Tag: 2016

American Names · Analysis

Girls’ Names in the U.S. Top 1000 that Aren’t in the English/Welsh Top 1000

Elizabeth6 Comments

Finally, the names that are currently popular for baby girls in the U.S. but not in England and Wales! A few of the names here are in the top 1000 for British boys (unisex and gender-bending names are more American phenomenons). 

To make this list, I compared the 2016 U.S. top 1000 against the top 1000 names in England and Wales for the same year. American data comes from the Social Security Administration; English and Welsh data comes from the Office of National Statistics. I’ve also made a list of girls’ names in the E/W top 1000 that aren’t in the U.S. and comparable boys’ lists.

  • A: Aadhya, Abril, Adalyn, Adalynn, Addilyn, Addilynn, Addisyn, Addyson, Adelyn, Adelynn, Adilynn, Adley, Adrienne, Ailani, Aileen, Ainsley, Aislinn, Aitana, Aiyana, Alaia, Alani, Alayah, Aleah, Alejandra, Alena, Alessandra, Alexa, Aliana, Alianna, Alison, Allie, Allison, Ally, Allyson, Alondra, Alyson, Alyvia, Amari, Amaris, Amia, Amiya, Amya, Anabella, Anahi, Analia, Andi, Angelique, Angie, Ann, Annalee, Anne, Annika, Anniston, Ansley, Antonella, Aranza, Arden, Arely, Ari, Ariel, Armani, Aryana, Aryanna, Ashley, Ashlyn, Ashlynn, Aspen, Aubri, Aubrie, Aubriella, Aubrielle, Audrina, Avah, Avalynn, Averi, Averie, Avianna, Ayleen, Aylin, Azalea, Azaria, Azariah
  • B: Bailee, Barbara, Baylee, Belen, Bexley, Blair, Blaire, Blakely, Braelyn, Braelynn, Braylee, Breanna, Brenda, Brenna, Bria, Briar, Briana, Briella, Briley, Brinley, Bristol, Brittany, Brooklynn, Brylee, Bryleigh, Brynlee, Brynn
  • C: Cadence, Calliope, Cameron, Camila, Camryn, Carlee, Carly, Carolina, Carolyn, Carter, Cataleya, Catalina, Caylee, Celia, Celine, Chana, Chandler, Charlee, Charleigh, Charli, Cherish, Cheyenne, Clare, Clarissa, Colette, Collins, Coraline, Corinne, Cynthia
  • D: Dalary, Daleyza, Dallas, Danica, Danna, Davina, Dayana, Delaney, Desiree, Dulce, Dylan
  • E: Eileen, Elaina, Elaine, Elianna, Elliana, Ellianna, Elliot, Elliott, Ellis, Ellison, Elyse, Emely, Emerie, Emerson, Emersyn, Emery, Emmaline, Emmalyn, Emmalynn, Emory, Esmeralda, Esperanza, Estella, Estrella, Evelynn, Everleigh
  • F: Fernanda, Finley
  • G: Galilea, Gemma, Genesis, Giana, Gianna, Giovanna, Giselle, Giuliana, Gracelyn, Gracelynn, Guadalupe, Gwendolyn
  • H: Hadlee, Hadleigh, Hadley, Hailee, Hailey, Haley, Harlee, Harleigh, Harmoni, Haven, Hayden, Haylee, Heaven, Heavenly, Henley, Holland, Hunter
  • I: Iliana, Irene, Isabela, Itzayana, Itzel, Ivanna, Ivory
  • J: Jacqueline, Jada, Jaelyn, Jaelynn, Jaliyah, Jamie, Jane, Janelle, Janessa, Janiyah, Jaycee, Jayda, Jayde, Jayden, Jayla, Jaylah, Jaylee, Jayleen, Jaylene, Jaylynn, Jazlyn, Jazlynn, Jazmine, Jemma, Jessa, Jewel, Jillian, Jimena, Joelle, Johanna, Jolene, Jolie, Jordan, Jordyn, Joselyn, Joslyn, Journee, Journey, Judith, Juliana, Julianna, Julianne, Julie, Julieta, Julissa, June, Juniper, Justice
  • K: Kadence, Kaelyn, Kai, Kailani, Kailee, Kailey, Kailyn, Kairi, Kaiya, Kalani, Kali, Kaliyah, Kallie, Kamila, Kamryn, Karen, Karla, Karlee, Karlie, Karsyn, Karter, Kassandra, Kassidy, Katalina, Kaydence, Kaylani, Kaylee, Kaylie, Kaylin, Kaylynn, Kehlani, Kendra, Kenia, Kenley, Kenna, Kennedi, Kennedy, Kensley, Kenya, Kenzie, Keyla, Kimber, Kinley, Kinslee, Kinsley, Kora, Kori, Kristina, Kylee, Kyleigh, Kylie, Kynlee
  • L: Lailah, Lainey, Landry, Laney, Laurel, Lauryn, Laylah, Leanna, Leighton, Lennon, Lennox, Leslie, Lillianna, Lilyana, Lilyanna, Linda, Lindsey, Liv, Lizbeth, Logan, London, Londyn, Lorelai, Luciana, Lucille, Luz, Lyric
  • M: Mackenzie, Madalyn, Madalynn, Madelyn, Madelynn, Madilyn, Madilynn, Madisyn, Madyson, Magnolia, Makayla, Makenna, Makenzie, Malaya, Malaysia, Maleah, Malia, Maliah, Maliyah, Mallory, Maren, Mariana, Marianna, Marilyn, Marisol, Marissa, Mariyah, Marjorie, Marlee, Marleigh, Mavis, Maxine, Maylee, Mckenna, Mckenzie, Mckinley, Meilani, Mercy, Micah, Mikaela, Mikayla, Milani, Milania, Miracle, Miranda, Monroe, Monserrat, Montserrat, Moriah
  • N: Nala, Nalani, Nataly, Nathalia, Nathalie, Nathaly, Nayeli, Noelle, Noemi, Novalee
  • O: Oakley
  • P: Paislee, Paityn, Paola, Parker, Paulina, Perla, Presley, Priscilla
  • R: Raegan, Raelyn, Raelynn, Raina, Ramona, Raquel, Rayna, Rayne, Reagan, Rebekah, Reese, Regina, Reign, Reina, Remington, Remy, Renata, Reyna, Rivka, Romina, Rory, Rosalyn, Roselyn, Royal, Royalty, Ryan, Ryann, Rylan, Rylee, Ryleigh, Rylie
  • S: Sage, Saige, Sarai, Sariah, Sariyah, Sawyer, Saylor, Scarlette, Selah, Sharon, Shayla, Shiloh, Sierra, Simone, Sloan, Sloane, Susan, Sutton
  • T: Taliyah, Tatiana, Tatum, Tenley, Teresa, Tinley, Tinsley, Tori
  • V: Vada, Valeria, Veda, Virginia, Viviana
  • W: Wendy, Whitney, Willa, Wynter
  • X: Ximena
  • Y: Yamileth, Yareli, Yaretzi
  • Z: Zaniyah, Zaria, Zariah, Zariyah, Zaylee, Zelda, Zendaya, Zion, Zoie, Zuri

What do you think? Let me know in the comments! 

