How can it already be August 1st? Summer is going by in a flash.
That means we’re ready for the very last vote in this year’s New Names Showdown for the boys!
Where do the new names come from? Every year, typically in May, the US Social Security Administration updates the Top 1000 Baby Names. (Actually, make that Top 2000 – one list for girls, one list for boys.) Inevitably, some names fall off the list, making way for new choices, or for former favorites to return.
I choose the eight most intriguing names for boys and girls alike, then your votes select a single winner.
PAST NEW NAMES SHOWDOWN CHAMPIONS
- Heath (2025)
- Hollis (2024)
- Rhodes (2023)
- Benedict (2022)
- Leif (2021)
- Callahan (2020)
- Archie (2019)
- Wells (2018)
- Shepherd (2017)
- Wilder (2016)
BOYS SEMIFINALS RESULTS
With 65% of the vote, Montgomery swept past Marcello. There’s reason to believe we’ll hear more of both names in the coming years, but for now? It’s the buttoned-up surname-name that advances.
Beck bested Stone with over 73% of the total. Midway between Beckett and Jack, Beck is brief, complete, and somehow almost traditional-ish, too.
NEW NAMES SHOWDOWN 2026: BOYS FINAL MATCH
And that sets up our final match in the New Names Showdown 2026!
MONTGOMERY versus BECK
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 to see the results!
