I’m not sure what to think about the Boys’ Final this year. On the one hand, any of the Final Four would’ve been a smidge more exciting than 2011’s winner, the likeable but slightly ordinary Nathaniel.
On the other hand, the slightly stodgy Arthur solidly beat out the folksy-modern Arlo, and the more conventionally masculine Rhys edged past Hollywood favorite Luca.
And yet, it still feels like the boys’ names are more adventurous than the finalists in the Girls’ 2012 Final match-up. When I meet a little Rhys or Arthur, I react with a sort of pleasant surprise. They’re not everyday names. No matter how much I truly do like Genevieve and Eliza, they’re not names that I especially notice anymore.
Does this mean that AppMtn readers are actually more daring with boys’ names than average? Or are we all becoming more inclined to take a fresh approach to choosing names for our sons?
While you ponder that, please take a second and vote!
At least with the boy’s names I actually am a fan of one, so Arthur easily got my vote. I was so sad to see Arlo get knocked out, but I knew it was coming when it was put up against Arthur last round.
Hmm…Arthur and Rhys are both Top 100 names here in England&Wales (#80 and #65, respectively) – so not they’re not exactly daring choices here! Even Luca is at #75…
I agree with you about the names in the girls’ final; I actually couldn’t vote because neither feels like a ‘winner’ to me! I’ve participated in March Madness-style votes on names elsewhere and the winners do tend to be somewhat mundane. I don’t think it’s because the taste of readers is pedestrian, but rather because tastes for more eccentric names vary more widely, so the names that are least likely to offend anyone mosey straight up the middle and win while votes are split amongst the wilder choices. I hope Rhys wins, as Arthur does strike me as slightly stodgy and it is very popular in my neck of the woods.
I was surprised to see after voting that the two are neck and neck with 25 each. I like both, but Rhys just seems a bit brighter than the slightly dusty Arthur. Now if it’d been Rhys and Arturo I’m not sure what I’d have done. 🙂
I feel that boys’ names seem to always stay the same. It’s not like with girls’ names that always seem to be changing. It gets so boring with all those ‘David’s and ‘John’s. Why not Ezra or Hugo? So, I feel the pressure to diversify the name pool of boys with different names, being more daring with my choices.
I just made the score 50-50!! This is a nail-biter! 🙂
I’m surprised. I would’ve thought Rhys would beat Arthur. Right now i’ts 6 votes to Arthur and 5 to Rhys. Hope that changes…