Analysis

Girls’ Names in the English/Welsh Top 1000 that Aren’t in the U.S. Top 1000

Elizabeth2 Comments

These are all the girls’ names that are in the English and Welsh top 1000 for 2016 but *not* in the United States! I made this list by comparing Office of National Statistics data against the Social Security Administration‘s list of most popular baby names. I’ve also made a list of boys’ names popular in England and Wales but not in the U.S. and and list of boys’ names that are currently popular in the U.S. but not in England and Wales.

  • A: Aairah, Aamina, Aaminah, Aarya, Aasiyah, Aayat, Abbie, Agatha, Agnes, Aida, Aila, Aimee, Aishah, Aiyla, Aiza, Aizah, Ajwa, Akira, Alara, Alba, Aleeza, Aleksandra, Alesha, Alicja, Alisa, Alishba, Alissa, Alissia, Allegra, Alys, Alyssia, Amal, Amalie, Ameera, Ameerah, Amelia-Grace, Amelia-Rose, Aminah, Ammara, Amna, Anabia, Anais, Anaiya, Anastazja, Anayah, Andreea, Anisa, Anisha, Antonina, Anoushka, Aoife, Aqsa, Arissa, Arla, Arwa, Arwen, Ashleigh, Asia, Asiya, Asiyah, Asma, Ava-Mae, Ava-Grace, Ava-Rose, Avani, Avaya, Avleen, Avneet, Ayaana, Ayah, Ayat, Ayda, Ayesha, Ayra, Aysha, Ayva, Azra
  • B: Beatrix, Beatriz, Beau, Bella-Rose, Beth, Bethan, Betsy, Betty, Bianka, Billie, Blanka, Blessing, Blossom, Bluebell, Bobbi, Bobbie, Bryony
  • C: Cadi, Caitlin, Caitlyn, Caoimhe, Carys, Cassie, Cecily, Cerys, Chiara, Cleo, Coco, Connie, Constance, Cordelia
  • D: Daisie, Daisy-Mae, Daisy-May, Darcey, Darci, Darcie, Darcy, Daria, Delia, Diya, Dolcie, Dollie, Dolly, Dottie, Dua, Dulcie
  • E: Eadie, Ebony, Edie, Effie, Eilidh, Eira, Ela, Eleni, Eleri, Elia, Elif, Elina, Elinor, Elisha, Elissa, Ella-Louise, Ella-Mae, Ella-May, Ella-Rose, Ellie-Mae, Ellie-Mai, Ellie-May, Ellie-Rose, Elodie, Elouise, Elsie-Mae, Elsie-May, Elsie-Rose, Elspeth, Ema, Emaan, Emilija, Emily-Rose, Emmanuella, Emme, Enya, Eryn, Eshaal, Eshal, Esmae, Esmai, Esmay, Esmee, Etta, Evelina, Evie-Grace, Evie-Mae, Evie-Rose, Ezmae
  • F: Farah, Fathima, Fatimah, Fearne, Fern, Ferne, Ffion, Fleur, Flora, Florence, Florrie, Freyja
  • G: Georgiana, Georgie, Georgina, Giulia, Gracie-Mae, Gracie-Mai, Gracie-May
  • H: Hafsa, Hafsah, Hajra, Hajrah, Haleema, Halima, Haniya, Hareem, Harleen, Harlie, Harper-Rose, Harriet, Harriett, Hawa, Hawwa, Henrietta, Hermione, Hettie, Hiba, Hollie, Honey, Honor, Hoorain, Huda, Humaira, Husna
  • I: Ida, Iga, Imaan, Iman, Imogen, Inaaya, Inaayah, Inara, Inaya, Inayah, Indi, India, Indiana, Indie, Indigo, Ines, Iona, Iqra, Isabella-Rose, Isha, Isla-Grace, Isla-Mae, Isla-Rae, Isla-Rose, Isobel, Isobella, Isobelle, Isra, Ivy-Rose, Iyla, Iylah, Izabela, Izzy
  • J: Jannah, Jannat, Jasleen, Jaya, Jemima, Joni, Jorgie, Jorja, Juno
  • K: Kacey, Kacie, Kaja, Karolina, Katy, Keeva, Keziah, Khadija, Khadijah, Kimberley, Kitty, Klara, Klaudia, Kornelia
  • L: Lacey-Mae, Lacie, Laiba, Larissa, Lavinia, Layla-Mae, Layla-Rose, Leela, Leena, Leja, Leonie, Lexi-Mae, Libby, Lili, Lillia, Lillie-Mae, Lillie-Rose, Lilly-Mae, Lilly-Mai, Lilly-May, Lily-Mae, Lily-May, Lily-Rose, Liyana, Lois, Lola-Rose, Lorena, Lottie, Lowri, Lucie, Luella, Luisa, Lula
  • M: Macey, Maddie, Madiha, Magdalena, Mahi, Mahnoor, Maira, Maisey, Maisy, Maiya, Maja, Malaika, Malak, Mali, Maliha, Manahil, Manha, Marcelina, Marcie, Margaux, Mariya, Marlie, Marni, Marnie, Marta, Martina, Martyna, Marwa, Mathilda, Matylda, May, Meghan, Melany, Melisa, Mia-Rose, Miley, Millicent, Millie-Mae, Millie-Rose, Milly, Minahil, Minnie, Miyah, Mollie
  • N: Nahla, Nancie, Neave, Neive, Nel, Nela, Nell, Nellie, Nelly, Neve, Niamh, Nicola, Nieve, Nikita, Nikola, Niyah, Nusaybah, Nyah
  • O: Ocean, Octavia, Olivia-Grace, Olivia-Mae, Olivia-Rose, Oliwia, Orla, Orlaigh, Ottilie
  • P: Peggy, Persephone, Philippa, Pippa, Pixie, Pola, Polly, Poppie, Precious, Primrose, Prisha, Priya
  • R: Rae, Raisa, Rania, Raya, Rebeca, Renae, Renee, Reeva, Reya, Ria, Rihanna, Rita, Robin, Robyn, Roma, Romilly, Romy, Ronnie, Rosanna, Roxanne, Rubie, Ruby-Mae, Ruby-Rose, Rumaisa, Rumaysa, Ruqayyah
  • S: Saanvi, Saara, Saarah, Safa, Safaa, Saffron, Safia, Safiya, Safiyyah, Samira, Sana, Sanaya, Sapphire, Saskia, Scarlett-Rose, Selina, Seren, Shanaya, Shania, Shannon, Shreya, Sia, Sianna, Sienna-Rose, Simona, Simran, Siya, Sofija, Sonia, Soraya, Stefania, Sukhmani, Sumaya, Sumayyah, Summer-Rose, Syeda
  • T: Tahlia, Tallulah, Tamara, Tanisha, Tara, Taya, Tess, Theia, Theodora, Tia, Tianna, Tillie, Tilly
  • U: Una
  • V: Vanesa, Verity, Viktoria
  • W: Weronika, Wiktoria, Winifred, Winnie
  • X: Xanthe
  • Y: Yara, Yasmine, Yusra
  • Z: Zahraa, Zarah, Zayna, Zaynab, Zaynah, Zeynep, Zofia, Zoha, Zoya, Zunairah, Zuzanna

