"Naming your son Maverick definitely doesn't make you an outlaw."
May 21, 2023 9:39 AM Subscribe
Fastest-rising baby names in the US, 2012-2022 (chart from Axios, data from SSA) Biggest gain: Everleigh. Biggest drop: Alexa
I'd like to note that fasting rising is not the most popular, just the largest change. Smaller, less popular names will rise quicker than the more popular names. For instance Maverick had just 6,978 named that out of like 1.8 million baby boys born. The most popular names are the old standard boring ones like Olivia, Emma, Charlotte, Noah, Liam, and Oliver.
posted by jmauro at 10:02 AM on May 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by jmauro at 10:02 AM on May 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
When I was a kid (born 1965) in the US midwest, Noah, Liam and Oliver would have been considered weird names. I think every boy was named Jeff.
posted by LindsayIrene at 11:17 AM on May 21, 2023 [27 favorites]
posted by LindsayIrene at 11:17 AM on May 21, 2023 [27 favorites]
When I was born, every Tom, Duck, and Harry was named John.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:32 AM on May 21, 2023 [24 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:32 AM on May 21, 2023 [24 favorites]
The real story here is the end of Brayden's rein of terror! I imagine it's in part because it sounds too much like Biden for a lot of people who previously would have chosen it. But it also just sounds like, sooo 2009?
posted by potrzebie at 11:40 AM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 11:40 AM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
Highly annoyed that the name for our 2nd-trimester baby seems to be blowing up on NameGrapher, but at least I'm still ahead of it. The real interesting thing is that since the 2000s, no name has dominated the pack to the degree that they used to. Long-dominant Liam and Noah haven't hit half the peak of Matts or Joshes in the 80s.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:48 AM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 11:48 AM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
There’s a Maverick across the street who occasionally gets hollered at. I think he’s 7ish. At least they have the decency to fly a “Fuck Joe Biden” and not a “Let’s Go Brandon” flag.
I couldn’t remember his name for a while so I referred to him as Mason Dixon in my head.
posted by Uncle at 11:50 AM on May 21, 2023 [28 favorites]
I couldn’t remember his name for a while so I referred to him as Mason Dixon in my head.
posted by Uncle at 11:50 AM on May 21, 2023 [28 favorites]
Are we only talking human babies here? Because Luna is on the top rising girls' names chart, but I think most of the Lunas I've encountered have been dogs.
posted by good in a vacuum at 12:29 PM on May 21, 2023 [21 favorites]
posted by good in a vacuum at 12:29 PM on May 21, 2023 [21 favorites]
I have an impossibly uncommon name in the US that my parents gave to me after a friend they knew from spending some time in the UK. The only other person I've met in my life with the "same name" had it from an entirely different language background and entirely different spelling, regardless of the name being pronounced the same.
My name is uncommon enough that despite it being very easy to spell, I have to spell it for people all the time.
My Starbucks name is Fred.
posted by hippybear at 12:39 PM on May 21, 2023 [15 favorites]
My name is uncommon enough that despite it being very easy to spell, I have to spell it for people all the time.
My Starbucks name is Fred.
posted by hippybear at 12:39 PM on May 21, 2023 [15 favorites]
The most popular names are the old standard boring ones like Olivia, Emma, Charlotte, Noah, Liam, and Oliver.
That made me laugh, thanks!
posted by chavenet at 12:42 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
That made me laugh, thanks!
posted by chavenet at 12:42 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
A former coworker of mine used to refer to one of his friend's kids, who I gathered had an unusual name, as "Hazel Octavius Poindexter." I was left to wonder what the kid's real name was, or how really unusual.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:01 PM on May 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:01 PM on May 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
guy i know named his kid Ruger after his favorite firearm manufacturer
posted by glonous keming at 1:09 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by glonous keming at 1:09 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Ruger Howitzer?
I hear he's often confused for Rutger Hauer.
posted by hippybear at 1:10 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
I hear he's often confused for Rutger Hauer.
posted by hippybear at 1:10 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
Naming your daughter Maverick on the other hand ...
posted by Paul Slade at 1:11 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Paul Slade at 1:11 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
How is Daenerys doing?
posted by moonbiter at 1:14 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by moonbiter at 1:14 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
One inspiration for parents may be Everleigh LaBrant, a 10-year-old YouTuber with more than 3.9 million subscribers.
::takes a drink::
Is there any chance at all there isn't horrific child abuse and neglect behind this? Child and family YouTubers are so utterly creepy and should frankly be illegal.
posted by star gentle uterus at 1:49 PM on May 21, 2023 [15 favorites]
::takes a drink::
Is there any chance at all there isn't horrific child abuse and neglect behind this? Child and family YouTubers are so utterly creepy and should frankly be illegal.
posted by star gentle uterus at 1:49 PM on May 21, 2023 [15 favorites]
Yep. Check. Two 2yr olds in my life have two of the names in the list. Neither is Maverick.
posted by Thella at 1:55 PM on May 21, 2023
posted by Thella at 1:55 PM on May 21, 2023
The idea that the #1 rising name for girls is named after a 10 year old YouTuber is blowing my mind.
The Alexa drop is kinda sad and kinda hilarious. WTF was Amazon thinking using a real name? Reusing an old trademark they owned, just dumb all around. Then again Siri was also chosen because it was a real name in use (in Norway).
posted by Nelson at 2:15 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
The Alexa drop is kinda sad and kinda hilarious. WTF was Amazon thinking using a real name? Reusing an old trademark they owned, just dumb all around. Then again Siri was also chosen because it was a real name in use (in Norway).
posted by Nelson at 2:15 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I knew a young woman, Kaestle. I asked her about her name, and she said "I was named after a brand of skis my parents like".
posted by Gorgik at 2:28 PM on May 21, 2023 [10 favorites]
posted by Gorgik at 2:28 PM on May 21, 2023 [10 favorites]
Over here in the UK, I've noticed a lot of Fridas and Lyras (two of each I know of personally). Lyra is presumably from the Phillip Pulllman novels and Frida defnitely from Friida Kalho. Neither is in the BBC's list for 2022.
It's a shame about Alexa and Siri - my given name is almost Alexa and I find it really annoying, and Siri would be a pretty name other wise. I suyppose if you were a Witcher fan you could spell it Ciri, though.
posted by Fuchsoid at 2:35 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
It's a shame about Alexa and Siri - my given name is almost Alexa and I find it really annoying, and Siri would be a pretty name other wise. I suyppose if you were a Witcher fan you could spell it Ciri, though.
posted by Fuchsoid at 2:35 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
My neighbor’s kids have pretty non-traditional names. I know that one of them is named Oakley, so whenever my partner are talking about them (in the privacy of our own home) I refer to them as “Ray Ban and Maui Jim”.
posted by brand-gnu at 2:40 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
posted by brand-gnu at 2:40 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
I love unique names for everything and loathe common names for anything.
