New Names Showdown 2018 Boys Final

Time for the New Names Showdown 2018 boys final!

We started this contest with eight names: Caspian, Wells, Koa, Reign, Ledger, Simeon, Gianluca, and Alaric. All of them either recently returned to the US Top 1000, or debuted for the very first time. Every one of the names has potential to rise rapidly in the coming years.

Last week’s results in the SemiFinals shook out like this:

• Wells crushed Koa, carrying 70% of the vote versus Koa’s 30%. I’ve been watching Koa for years, a name that owes something to Noah and something to Kai. But Wells? It’s something of a newcomer, one that I wasn’t watching when it made the new names list. Still, I think it’s a winning choice, very much in the mold of past winner Wilder.
• In the other SemiFinal, crowd favorite Caspian took a commanding 67% of the vote, versus Ledger’s 33%. Romantic, literary, and straight-from-the-map Caspian has been quietly building momentum over the last few years, making it one of the most promising of the New Names Showdown 2018 contenders.

Which of these names will join Wilder and Shepherd in the New Names Showdown victory circle? That depends on you!

A gentle reminder: you’re not necessarily voting for the name you’d choose for a son. (Though if you vote that way, it works!) This contest is about finding the name most likely to rocket up the popularity charts in the coming years.

New Names Showdown 2018 Boys Final: Wells or Caspian?

Both names carry a subtle connection to water. Wells, of course, brings to mind a well or a spring. Caspian, on the other hand, makes us imagine the sprawling inland lake.

 

The polls will remain open until Thursday, July 26th. Check back on Saturday, July 28th to see which name wins it all!

Don’t forget to vote in the girls’ contest, too.