You probably noticed a lot of “double-barrel” baby names in here. While some Americans have hyphenated first names, the Social Security Administration doesn’t acknowledge their spellings as distinct names; the U.K. does. So, Amelia-Rose is officially Ameliarose in America and Amelia-Rose in Britain.

Thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

American Names · Analysis

Names in the U.S. Top 1000 that Aren’t in the English/Welsh Top 1000 (Boys)

Elizabeth1 Comment

Yesterday I posted a complete list of boys’ names that appeared in the English and Welsh top 1000 but not in the American top 1000.  As promised, here are the boys’ baby names that rank in the U.S. list but not the English/Welsh!

  • A: Abram, Abdiel, Achilles, Adan, Adonis, Adrien, Agustin, Ahmir, Alberto, Alden, Aldo, Alejandro, Alexzander, Alfonso, Alfredo, Alijah, Allan, Allen, Alonso, Alonzo, Alvaro, Alvin, Amare, Ameer, Anakin, Anders, Anderson, Andres, Angel, Anson, Apollo, Ares, Ariel, Armando, Armani, Arturo, August, Augustine, Augustus, Axton, Azariah
  • B: Barrett, Baylor, Beckett, Beckham, Benicio, Bennett, Benson, Bentlee, Benton, Blaine, Blaise, Blaze, Bo, Bode, Bodie, Boone, Boston, Bowen, Braden, Braeden, Braiden, Branson, Brantlee, Brantley, Braydon, Braylen, Braylon, Brayson, Brecken, Brenden, Brennan, Brent, Brentley, Brett, Bridger, Briggs, Brixton, Brock, Bronson, Brooks, Bryant, Bryce, Brycen, Brysen, Bryson
  • C: Camden, Camdyn, Camilo, Camron, Canaan, Cannon, Carmelo, Case, Casen, Cash, Cason, Castiel, Cedric, Cesar, Chad, Chaim, Chance, Chandler, Channing, Clyde, Coleman, Collin, Colt, Colten, Conner, Corbin, Craig, Creed, Crew, Cristiano, Crosby, Cullen
  • D: Dakota, Dallas, Damari, Dane, Dangelo, Darian, Dariel, Dario, Darrell, Darwin, Dash, Davian, Davion, Davis, Dax, Daxton, Dayton, Deandre, Demetrius, Denver, Derek, Derrick, Desmond, Devin, Dimitri, Dominick, Dominique, Donald, Drake, Draven, Duke, Duncan, Dustin, Dwayne
  • E: Eason, Easton, Eduardo, Elian, Eliezer, Eliseo, Elisha, Emery, Emiliano, Emmet, Emmitt, Emory, Enoch, Enrique, Ephraim, Erick, Ernesto, Esteban, Eugene, Everett, Ezequiel
  • F: Felipe, Fernando, Finnegan, Fisher, Ford, Foster, Francisco
  • G: Gael, Gage, Gannon, Garrett, Gary, Gauge, Gavin, Gerardo, Giancarlo, Gianni, Gibson, Giovani, Gordon, Grady, Graham, Grant, Graysen, Grey, Greysen, Griffin, Guillermo, Gunnar, Gunner, Gustavo
  • H: Hank, Harold, Hayes, Henrik, Hezekiah, Holden, Houston, Howard
  • I: Ignacio, Iker, Immanuel, Ira, Isaias, Izaiah
  • J: Jabari, Jacoby, Jad, Jadiel, Jagger, Jairo, Jaime, Jair, Jalen, Jamar, Jamari, Jamarion, Jameson, Jamir, Jamison, Jasiah, Jase, Javier, Javion, Javon, Jaxen, Jaxton, Jayceon, Jaziel, Jedidiah, Jeffery, Jefferson, Jeffrey, Jeremias, Jericho, Jermaine, Jerome, Jerry, Jessie, Jesus, Joaquin, Johnathan, Jon, Jonathon, Jordy, Josue, Joziah, Juan, Judson, Julien, Julio, Julius, Justice, Justus
  • K: Kalel, Kamari, Kamden, Kamdyn, Kameron, Kannon, Kase, Kasen, Kash, Kashton, Kaysen, Keanu, Keenan, Keith, Kellan, Kellen, Kelvin, Kendall, Kingston, Knox, Koda, Kohen, Kolby, Kolten, Kolton, Konner, Konnor, Korbin, Kristopher, Kyler, Kymani, Kyree, Kyrie, Kyson
  • L: Lamar, Lance, Landen, Landon, Landry, Landyn, Lane, Langston, Larry, Layne, Leandro, Leif, Legend, Leonel, Leroy, Lionel, London, Luciano, Lyric
  • M: Mack, Madden, Maddux, Major, Makai, Malcolm, Marcelo, Marcos, Markus, Marquis, Marvin, Maurice, Mauricio, Maximiliano, Maximo, Maxton, Mayson, Mekhi, Melvin, Memphis, Merrick, Messiah, Micheal, Misael, Moises, Moshe
  • N: Nash, Nasir, Nehemiah, Neymar, Nickolas, Nikolai, Nixon, Noe
  • P: Pablo, Paxton, Peyton, Pierce, Porter, Princeton
  • Q: Quentin, Quincy, Quinton
  • R: Raiden, Ramiro, Ramon, Randy, Rayden, Raylan, Reed, Reese, Remington, Rene, Rey, Rhett, Ricky, Ridge, Roberto, Rodney, Rodrigo, Rogelio, Roger, Roland, Rolando, Ronin, Rowen, Roy, Royal, Royce, Russell, Ryker, Rylan, Ryland
  • S: Sage, Salvador, Salvatore, Santana, Santos, Sawyer, Seamus, Sergio, Shawn, Shepherd, Shiloh, Silas, Sincere, Skylar, Skyler, Sterling, Stetson, Steve, Sutton, Sylas
  • T: Tadeo, Talon, Tanner, Tatum, Terrance, Terrell, Terrence, Terry, Thaddeus, Thatcher, Titan, Titus, Trace, Trent, Trenton, Trevor, Trey, Tripp, Tristen, Tristian, Tucker, Turner, Ty
  • U: Ulises, Uriah, Uriel, Urijah
  • V: Valentin, Van, Vance, Vaughn, Vicente
  • W: Walker, Waylon, Wayne, Wesson, Westin, Westley, Weston, Wilder, Willie
  • X: Xzavier
  • Y: Yahir, Yehuda, Yisroel, Yosef
  • Z: Zaiden, Zaire, Zechariah, Zeke, Zyaire