I once dated a woman named after a Canadian postal code.
posted by dobbs at 2:44 PM on May 21, 2023 [10 favorites]
I once dated a woman named after a Canadian postal code.
posted by dobbs at 2:44 PM on May 21, 2023 [10 favorites]
I once dated a woman named after a Canadian postal code.
The great thing about canadian postal codes is they are milk runs...The first three alphanumeric characters give you a geographic region, and the secondary set of triplets is the driving instructions. Two houses a block apart will have entirely different secondary triplets and you know that it is because they are on two different mail carrier routes.
But... one might also point out she could be the mail man's baby...
posted by Nanukthedog at 2:55 PM on May 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
The great thing about canadian postal codes is they are milk runs...The first three alphanumeric characters give you a geographic region, and the secondary set of triplets is the driving instructions. Two houses a block apart will have entirely different secondary triplets and you know that it is because they are on two different mail carrier routes.
But... one might also point out she could be the mail man's baby...
posted by Nanukthedog at 2:55 PM on May 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
With a lot of the younger kids around here, if it's a normal-sounding name, you can guarantee they've done something to it make it special. So if a kid's name sounds like 'Billy', it's probably spelled 'Bylleigh'.
posted by pipeski at 3:10 PM on May 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by pipeski at 3:10 PM on May 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
When I was a kid all the boys were called Mark or Simon and all the girls were called Marie or Lisa. It was simple back then.
posted by pipeski at 3:11 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by pipeski at 3:11 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Mark, Jeff, Chris... were predominant boy Anglo names where I grew up, when I grew up. My elementary school was 65% hispanic, so there was a lot of Jaime, Jesus, Marcos.
I don't remember clustering of Anglo girl names, but hispanic names was a lot of Maria. A LOT of Maria. I think every class had two or three.
posted by hippybear at 3:20 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I don't remember clustering of Anglo girl names, but hispanic names was a lot of Maria. A LOT of Maria. I think every class had two or three.
posted by hippybear at 3:20 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
And not to abuse the edit window, but I worked in an elementary school for a while in the same community, well after I was a student obviously, and there were actual discussions about incoming students about how Maria Martinez and Maria Muñoz had to be in different classes because you couldn't have two Maria M.s in the same class.
posted by hippybear at 3:28 PM on May 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 3:28 PM on May 21, 2023 [6 favorites]
My Starbucks name is Fred.
My Starbucks name is Union.
posted by Ayn Marx at 3:31 PM on May 21, 2023 [43 favorites]
My Starbucks name is Union.
posted by Ayn Marx at 3:31 PM on May 21, 2023 [43 favorites]
I gave my son a name I had never heard before in my life, although it turns out he shares it with a c-list actress and a semi-retired punk musician.
Unusual enough I won’t post it here because I’m pretty sure you could dox me with that handful of letters.
…or not, because I ran into a little boy a couple of years older with the same name at the playground and a little girl who had a more feminine form of the same name.
posted by The Monster at the End of this Thread at 3:37 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
Unusual enough I won’t post it here because I’m pretty sure you could dox me with that handful of letters.
…or not, because I ran into a little boy a couple of years older with the same name at the playground and a little girl who had a more feminine form of the same name.
posted by The Monster at the End of this Thread at 3:37 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
There were actual discussions about incoming students about how Maria Martinez and Maria Muñoz had to be in different classes because you couldn't have two Maria M.s in the same class.
In the late 1970s, I visited a first grade class in a small Midwestern town in which there were six Jennifers. None of them was willing to be Jen or Jenny or Middle Name, so they were Jennifer A., Jennifer B., etc.
My first name has been uncommon in the U.S. since some time in the 19th century. I was once in a room with three other woman with the same first name, and we stood there hopefully, waiting for something amazing to happen. Sadly, it didn't.
posted by ALeaflikeStructure at 3:43 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
In the late 1970s, I visited a first grade class in a small Midwestern town in which there were six Jennifers. None of them was willing to be Jen or Jenny or Middle Name, so they were Jennifer A., Jennifer B., etc.
My first name has been uncommon in the U.S. since some time in the 19th century. I was once in a room with three other woman with the same first name, and we stood there hopefully, waiting for something amazing to happen. Sadly, it didn't.
posted by ALeaflikeStructure at 3:43 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
Names should not be allowed to be reused, what's the point of names if it isn't clear who a name refers to. Ideally a unique chain of sounds would be assigned to you at birth.
posted by GoblinHoney at 3:44 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by GoblinHoney at 3:44 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
A phonetic social security number?
posted by rochrobbb at 3:53 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by rochrobbb at 3:53 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
I was meeting a developer that I had worked with at a conference in Vegas. He was very much an odd ball, like a neurodivergent George Castanza, but very good at his job. Anyways, he had brought his family along for the trip and I was meeting up with them in a food court area. He introduced his wife, then his daughters Mercedes and Porsche, with some quip about how he had to name his second daughter that to complete the set. I couldn’t tell if he was fucking with me so I did my best to keep a straight face until I figured out he was serious and proceeded to carry on as if everything was normal.
posted by slogger at 4:07 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by slogger at 4:07 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
I did actually know 27 Jennifers fromm high school through college. Each were different iderations but collectively they were all Jennifers.
posted by hairless ape at 4:09 PM on May 21, 2023 [12 favorites]
posted by hairless ape at 4:09 PM on May 21, 2023 [12 favorites]
Just tell me one thing: is Neon still a boy’s name?
posted by Capt. Renault at 4:10 PM on May 21, 2023
posted by Capt. Renault at 4:10 PM on May 21, 2023
We have waaaaay too many Michaels and Jennifers in my family (neither of my kids have "popular" names). My stepdaughter Brittany had about 18 other Brittany's in her graduating class (she's 33 now). A friends 20 something daughter won't go by her real name, since the eruption of Amazon's Alexa. And I know two Mavericks, an Olivia, an Emma, a Liam, and a Braydon.
I'd actually love to meet a regular Joe!
posted by annieb at 4:15 PM on May 21, 2023
I'd actually love to meet a regular Joe!
posted by annieb at 4:15 PM on May 21, 2023
I once dated a woman named after a Canadian postal code.
I have a soft spot for whimsical naming; there's often a story of meaning and connection behind it, which makes the story sweeter in the retelling. There's a couple I know who both changed their surnames to the name of the Saskatchewan small town they passed through when they decided to get hitched. Naming their child after a postal code would totally be in character for them.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 4:16 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I have a soft spot for whimsical naming; there's often a story of meaning and connection behind it, which makes the story sweeter in the retelling. There's a couple I know who both changed their surnames to the name of the Saskatchewan small town they passed through when they decided to get hitched. Naming their child after a postal code would totally be in character for them.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 4:16 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
how Maria Martinez and Maria Muñoz had to be in different classes because you couldn't have two Maria M.s in the same class.
As the SECOND Jennifer Mylastinitial in a room before, I appreciate that a school took time to take care of that issue. I had one class with 7 Jennifers (and continue to be amused by the 27 Jennifers song).
