Yesterday we looked at the most popular baby name posts of 2015. Leo and Lena led the pack, with lots of surprises mixed in. It’s always fun to look at those numbers, plus it’s a fun preview of March Madness Baby Names 2016, which will be here before we know it!
Today, let’s look at the most popular posts from 2015, and make sure to read all the way to the end – I’ve got a fun announcement coming up, too!
Most Popular Posts of 2015: The Top Ten
With well over 13,000 views, Ten Unexpected Nicknames for Charles was the undisputed most popular post of the year. Credit goes to Pinterest for this one.- The second most popular post is Twyla, Esther, and Luna: Night Owl Names for Girls. I’m a big fan of this post, and not surprised to see it doing so well.
- In the age of Sophia and Olivia, no surprise that parents are looking for wearable alternatives. Adalia to Zinnia: Girls Names Ending with ia was the third most popular post in 2015.
- It’s a trend that moves some readers to despair, while others are busy finding new names in this category all the time. Yes, it’s surname names for girls. Ellington, Anniston, Hollis: Surname Names for Girls comes in fourth.
- And right behind that post? Campbell and Collins: The New Unisex Names for Girls, another surname-centric post.
- Girls’ names are just plain more popular on Appellation Mountain – and, from what I’e gleaned, on name sites in general. And so post number six is yet another devoted to girls’ names: Fresh Three Syllable Names for Girls.
- And finally, a post for boys! Noah, Luca, and Cuba: Boys Names Ending with a includes some wildly popular choices for our sons.
- One of the earliest posts I wrote for this site was Ooh La La: French Names for Girls. It’s still wildly popular.
- Another nickname post comes in at number nine: Eight Unexpected Nicknames for Penelope.
- And finally, the tenth most popular post in 2015 was a list of lovely Lily Names: Lilith, Liliosa and Liliane.
With well over 13,000 views, Most Popular Posts of 2015: Advice and Analysis
None of my advice posts make it into the Top Ten, but some are very popular. Here are the Top Three:
- This goes along with the posts of Charles and Penelope listed above! In Defense of Nicknames: Ten Reasons to Embrace Nickname-Rich Names was 2015′ most popular advice post.
- But guess what’s in the second spot? In Defense of Jake and Kate: Nine Reasons to Skip the Formal Name. Happy to know that I could argue both sides of this question!
- Thanks to a mention in an Atlantic Monthly article – squee! – The Rise of Number One Names: Jennifer, Ashley, Emma, and More was very well read. Incidentally, my predictions for 2016 contradict my research in that post – but that’s part of the reason I looked at the numbers in the first place. I’m not sure if there’s a pattern there, or if it’s all random.
Most Popular Posts of 2015: Miscellany
- Just two more posts I wanted to mention from last year. First, the most popular Name Help post was Name Help: A Gender Neutral Name for a Girl. It follows the Top Ten posts, but I think lots of people read it, too, because the parents were good enough to give us an update on their daughter’s name: Sullivan Kate, nickname Liv. Keep those updates coming, Name Help parents!
- And one more curiosity – a Sunday Summary post from early 2014 was viewed more than 1,600 times in 2015. It doesn’t make any sense – typically, Sunday Summary posts are super-popular in the ten days after they’re published. And then I could pretty much delete them. I suspect this one does so well because I discuss the obscure, but wonderful, term phonestheme. You’ll have to read the original post to learn more. Oh, how I love those academic onomastic terms!
Just two more posts I wanted to mention from last year. First, the most popular Name Help post was And now, an announcement …
For the past year or more, the publication schedule has been as follows: a revised Baby Name of the Day post on Monday, new Baby Name of the Day posts Tuesday through Thursday, a list post on Friday, #namehelp on Saturday, and the weekly Sunday Summary.
But I have more ideas for Fridays than I can fit into 52 posts, and many more requests for Saturday #namehelp than I can fit into a year. When my #namehelp requests get backed up, I absolutely hate to even open my email.
Beginning in February, the schedule will look like this:
- Monday: Either a revised Baby Name of the Day post or a #namehelp post
- Tuesday: New Baby Name of the Day post
- Wednesday: In-depth posts about categories of names – just like on Fridays! I’m going to try to put some series in these spots, too.
- Thursday: New Baby Name of the Day post
- Friday: An in-depth post about categories of names, name advice, or similar
- Saturday: #namehelp
- Sunday: The Sunday Summary, just like now
I’m a little nervous about losing a space for a featured name post, so I’m going to consider this a trial run through the end of March.
And with that, let’s get welcome in the New Year! I’m excited about what’s ahead in 2016, and so very grateful that each and everyone of you is here for the journey.
Exciting! Your Friday and Saturday posts are always my favorite.
Yay! More Name Help! 😀
Yay! I think the new publishing schedule sounds fun. 🙂
Eh, I think you could leave a day open for whatever fits that week. I don’t think any of us will mind”
Yay!!! I’m excited about the new posting schedule — it’s more of what I love most. Abby, you are the best. No one feeds my name obsession quite like you
Thanks, Nicole! 🙂
Glad to see there will be more #namehelp posts– those are my favorites!
I have enjoyed reading your posts for several years now. It seems to me that you have a very good feel for when the time is right to change things up. Being able to write on the pros and cons of using nicknames-on-the-birth-certificate is just one example of how good you are at combining facts with entertaining writing. Thank you for always keeping me entertained and informed.
I feel personally responsible for some of these stats. Lol. I named a baby girl this year and haunted your archives.
This is my favorite name site, and I read it every day. Thank you for posting such great content consistently! It is excellent. Happy new year!