Thoughts on these names?  Let me know in the comments!  I’ll post the girls’ names soon.

Analysis

Names in the English/Welsh Top 1000 that Aren’t in the United States Top 1000 (Boys)

Elizabeth2 Comments

Over the past few days I’ve been sifting through the new English and Welsh baby name data so I can compare to the U.S. list.  Mainly, I want to get a sense of what makes a more distinctly “British” or “American” name.  It’s also fun because there are so many names on the English and Welsh lists that I’ve never even heard before!

Although the U.S. is the only country that really advertises its top 1000 most popular baby names, England and Wales release enough data and reflect a large enough population that we can easily view their top 1000 too.  Yay! 

Here is a list of every boys’ name that appeared in the England and Welsh top 1000 for 2016 but *not* in the American top 1000.  

  • A: Aadam, Aahil, Aariz, Aaryan, Aayan, Abbas, Abdirahman, Abdul, Abdullahi, Abdulrahman, Abdurrahman, Abu, Abubakar, Abubakr, Addison,* Adem, Adil, Adnan, Adyan, Ahyan, Ajay, Alastair, Albi, Albie, Alby, Aleksander, Alessio, Alexandre, Alexandros, Alexandru, Alfie, Alfie-James, Amaan, Aman, Amar, Amin, Ammar, Anas, Andreas, Andrei, Aneurin, Angus, Antoni, Antony, Aran, Archibald, Archie, Arham, Ariyan, Arjan, Armaan, Arman, Arnie, Arnold, Aronas, Arran, Artur, Arun, Ashley,* Aston, Aubrey,* Ayan, Ayaz, Ayman, Ayrton, Ayub, Ayyub, Azaan
  • B: Bailey,* Baran, Barnaby, Barney, Bartosz, Baxter, Bear, Benas, Benedict, Benny, Bernard, Bertie, Bilal, Bobbie, Boris, Bowie, Brogan, Brooklyn, Bryn, Buddy, Buster
  • C: Caelan, Caiden, Caio, Calum, Caspar, Casper, Caspian, Charley, Che, Chester, Cian, Ciaran, Cillian, Coby, Cormac
  • D: Danielius, Daniyal, Danyal, Dawid, Dawood, Dawud, Deen, Denis, Deniz, Denny, Dev, Dhruv, Dilan, Dion, Domas, Dominykas, Dougie
  • E: Eben, Edmund, Eduard, Eesa, Eisa, Eliot, Elis, Elvis, Elwood, Emil, Emir, Emre, Emrys, Eoin, Eren, Ernie, Eryk, Esa, Eshaan, Eshan, Essa, Etienne, Euan, Ewan
  • F: Faizan, Farhan, Faris, Fergus, Filip, Finlay, Fionn, Francesco, Franciszek, Frankie,* Franky, Fraser, Frazer, Fred, Freddie, Freddy, Fredrick, Fynn
  • G: Gene, Georgie, Gerard, Gethin, Griff, Guy
  • H: Haaris, Hadi, Hadley,* Haider, Hamish, Hamzah, Hari, Haris, Harlow,* Haroon, Harri, Harlen, Harun, Hasan, Hashim, Hashir, Hasnain, Haydn, Henley,* Henri, Herbert, Herbie, Hubert, Huey, Hughie, Hussain, Huw, Huzaifa
  • I: Ianis, Ibraheem, Idrees, Idris, Iestyn, Ieuan, Igor, Ilyas, Imran, Ioan, Iosif, Isa, Ishaaq, Ishaq, Ismaeel, Ismail, Ivo, Ivor, Iwan
  • J: Jac, Jago, Jai, Jakub, Jamie,* Jan, Jaxx, Jaydan, Jaydon, Jeevan, Jenson, Jonny, Josef, Josh, Jovan
  • K: Kabir, Kacper, Kaelan, Kairo, Kaiser, Kajus, Kamil, Karam, Karol, Kasper, Kaya,* Kayan, Kaylan, Kaylen, Kenzie,* Keon, Keyaan, Kiaan, Kieron, Kit, Kiyan, Klay, Kobi, Kobie, Koby, Kodi, Konrad, Krystian, Krzysztof, Ksawery, Kuba, Kurtis, Kush, Kyan, Kyran, Kyron
  • L: Laith, Laurence, Lennie, Lenny, Leopold, Lewie, Leyton, Lloyd, Loki, Lorcan, Lowen, Lucien, Luqman
  • M: Maciej, Mackenzie,* Macsen, Mahdi, Mahir, Maksim, Maksymilian, Malachy, Manveer, Matas, Matei, Mateusz, Maxime, Maximillian, Mckenzie,* Md, Mehmet, Michal, Mikaeel, Mikail, Mikey, Mikolaj, Mohamad, Montague, Montgomery, Monty, Muhammed, Mylo
  • N: Natan, Nataniel, Nate, Ned, Neo, Niall, Niam, Nikita, Nikodem, Noa,* Nojus
  • O: Oisin, Olaf, Olivier, Oliwier, Ollie, Olly, Omer, Orson, Osian, Oskar, Osman, Owain, Owais
  • P: Paddy, Patryk, Percy, Piotr, Presley*
  • Q: Qasim
  • R: Raees, Rafe, Rafferty, Raheem, Raife, Raja, Ralphie, Ralphy, Ranveer, Rares, Rayaan, Rayyan, Reagan,* Reegan, Regan, Reggie, Rehan, Reign,* Remi, Rian, Richie, Rico, Ridwan, Riley-James, Rio, Rishi, Robbie, Robin, Rogan, Rome, Ronny, Roscoe, Roshan, Ross, Ruairi, Rudi, Rueben, Rufus, Rupert, Rylee,* Ryley
  • S: Safwan, Sai, Saif, Sahib, Sahil, Salman, Sami, Saxon, Seb, Sebastien, Shae, Shay, Shayan, Shayaan, Shea, Sheikh, Shiv, Sidney, Simeon, Sol, Stanislaw, Steffan, Subhaan, Subhan, Sufyan, Sulaiman, Sulayman, Sultan, Syed, Szymon
  • T: Taha, Talha, Taylan, Ted, Teddie, Teddy, Teo, Teodor, Theodor, Theon, Tiago, Tom, Tomasz, Tommy, Tommy-Lee, Tomos, Tudor, Tyler-James, Tymon, Tymoteusz, Tyrese
  • U: Umair, Umar, Usman, Uzair
  • V: Veer, Viktor, Vinnie, Vinny, Vlad
  • W: Waleed, Wiktor, Wilbur, Wilf, Wilfred, Wojciech, Woody
  • Y: Yanis, Yaqub, Yaseen, Yash, Yasin, Yasir, Youssef, Yousuf, Yunus, Yuvraj
  • Z: Zac, Zach, Zack, Zak, Zakaria, Zakariya, Zakariyah, Zakariyya, Zaki, Zayaan, Zayan, Zayd, Zayyan, Zephaniah, Zidan, Ziggy