I was once in a room with three other woman with the same first name, and we stood there hopefully, waiting for something amazing to happen. Sadly, it didn't.
As a Jennifer, this happens to me in the grocery store often and still nothing interesting happens!
Names should not be allowed to be reused, what's the point of names if it isn't clear who a name refers to.
In the Vorkosiganverse books, one world only permits you to reuse a name if it has a number after it (and they don't use last names), so some people are named "Garnet 5" or "Leo 99" (Leo being the name of a past hero).
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:19 PM on May 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
As the SECOND Jennifer Mylastinitial in a room before, I appreciate that a school took time to take care of that issue. I had one class with 7 Jennifers (and continue to be amused by the 27 Jennifers song).
I was once in a room with three other woman with the same first name, and we stood there hopefully, waiting for something amazing to happen. Sadly, it didn't.
As a Jennifer, this happens to me in the grocery store often and still nothing interesting happens!
Names should not be allowed to be reused, what's the point of names if it isn't clear who a name refers to.
In the Vorkosiganverse books, one world only permits you to reuse a name if it has a number after it (and they don't use last names), so some people are named "Garnet 5" or "Leo 99" (Leo being the name of a past hero).
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:19 PM on May 21, 2023 [8 favorites]
As a teacher, I try to put my own assumptions and prejudices about class and name choices aside when I meet kids. This is fortunate, as all kids are a joy! I have a super unusual name and I'm glad to have it but I also say that the Madisons, Olivias, Jaydens, Kevins, and beyond tend to be delightful on the whole. A child of the early 80s, I have known so many Jennifers (Jen, Jenn, Jenny, etc.) and honestly I don't remember a single one being mean or crappy?! I love meeting Jens and the name Jenny warms my heart. On a different note, I recently dated a few guys with names like Ari, Arya, and the like; I have more mixed reviews of the people but still like the name.
Unfortunately, my open-mindedness does not extend to pet names. I love all animals but I don't love all names for pets. A beautiful and friendly woman on a dating app named her cats Cupcake and Sprinkles; I couldn't help but question her judgment. I was flabbergasted that a smart guy kept the shelter's name of Scooter for his pit bull; I accidentally called the pup, sweet as can be, Boomer, whoops. I know MeFites are awesome so my apologies for any of you amazing humans with amazing dogs and cats who just happen to be named Cupcake, Sprinkles, Scooter and/or Boomer. My two cats' names are ridiculous and heavy so I'm prepared to be judged too, ahem!
posted by smorgasbord at 4:34 PM on May 21, 2023 [12 favorites]
Unfortunately, my open-mindedness does not extend to pet names. I love all animals but I don't love all names for pets. A beautiful and friendly woman on a dating app named her cats Cupcake and Sprinkles; I couldn't help but question her judgment. I was flabbergasted that a smart guy kept the shelter's name of Scooter for his pit bull; I accidentally called the pup, sweet as can be, Boomer, whoops. I know MeFites are awesome so my apologies for any of you amazing humans with amazing dogs and cats who just happen to be named Cupcake, Sprinkles, Scooter and/or Boomer. My two cats' names are ridiculous and heavy so I'm prepared to be judged too, ahem!
posted by smorgasbord at 4:34 PM on May 21, 2023 [12 favorites]
I named my cats after two Kurosawa pictures so I judge no one.
posted by holborne at 5:04 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by holborne at 5:04 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
My parents' theory was 'You have a hard to spell last name, ergo you and your sibling will get the #1 name on the list for the year.' And then they wonder how we both got weird nicknames.
posted by cobaltnine at 5:07 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by cobaltnine at 5:07 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
I named my cats after two Kurosawa pictures so I judge no one.
Please tell me one of them is Throne of Blood
posted by ryanshepard at 5:18 PM on May 21, 2023 [28 favorites]
Please tell me one of them is Throne of Blood
posted by ryanshepard at 5:18 PM on May 21, 2023 [28 favorites]
Hidden Furtress, i expect
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:31 PM on May 21, 2023 [17 favorites]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:31 PM on May 21, 2023 [17 favorites]
Ikiru and Yojimbo.
posted by box at 5:34 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by box at 5:34 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Apparently around 20 years ago Nevaeh (heaven spelled backward) became a thing, as a girls name. I have also run into a Heaven or two.
posted by beagle at 5:35 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by beagle at 5:35 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Ikiru and Yojimbo.
Close: Yojimbo and Sanjuro. We call them Jimmy and Sandy.
posted by holborne at 5:38 PM on May 21, 2023 [12 favorites]
Close: Yojimbo and Sanjuro. We call them Jimmy and Sandy.
posted by holborne at 5:38 PM on May 21, 2023 [12 favorites]
My neighbor named a child Maverick, which certainly struck me in a 'life is a rich tapestry' way. I keep hearing that Liam is a popular name, but have yet to encounter a Liam in the wild.
smorgasbord, I think the theory is that since dogs know their names, you shouldn't change them? Some people are adamant on that point. (Then they go and adopt a dog with the same name as their human child and it's real weird.)
posted by mersen at 5:38 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
smorgasbord, I think the theory is that since dogs know their names, you shouldn't change them? Some people are adamant on that point. (Then they go and adopt a dog with the same name as their human child and it's real weird.)
posted by mersen at 5:38 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yes, I am aware of the reasoning behind sticking with the name a dog already has but it was a puppy that was only maybe two weeks at the shelter! I probably wouldn't change the name of an adult dog (too much) with a known history but a puppy or a nameless adult dog they found on the street? Different story! For me, it's more about how fitting it was for this dumb guy to have a dog with a dumb name. Had the owner been great? Also a different story. Scooter ended up being the real hero in the end as he did me a solid. As his owner had me drive an hour simply to say he wanted to be friends, Scooter climbed on my lap to soothe me then peed on the couch in an act of revenge. I should have taken Scooter home with me (and, yes, given him a second name lol.)
posted by smorgasbord at 6:07 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by smorgasbord at 6:07 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
My father's family seemingly used a tiny palette of names. Since my youth I've been regaled of stories about Big Joe and Little Joe and Joe Uptown and Joe Downtown. His father, my grandfather was also a Joe. Apparently he wanted my father to have the name Joe as well but my grandmother put her foot down. He instead got Joe as a middle name and to keep the pattern going, I have a middle name of my father's given name.
posted by mmascolino at 6:12 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by mmascolino at 6:12 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
over on Facebook, somebody's having fun with "power names" for boys. Stuff like Punch, Aggro, Strong and my fave, Landlord.
posted by philip-random at 6:16 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
posted by philip-random at 6:16 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
It's a good thing I don't have children, because for a long time I've been obsessed with the name Obsidian Chip.
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 6:22 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Joan Rivers of Babylon at 6:22 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
A few thoughts:
"It's a good thing I don't have children, because for a long time I've been obsessed with the name Obsidian Chip."
YES!! For me, pets' names are my opportunity to get deep and ridiculous. And then give them stupid nicknames full of love and cringe. I don't have kids but, if I did, I'd probably choose something classic at this point.
