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baby name trends

@mannybuckley/TikTok, Photo credit: Canva

Someone finally said what we're all thinking.

Listen, baby name trends come and go. What was once a hip and cool name will eventually be seen as passé (this coming from someone with a name that is now obsolete, apparently), and names once thought of as old-fashioned will absolutely become cool again. It’s part of the circle of life, like the tides, the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun…accept it.

In fact, this comeback is already happening. According to the Social Security Administration, vintage names like Theodore, Henry, Willam, Charlotte, Evelyn, and Emma are among the top ten most popular baby names of the moment. Jimmy Fallon’s daughters are named Winnie and Frances, for crying out loud.

However, just because there’s been an uptick in names that harken you back to a time when “good show, old sport” was a common phrase, not everyone is on board. Recently, content creator Manny Buckley hilariously put into words what many of us think of these WWII-era names.

In a clip posted to his TikTok, Buckley first savagely said, “Y’all went from naming all y’all’s kids Jayden, Cayden, and Aiden, Madison, Addison, and Addylyn to giving them all old people names.” He then recounted being on a train and hearing another call after her toddler, whose name was George.

“Ma’am. George is a mechanic in his 60s and he can’t work on your car this week because his sugars is running high.” Where’s the lie?

@mannybuckley

What is this cycle of naming kids!? #names #naming #name

 

He didn’t stop there, going on a lighthearted rant about the types of images certain now-popular names actually evoke, like Agnes (a “Florida retiree in her 70s who cannot leave the retirement home”), Ira (an “80 year old Jewish man”), Belinda (a “registered nurse who has been working in the field for 50 years”), and Clifford (a 85-year-old navy vet who needs “all y'all to be quiet”). Nary a kid sounding name in sight, if you ask him.

 babies, baby names, funny baby names, kids on rug, blockls A group of toddlers in preschool.via Canva/Photos

Although the video was clearly just a lighthearted jab, a few adults commented to defend the use of vintage names.

“We aren’t naming babies. We’re naming people,” one top comment wrote, while another seconded, “Exactly! Some people don’t realize this. They are kids for a very short period of time, then they are adults.”

Still, another quipped, “yeah, but they aren’t senior citizens forever either!” Another wrote “I’m Martha…I’ve been 80 since the first grade.”

A few others, particularly teachers, chimed in with their own equally funny experience of kids having old fashioned names.

I am a kindergarten teacher. I have Marjorie and Brenda. It’s like a 1950’s secretarial pool.

I have kindergarteners named Edyth, Arthur, and Iris. They’re going to form a knitting club at recess.”

“My nephew is Charles lmao and he may only be 2.5, but he is the school maintenance and everyone call uncle.”

“We have Matilda and Cordelia, 4 and 2, shelling beans on the porch. Their nicknames are just as old as Tilly and Della. I love them, though.”

 babies, baby names, newbors, diapers, old-fashioned names Two babies in diapers.via Canva/Photos

Some of the names that Manny called out may sound humorous, but the trend of using old-fashioned names is real. The Social Security Administration recently announced a list of old-fashioned names that have been making a comeback in the last year. Some of the biggest climbers were Rocky, Marjorie, Heath, Aabner, Lettie, Benny, Micah, Salome, and Carlo.

And there you have it, folks. We have indeed come full circle. But is it any weirder than the thought of someone calling their Grandma Brittany? I think not.

This article originally appeared in February.

A Gen X woman confronting her age.

It’s impossible to give someone a timeless name unless you choose one with a religious connotation that people will also return to, no matter how popular, such as Mohammed or John. So, unless your parents think of something out of the box, your name will probably be identified with your generation.

It’s hard to escape the fact that once rare names become popular for about 15 years, until they are so ubiquitous that people tire of them, and then they drop in popularity pretty rapidly. If you look at this baby name visualizer, it’s easy to see this simple, repeatable trend.

