Time for the new names showdown 2018 girls opening round!
Our goal: to choose the name most likely to climb dramatically when the new numbers come out in May 2019. This is the girls’ contest; the boys’ opening round will post later today.
The competing names come from the new entries to the US Top 1000. I picked seven of them, and you chose the eighth!
In order to compete, a name has to be either debuting on the list, or returning after an absence. Alternate spellings don’t count, even though some of them could easily catch on in a big way.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll narrow down our favorites, until we have the Appellation Mountain community’s top pick. And then, next May 2019, we’ll see how well our favorite name fares in the names data.
Past winners include:
- In 2016, Arden took home the first-ever New Names Showdown title for girls. Despite a promising, on-trend sound, Arden left the US Top 1000 the following year and has yet to return.
- And in 2017, the honor went to Sylvie. Sylvie fell in use slightly, from #959 to #993. But let’s not call this name out … yet.
So let’s put our thinking caps on, and vote for the names most likely to fare well in the immediate future.
Ready, set, vote!
New Names Showdown 2018 Girls Opening Round: Octavia v. Saanvi
Ancient Octavia faces an equally old-school goddess name, Saanvi.
New Names Showdown 2018 Girls Opening Round: Amora v. Luella
Lovely newcomer Amora takes on sassy retro revival Luella.
New Names Showdown 2018 Girls Opening Round: Emerald v. Marlowe
Glittering gemstone name Emerald tangles with sleek and modern Marlowe.
New Names Showdown 2018 Girls Opening Round: Florence v. Yara
Traditional place name pick Florence competes against modern, global Yara.
I’ll admit that I already have two favorites on this list. But the competition is fierce – I’m not sure if they’ll survive!
Voting in this round closes Thursday, July 12th, and the semifinals round opens on Saturday, July 14th. Check back to see if your favorites advance!
