There was a time when baby names in the United States stayed fairly static from year to year. A relatively small group of names dominated the popularity charts for both boys and girls, and it could take a decade or more for a name to fall into or out of favor.
Not anymore. Today, while the top 20 or so names in the U.S. are still mega hits, there are hundreds more names that come in and out of fashion every few years. Some of them become popular enough that they really catch on with the name-seeking public (usually prospective parents!) and become the new star names of the day.
For 2011, what names are hot, what names are cooling, and what are the up-and-coming names for the year?
For girls, the classic, feminine names, ending in a soft vowel sound, seem well-entrenched right now. Of the top five girls names in 2010, all five end in the letter “A”!
- Isabella
- Emma
- Olivia
- Sophia
- Ava
But there are some other names – less classic perhaps, and not so feminine – that are showing signs of increasing popularity. The name Addison, for example, ranked number 12 last year, looks poised to break into the top 5 in 2011 based on how quickly it moved up the charts in the past few years.
The name Peyton, although sitting at number 28, moved up almost 20 places last year, and is a strong contender for at least breaking into the top ten. Leah is another name that has been moving quickly, and should certainly be a top 20 name for 2011. And possibly the fastest mover of all is the name Khloe, which has moved up almost 900 places to number 95 in just three years! Khloe is a rocketship of a name right now, and it would not be a surprise to see her in the top ten by the end of this year.
Over on the boys’ side of things, the top five names last year were all fairly traditional.
- Jacob
- Ethan
- Michael
- Alexander
- William
While four of the top five will probably remain static in 2011, the name Jayden, which has been a trendsetter for several years, looks like a good bet to break into the top three boys’ names. If it does so, it will obviously be a different sort of name than the rest of the top five, and it will be there at the expense of the traditional, but uncool Michael, which may tumble out of the top three for the first time in 50 years!
Liam is another name likely to increase its fan base in 2011, having shot up 500 places since the mid-90s. Not far behind Liam will be the name Carter, another rising star over the last decade. Finally, Noah looks like a good bet to complete its steady rise, with a possible break into the top five boys’ names in the U.S. in 2011.
On the downside for boys, expect to see old standbys like Michael and Kevin losing ground. Even some recently hot names, like Justin and Brandon, are starting to show signs of wear. The lifecycle of popularity can be short for today’s baby names!
If you want to avoid this year’s trendy names rush, then take a look at the more classic names that are out there. Many of these names, like Anthony, Christopher, or Benjamin for boys, or Elizabeth, Grace, and Sarah for girls, are less flashy, but possess more long-term appeal than many of the trendy names of the day.
Neil Street writes a daily names column on The Names Blog, part of the Baby Names Garden website.