If you look at the name Jennifer, you’ll see it began to become popular in the late '60s, peaking in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, and then steeply declining. Hence, when people hear the name Jennifer, they assume you’re a Gen Xer (1965 to 1980).

baby names, jennifer popularity, baby name visualizer, jetpack ai, trendsThe historic popularity of the name Jennifer. via Baby Name Visualizer

Brian, another Gen X name, has a similar trajectory as Jennifer. One wonders how many Brians and Jennifers got married in the early 2000s?

baby names, brian popularity, baby name visualizer, jetpack ai, trendsThe historic popularity of the name Brian. via Baby Name Visualizer

Kelley Cole, a registered remote nurse, had a harsh realization recently when talking to some younger people at work. Her name and the girls she grew up with are now seen as old people's names by teens. “I was told my name was an old lady's name by the teenagers on the adolescent unit I was working on,” she begins her video. “I was surprised, so the subject came up of what names are old lady names versus young names.”


@kelleykelleykelley

#oldladynames #names #girlnames #babynames #popularnames #trendynames #genx #millennial #genxnames

Here’s a list of names the Gen Z kids think are for “old ladies.”

Ashley

Amanda

Jessica

Stephanie

Jennifer

Christy

Tracey

Stacey

Amy

Crystal

Kelly

Lisa

Jordan

Michelle

Shelley

Laura

Lori

Cathy

Tammy

Heather

Angela/Angie

gen x, old lady names, grandma names, old people names, baby namesGen X woman looks at her laptop.via Canva/Photos

Here’s a list of names that the Gen Z kids think are “young people's” names:

Bella

Isabelle

Olivia

Olive

Ava

Eden

Emma

Abigail/Abby

Ella

Gracie

Zoë

Rose

happy young woman, happy teen, brunette woman, smile, woman touching faceA woman with black hair smiling. via Canva/Photos

The funny thing is that the so-called “young people's” names are all part of a trend where people began giving their children older names. “I feel like all the ‘young girl’ names were on the Titanic,” Jennifer (probably a Gen Xer) wrote in the comments. “They're not wrong because we ain't young anymore, but the young ones have great-grandma names,” Tikitinax added.


But some people couldn’t deny that the Gen Z kids were pretty spot on in their list. It reads like a roll call for children in the second grade in 1985. "I'm 42, and you just listed every girl I went to high school with. Kids nailed it," Dave wrote. "Hey! All those 'old lady names' are my friends! What the heck," Schmack wrote.

If your name got filed onto the “old lady” list, it may sting a bit, but it's just part of the natural baby name cycle. Today’s cute baby name is tomorrow’s PTA president, and future Medicare recipient. The good news is that even though Ava and Zoë may be laughing now, in just a few years, they’ll find themselves on the “old lady” list, too.

Family

Husband calls wife's idea for their baby's name 'abusive', and other parents agree

“Some traditions reach the point where they are no longer suitable for modern times. This is 100% that time."

A couple fighting

When it comes to parenting, the second most important decision—after whether to have a child or not—is choosing a name for the kid.

Even though we live in times where parents are getting more and more creative about picking a name for their children, those with a more common name have a greater chance of being socially accepted than those without. According to Psychology Today, grade-school kids with highly unusual names or names with negative associations tend to be “less popular” than those with more “desirable” names. Later in life, people with “unpopular or unattractive” names have more difficulty finding romantic partners.

A 23-year-old mother-to-be wanted to name her son Gaylord, which arguably falls under the more "unusual" category. While she had her family's full, passionate support, her husband, 24, and his side of the family were firmly against the idea. Seeking validation, the woman posted about the dilemma on Reddit's AITA forum.

“In my family, our genealogy is extremely important. The firstborn son since the 1800's has been given this name. I'm well aware it's a stigmatized name today, so that's why I have agreed to using a short form,” the woman wrote.

Understanding that her son would be bullied for being called Gaylord, she decided that it would be his legal first name, but could go by Gail. Her family believed that it would be acceptable for him to be known as Gail initially, and could transition to being called Gaylord when he gets older and society grew more tolerant, hopefully.

“They see the backlash over the name today as a fad that will eventually disappear, and I agree seeing how accepting each generation tends to become,” she continued. “When society stops being so immature about it, he can start using the full name.”

However, the father wouldn’t even consider naming his son Gaylord, or Gail, for that matter. His family went a step further and said that naming him Gaylord or Gail would be “abusive.”

"My in-laws are telling me that even Gail isn't an acceptable boy's name and that I need to 'get with the times' and choose something more appropriate," she continued. “What happened to respecting our elders and traditions? His family doesn't have any naming traditions, so it should fall to my family that does. How could I be expected to break a centuries-old family tradition?”

