Brooklyn’s Rise Brings Popularity as a Baby Name, But Locals Say Fuhgeddaboutit.

A highly readable article by Michael R. Sisak of Associated Press about Brooklyn (whose rise in appeal as a popular borough of New York seems to have produced an extraordinary rise in interest in Brooklyn as a place name for girls) provides an interesting new perspective on place names.

It turns out that Brooklyn has moved up in the popularity rankings from #912 in 1990 to the top 30—where it seems to have leveled off over the past three years. The strange thing is, according to Sisak:

“Of the 41 states where Brooklyn is now the most popular girl’s name beginning with B, New York is not among them. Real Brooklynites say naming your child Brooklyn is strictly for out-of towners.”

 Sisak tells the story of a girl named Brooklyn Presta who was born in Kansas and now lives in Brooklyn.

“Brooklyn Presta says her parents in Kansas were thinking unique, not New York, when they named her. Now 26 and living in Brooklyn, Presta says she often gets questions about whether she changed her name to fit her chosen borough. ‘It’s kind of crazy to be Brooklyn in Brooklyn, Presta says.’”

Apparently, Brooklyn is an appealing name for girls—as long as you don’t live there. If you live in Brooklyn, fuhgeddaboutit. I wonder if that’s the case for girls named Madison who live in Madison, Wisconsin (or work on Madison Avenue) or girls named Charlotte who live in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

FYI, Madison is currently the most popular place name for girls. It rose from #627 in 1985 to #2 in 2001–a rise fueled by interest in the mermaid character played by Darryl Hannah in “Splash.” Twelve years later, the name is still among the top ten girls’ names, but it’s now #9.

Charlotte was ranked at #306 in 1984, the year “Splash” was released. And it was ranked #307 fifteen years later in 1999. That must have been when the “place-name” trend (popularized by Madison) caused parents to realize that Charlotte was a place name in addition to being a literary name (made famous by Charlotte Bronte, whose popular romance novel, Jane Eyre, was published in 1847). Since 1999, Charlotte has ridden the “place-name” trend all the way up to #11–and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Charlotte hop into the 1014 girls’ top-ten list when it is published by SSA next May.

Speaking of the SSA popularity statistics, my recent article about the most rapidly rising girls’ names in 2013 mentioned fifteen girls’ names that were streaking up the list. (And because both Brooklyn and Madison both seem to have peaked, the place-name baton seems to have been passed on to names like Ireland, Milan, Phoenix, Asia, Dakota and Londyn, and others.)

P.S. I’d love to hear from you if you have a place name and you live or work in that place. Is your experience like Brooklyn Presta’s? Or is it different? In my most popular article about place names, I discuss places that sound like they would be appropriate as names for people and places that might not work well for people. But I didn’t discuss what it’s like to live in a place you’re named after. If that describes you, please write a comment.

 

 

 

Where Do the Fastest-Rising Boys’ and Girls’ Names Come From: 10 Celebrity and Media Backstories

 

I can’t think of a sillier way to name babies than selecting names associated with popular movies, TV shows and celebrities. Just think of the ridiculous names foisted on their children (and their fans) by these sources in the past. I’m referring to outrageous celebrity baby names like North West and Blue Ivy, movie & TV show characters’ names like Katniss (“Hunger Games”) and Daenerys (“Game of Thrones”), and reality TV show names like Khloé (“Keeping Up with the Kardashians”).

And yet every year the fastest-rising names reported by the Social Security Administration, on or around Mothers’ Day, are usually derived from just these sources. In fact, Laura Wattenberg has written: “Reality TV stars are the biggest source of new names today.” Let’s take a look at some of the fastest-rising boys’ and girls’ names to see precisely what inspired large numbers of parents to pick them in 2013:

Fast-Rising Boys’ Names

-Jayceon (2013: #206; 2012: #1,017)
Backstory: Jayceon is the given name of popular west-coast rapper, Jayceon Terrell Taylor. Taylor’s stage name is “The Game” or “Game.”

-Jase (2013: #89; 2012: #270)
Source: Jase is a fictional characters on “Duck Dynasty,” a popular reality TV show. In the show, Jase is Phil and Kay Robertson’s son. In the show, he’s the COO of Duck Commander, the family business–although Jase would rather hunt and fish than go to work. (Are you aware of the fact that “Duck Dynasty” patriarch, Phil Robertson, has revealed himself to be biased on both racial and gender issues?)

