would never say that to a parent who had chosen either name for their child.
I want to love Otto but in my accent it sounds like auto.