The commenters were overwhelmingly against the mother’s decision.

"Use your imagination. A boy named Gaylord goes to his first day of school. The teacher does the roll call. ‘GAYLORD SMITH?’ Class breaks into giggles. Embarrassed boy says, ‘It's Gail.’ Class giggles some more, since Gail is usually a girl's name. Boy has no chance of fitting in with his classmates. His fate is sealed. He is a social pariah for life. Don't do this to him. Please,” one user wrote.

"Your name is the first thing people know about you. It’s the cover page of how people perceive you. Even if you think Gaylord will just appear on the birth certificate, you’re wrong. His legal name will have to be used on official documents, at school, on his license and passport. It will appear at the top of every resume he hands out. It’s not as simple as putting a name on paper. It’s how he is going to appear to the whole world. Gaylord is totally stigmatized and has been for decades. It’s not going away, sorry." another added.

“Some traditions reach the point where they are no longer suitable for modern times. This is 100% that time. Pick another name," another person wrote.

After the post went viral, the mother shared that both sides of the family have tentatively agreed on a name.

“We managed to work out that Gale Gaylord would be a reasonable compromise, with Gale being the complete first name, and Gaylord being the middle name,” the woman wrote. “My husband can then add a second middle name after Gaylord if he wants. Grandpa is especially not impressed that it's being demoted to a middle name, but he did say he understands the pressure I'm facing here.”

Whether or not you think this name decision is a good one, we can all agree that there are so many factors to consider when choosing a name. Hopefully parents can manage all those while still enjoying the process.

This article originally appeared last year.

The change was honestly soooo much better.

For the most part, parents do their best to come up with a baby name that will serve their child for years to come. Even with the best of intentions and meticulous planning, however, that chosen name can feel a bit off once the baby actually makes themself known in the world.

When this happens, parents are left with a choice—changing the name, or sticking with it in hopes that somehow, someway, it’ll eventually make sense. For mom Jen Hamilton, the right choice was painfully obvious.

In a hilarious clip posted to her TikTok, Hamilton recalls being pregnant with her second son, and thinking that he’d be as “outdoorsy” as her husband and first son.

“Surely this child will have the soul of a river rafting tour guide,” she quips, saying that after scouring Pinterest for apropos boy baby names, she settled on Aspen.

man carrying canoeAn outdoorsy name for a sure-to-be outdoorsy boy.Photo credit: Canva

She would come to find out that “Aspen is a super cool name…for someone else.” Because in a little over a year, Aspen grew into a little boy who “gets carsick in the Chick-fil-A drive-thru,” “gags at the thought of a blueberry,” and prefers “air conditioning and sitting down.” Not to mention that he prefers being held in mama’s arms and touching her “comfort mole” to having a blanket or stuffed animal.

While Aspen didn’t exactly give off the adventurous spirit Hamilton expected, his sweetness made him a “little light,” she explains. Which led her to the name Luke, meaning, of course, “light.” Even though the name felt like a much better fit, Hamilton was hesitant to make a legal change, since it was a bit unconventional.

Still, after getting encouragement from her sister, Hamilton then pitched the idea to her husband, and thus Aspen was renamed Luke.

“He may never guide river rafting tours, but he will for sure be in a very comfortable location, being just as sweet as he can be.”

 
 @_jen_hamilton_ Did you know you could do this?
 ♬ original sound - Jen Hamilton 
 
 

As many noted in the comments, it’s hard not to think that Luke really is a better match, even visually speaking.

“He actually looks like a Luke” one person wrote.

It’s the open lightheartedness and ease with which Hamilton shares the story that really make it impactful. A good amount of moms do feel regret over the name they chose for their baby specifically because it doesn't authentically reflect the personality that develops. Which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, around the world, other cultures might wait until a year to bestow a name unto their kiddo.

Indian Maharashtrian baby naming ceremony event.Indian Maharashtrian baby naming ceremony event.Photo credit: Canva

Point being: it’s natural to not accurately predict exactly what your child will be like before they even come into this world. If you are experiencing name regret, there’s nothing wrong with making a change. Who knows, your kid might thank you for it years down the line. Or maybe they find a new name altogether, thus eradicating all the time and energy you put in. That does kind of come with raising a human. But it’s all an important part of your parenting journey.