-Milan (2013: #484; 2012: #1,159)
Backstory: Milan is the name of Shakira’s baby boy. Shakira is a popular Columbian recording artist who is a singing coach on “The Voice,” a popular reality TV show.

-Castiel (2003: #956; 2002: #1374)
Backstory: Castiel is a fictional character portrayed by Misha Collins on “Supernatural,” a series presented by the CW TV Network. In the show, Castiel is an angel who introduces the theme of Christian theology.

-Kyrie (2003: 590; 2002: 868)
Backstory: Kyrie Irving briefly played college hoops at Duke and was the #1 draft pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He was named an all-star in 2013 and 2014–his first two seasons in the NBA.

Fast-Rising Girls’ Names:

-Daleyza (2013: #585; 2012: #3,769)
Backstory: Daleyza is one of singer Larry Hernandez’s daughters on “Larrymania,” a popular Spanish-language reality TV show.

-Everly (2013: #383; 2012: #907)
Backstory: Everly is movie star Channing (“21 Jump Street”) Tatum’s baby daughter. He also made a movie in 2012 called “Magic Mike,” that documented his 8-month “career” as a male stripper. (I suppose that would make Channing Tatum an “inspiring figure” to some people.)

-Sadie (2013: #50; 2012: #120).
Backstory: Sadie is a fictional character on “Duck Dynasty,” a popular realty TV show. In the show, she is Willie and Corrie Robertson’s daughter. (Are you aware of the fact that “Duck Dynasty” patriarch, Phil Robertson, has revealed himself to be biased on both racial and gender issues?)

-Kendra (2013: #187; 2012: #387)
Backstory: Kendra Wilkinson is the star of the eponymous reality TV show “Kendra.” She is also one of the stars of a reality TV show called “The Girls Next Door.” which documents her life in the Playboy mansion where she is one of Hugh Hefner’s three girlfriends. (I suppose that would make her an “inspiring namesake” to some people.)

-Jurnee (2013: #896; 2012: #1467)
Backstory: Jurnee Smollett is an actress who played the role of Eve in the movie “Eve’s Bayou” and the role of Jess in the TV show “Friday Night Lights.” In  2013, she was seen on TV in these roles: Heather Hall on “Parenthood,” Nicole Wright on “True Blood,” and Ms. Young’s daughter on “Do No Harm.”

If you read my post about the fastest-rising boys’ and girls’ names, I focus on the “themes” or “clusters” that are rising together (rather than individual names that rely on a particular celebrity or TV show which is likely to disappear when the show tanks or the celebrity steps in doggy-doo, as Phil Robertson and Paula Deen did, quite recently. It’s no fun to be named after a TV show that was cancelled for good reason or a celebrity who developed an awful reputation after his or her name was written on your birth certificate.

 

 

 

2 Hot Naming Trends That Have Cooled Off: Aiden Sound-Alikes & Nevaeh

I frequently warn readers not to give their children red-hot fad names–because  what gets hot eventually cools off. People who give their children hot names usually do it for silly reasons:

-It’s the name of a currently “hot” celebrity who is boyishly or girlishly cute like Justin Bieber is now or like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears used to be.

-It’s the name of a character with a hard-to-spell and hard-to-pronounce name like Daenarys and Khaleesi from a “hot” TV show like”Game of Thrones.”
-You scream louder than your daughter every time you see (name of the latest teen singing sensation goes here).

A lot of good these warnings do. I don’t think I have the kind of readers who would out-scream their teen age daughters at a Justin Bieber concert. But I’m writing this post to let you know that several popular naming fads are in the process of cooling off. There’s nothing “cool” about being the last kid on your block sporting the previous year’s “hot” fashion and the previous decade’s hot name.