*Asterisks follow names that are actually popular in the U.S. as girls’ names only (the purpose of this list is to sort out the differences between the boys’ lists).  Many of those names began as men’s names or surnames and have since shifted or flipped to the women’s side.  Additionally, Regan (although not currently in U.S. fashion) is a women’s name from Shakespeare, yet somehow she’s only popular as a boys’ name in her home country! 

Thoughts?  I’m going to post their American counterparts later, and hopefully I’ll have sorted the girls’ lists by the end of the week!

For this post, I compared Office for National Statistics data against Social Security Administration data.

American Names · Analysis · Modern names

Royalty-Inspired Baby Names

Elizabeth1 Comment

What is up with all the royalty-inspired baby names that are suddenly popular? For a country without a royal family or inherited aristocracy, it looks like Americans are obsessed! Royalty and Reign both debuted in the top 1000 in 2016, and other names like Royal, Prince, and Princess also rose in the charts.

Here is a list of not-so-traditional royal baby names American parents chose in 2016! Rare names are listed by number of uses, while popular names are listed by rank.

Tapisserie de Bayeux - Scène 1 : le roi Édouard le Confesseur
In 2016, King (#152) was a more popular name for baby boys than Edward (#163), a traditional royalty-inspired name.

Titles:

  • Emperor – 5 boys in 2016, down from 10.
  • Empress – 95 girls, up from 66. 
  • King – #152, up from #163. This is a common surname and fairly old-fashioned baby name. Before King‘s 2006 return to the top 1000, the name hadn’t appeared since 1964. 
  • Queen – 197 girls, up from 148.
  • Prince – #343, up from #388. This name has been rising for several years, but received a large boost from the mononymous singer’s death last year. 
  • Princess – #767, up from #999. Prince’s death might have caused the boost to Princess too. I’d also wager that a very few Princesses were named after Leia. 
  • Duke – #556, up from #602. Already rising, this is a name that makes people think of college sports, jazz, and John Wayne.
  • Duchess – 14 girls, up from 10 in 2015.
  • Marquis – #943, down from #927.
  • Earl – 109 boys, down from 128.
  • Baron – 134 boys, up from 133. Another spelling, Barron, rose because of Barron Trump. 

If you lived elsewhere in the English-speaking world, there’s a decent chance that most of these title names would be banned. Just look at New Zealand. Strangely, I don’t think the United Kingdom has titled name restrictions; in 2007, the BBC reported that the U.K. only prohibits offensive names. What’s more, the latest England/Wales data indicates that were 72 girls named Princess, 28 boys named Duke, and 20 boys named King.

Titles in other languages:

  • Kaiser – 202 boys, up from 140. German word for “emperor,” English word for a royally delicious sandwich roll. 5 girls also received this name in 2016, so I’d like to point out that the German word for “Empress” is “Kaiserin.”  Kaiserin could be a very pretty name, actually. Would you call her Kai, Erin, or by her full name?  Anyway, Kaiser should have been in the top 1000 but four other boys’ names were used 202 times and three of them preceded Kaiser in alphabetical order. We usually don’t rank names below the top 1000, but Kaiser currently ranks #1001.
  • Reina – #853, up from #954. Reina is Spanish for “queen.” Other variants are Reyna (#666, up from #711), Rayna (#675, up from #722), and Raina (#835, up from #926. I think Star Wars is at least partly responsible for the gains, since these names look and sound so close to “Rey.” However, Reyna, Rayna, and Raina also gained between 2014 and 2015 (but not Reina)…
  • Reine – 12 girls (up from 8 in 2015). French for “queen.” Other spellings Raine (97 girls and 10 boys) and Rayne (#941, +42 boys), along with the first reappearance of Lareine (6 girls – literally “the queen”) in the birth data since the early 1930s. Rayne reentered the top 1000 in 2015! This time, I think both Star Wars and the popularity of the name Reign (see below) are responsible.
  • Rex – #632, up from #681. Latin word for “king.”
  • Regina – #437, up from #517. Latin and Italian word for “queen.” This name is a classic and has never been out of the top 1000, though she’s rebounded in the last few years. I initially assumed ABC’s “Once Upon A Time” was the reason for the revival, but apparently the name started returning the year before the show started.
  • Rey – #868 (up from #904), 63 girls. Spanish word for “king.” Thanks to the popularity of the character from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2016 is the first year on record that Rey has been used as a girls’ name. It also rose as a boys’ name.
  • Raja – 13 boys, down from 15 boys and 9 girls. Sanskrit for “king.”
  • Contessa – 16 girls, down from 17. Italian for “countess.”
  • Sultan – 97 boys, up from 69. Arabic for “king.”
  • Marquise – 110 boys, down from 136. Although Marquise is a feminine word in French, the name is strictly masculine.

Garments:

  • Crown – 6 boys. Data debut!
  • Tiara – 108 girls, down from 112.
  • Taj – 163 boys and 11 girls, down from 200 and 18. Taj means “crown” in Arabic.

Palaces or Castles:

  • Kensington – 261 girls and 12 boys. Kensington ranked #962 in 2015, but surprisingly fell out of the top 1000 in 2016.
  • Windsor – 35 girls and 14 boys, up from 32 girls and 11 boys in 2015.   
  • Versailles – 5 uses; data debut! As far as we know, this name was never used (i.e., wasn’t a name) before 2016. The show Versailles might be the influencing factor.

