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Let’s talk about the names in the news 3.29.26!
March Madness Baby Names is drawing to a close! Started on a whim one March morning, it’s become one of my favorite times of the year. There’s still time to vote in the final matches:
- Vote in the boys’ final March Madness Baby Names match here.
- And vote in the girls’ final March Madness Baby Names contest here.
I’ll admit that the girls’ name I thought would win it all has already been eliminated. My pick for the top contender on the boys’ side is still in it, though …
Check back on April 1st to see which names win big!
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ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Speaking of March Madness, this couple is really leaning into brackets to choose their daughter’s name. Starting with 64 possible names, they assigned each one to a team competing in the tournament. They assigned their preferred names to higher seeds. So Khaleesi and Hermione are not likely to win … but we’ll have to follow along and see how it all turns out.
You know that couple that got married during the Super Bowl halftime show with Bad Bunny? The spelling of the bride’s name caught my eye the other day: Eleisa. I assumed it would be on the fringes of the popularity data, but not so. Alisa, yes. Elysa, of course. Even Aleisa. But Eleisa? That’s quite rare. It hasn’t charted in the US data since 1961. Whoa!
You know the song “Summer Breeze” from all those 1970s Yacht Rock moments? The duo behind was called Seals & Croft consisted of James “Jim” Seals and Darrell “Dash” Croft. Dash is a serious glow-up for Darrell. Croft recently passed away, putting his name in the headlines again. Thanks to C in DC for sending the news my way. Proof that a great nickname can transform any name, no matter how familiar.
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
Ethel once shared playgrounds with Emma, Alice, and Florence. Can this name join them there again? The numbers say not so fast, but the success of Hazel and Esther make me think it’s not a no forever.
Davis might offer a refresh to the oh-so traditional David, one that makes it a little more like Brooks and Wells.
Arendelle isn’t a given name at all, but will en entire generation of Frozen fans grow up and hear it as a successor to Adeline, Ariana, and Isabelle? Probably not, but it could work.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading and have a great week!
