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Some of the most influential names from song titles aren’t names at all. They’re titles of songs that we hear as names. Two big examples in recent years: Halo and Vienna.
I’m betting that Golden might be next.
Any pop culture phenomenon as big as KPop Demon Hunters has the potential to influence given names. My guess is that Rumi will get a turbo boost from the hero at the center of the story.
The movie’s hit single “Golden” can be considered an “I Want” song – the pivotal moment where the characters tell us what their story is ultimately all about. And while it’s easy to be dismissive of an animated movie, the song resonates with so many people for all the right reasons – the celebration of Korean culture, the way singer Ejae had almost considered her career over until this unlikely moment, the idea of believing in yourself.
The song is just plain hard to resist.
And so it’s one of the names I’m watching for this spring when the new names data is released.
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So Harlow Winter Kate goes by … Kate? Nicole Richie recently wished her daughter Kate a happy 18th birthday, shrugging off surprise that her daughter answers to a middle name, saying only “she has her whole life.” On the one hand – yes, of course. If our child prefers a different version of their name, it’s easy to follow their lead. And yet … Richie named her lifestyle brand House of Harlow. I feel like there’s more to this story. (While also conceding it’s not actually any of my business.)
Behind the Name is turning 30! Congrats to this amazing resource. When I’m trying to get a handle on a name, one of my favorite things to do is scroll the comments section. It’s a treasure trove.
Semi-obsessed with this list of Villainess Baroque names. Because no, you couldn’t possibly ever name your daughter Cruella, but it’s a creative style that deserves some love – if only for our fictional villains.
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Nico because my Percy Jackson-obsessed kid is excited for the character to arrive in the third season of the Disney+ series.
Bowie because how can it be the 10-year anniversary of his passing? Still surprised this name isn’t right up there with Lennon and Hendrix.
Shelby continues to fall in use. But it trended in the 1930s and the 1990s, so here’s guessing we’ll hear more of it sometime around 2050, give or take a decade.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading and have a great week!
The Villainess names are fun! I seriously doubt Warmonga will ever catch on! I could see Syrene being usable, though. There are other mythology-oriented names that have more negative connotations and have been used.
Richie created her brand in 2008, when her daughter would have been a toddler.
Harlow was very unusual at the time, even though it’s risen in popularity since. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if it’s simply a case of parents who like fairly daring names (their son is Sparrow James Midnight) and a child who ends up wanting something more common, that’s not associated with her mother’s commercial brand or either of her parents’ personal brands.