Miscellany:

  • Royalty – #532, 39 boys.  Celebrity baby name! Chris Brown has a daughter Royalty, who was born in 2015. Later that same year, he named an album after her. 
  • Royal – #460 for boys, #628 for girls. Royal is a top 100 girls’ name in Washington D.C.   
  • Reign – #829, 158 boys.  Top 1000 debut! From what I can tell, most of the namesakes coming from celebrity babies are boys! This includes a Kardashian kid born in late 2014. When I’ve seen Reign for girls, it always seems to be a middle name. There’s also a TV show called “Reign” about Mary, Queen of Scots.
  • Sovereign – 9 boys (up from 7), 7 girls (reentry). Sovereign is rightly unisex, since both kings and queens can rule in their own right. 
  • Noble – 140 boys, 15 girls. Noble was a top 1000 boys’ name until 1954.
  • Jubilee – 223 girls. A jubilee is a kind of anniversary celebration that usually refers to royalty. 2017 is the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s sapphire jubilee (65 years on the throne). 
  • Castle – 15 boys, down from 27. Are they named after the TV show?
  • Kingdom – 28 boys, up from 16 in 2015. 
  • Majesty – 136 girls (up from 91) and 44 (up from 33).
  • Yamajesty – 5 boys (in 2016 and 2015). Not “Your majesty,” but his sarcastic brother.
  • Sirking – 6 boys in 2016. (doesn’t appear in 2015 data). Between Yamajesty and Sirking, I can tell you this is definitely *not* how you address a royal.

Of course, you can always go with the traditional method of naming after royalty – using their names! Which style do you prefer?

Ultimately, I don’t think Americans are suddenly royalty-crazy…at least, not anymore than we already are. I think this “trend” is serendipity; several factors converged in 2015 to give these names some serious appeal for 2016. The question is: will these names continue to rise in 2017 or is this a curious blip? What do you think?

American Names · Analysis

Overview of the Top 100 Baby Names, 2016 Edition

ElizabethLeave a comment

Now that I’m finally getting a chance to examine the new data more thoroughly, here is an overview of the Top 100 baby names, 2016 edition!  I’m so happy they’re here. 🙂

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Visualization of the 2016 Top 100.  The bigger the name, the more popular it is!

New to the top 100:

  • Adeline, Luna, Kinsley, Elena, Eliana, Willow
  • Bryson, Leonardo, Greyson, Roman

Left the top 100:

  • Ashley, Isabelle, Annabelle, Alexandra, Alyssa, Alexis
  • Nathaniel, Kayden, Ryder, Blake

Apparently due to data adjustment, Khloe is not only out of the 2016 top 100 but for 2015 too.  I predicted she’d leave, but not like this!

Also, that’s a lot of ‘A’ names that just left.  Every generation seems to have its trendy letters; did we just witness the start of another ‘A’ decline?   

Positive rank changes give us good sense of a name’s popularity, which is a comparative measure.  Here are the names that rose in the charts via rank:

  • Bryson (+40; new), Mateo (+26), Leo (+17), Lincoln (+16), Theodore (+16), Greyson (+15; new), Owen (+13), Easton (+12), Asher (+11) Sebastian (+11), Grayson (+10), Carson (+8), Leonardo (+ 8; new), Elias (+7), Ezra (+7), Henry (+7), Oliver (+7), Julian (+6), Nolan (+6), Benjamin (+4), Hudson (+4), Roman (+4; new), Aaron (+3), Jaxon (+3), Jose (+3), Thomas (+3), Elijah (+2), Isaiah (+2), Jack (+2), James (+2), Jason (+2), Jaxson (+2), Josiah (+2), Lucas (+2), Samuel (+2) William (+2), Xavier (+2), Connor (+1), Eli (+1), Joseph (+1), Michael (+1), Robert (+1), Wyatt (+1)
  • Adeline (+72; new), Luna (+33; new), Kinsley (+27; new), Eleanor (+19), Quinn (+18), Willow (+16; new), Riley (+13), Ruby (+12), Elena (+12; new), Hazel (+11), Camila (+10), Alice (+10), Claire (+9), Eliana (+9; new), Penelope (+7), Genesis (+7), Aria (+6), Stella (+6), Caroline (+6), Nora (+5), Mila (+5), Scarlett (+4), Ellie (+4), Maya (+4), Autumn (+4), Gianna (+4), Evelyn (+3), Violet (+3), Charlotte (+2), Eva (+2), Naomi (+2), Reagan (+2), Ava (+1), Amelia (+1), Ella (+1), Lily (+1), Skylar (+1), Sarah (+1), Cora (+1), Julia (+1)

Here are the negative rank changes, or the names that became less popular in 2016:

  • Brandon (-16), Parker (-15), Chase (-12), Gavin (-10), Kevin (-10), Tyler – 10, Colton – 9, Jonathan (-8), Jayden (-7), Caleb (-7), Landon (-7), Jordan (-7), Bentley (-7), Angel (-6), Anthony (-5), Dylan (-5), Nathan (-5), Ayden (-5), Ethan (-4), Logan (-4), Andrew (-4), Christopher (-4), Hunter (-4), Jeremiah (-4), Dominic (-4), Austin (-4), Jacob (-3), Aiden (-3), Alexander (-3), Gabriel (-3), Christian (-3), Brayden (-3), Sawyer (-3), Carter (-2), John (-2), Joshua (-2), Adrian (-2), Evan (-2), Adam (-2), Ian (-2), Cooper (-2), Zachary (-2), Mason (-1), Daniel (-1), David (-1), Luke (-1), Ryan (-1), Charles (-1), Cameron (-1), Nicholas (-1), Jace (-1)
  • Alexa (-18), Kylie (-17), Brianna (-16), Arianna (-13), Mackenzie (-12), Taylor (-12), Allison (-10), Faith (-9), Kaylee (-9), Peyton (-9), Ariana (-8), Sadie (-8), Anna (-7), Gabriella (-7), Katherine (-6), Aaliyah (-5), Addison (-5), Aubree (-5), Hannah (-5), Nevaeh (-5), Aubrey (-4), Bella (-4), Hailey (-4), Madison (-4), Natalie (-4), Samantha (-4), Brooklyn (-3), Chloe (-3), Madelyn (-3), Zoey (-3), Audrey (-2), Kennedy (-2), Lillian (-2), Zoe (-2), Abigail (-1), Clara (-1), Emily (-1), Leah (-1), Madeline (-1), Melanie (-1), Paisley (-1), Serenity (-1), Sophia (-1), Victoria (-1)

No rank change.  Consider these names steady (or a safe choice) for now:

  • Noah, Liam, Matthew, Jackson, Isaac, Levi
  • Emma, Olivia, Isabella, Mia, Harper, Elizabeth, Sofia, Avery, Grace, Layla, Savannah, Lucy, Piper, Lydia, Vivian

Next, I’ve looked at the raw usage for names.  Increasingly, I view raw usage as one way to measure how trendy names are.  It may also reflect a declining birth rate or diversifying pool of names.  To sort out attrition and distinguish the names that are indeed very trendy or not at all, I’m listing the names that went up or down at least 500 uses.