Names to Avoid Now that The Fad Has Cooled Off:

-Aiden Sound-Alike Names Trends:

             Aiden: 12 (2008) 9 (2010 & 2011) 12 in 2013

             Jaden: 154 (2000) 74 (2007) 141 (2013)

             Braden: 204 (2000 ) 146 (2006) 336 (2013)

             Hayden: 129 (2000)  71 (2007)  129 (2013)

             Caden: 195 (2001) 91 (2006) 182 (2013)

Exceptions:

             Zayden: 881 (2000) 192 (2013 (a continuous 13-year downtrend)

             Kayden: 782 (2000) 93 (2013) (a continuous 13-year downtrend)

Question: Is it safe to keep using Zayden and Kaden despite the fact that most other Aiden sound-alike names have peaked and popularity is now trending down

My recommendation: Why risk it on a fad name when there are so many other cool Z-names and K-names to use? (And keep in mind that there’s nothing original about a Jaden/Aiden sound-alike names. People liked the sound of Aiden and decided to try different consonants in front of Aiden to give their child an “uncommon,” “creative” name.

-Neveah (Heaven spelled backwards)

  Trend: 69 (2005) 25 (2010) 47 (2013)

 

 

Lil’ Kim Gives Her Brand New Lil’ Girl a Grandiose Name That Comes wth It’s Own Baby-Shower Theme: Royal Reign

Picking up on the royal theme that has produced grandiose celebrity baby names like Jermajesty (Jermaine Jackson’s son) and Prince Michael (Michael Jackson’s son), Grammy winning rapper, Lil’ Kim, has given her Lil’ baby girl an alliterative name with a built-in royal baby-shower theme and a good chance to compete for win, place or show in the 2014 Worst Celebrity Baby Name competition. People disclosed that the father is “reportedly” a rapper named Mr. Papers.

 

The Latest Trends: Why The Popularity of 76 Girls’ and Boys’ Names Dropped in 2013

When parents search for baby names, they often consider several names with the same theme, such as ethnic names, religious names–or names that sound alike or have different spellings. Here are some themes and choice clusters  that explain the rapid decline in popularity of 76 girls’ and boys’ names in 2013, as reflected in the official Social Security popularity data.

 

Girls’ Names That Declined in Popularity

 

Religious & Faith-Based Names: Names that reflect religious or faith-based themes are on the decline for girls. The most common examples of this trend are the declining popularity for Faith, Trinity and Nevaeh (Heaven spelled backwards).

 

Spanish Names: Perla is the 13th fastest-falling girls’ name. Others include: Mercedes, Fernanda, Paola, Estrella, Marisol, Raquel, Carmen, and Esmerelda. (Spanish boy’s names are also in a deep decline, even though the Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. is rising.)

 

Jasmine, Variations & Sound-Alikes: Jasmine became popular in 1992 when Disney produced the blockbuster movie, “Aladdin.” (If you saw the movie, you’ll recall that Princess Jasmine was Aladdin’s love interest.) Jasmine quickly became the most popular name for both African-American and Hispanic girls. Jasmine has been declining steadily since 2006, Now Jasmine is sliding more rapidly; it has just fallen off the top 100 girls’ list.

 

Kayla/Makayla: Kayla and Makayla tied for the largest decrease in popularity on the top 100 list. Also declining rapidly was Kaylee. (This trend might be connected to the decline in popularity Katherine, the root name for Kay, Kayla and Kaylee.)

 

Boys’ Names that Declined in Popularity

 

Jayden Sound-Alikes: Jaidyn is the 4^th fastest declining boys’ name. I counted more than 15 sound-alikes that were declining rapidly, before I stopped counting: Jaeden,,  Aydan, Bradyn, Braeden, Aidyn, Jaydon, Aaden, Braden, Aidan, Kaden, Hayden, Braydon, Brayden, Jaiden, Jaden, Ayden and, most importantly, Jayden (which slipped from t#7 to #9 (a drop of 22%).  (I think this is the beginning of the end for the long list of names that rhyme with Aiden–which is probably why they became popular, in the first place)

 

Spanish Names: Carlos, Jose, Juan and Luis are all top-100 names that have declined at the same time as the Hispanic population of the U.S. is rising. Other Spanish decliners include Pedro, Alejandro, Joaquin, Javier, Angel, Fernando, Jorge, Andres  and more. (This suggests that  Spanish-speaking parents are more interested in assimilating than in celebrating their ethnic identity by giving their boy a Spanish-sounding name.)

