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These are the names in the news 11.8.26.
Before we get to names, let’s start with a song: Pokito, a collab between Daddy Yankee and Diljit Dosanjh. It’s wild and captivating, familiar and surprising at once.
And if it’s as new to you as it was to me:
- Daddy Yankee is Puerto Rico’s King of Reggaeton, a musical form blending hip hop, Caribbean, and Latin American music to name only the major influences.
- Diljit Dosanjh’s career spans Bollywood movies and music, including Bhangra, and hip hop. He sings in Punjabi on the track.
Obviously, the Venn diagram overlap is hip hop.
The track speaks to millions who love all of those genres – and to people like me, who have no claim to any of their sounds or styles but recognize the energy and talent and verve.
Language and music will always find ways to mix, match, and re-invent. From the Anglo-French that emerged following the Norman conquest in 1066 to a single that wraps up the beats familiar to half of the world today, we’re always here for something new, something we couldn’t have imagined a dozen years earlier.
Speaking of things we once couldn’t have imagined: the US midterm election results from Tuesday night. I loved the way Michigan Senator-elect Abdul al-Sayed spoke about his name. It’s meaning: servant. The way it’s an American name, just like Donald or Mike.
What I’m watching in a world that serves us Pokito as the back beat to the election of first Muslim senator?
There’s more space for a new generation of names, a category of pan-global options chosen not as a means to bridge two families’ differences, but because of the rich crossover between sounds and styles in our ever-connected world. Jasai and Avani, Evren and Liora.
We’re not leaving behind classics like Elizabeth or favorites like Mason, but the options are expanding, and that? That’s just joyful and exciting and exactly as it should be.
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Daring namer Cardi B revealed the name of her fourth child, son Grey. The rapper and her ex, Offset, welcomed daughters Kulture and Blossom and son Wave. Last year, Cardi B and the NFL’s Stefon Diggs welcomed son Grey Marsean. Grey’s first birthday celebration featured – what else? – a Grey’s Anatomy theme. There’s something I love about her naming style, especially for boys.
Television beats movies when it comes to naming inspo, of course. But some franchises do deliver. One of them? Rocky, especially the Creed installments, featuring Michael B. Jordan as the successor to the character Sylvester Stallone made immortal. Now I Play Rocky tells the true story of Sylvester Stallone writing the script (How did I not know this?!) and fighting to get the movie made. After watching the trailer, I can imagine it boosting the name Rocky – at least a little. It’s alright on the upswing.
Can we talk about Anicia? Mental Floss mapped the most popular names in every state according to the new Baby Center popularity data for 2026. Most of the names come from the US Top Ten, with Amelia or Evelyn or Isabella leapfrogging past current national favorite Olivia. A few, like Isla or Aurora, make bigger gains. But then there’s Anicia, the top name in North Dakota. To be clear, the Baby Center data is reported by users, and while it’s substantial, it does not reflect the complete dataset the US Social Security Administration updates annually. An obscure name from Latin roots, Anicia debuted in the US national data with five births in 2025. But why a concentration in North Dakota? There’s a butterfly called the Euphydryas anicia, but there’s no special tie to the state. I’m baffled and also fascinated …
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Beau is brief and complete, a nickname that became a go-to first for boys, mixing a sort of old school Southern gentleman vibe with all the bright energy of 21st century names like Bodhi and Boden.
Rhea has potential in our Mia-Leah world, a throwback with a story to tell.
Fritz seems intentionally antique, a short name stepped straight out of a historical drama. But it’s also an offbeat nickname option for Frederick, and I think that could appeal to lots of parents now.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading and have a great week!
I really quite like Blossom and Wave!
I wonder how many Anicias there actually are in that data. It’s probably in the single digits and probably under 5 uses. The most popular names for girls in N.D. tend to match national trends. It sounds like other names that have been popular at different points. AI pointed out that Anischa is an actual name of Hidatsa/Siouan origin. The Hidatsa are among the Three Affiliated Tribes. It also fits a sound pattern that is fairly popular with Native American moms, though I can’t say whether that’s where it’s most popular. Sometimes a name catches on in a small town if one mother uses it and other moms hear it or a kid with the name is in the paper for a basketball tournament or some other award.