"over on Facebook, somebody's having fun with "power names" for boys. Stuff like Punch, Aggro, Strong and my fave, Landlord."
I am so incredibly pissed at my apartment's awful management company that I would never, ever imagine cursing any child by naming them Landlord. There are, indeed, lots of great landlords out there but in 2023 there are also hella bad ones. I wonder what little Landlord would be like as a six-year old at school?!
posted by smorgasbord at 6:49 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
"It's a good thing I don't have children, because for a long time I've been obsessed with the name Obsidian Chip."
YES!! For me, pets' names are my opportunity to get deep and ridiculous. And then give them stupid nicknames full of love and cringe. I don't have kids but, if I did, I'd probably choose something classic at this point.
"over on Facebook, somebody's having fun with "power names" for boys. Stuff like Punch, Aggro, Strong and my fave, Landlord."
I am so incredibly pissed at my apartment's awful management company that I would never, ever imagine cursing any child by naming them Landlord. There are, indeed, lots of great landlords out there but in 2023 there are also hella bad ones. I wonder what little Landlord would be like as a six-year old at school?!
posted by smorgasbord at 6:49 PM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]
hispanic names was a lot of Maria. A LOT of Maria.
I've always been interested in naming trends, and for the past few years I've played the Baby Names category on Sporcle obsessively, so I know all about naming patterns (both US and UK).
One of the most interesting games I played recently was about the most common first AND last name combinations in the US. Male names were what I think most folks would guess--John Smith, John Williams, James Smith, Robert Smith, etc., etc. Mary Smith was in there--and then, the other female names were almost entirely Maria ____. Maria Rodriguez, Maria Ramirez, Maria Lopez, and a few other Marias I can't remember. No Hispanic parallels at all for the guys. I thought that said something interesting about ethnicities and birth rates in America, if nothing else.
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:51 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've always been interested in naming trends, and for the past few years I've played the Baby Names category on Sporcle obsessively, so I know all about naming patterns (both US and UK).
One of the most interesting games I played recently was about the most common first AND last name combinations in the US. Male names were what I think most folks would guess--John Smith, John Williams, James Smith, Robert Smith, etc., etc. Mary Smith was in there--and then, the other female names were almost entirely Maria ____. Maria Rodriguez, Maria Ramirez, Maria Lopez, and a few other Marias I can't remember. No Hispanic parallels at all for the guys. I thought that said something interesting about ethnicities and birth rates in America, if nothing else.
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:51 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Then again Siri was also chosen because it was a real name in use (in Norway).
My favorite local Indian restaurant is called Siri.
posted by bendy at 6:57 PM on May 21, 2023
My favorite local Indian restaurant is called Siri.
posted by bendy at 6:57 PM on May 21, 2023
I don't have kids but, if I did, I'd probably choose something classic at this point.
Much as I love names in general (and many fancy gendered names for girls, especially, among them), I would be hard-pressed to name a child something that isn't gender-neutral at this point, since I have a whole lot of people with trans kids in my life and have stopped asking new parents about their babies' genders altogether.
I won't be having any kids myself at this point, and I feel like it's sort of a shame because I came up with my perfect child name a few years back: Carlin. Goes either way and can be gendered up or down if desired, as Carl, Carli or even Carla, all of which I like. It's not very common but it's easy to say and easy to spell and it has a namesake baked in, who also loved to play with language and to laugh, and I'd happily wish those things on my child.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:00 PM on May 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
Much as I love names in general (and many fancy gendered names for girls, especially, among them), I would be hard-pressed to name a child something that isn't gender-neutral at this point, since I have a whole lot of people with trans kids in my life and have stopped asking new parents about their babies' genders altogether.
I won't be having any kids myself at this point, and I feel like it's sort of a shame because I came up with my perfect child name a few years back: Carlin. Goes either way and can be gendered up or down if desired, as Carl, Carli or even Carla, all of which I like. It's not very common but it's easy to say and easy to spell and it has a namesake baked in, who also loved to play with language and to laugh, and I'd happily wish those things on my child.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:00 PM on May 21, 2023 [9 favorites]
In college I knew a pasty-white guy who went by Hawk - his parents had named him Oaxaca.
posted by bendy at 7:01 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by bendy at 7:01 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
I would be hard-pressed to name a child something that isn't gender-neutral at this point
I worked with a guy named River who was raised by parents who let him pick his own name when he got old enough. I thought that was interesting.
posted by hippybear at 7:02 PM on May 21, 2023
I worked with a guy named River who was raised by parents who let him pick his own name when he got old enough. I thought that was interesting.
posted by hippybear at 7:02 PM on May 21, 2023
For a while in my 20s I wanted to name a child Schenectady but then realized that I couldn’t just name any random child, I’d have to produce one of my own.
posted by bendy at 7:06 PM on May 21, 2023 [18 favorites]
posted by bendy at 7:06 PM on May 21, 2023 [18 favorites]
At a restaurant recently I saw a friend get her check and it was written for "Cardholder, Visa" but she decided to keep her given name so that's available if anyone is looking.
posted by Emmy Rae at 7:35 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by Emmy Rae at 7:35 PM on May 21, 2023 [4 favorites]
Evergiven, hell, yes.
Sounds like a curse on the birthing parent!
posted by Emmy Rae at 7:37 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
Sounds like a curse on the birthing parent!
posted by Emmy Rae at 7:37 PM on May 21, 2023 [13 favorites]
I worked with a guy named River who was raised by parents who let him pick his own name when he got old enough. I thought that was interesting.
I've wondered if that may become more common even for cisgender kids going forward. I often think about Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time for its "utopia's" use of language, and naming practices are right in there. Kids were given a name at birth but often changed it during their coming-of-age vision quests, so someone named Dawn became Hawk, and someone named Peony became Jackrabbit. I really rather like that idea although legal documentation might get nightmarish.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:37 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
I've wondered if that may become more common even for cisgender kids going forward. I often think about Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time for its "utopia's" use of language, and naming practices are right in there. Kids were given a name at birth but often changed it during their coming-of-age vision quests, so someone named Dawn became Hawk, and someone named Peony became Jackrabbit. I really rather like that idea although legal documentation might get nightmarish.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:37 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm old enough to remember the TV show Maverick, when James Garner was a young hottie, and it may be a good thing I didn't think of it back when I had a kid.