Biggest gains (+500 or more) in decreasing order:

  • Adeline*, Charlotte, Riley, Ava, Amelia, Luna*, Camila, Evelyn, Eleanor, Scarlett, Kinsley*, Quinn, Aria
  • Mateo, Oliver, Bryson*, Lincoln, Benjamin, Grayson, Theodore, Greyson, Leo, Owen, Sebastian, Lucas, Ezra

The asterisk (*) indicates that a name is new to the top 100.

Biggest losses (500 or more) in decreasing order:

  • Sophia, Alexa, Madison, Emma, Aubrey, Isabella, Emily, Kylie, Ashley (left top 100), Abigail, Arianna, Avery, Allison, Alyssa (left top 100), Kaylee, Sofia, Zoey, Mia
  • Logan, Jacob, Jayden, Mason, Ethan, Aiden, Alexander, Brandon, Blake (left top 100), Landon, Caleb, Gavin, Anthony, Christopher, Andrew, David, Parker, Colton, Hunter, Gabriel, Jonathan, Kevin, Tyler, Jordan, Nathan, Joshua, Carter, Daniel, Joseph, Dylan, Jackson, Christian, Noah, Brayden, Angel, Chase, Nicholas

Comments on the falling names:

  • The huge fall of the names Alexa, Alexis, and Alexander probably relates to the confusion surrounding the Alexa device.
  • When names like Emma or Sophia lose a lot of usage, it doesn’t always mean much rank-wise.  This year a lot of names grew more popular only because all the names around them experienced comparatively greater usage loss.
  • A huge usage drop is more significant for Brandon at the bottom of the top 100 than the #1 name Noah. 

Questions?  Favorite names?  Are you surprised by anything?  Let me know in the comments! 

American Names · Analysis

They’re Here! The Top 10 Baby Names of 2016

ElizabethLeave a comment

Top 10 Baby Names of 2016.png
The Top 10 Baby Names of 2016

At around 9:15 AM, the Social Security Administration updated their website and released the data for the most popular baby names of 2016!  Believe me when I say that waiting for their arrival was more intense than being a kid and waking up on Christmas to see what Santa brought.  I’m so glad they’re here!!!

I’m also pleased to find out how on or off the mark my predictions were.  You can read and compare those here.

The 10 most popular baby girls’ names of 2016:

  1. Emma (0 rank change; usage fell)
  2. Olivia (0 change; usage fell)
  3. Ava (+1 rank change; usage fell)
  4. Sophia (-1 rank change; usage fell)
  5. Isabella (0 change; usage fell)
  6. Mia (0 change; usage fell)
  7. Charlotte (+2 change; usage rose)
  8. Abigail (-1 change; usage fell)
  9. Emily (-1 change; usage fell)
  10. Harper (0 change; usage rose)

The top 10 most popular baby boys’ names of 2016:

  1. Noah (0 rank change; usage fell)
  2. Liam (0 rank change; usage fell)
  3. William (+2 rank change; usage fell)
  4. Mason (-1 rank change; usage fell)
  5. James (+2 rank change; usage rose very slightly)
  6. Benjamin (+4 rank change; usage rose)
  7. Jacob (-3 rank change; usage fell)
  8. Michael (+1 rank change; usage fell)
  9. Elijah (new, +2 rank change; usage rose)
  10. Ethan (-4 rank change; usage fell)

The only name that left the top 10 for either gender was Alexander…wow.  I honestly thought it would be Michael!  Perhaps more surprising is that nothing entered or left the girls’ list.  That, and the boys’ top 10 is unusually volatile this year. 

The only names that rose usage-wise were Charlotte, Harper, Benjamin, Elijah, and James!  Everyone else fell, even if their ranks rose.

What are your favorite names in the top 10?  Let me know in the comments!  In the meantime, check back later for info on the top 100, top 1000, and beyond!

American Names · Opinions

Predictions: The Top 1000 Baby Names of 2016

Elizabeth3 Comments

In less than 12 hours, we’ll find out the most popular American baby names of 2016!  Here are my predictions for the names entering and leaving the top 1000, mostly based on what names are rising and falling near the threshold.  You can also read my top 10 and top 100 predictions.  Tomorrow, we’ll see how many of these actually appear or disappear!  

Here are the names I think will enter the top 1000:

  • Boys: Wesson, Alistair, Alaric, Harris, Taj, Keanu, Ira, Danilo, Fox, Koda, Zamir, Gatlin, Dashiell, Kabir
  • Girls: Octavia, Theresa, Tinsley, Mavis, Antonella, Raylee, Akira, Robin, Diya, Charleston, Amora, Aadhya, Harleigh, Kaylani, Maddie, Evalynn, Etta, Winnie, Sailor, Reign, Royalty

The following names compose my “maybe” list:

  • Boys: Harlem, Brysen, Kooper, Rayyan, Yaakov, Isai, Westley, Shmuel, Zyaire, Mccoy, Tadeo, Ahmir, Zayd, Aston, Greysen, Hollis, Reynaldo, Colson, Jad, Lian, Finnian, Koa, Ansel, Thorin, Benedict, Simeon, Kaiser, Kylo
  • Girls: Winnie, India, Regan, Poppy, Ellery, Amayah, Robyn, Chandler, Elina, Araceli (?), Ramona, Spencer, Ailyn, Marian, Scout, Opal, Maisy, Jubilee, Addalynn (?), Loretta, Baylor, Novalee, Ailani, Bexley, Denver, Vada, Louise

Here are the names I think will exit:

  • Boys: Deshawn, Jaydon, Gilbert, Marquis, Keenan, Jayvion, Chevy, Kaeden, Jordyn, Jamarion, Aydan, Anton, Triston, Gibson, Alfred, Jessie, Ishaan, Ulises, Brenden, Neymar
  • Girls: Kaitlynn, Libby, Janiya, Denise, Mariyah, Sharon, Lilyanna, Emmalee, Heather, Cherish, Dixie, Wendy, Aranza, Elin, Halle, Nataly, Kiley, Kenya, Jasmin, Sariah, Kayden, Anabella, Caylee, Montserrat, Anabelle, Aryanna, Annabel, Jenny, Natalee, Sidney

Might also leave:

  • Boys: Truman, Jovani, Ernest, Davin, Rolando, Seamus, Rashad, Agustin, Steve, Darrell, Markus, Javon, Zackary
  • Girls: Tegan, Stevie, Aubriella, Aubrianna, Jocelynn, America, Kimora, Hadleigh, Ellison, Alissa, Saniyah, Susan, Aliya, Briley, Aimee, Asia, Kristen, Giana, Ally, Rylan, Emilie, Lindsay, Maleah, Kathleen, Lexie, Danica, Kailyn, Elsa

Remember, these are just predictions!  Tomorrow I could find out that I’m nowhere close.  That’s okay!  There are always wildcards, and I really just write my predictions for fun.