 

Giovanni & Variations: Giovanny, Jovani, Giovani and the original Italian root name, Giovanni, are in a state of rapid decline.

 

Brandon & Variations: Brennen is the 7^th fastest declining boys’ name followed quickly by Brendon, Brenden, and Brenton. Even sound-almost-alike Landyn is falling.

 

Amare & Sound-Alikes: Damari is the fastest-declining name that sounds like Amare. Others include: Jabari, Kamari, Jamari, Jamarion, Jamar, Amari, and Omari. Even sound-almost-alike Armani is declining.

 

Tristan & Variations: Trystan is the 19^th fastest-falling name. Also declining are variations Tristian, Tristen, Triston, and the original (legendary) name, Tristan.

The Latest Trends: Why the Popularity of 89 Girls’ and Boys’ Names Soared in 2013

 

When selecting names, parents often consider options that are similar in some way. For example, they may consider root names against their variations (William versus Liam), names that sound similar (Aubrey versus Audrey), names with the same theme (such as nature names, place names, ethnic names or religious names, or names with the same prefix or suffix. Below are some name clusters or themes that explain why the popularity of 89 boys’ and girls’ names rose rapidly in 2013, as reported by the Social Security Administration

 

Girls’ Names Rising Rapidly in Popularity

 

Everly/Everleigh: Everly was the 5^th fastest rising girl’s name followed by Everly, the 6th fastest riser. (I rated Everly, the name Channing Tatum gave his baby daughter, as one of the best celebrity baby names of the year 2013.)

 

Place Names: Led by Dallas (the 15^th fastest rising girls’ name) and India (the 17^th fastest riser), more than 15 place names increased in popularity including: Ireland, Milan, Milana, Maylasia, Maylaya, Phoenix, Asia, Londyn, Adelaide, Dakota, Catalina, Georgia, Virginia and more. (Strangely, Sydney had one of the largest declines in popularity on the top 100 girls’ list.)

 

Flower, Shrub and Tree Names: Rosie was the 16^th fastest rising name for girls. Rosie and Rose also increased in popularity. A variety of other flower, shrub and tree names also rose, including Dahlia, Sage, Saige, Azalea, Laurel, Juniper, Magnolia and Willow. (I recently met a woman named Magnolia. She told me she was the only woman she knew with that name. Apparently, reinforcements are on the way.)

 

Amelia, Mila and Sound-Alikes: As Amelia climbed onto the Next 10 list, Mila leaped onto the top 100 list and sound-alikes Myla, Emilia, Camila, Millie and Milania also increased in popularity. (You may recall that Mila is what Jenna Bush Hager wants friends and family to call her daughter, whom she named Margaret Laura, in 2013.)

Brand Names: Though I was surprised to see Oakley, a chic sunglasses brand, show up on the rapidly rising list for girls, I also noticed Chanel, a well-established perfume and designer brand on the list. (One prominent brand name that declined in 2013 was Mercedes.)

 

Virtue Names: Also rising rapidly were a variety of virtue names including Mercy, Felicity, Serenity, Serena, and Joy.

 

Hadley/Hadlee: Hadlee was the 12th fastest rising name for girls. Also rising rapidly was root name, Hadley.

 

“Annabel Lee”: Another fast-rising cluster included Anabel, Annabell, Annabelle, and Annabella–names popularized by Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem, “Annabel Lee,” which was written long before TV and movies were invented.

TV tie-ins: Daleyza (“Larrymania”) was the #1 fastest-rising girls’ name in 2013. Sadie (“Duck Dynasty”) had one of the largest percentage increases in popularity, from #119 in 2012 to #50 in 2012–a 58% increase in popularity.

 

Boys’ Names Rising Rapidly in Popularity

 

Variations of Jason: Jayceon was the #1 fastest rising boys’ name. Jayse was #4. Also rising rapidly were Jase, Jayce, Jayce and Jayson. However, the root name, Jason, declined. Apparently parents were seeking more contemporary forms of the mythological name. (You may recall that Jason led the Argonauts on a search for the Golden Fleece.)

