Here’s something that’s different about naming a child in 2024: if we’ve named our kid after our hero, we want to you to know. Lennon, not John. Avila, not Teresa. Not every family, of course. And plenty of first names are plenty distinctive on their own. Tycho (Brahe), Solange (Knowles). But hero names are obvious and clear now, and not even a little bit subtle. Elsewhere online … Cool name. What could it be short for? Hattie comes from Harriet. Unless it comes from … Hatteras? Laura Wattenberg talks us through some extraordinary names that are rising in conjunction with more familiar short n ..read more

Megan writes: We’re expecting our second son, and probably our last child, this summer. It took us forever to agree on our Hayden’s name, but now we love it and can’t imagine using any of the other names we considered. But that means that our original list from two years ago is off the table, and we’re starting at zero. With Hayden’s name, we weren’t sure about whether we’d regret it because it rhymes with Jayden and Aiden. So far that hasn’t been an issue at all. Here’s what we’re working with: Our last name sounds like Kirk with a B. Because it’s so harsh, names like Jack, Luke, Kai, etc. a ..read more

CA writes: I’m writing because you helped us with our last son’s name dilemma and we’re expecting again and would love some help this time around too!  In the end, he became Aleks@nder Bl@ise Louie, often called Bl@ise Louie. It’s a name that has a lot of meaning for us and we went with the more informal Louie so that it would get pronounced the way we intended. It suits him well! Now we’re expecting a little girl – our fifth and definitely final baby – in May. Girl names come easier for us, but we’re getting close and still haven’t settled on The Name for her. After the challenges of Bl ..read more

When it comes to unique words for names, things can feel a little wild. Reckless, even. We marvel when we spot a Galaxy or a Canyon on social media. Our colleague names their kiddo Rocket and we gleefully report back to our friends, eyebrows raised. But word names work – and they’re far from new. Just ask any Rose. Kindergarten classes circa 2030 will almost certainly include a Willow, River, or Legend. Wait, you insist. Violet and Daisy have been around for years. That’s not nearly the same thing as naming a baby Marigold or Ocean. Choices like Blue, Dream, and Sunny are fine for celebrities ..read more

Here’s something that’s been on my mind: so often we talk about names with absolute authority. This name is weird, that name is way too popular. But those tend to be gut reactions. Wade is much too popular because you knew a guy with that name in high school, and then had a co-worker with the name a few years ago. That’s not based on numbers in any way – it’s your immediate reaction based on the chance that you’ve known two. Luna is way too weird, because it sounds like looney. And the only time you’ve heard the name was your former neighbor’s cat. One of the really valuable things checking th ..read more

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! Hannah writes: Our daughter’s name came to us immediately. She’s Lyla Juniper. We went back and forth on the spelling, but we’re happy with the one we chose. Now we’re expecting our second and final child. It’s a boy, and we’re finding that boy names are harder for us. Names we’ve discussed: CREW – We like this one, but our last ..read more

The nickname Ozzy feels like the next big thing. Of course, just plain Ozzy is catching on. In 2021, it debuted in the US Top 1000 at #712. That works out to 364 births. In 2022, that number rose 448 births, for a rank of #620. You’re more likely to meet a boy named Ozzy than one called Wayne, Langston, or Thaddeus. Unlike Charlie from Charles or Freddie from Frederick, it’s not obvious where this unique name comes from. And, of course, the meaning of the name Ozzy shifts depending on the formal name. As this edgy nickname continues to gain in popularity, what are the best formal names for the ..read more

Time to make some predictions! The year is drawing to a close, and that means that the baby names popularity will soon be tallied! (Though we won’t see the results until May.) For now, it’s time to guess the future Top 1000 boy names. When it comes to boy names, we can all think of the most common picks. Former favorites, like Robert, Jacob, and John. Or today’s top choices, like Liam, Oliver, and Noah. The US Social Security Administration publishes the 1000 most popular names given to boys and girls in a given calendar year. That is a lot of names! And if a name ranks in the US Top 1000? Cha ..read more

Dust off that crystal ball! Let’s guess the future Top 1000 baby girl names. When it comes to popularity, there’s a sharp divide. A name either ranks in the US Top 1000 most popular baby names, as reported annually by the US Social Security Administration, or (obviously) it does not. We tend to focus our energy on the baby names at the tippy-top of the charts. Olivia and Amelia and Charlotte, the most popular baby girl names of our moment. But the really interesting part is often what happens on the fringes. Because once a name debuts in – or returns to – the US Top 1000, it’s often the beginn ..read more

Wishing a joyful Easter to all who celebrate! Something I’ve been thinking about lately: how much economic/professional benefit is there to having a truly great name? I was booking my dog’s most recent grooming appointment online, where the only information I have available? The names of the staff. Our usual groomer was away. So my eye was drawn to Fiona and I clicked the reservation box with confidence. Now no one is getting rich grooming my 60-pound rescue dog who prefers mud puddles to spa days. And Fiona was marvelous – patient, kind, and no-nonsense enough to make our pooch look respectab ..read more