 

American Names · Analysis · Opinions

Top 10 Baby Name Predictions

Elizabeth4 Comments

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The Top 10 baby names of 2015.  What will they be in 2016? 

With the Social Security Administration releasing the 2016 data set so soon (Friday, May 12th), I’d like to cast my baby name predictions into the cauldron!  Let’s start with the top 10, since those are the most popular and the ones you’re most likely to encounter.  I will post my top 100 and top 1000 predictions later.

The top 10 girls’ names of 2015 were:

  1. Emma (0 rank change; -444 uses; 20355 total uses)
  2. Olivia (0; -121 uses; 19533 total)
  3. Sophia (0; -1163 uses; 17327 total)
  4. Ava (+1 rank; +700 uses; 16286 total)
  5. Isabella (-1 rank; -1446 uses; 15504 total)
  6. Mia (0; +1378 uses; 14820 total)
  7. Abigail (+1; +326 uses; 12311 total)
  8. Emily (-1; -835 uses; 11727 total)
  9. Charlotte (+1; +1284 uses; 11332 total)
  10. Harper (new, +1; +677 uses; 10241 total))

And the top 10 boys’ names in 2015 were:

  1. Noah (0 rank change; +367 uses; 19511 total uses)
  2. Liam (0; -61 uses; 18281 total)
  3. Mason (0; -557 uses; 16535 total)
  4. Jacob (0; -896 uses; 15816 total)
  5. William (0; -878 uses; 15809 total)
  6. Ethan (0; -628 uses; 14991 total)
  7. James (+2; +404 uses; 14705 total)
  8. Alexander (0; -883 uses; 14460 total)
  9. Michael (-2; -1002 uses; 14321 total)
  10. Benjamin (new, +2; -79 uses; 13608 total)

You might have noticed that many names that became less common experienced no rank change, and that some names either ranked up despite a drop in the total or stayed put despite a major usage increase.  The top of the charts are are staid and insensitive.  Rank changes in this range often occur because one name falls faster than another. 

Because a large rise or drop in the top 10 means little for rank change, it’s helpful to employ context clues in predictions.  You simply can’t look at the stats for one name, because if one takes off then similar names grow alongside it.  The inverse is probably true too – if a very popular name falls then its relatives will also.

Emma might stay #1, but I’m starting to think Olivia will be 2016’s Queen of the Baby Names.  Emma offshoots like Emmalee and Emmaline are falling in popularity – if a very popular name falls then its relatives will also.  Emmalynn is rising, but that is likely helped by the extreme trendiness and growing popularity of other -Lynn names.  Furthermore, the raw usage numbers tell us that Emma fell a little faster than Olivia did between 2014 and 2015.  Other reasons I think Olivia will be #1 are 1) the meteoric rise of Oliver and 2) the rise of Olive.  On the other hand…Olivia‘s alternative spellings (Olyvia, Alivia…) are becoming less popular

Noah will likely continue his reign as King of the Baby Names in 2016.  Noah was one of only two boys’ names in the 2015 top 10 to make usage gains (the other was James).  Liam receives all the hype, but I’d like to point out something I think is seriously overlooked – in the state of California, Liam ranks nowhere near #1.  Last year I researched naming at the state level and discovered that if a name is in California’s top 100, it’s automatically in the national top 1000.  Liam certainly is popular in Cali (apparently he’s even #2 in San Diego, where 2016 stats are already available), but not quite enough to unseat Noah.  Of course, we’ll find out for sure on Friday!

After predicting the #1 names, the next important question asks which names will leave the top 10.  In 2015, Harper and Benjamin replaced Madison and Daniel.  Michael will probably leave the top 10 this time around, and Emily is his likely female counterpart.  Alexander also looks like a possibility.  The next question: what will replace them?

Amelia (current rank #12) is Emily‘s probable replacement.  She’s a fast riser and the #1 name in England and Wales, plus similar-sounding Emilia also rises.  In the unlikely case that another spot opens up in the girls’ top 10, I nominate Elizabeth (perennially popular, rising, + Netflix’s “The Crown”) and Evelyn (trendy, rising) as back-up dancers.   I have a harder time figuring out the supplanter among the boys (unless you want to talk about James or Jacob, which actually mean “supplanter!”).  I’ve had Elijah on my shortlist for a while, but he may simply stay #11 or #12; he’s my conservative guess.  Oliver jumped very high between 2014 and 2015 (gained +13 rank, +2227 usage for a total of 11592), but he won’t necessarily enjoy that same level of momentum between the 2015 and 2016 sets.  Aiden rose a little in 2015, but rhyming names like Jayden, Brayden, and Kayden fell.  I nominate Lucas (current rank #16) as a wildcard because of new Star Wars movies and “Stranger Things.”

Thus, my prediction lists:

Girls

  1. Olivia
  2. Emma
  3. Ava
  4. Sophia or Mia
  5. Mia or Sophia
  6. Isabella
  7. Charlotte
  8. Abigail – Theoretically, Abigail would be pushed downwards by other names even her usage increases.
  9. Harper
  10. Amelia

Boys

  1. Noah
  2. Liam
  3. Mason
  4. James
  5. William
  6. Jacob
  7. Ethan
  8. Benjamin
  9. Alexander
  10. Elijah or Oliver

These predictions aren’t an exact science.  We can’t determine exactly what will happen, only what might happen.  There are always those names you are so sure will be the next big thing, and then they simply fall short!  I can already tell you a few of the names on the prediction lists will be out of order, and the #1 names could actually end up being Emma and Liam.  The fun and anticipation are enough for me – it reminds me of trying to predict the plot of an upcoming Harry Potter book!

Thoughts?  Check back in a few days for the official list!  And, you know…to see how strong my predictions are.