March Madness Baby Names 2024: Boys Quarterfinals

The opening round of March Madness Baby Names 2024 is over! And, thanks to your votes, we have results, as well as the QuarterFinal matchups.

MARCH MADNESS BABY NAMES 2024: SWEET SIXTEEN RESULTS

EVANDER TRIUMPHS OVER KAI

With a respectable 55% of the total, Evander wins out over Kai. While it’s a mistake to say that longer names are trending while shorter names fall, it is true that there’s a new batch of longer boy names, with all the sounds. Ancient Evander feels like an Evan-Alexander mash-up. It’s steadily winning parents over, as this result proves.

HAL DEFEATS HUXLEY

Another intriguing category of names: Max, Gus, Cal, and other short forms associated with a range of names, from the classic to the modern. Add Hal to that list. Traditionally short for Harold, which isn’t back, or Henry, which very much is, Hal fits right in with a new crop of very short, nickname-names that look like they ought out to be worn on coveralls. No-nonsense, capable guy names, successors to Jack. With over 59% of the vote, Hal defeats Huxley. Which is interesting, because Huxley has plenty of style-forward markers, too. Maybe next year …

OTTO CRUSHES ZEV

This one isn’t terribly surprising. While Zev’s edgy sound and pop culture references earn this name more attention, Otto is the style star. It fits with o-enders from Leo and Theo to Milo and Arlo. And we’ve been wild for O names – think Owen and Oliver – in recent years, too. With nearly 73% of the tally, Otto emerges as a contender for this year’s champion.

WESLEY TAKES DOWN KOA

But it’s not just Otto making a big showing in the opening round. With almost 78% of the votes, Wesley demolished Koa. It’s worth noting that Koa, too, is trending – just like many of the names that went down hard in the opening round. But Wesley feels like a successor to Theodore and Oliver. It’s a versatile name with a traditional feel, but somehow a fresh discovery for this generation, too. Another factor? Wesley shortens to Wes, a cousin for Hal, Max, Gus, and company.

RHODES BEATS BLAISE

Spelling counts! I can’t help but wonder if it were Blaise instead of Blaze if the outcome would’ve been different? Because even though Rhodes garnered over 55% of the vote, that’s not a massive difference. And at least one commenter mentioned that Blaze and Blaise feel like very different names. Still, no question that Rhodes is an up-and-comer, following s-ending favorites like Brooks and Wells, and could easily win this whole tournament …

CALLUM SWEEPS PAST COSMO

Many of us have been watching Callum for years as it quietly marched up the US popularity charts. Lately it feels more confident, a name whose moment has arrived. The over 71% of the vote that Callum commanded reinforces that view. Meanwhile, Cosmo feels like it still has plenty of potential – but it needs a few more years or so before it’s really a contender.

CASSIAN TAKES DOWN EVREN

The Force seems to be strong with this one! A character from 2016’s Rogue One, Cassian Andor got his own Disney+ series in 2022. The show had been delayed thanks to the pandemic, so buzz was strong before Andor debuted. With a stylish sound and a heroic figure, played by Diego Luna, Cassian feels like an obvious choice. It raked in just under 75% of the total against Evren.

SULLIVAN X ST. JOHN

St. John always attracts interest. It’s a quirky British find, discovered by readers of Jane Austen novels and anyone diving deep into an earlier generation of James Bond films. But while we’re curious about St. John, we’re naming our sons Sullivan. The upbeat Irish surname commanded a staggering 84% of the total.

QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS

EVANDER VERSUS SULLIVAN

HAL VERSUS CASSIAN

OTTO VERSUS CALLUM

WESLEY VERSUS RHODES

Thanks for voting!

Polls will remain open until Friday, March 22nd. Check back on Saturday, March 23rd to see if your favorite names advance. And, of course, to vote in the semifinals.