That’s a wrap on the first round of March Madness Baby Names for girls!
As ever, the first round is a mix of names that everybody just plain loves and some that everybody is just plain curious about.
That means some of the early match-ups end up as crushing victories (and defeats). Most years, it gets harder from here!
Let’s take a look back at the results from the Opening Round:
Gemma trounced James. Yes, yes, I know. James is a boy’s name. Except that there’s been lots of interest in James for girls, and it has always been used in small numbers for girls. So there’s actually a post on the site titled “James (for a Girl).” No surprise, though, Gemma earned an overwhelming 84.95% of the total to advance.
Maisie beat out Rue. With over 68% of the total, vintage Maisie swept past modern nature name Rue.
Lila won over Marlowe. In a similar scenario, Lila garnered almost 68% of the vote to advance against Marlowe.
Zella advanced over Navy. Again, by a margin of nearly 68% to just over 32%! This is very much an only-on-Appellation Mountain kind of vote. In the broader world of names, Navy is the rising favorite. But that what makes March Madness baby names so much fun!
Poppy soared past Noa. In another decisive victory, Poppy earned just over 72% of the votes. In this case, both Poppy and Noa are gaining in use in similar numbers, so the margin of Poppy’s win feels significant.
Betty squeaked past Bernadette. In the tightest match-up of the year, Betty scraped by with almost 53% of the tally. One factor: wouldn’t Betty be the best nickname for Bernadette? No surprise this one was close!
Polly clobbered Oakley. In another decisive win, Polly scooped up over 79% of the vote to advance against Oakley. As with the Zella/Navy victory, this clearly reflects the preferences of AM readers!
Faye bested Vesper. With a solid 72% of the votes, Faye will compete in the quarterfinals this week!
That brings us to the next set of match-ups!
MARCH MADNESS BABY NAMES GIRLS QUARTERFINALS
GEMMA v FAYE
MAISIE v POLLY
LILA v BETTY
ZELLA v POPPY
Thanks so much 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!
Lovely Lila’s holding her own!