Our first round of voting is complete, and we’ve narrowed the field from eight to four contenders in the boys’ edition of the New Names Showdown 2025.
Every year when the new popularity data is released, some names debut in the boys’ Top 1000 while others return after an absence. The May 2025 list gave us 45 names to ponder. Eight of those names are competing for the title of Best New Boy’s Name.
We’ll get to the voting in a minute, but first let’s recap the action so far.
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BOYS OPENING ROUND RESULTS
With a commanding almost-90% of the tally, Heath trounces Truce. The New Names Showdown 2025 boys semifinals is often about the names we’d be most likely to choose in real life, and nature-related, surname-ish, vaguely vintage Heath feels like the more likely contender – at least from that point-of-view.
Ozias slips past Laith with not-quite 51% of the total. This was a very close match. Could it be cozy-cool nickname Ozzy that gave Ozias the edge?
Bryer totals over 89% of the votes to defeat Rowdy. Bryer is Bryce-meets-Briar, a slightly more restrained take on the unisex nature name. It feels far more wearable than wild man Rowdy, and the results reflect that.
Earning over 71% of the points, classic Carlo wins out over modern Azai. Two vowel-forward names with style to spare, but the more traditional choice is the clear favorite. Carlo blends Mateo and Arlo. Another boost? The forthcoming canonization of Carlo Acutis, called the First Millennial Saint. Whether you’re Catholic or not, it’s enough to raise the name’s profile.
BOYS SEMIFINALS ROUND
HEATH versus CARLO
OZIAS versus BRYER
Voting remains open for just a few days. As always, thank you for playing along with our summer contest and be sure to check back soon for the next – and final! – match.