 

Jackson/Jack & Variations: Jackson was the fastest rising name on the “Next 10 list. Related names like Jax, Jazen, Jaxon, Jack and Jaxton, also gained in popularity. (Popularity gains by these “macho” names is in contrast to gains on the top 10 list by “sensitive” names for boys with soft consonants.)

 

Pompous Titles: Duke was the 5^th fastest rising boys’ name. Deacon was #19. Also rising rapidly were Royal, Major, King, Kingston, Messiah and Legend. (This trend should keep psychologists very busy.)

 

Weapons, Hunting & Battle Names: Names associated with weapons such as Remington, Gunner and Archer continued to rise rapidly, along with Gunnar, Kannon, Kayson, Kaysen, Cayson, Hunter and Killian. (This trend should please the NRA.)

 

Zane/Zayn and Other “Z “Names: Zayn was the 7^th fastest-rising boys’s name. It’s a variation of root name ,Zane, which also rose rapidly along with  related variations, Zayne and  Zain. Also rising rapidly were unrelated “Z” names like Zaid, Zaiden, Zaire, and Zavier. (It seems that  “Z” names still have a “cool” and “macho” vibe.)

 

Arab Names: The most recognizable Arab names on the rapidly-rising boys’ names were Abdullah and Mohammad, followed by Ahmad, Amir, Ameer, Hassan, Mustafa, and Ibrahim, among others. (It takes courage to give your child an Arab name, because of fears people may have about them.)

TV Tie-ins:  Castiel (“Supernatural”) and Jase (“Duck Dynasty”) were the 5th and 16th fastest-rising names in 2013. Both names are associated with characters on TV shows.

Most Gemstone Names Sound Old-Fashioned, But 7 Are Worth Considering

 

Maressa Brown wrote a post in The Stir listing 25 gemstones that are sometimes used as names for people.  I looked at the list of gemstones and most of them struck me as being terribly old fashioned or clunky and rarely used. For good reason. As it turned out, 14 of the names did not have a top 1000 popularity ranking. And only 7 of the names were ranked among the top 500 boys’ or girls’ names.

In my article about place names I pointed out that most place names, like Afghanistan and Timbuktu, don’t sound much like names for people. The same holds true for gemstone names like Citrine and Onyx. What makes place names or gemstone names sound like names you could pick for a baby  is when lots of people use them as names for children–place names like Dakota or Austin; and gemstone names like Ruby or Jade.

I hope that providing you with popularity rankings (when available) will help you understand why so many of the names seem so out of date. Most of them don’t sound like they’d work well for your children in the year 2014.

I’ve provided you with a link to Brown’s article, above. I hope you’re not overly impressed to read which celebs have used some of these names. Go with your gut. If they seem old-fashioned or clunky to you, they probably are.  (Names that are not listed among the 1,000 most popular baby names in 2013 by the Social Security Administration are identified, below, as “unranked.”)

1. Amethyst (unranked) a rarely used name
2. Ruby (#93) a top-100 name with a rising trend
3. Pearl (#677) an old-fashioned name with a rising trend
4. Mica (unranked) a rarely used name that sounds like a variation of Micah
5. Opal (unranked) an old-fashioned name)
6. Coral (unranked) a rarely used name
7. Onyx (unranked) a rarely used name
8. Amber (#288) an old fashioned name with a declining trend
9. Emerald (#1000) a little-used name with a declining trend
10. Diamond (#712) a little-used name with a long-term declining trend; the recent trend is level
11. Bijou (unranked) a rarely used name
12. Beryl (unranked) an old-fashioned name
13. Jasper #248 a name with a rising trend
14. Jade (/#106) a name with a level trend
15. Esme (929) a little-used name with a level trend
16. Esmerelda (unranked) a rarely used name
17. Garnet (unranked) a rarely used name
18. Crystal (#464) a “new age” name with a declining trend
19. Agate (unranked) a rarely used name
20. Jett (#324) a contemporary name with a rising trend
21. Goldie (unranked) a rarely used name
22. Citrine (unranked) a rarely used name
23. Topaz (unranked) a rarely used name
24. Silver (unranked) a rarely used name
25. Gemma (#368) a name with rising trend

Seven gemstone names you might want to consider:
Ruby, Jade, Jasper, Jett,  Gemma, Amber and (perhaps) Crystal, if you don’t mind the “new age” vibe.