They weren't outlaws, they were good-natured gamblers and travelers: The Maverick brothers were both poker players from Texas who traveled the American Old West by horseback and stagecoach, and on Mississippi riverboats, constantly getting into and out of life-threatening trouble of one sort or another, usually involving money, women, or both. Though the Mavericks were quick to claim they were motivated by money, and made a point of humorously emphasizing their supposed belief in cowardice and avoiding hard work, in many episodes they would find themselves weighing a financial windfall against a moral dilemma. Their consciences always trumped their wallets since both Mavericks were intrinsically ethical, although they were not above trying to fleece someone who had clearly proven themselves to be fundamentally dishonest or corrupt.
posted by theora55 at 7:48 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
They weren't outlaws, they were good-natured gamblers and travelers: The Maverick brothers were both poker players from Texas who traveled the American Old West by horseback and stagecoach, and on Mississippi riverboats, constantly getting into and out of life-threatening trouble of one sort or another, usually involving money, women, or both. Though the Mavericks were quick to claim they were motivated by money, and made a point of humorously emphasizing their supposed belief in cowardice and avoiding hard work, in many episodes they would find themselves weighing a financial windfall against a moral dilemma. Their consciences always trumped their wallets since both Mavericks were intrinsically ethical, although they were not above trying to fleece someone who had clearly proven themselves to be fundamentally dishonest or corrupt.
posted by theora55 at 7:48 PM on May 21, 2023 [5 favorites]
To address this: "I would be hard-pressed to name a child something that isn't gender-neutral at this point."
I think this is a cool idea!! However, as a teacher of teens, many of whom are trans or non-binary, sometimes even those given a "gender-neutral" name by their family will choose a different name, either one that's gender-inclusive or gendered. Ideally, we'll get to a point in society where all names are gender-inclusive, eh?!
posted by smorgasbord at 7:57 PM on May 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
I think this is a cool idea!! However, as a teacher of teens, many of whom are trans or non-binary, sometimes even those given a "gender-neutral" name by their family will choose a different name, either one that's gender-inclusive or gendered. Ideally, we'll get to a point in society where all names are gender-inclusive, eh?!
posted by smorgasbord at 7:57 PM on May 21, 2023 [7 favorites]
After Maverick, I was halfway expecting Walker and Texas Ranger on that list.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:20 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:20 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
If Maverick (the gambling family) had crossed your mind, you probably would have considered Bret or Bart (or the rest of them).
posted by sardonyx at 8:44 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by sardonyx at 8:44 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
After Maverick, I was halfway expecting Walker and Texas Ranger on that list.
I know a baby named Ranger, so give it time.
posted by corey flood at 10:10 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
I know a baby named Ranger, so give it time.
posted by corey flood at 10:10 PM on May 21, 2023 [2 favorites]
realized that I couldn’t just name any random
couldn't just name any random so far
posted by away for regrooving at 11:54 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
couldn't just name any random so far
posted by away for regrooving at 11:54 PM on May 21, 2023 [1 favorite]
Amazon's Alexa is a pun, the software depends on a lexer (software that breaks up language into tokens that can be processed and acted upon). You're talking to a lexer.
posted by BinaryApe at 12:16 AM on May 22, 2023 [25 favorites]
posted by BinaryApe at 12:16 AM on May 22, 2023 [25 favorites]
Ideally a unique chain of sounds would be assigned to you at birth.
Finally a use for the blockchain.
posted by chavenet at 1:05 AM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Finally a use for the blockchain.
posted by chavenet at 1:05 AM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
> Are we only talking human babies here? Because Luna is on the top rising girls' names chart, but I think most of the Lunas I've encountered have been dogs.
Pet names tend to lead baby names by 5-10 years.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:06 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Pet names tend to lead baby names by 5-10 years.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:06 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
> Ideally a unique chain of sounds would be assigned to you at birth.
Finally a use for the blockchain.
Something like that.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:16 AM on May 22, 2023
Finally a use for the blockchain.
Something like that.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:16 AM on May 22, 2023
While I'm sure the semantics were unintentional, I went to University in an English language nation with a lady named "Regula Kummer".
posted by chmmr at 5:10 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by chmmr at 5:10 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
After Maverick, I was halfway expecting Walker and Texas Ranger on that list.
Walker has been pretty popular for a while (I think more so around 20 years ago; not sure if it's been climbing as much since). And apparently Walker, Texas Ranger did help propel its popularity.
posted by dlugoczaj at 5:50 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Walker has been pretty popular for a while (I think more so around 20 years ago; not sure if it's been climbing as much since). And apparently Walker, Texas Ranger did help propel its popularity.
posted by dlugoczaj at 5:50 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
He introduced his wife, then his daughters Mercedes and Porsche, with some quip about how he had to name his second daughter that to complete the set.
I knew a guy once in NYC who owned a bike messenger company, with a daughter named Madison and a son named Lexington. I was always impressed by how successfully unweird the individual names were given the obvious motivation.
posted by LizardBreath at 6:37 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I knew a guy once in NYC who owned a bike messenger company, with a daughter named Madison and a son named Lexington. I was always impressed by how successfully unweird the individual names were given the obvious motivation.
posted by LizardBreath at 6:37 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Remember Track, Willow, Trig, Piper, Sailor, and the rest of the, well, mavericky Sarah Palin clan names? Unfortunately the Sarah Palin Name Generator seems to have gone to the great server in the sky, but if memory serves, its algorithm dubbed me Bantam Spree.
posted by carmicha at 6:43 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by carmicha at 6:43 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I was always impressed by how successfully unweird the individual names were given the obvious motivation.
Gargoyles? /jk
The name Nevaeh sounds like a murder victim to me, since I have seen news stories about more than one unlucky child by that name.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:13 AM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
Gargoyles? /jk
The name Nevaeh sounds like a murder victim to me, since I have seen news stories about more than one unlucky child by that name.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:13 AM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
My son is also named Bort.
posted by misterpatrick at 7:29 AM on May 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by misterpatrick at 7:29 AM on May 22, 2023 [9 favorites]
Both of my little sisters had babies last year and both picked unconventional names (neither on this list, but at least one is kind of in the same ballpark). I have refused to voice an opinion about these names just as I have refused to voice an opinion about any decisions that parents (and in particular mothers) make. They get enough unsolicited advice without me, a childless weirdo who has traditionally named her cats after Irish literary figures and people that may have slept with Queen Elizabeth I, gossiping with older family members about whether or not someone's given name sounds like a cult leader or a item currently available at Crate & Barrel.
My mother has no such compunction, which has led to some words, y'all. I've tried to diffuse these arguments by reminding my mother that she didn't exactly go in for the Old Classics herself and when I disappointed oddsmakers by failing to arrive as the highly anticipated Thomas Butler ____ , she, bereft of girl names, hit me with a total 1970s trend name, even if I was born a year before Elvis Costello sang about it (he also spelled it correctly, which was more than I can say for my late grandfather who never figured it out).
posted by thivaia at 7:43 AM on May 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
My mother has no such compunction, which has led to some words, y'all. I've tried to diffuse these arguments by reminding my mother that she didn't exactly go in for the Old Classics herself and when I disappointed oddsmakers by failing to arrive as the highly anticipated Thomas Butler ____ , she, bereft of girl names, hit me with a total 1970s trend name, even if I was born a year before Elvis Costello sang about it (he also spelled it correctly, which was more than I can say for my late grandfather who never figured it out).
posted by thivaia at 7:43 AM on May 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
To my 30 year old Emily, again, you are named after your Great Grandpa Emil, and I SWEAR THERE WERE NO EMILIES IN 1992. I am so so sorry that you ended up being Emily #3 in your class but I honestly did not pick a cool name.
