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Ready for names in the news 8.23.26 edition?
Before we get to the links, I want to talk about something that’s often packaged as nostalgia.
It’s true that certain names from early 2000s pop culture are surging now. That’s often attributed to new Gen Z parents reaching back to their childhoods to embrace names from their favorite television series and such.
That strikes me as part true.
Here’s the better way to frame it: certain pop culture staples become the background noise of our formative years. We revisit them again and again – and Gen Z really could because they’re the generation when streaming really took hold.
In most cases, I think certain names make it to Gen Z parents’ list of possibilities because they became accustomed to those names. It’s not a deliberate call back to a Disney Channel series or a smash hit movie from the early 2000s.
Of course, that’s nuanced. It makes for a lousy headline.
And sometimes – yes, absolutely – a name’s success is very much about a beloved character, like in the first story below.
But not always, and it’s a mistake to assume there’s always a straight line.
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ELSEWHERE ONLINE
Sometimes it takes a while for a name to really catch on. Case in point: Lorelai. The show debuted in the year 2000, but the name first cracked the US Top 1000 in 2006. And it’s just reached peak popularity in 2025, with signs that it might climb higher still.
And sometimes a name hits different depending on where you call home. This list of Grow Little Wildflower’s favorites absolutely has a hit of Australian energy. PS – Her link in bio includes a place to request a list of all the names her readers submitted last year. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m sure it’s a delight!
Other times? We fall in love with a name and THEN the world discovers it … but it makes sense to use it anyhow. Love this personal story for Everymom about sticking with the name Elsa.
UPDATING & THINKING ABOUT
Wyatt has gone from a rare-but-known name to a modern traditional choice.
Adelaide is the name of the newest member of the extended British royal family. Absolutely love this choice.
Koda is another name that might be attributed to Gen Z nostalgia. But in this case? It’s more likely that growing up with Brother Bear just meant a generation of kids thought that Kenai and Koda would be perfectly reasonable choices – and, in our Kai/Koa/Luca moment, they are.
That’s all for this week. As always, thanks for reading and have a great week!
