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Is there such a thing as Underconsumption Core for names?
I’m writing this in a sweater I’ve owned for nearly 20 years and love more because of it. The blanket on my bed is quite literally the same one I’ve had since high school. And yes, I own just one, single water bottle. It’s not even a Stanley. (Am I a paragon of virtue? No. But most of us, much of the time, live something like this, right?)
One of the reasons I’ve always loved names: they’re surprisingly egalitarian. We all get one, and money can’t really buy you a better name. I mean, yes, Uma Thurman named her youngest Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence Thurman-Busson. But she goes by lovely Luna for short. And it’s not like Uma paid by the character.
Anyone creative enough and daring enough can choose a show-stopper name.
But there’s real benefit to keeping it simple, and so that makes me wonder: does the Underconsumption Core trend have corollary in names?
I kind of think it might. I hear these Homespun Names for Boys, like Emmett and Gus. Or girls’ names with a cozy vibe, like Sophie and Willa.
I feel like they’re part of a whole back-to-basics, keep-it-simple kind of energy. And while I’m here for it, it’s interesting to me that’s it still a trend.
Do you have any thoughts about how Underconsumption Core might translate to names?
Table of Contents
ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Loving this list of rare boy names, particularly because it’s from England & Wales. That means some of them – like Bennett – are familiar in the US. But others, like Conall, Oslo, and Fenn, are completely fresh and unconsidered here.
Check out this Facebook reel from an American living in France about what her French friends and naming their kids. Leo is big – of course! – but it’s fun to hear the pronunciations of familiar choices in French.
Have you tried The Name Report’s generator? It’s quite smart and thoughtful, and the emphasis on pattern recognition is kind of brilliant.
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
Domino strikes me as effortlessly cool, but also kind of 70s throwback.
Agnes seems like it’s just about ready for revival, steadily inching its way back towards the US Top 1000. Also: I think it fits with those cozy girl names mentioned above.
Ilo is – potentially – unisex and international and deeply rooted. Or maybe recently invented and sort of tough to pin down. Either way, I kind of love it.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading and have a great week.