To my 29 year old Olivia, same. You are named after great grandma Olivia AND I SWEAR THERE WERE NO OLIVIAS IN 1993. I am sorry you were Liv #4 in school.
To my third child, well done, Ian.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 7:46 AM on May 22, 2023 [10 favorites]
To my 29 year old Olivia, same. You are named after great grandma Olivia AND I SWEAR THERE WERE NO OLIVIAS IN 1993. I am sorry you were Liv #4 in school.
To my third child, well done, Ian.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 7:46 AM on May 22, 2023 [10 favorites]
I'd actually love to meet a regular Joe!
I am one of four elementary school custodians and the other three are guys named Joe. So when a teacher needs a custodian, she'll just yell "Joe!" I am definitely not a Joe (I'm a Linda, a name that very definitely is of a certain era) but I answer to Joe now.
In the school, there is a cute trend of kids getting old-fashioned names like Annette, Lois, and Hazel. Henry is popular for boys, now that Henry Lee Lucas has been forgotten by everyone except true crime nerds.
posted by LindsayIrene at 8:32 AM on May 22, 2023 [14 favorites]
I am one of four elementary school custodians and the other three are guys named Joe. So when a teacher needs a custodian, she'll just yell "Joe!" I am definitely not a Joe (I'm a Linda, a name that very definitely is of a certain era) but I answer to Joe now.
In the school, there is a cute trend of kids getting old-fashioned names like Annette, Lois, and Hazel. Henry is popular for boys, now that Henry Lee Lucas has been forgotten by everyone except true crime nerds.
posted by LindsayIrene at 8:32 AM on May 22, 2023 [14 favorites]
My Starbucks name is Fred.
Mine is Jim. Despite two famous exemplars, "Kirk" is apparently too unusual. I sometimes get "Craig."
posted by kirkaracha at 8:40 AM on May 22, 2023
Mine is Jim. Despite two famous exemplars, "Kirk" is apparently too unusual. I sometimes get "Craig."
posted by kirkaracha at 8:40 AM on May 22, 2023
“There must have been two dozen Peters and Pauls at the wedding. Plus, they were all married to girls named Marie, and they named all their daughters Marie.
posted by Ideefixe at 8:48 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Ideefixe at 8:48 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Names have become huge class markers. Kids in my (super-ZIP) town almost invariably traditionally-spelled traditional names. In the non-super-zip towns nearby that can’t be even a third of the names, and that’s excluding people who have traditional Spanish names with traditional spelling. (I actually haven’t seen creative spelling of traditional Spanish names — maybe “Hozá” and “Magell” are coming next?)
posted by MattD at 8:49 AM on May 22, 2023
posted by MattD at 8:49 AM on May 22, 2023
A beautiful and friendly woman on a dating app named her cats Cupcake and Sprinkles; I couldn't help but question her judgment.
I personally dislike "Bootsie." I also had a boss whose kid named the cat "Mr. Mittens." I note that I read one of "The Cat Who...." series by Lillian Jackson Braun and at one point, the protagonist's girlfriend buys herself a Siamese kitten and names it Bootsie. Bootsie is a damn holy terror until he's renamed a more adult name. Mr. Mittens, as I recall, was such a terror that my boss had a security camera up to check on thim.
My parents' theory was 'You have a hard to spell last name, ergo you and your sibling will get the #1 name on the list for the year.'
I think that might have also been my parents' logic :P
I have never gotten why spelling Heaven backwards is A Thing.
For a while in my 20s I wanted to name a child Schenectady but then realized that I couldn’t just name any random child, I’d have to produce one of my own.
I dunno, my old day care lady let me name her kids. You just have to convince them...
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:44 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I personally dislike "Bootsie." I also had a boss whose kid named the cat "Mr. Mittens." I note that I read one of "The Cat Who...." series by Lillian Jackson Braun and at one point, the protagonist's girlfriend buys herself a Siamese kitten and names it Bootsie. Bootsie is a damn holy terror until he's renamed a more adult name. Mr. Mittens, as I recall, was such a terror that my boss had a security camera up to check on thim.
My parents' theory was 'You have a hard to spell last name, ergo you and your sibling will get the #1 name on the list for the year.'
I think that might have also been my parents' logic :P
I have never gotten why spelling Heaven backwards is A Thing.
For a while in my 20s I wanted to name a child Schenectady but then realized that I couldn’t just name any random child, I’d have to produce one of my own.
I dunno, my old day care lady let me name her kids. You just have to convince them...
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:44 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
PROFESSOR JIGGLY IS LOOSE IN CAT ROOM
I think I would accidentally give a child a popular name. Years ago, I decided for certain that I would name a daughter Sophonisba and call her Sophie. I didn't have a kid, but every other baby girl born that year and the next five was called Sophie.
posted by Countess Elena at 9:55 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I think I would accidentally give a child a popular name. Years ago, I decided for certain that I would name a daughter Sophonisba and call her Sophie. I didn't have a kid, but every other baby girl born that year and the next five was called Sophie.
posted by Countess Elena at 9:55 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I personally dislike "Bootsie."
What did Bootsy ever do to you?
posted by kirkaracha at 10:22 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
What did Bootsy ever do to you?
posted by kirkaracha at 10:22 AM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
What did Bootsy ever do to you?
To me, it's more question of expectation. I mean, what if you end up with a cat/child that does NOT have the funk. You gotta feel for the plight of the hapless, unfunky Bootsy.
posted by thivaia at 10:26 AM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
To me, it's more question of expectation. I mean, what if you end up with a cat/child that does NOT have the funk. You gotta feel for the plight of the hapless, unfunky Bootsy.
posted by thivaia at 10:26 AM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
I recently learned that my son’s relatively unusual name (in the US at least) will become drastically more recognizable when next year’s pixar movie comes out. At least people will hopefully pronounce it better.
posted by umbú at 10:34 AM on May 22, 2023
posted by umbú at 10:34 AM on May 22, 2023
Elementary school yearbooks just came out this week so very timely.
None of the top names are represented in my kids' school, though there is a kid named Boss.
There are tons of kids named after cities, incidentally or not. Tons of kids whose name would have fit into 1822. And there are enough teachers named Emily to cover a grade level.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:19 AM on May 22, 2023
None of the top names are represented in my kids' school, though there is a kid named Boss.
There are tons of kids named after cities, incidentally or not. Tons of kids whose name would have fit into 1822. And there are enough teachers named Emily to cover a grade level.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:19 AM on May 22, 2023
My dad had a work colleague whose name was "Parker Waterman Schaeffer".
Not bad, for a pen name.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:34 AM on May 22, 2023 [15 favorites]
Not bad, for a pen name.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:34 AM on May 22, 2023 [15 favorites]
I was in a cohort of 50 students in which there were two Rachels, two Emily Paiges, two Ashley S.s, and three Sarah C.s. It was a time.
posted by Night_owl at 11:41 AM on May 22, 2023
posted by Night_owl at 11:41 AM on May 22, 2023
Utah enters the chat. if you want to predict the top U.S. baby names of 2033, take a look at some of Utah’s popular names in 2023 (not the top names but names that are on the Utah top 100 that don’t appear on the National 100 etc).
posted by inflatablekiwi at 12:13 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 12:13 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
My own first name, Ben, used to hit right at a sweet spot: It was a perfectly 'normal' name with some Biblical roots, I never had to spell it; but also, there was almost never another Ben in my classes and I've never worked with another Ben. Normal, but not too common. Now, of course, every third preschooler is named Ben.
I am really heartened to see, as BuddhaInABucket points out, that even the current dominant names are nowhere close to the past peaks - there simply isn't a latter-day Jennifer. It does, truly, take some pressure off in imagining kid names. You might pick an imperfect one, but you'll never do quite the same thing that your parents did by making you one of seven in a 30-person class.
. Then again Siri was also chosen because it was a real name in use (in Norway).
What I find fascinating about Siri is that that was the app's name long before Apple acquired it. I'd have assumed they would do a lot of design and thinking (not focus groups, that's not their style) but they just... bought Siri and said "Yep that's a good name for a robot helper."
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:29 PM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
I am really heartened to see, as BuddhaInABucket points out, that even the current dominant names are nowhere close to the past peaks - there simply isn't a latter-day Jennifer. It does, truly, take some pressure off in imagining kid names. You might pick an imperfect one, but you'll never do quite the same thing that your parents did by making you one of seven in a 30-person class.
. Then again Siri was also chosen because it was a real name in use (in Norway).
What I find fascinating about Siri is that that was the app's name long before Apple acquired it. I'd have assumed they would do a lot of design and thinking (not focus groups, that's not their style) but they just... bought Siri and said "Yep that's a good name for a robot helper."
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:29 PM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
My dad had a work colleague whose name was "Parker Waterman Schaeffer".
I, too, hope to one day name a child for their future law firm.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:29 PM on May 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
I, too, hope to one day name a child for their future law firm.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:29 PM on May 22, 2023 [8 favorites]
My own first name, Ben, used to hit right at a sweet spot: It was a perfectly 'normal' name with some Biblical roots, I never had to spell it
Simple, common, easy to spell, and there aren't too many of them around. That's exactly why I chose Fred as my Starbucks name. There is NEVER another Fred in the Starbucks.
posted by hippybear at 12:33 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
Simple, common, easy to spell, and there aren't too many of them around. That's exactly why I chose Fred as my Starbucks name. There is NEVER another Fred in the Starbucks.
posted by hippybear at 12:33 PM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
We are in the process of trying to name forthcoming BabyEsse.
Girl name was relatively easy. There are lots of good options.
Boy names are hard. We have as our baseline "names that our grandparents would have recognized as names, and not too aggressively biblical" Because of geography, we're a little less worried about the "too many Olivers" problem, but it's still a bit of a concern. And then, because we're musical theatre people, we have to weigh the possibility that we're setting ourselves up for a lifetime of earworms (Benjamin, for example, is Right Out for this reason)
We are open to ideas.
posted by DebetEsse at 1:10 PM on May 22, 2023
Girl name was relatively easy. There are lots of good options.
Boy names are hard. We have as our baseline "names that our grandparents would have recognized as names, and not too aggressively biblical" Because of geography, we're a little less worried about the "too many Olivers" problem, but it's still a bit of a concern. And then, because we're musical theatre people, we have to weigh the possibility that we're setting ourselves up for a lifetime of earworms (Benjamin, for example, is Right Out for this reason)
We are open to ideas.
posted by DebetEsse at 1:10 PM on May 22, 2023
Bootsie is a pretty silly name. I note I used to have a coworker who called her teen "Bootsie," and that kid was stressed the heck out.
that even the current dominant names are nowhere close to the past peaks - there simply isn't a latter-day Jennifer. It does, truly, take some pressure off in imagining kid names. You might pick an imperfect one, but you'll never do quite the same thing that your parents did by making you one of seven in a 30-person class.
I think also being able to check on the Internet for what the most popular baby names are possibly helps this?
I hear "Isabella" enough to think it's the new Jennifer of the small child set these days, though.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:15 PM on May 22, 2023
that even the current dominant names are nowhere close to the past peaks - there simply isn't a latter-day Jennifer. It does, truly, take some pressure off in imagining kid names. You might pick an imperfect one, but you'll never do quite the same thing that your parents did by making you one of seven in a 30-person class.
I think also being able to check on the Internet for what the most popular baby names are possibly helps this?
I hear "Isabella" enough to think it's the new Jennifer of the small child set these days, though.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:15 PM on May 22, 2023
I love picking out names. I started writing stories as a child because it meant I could pick out lots of names for my characters.
The only time I ever got to pick out a name for an actual living creature was when I named my cat Trilby. I thought it suited him because he was very handsome with a gentlemanly, to the manor born air, and Trilby seemed like a name that accorded with that. People either really liked it or said, "What did you name him that for?"
If I were naming an actual child, I would want something distinctive, but I wouldn't make up a name or spell it in a ridiculous way. I would check the top 1000 baby names list for the previous year, and eliminate any names that were on it from my short list. And I would ask myself two questions:
1) Can I yell this name across a playground or down a street without feeling stupid?
and
2) Will my child be able to walk into a boardroom at the age of 40 and introduce themselves without making everyone snicker?
posted by orange swan at 1:18 PM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
The only time I ever got to pick out a name for an actual living creature was when I named my cat Trilby. I thought it suited him because he was very handsome with a gentlemanly, to the manor born air, and Trilby seemed like a name that accorded with that. People either really liked it or said, "What did you name him that for?"
If I were naming an actual child, I would want something distinctive, but I wouldn't make up a name or spell it in a ridiculous way. I would check the top 1000 baby names list for the previous year, and eliminate any names that were on it from my short list. And I would ask myself two questions:
1) Can I yell this name across a playground or down a street without feeling stupid?
and
2) Will my child be able to walk into a boardroom at the age of 40 and introduce themselves without making everyone snicker?
posted by orange swan at 1:18 PM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
A friend once joked that he wanted to name a hypothetical future daughter “Felony.” When asked what he’d do if he had a male child, he replied, “Arson.”
In the end, though, he didn’t follow through.
posted by nickmark at 1:19 PM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
In the end, though, he didn’t follow through.
posted by nickmark at 1:19 PM on May 22, 2023 [5 favorites]
Or perhaps I should say he didn’t have the courage of his convictions.
posted by nickmark at 1:20 PM on May 22, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by nickmark at 1:20 PM on May 22, 2023 [11 favorites]
In college I had a friend whose middle and last names were "Charles" and "Hudson". I wish his parents had given him a river first name too.
posted by bendy at 3:47 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by bendy at 3:47 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
I described Bret & Bart Maverick as good-natured gamblers and travelers because I couldn't think of the right word. Rascals is a better word; they weren't even rogues. Outlaws, sheesh.
posted by theora55 at 4:38 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 4:38 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Notice to dog owners: if you don't like the name of a dog you've acquired (or one you named yourself), you can change it at any time. All you do it pick a new one that you can say in a way that's similar in pitch and rhythm to the old one. It's the overall sound that matters - dogs don't parse the language bits.
posted by pipeski at 4:41 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by pipeski at 4:41 PM on May 22, 2023 [3 favorites]
I see my name (and the other spellings of) are on a huge downhill slide. Both my grandmothers were C/Katherine. I was named for them. Couldn't choose one spelling over the other, so I got the y version. I hated it growing up because I could never get any of the sweet sweet personalized crap. Best I could do was Katie because my mom hated K/Cathy.
I had a Neveah at work a few years ago. Most of my kids at work have unduplicated names, except for B&B. There is another mother who named her kids those names and the other one copied from her. Oye. Since we have the two boys in my class we have Big B and Little B.
posted by kathrynm at 5:17 PM on May 22, 2023
I had a Neveah at work a few years ago. Most of my kids at work have unduplicated names, except for B&B. There is another mother who named her kids those names and the other one copied from her. Oye. Since we have the two boys in my class we have Big B and Little B.
posted by kathrynm at 5:17 PM on May 22, 2023
One summer in college I was a housekeeper at my huge university’s hotel. The university hosted tons of conferences during the summer and I started a collection of name tags with interesting names I found in rooms. Off the top of my head I remember “Virpi Zuck.”
I also started a collection of liquor bottles I found in rooms and off the top of my head I remember none of them.
posted by bendy at 5:30 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
I also started a collection of liquor bottles I found in rooms and off the top of my head I remember none of them.
posted by bendy at 5:30 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
dogs don't parse the language bits
I lived with a chihuahua for a while who could parse the language bits. You could tell him to get his red ball and put it in the box. Or get the green ball and bring it to you. Or find his blue ball and whatever. Like, you could say this to him as monotone as you wanted and he'd do the thing. He was super smart, and it was eerie.
posted by hippybear at 5:47 PM on May 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
I lived with a chihuahua for a while who could parse the language bits. You could tell him to get his red ball and put it in the box. Or get the green ball and bring it to you. Or find his blue ball and whatever. Like, you could say this to him as monotone as you wanted and he'd do the thing. He was super smart, and it was eerie.
posted by hippybear at 5:47 PM on May 22, 2023 [6 favorites]
My partner and I literally named our son after our dead cat. A great name 18 years ago when we swore we wouldn’t have kids was still a great name 10 months ago.
posted by The Potate at 9:29 PM on May 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by The Potate at 9:29 PM on May 22, 2023 [4 favorites]
My given name was never very popular as a name on its own (like I've met 2 or 3 other women with it as a given name) but it used to be a nickname for a more traditional Anglo name, which was actually my mother's given name. She said she had no idea why she came up with it, no I was not named after that movie star, she just liked it.
Nowadays most people who answer to my given name, however, are dogs. Like when the Washington Post ran the "people or dog name?" interactive, mine was definitely a dog name. When I found this out was when my ex-sister-in-law turned out to have a dog with my name. AWKWARD.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:12 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Nowadays most people who answer to my given name, however, are dogs. Like when the Washington Post ran the "people or dog name?" interactive, mine was definitely a dog name. When I found this out was when my ex-sister-in-law turned out to have a dog with my name. AWKWARD.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:12 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
Oh, and not abusing the edit window, I think this: Pluto. Alchemy. Vandal. Meet America’s Newest Boys’ Names belongs here.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:13 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:13 PM on May 22, 2023 [1 favorite]
My partner and I literally named our son after our dead cat.
“Mittens Bloodreaver” is an excellent name for a child.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:15 AM on May 23, 2023 [4 favorites]
“Mittens Bloodreaver” is an excellent name for a child.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:15 AM on May 23, 2023 [4 favorites]
We are open to ideas.
Is "Stephen" too aggressively biblical? (Despite attending a St. Stephen School I instinctively say no; it's entrenched enough in American culture to stand on its own--not like "Nehemiah" or "Hosea," say.) If you're musical theatre people it would be a wonderful homage to not one but two great composers/lyricists, and it's absolutely recognizable but not hyper-popular at this point.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:26 AM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Is "Stephen" too aggressively biblical? (Despite attending a St. Stephen School I instinctively say no; it's entrenched enough in American culture to stand on its own--not like "Nehemiah" or "Hosea," say.) If you're musical theatre people it would be a wonderful homage to not one but two great composers/lyricists, and it's absolutely recognizable but not hyper-popular at this point.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:26 AM on May 23, 2023 [1 favorite]
Artificial intelligence put to its most powerful use yet: coming up with new Utah-sounding baby names. If I have more kids it is recommending Dank Konnar if a boy and Emiree Annalei if a girl (which I kind of like)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 8:15 AM on May 23, 2023
posted by inflatablekiwi at 8:15 AM on May 23, 2023
My father, a geologist, lobbied vigorously (and unsuccessfully) to name my younger sister (b 1955) “Cambria”, to divide his life into pre-Cambrian and Cambrian eras.
I narrowly escaped being named after Linus Pauling - maybe not a big deal now, but would have been traumatic in the peak Peanuts days.
posted by skyscraper at 10:22 AM on May 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
I narrowly escaped being named after Linus Pauling - maybe not a big deal now, but would have been traumatic in the peak Peanuts days.
posted by skyscraper at 10:22 AM on May 23, 2023 [5 favorites]
I recently had some business correspondence with a woman whose first name is "Lovely" -- her last name is also something quite unusual, but I don't want to out her here.
posted by sardonyx at 10:53 AM on May 23, 2023
posted by sardonyx at 10:53 AM on May 23, 2023
In the late 1970s, I visited a first grade class in a small Midwestern town in which there were six Jennifers.
I've dated 9 Jennifers.
We are open to ideas.
Howlin'.
Notice to dog owners: if you don't like the name of a dog you've acquired (or one you named yourself), you can change it at any time. All you do it pick a new one that you can say in a way that's similar in pitch and rhythm to the old one. It's the overall sound that matters - dogs don't parse the language bits.
Sorry, but this is utter nonsense I hear all the time.
You can name a dog whatever you wish whenever you want. My dog's name was Mama when I got her. I changed it to Shakedown. No problems. Most dogs I've lived with have been rescues with no known name when I got them and none had any problem "learning" their new name.
I've dog sat and walked 100s of dogs. Dogs do not understand the concept of names. To any dog, their name is a verbal command which means "look at me".
posted by dobbs at 11:37 AM on May 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
I've dated 9 Jennifers.
We are open to ideas.
Howlin'.
Notice to dog owners: if you don't like the name of a dog you've acquired (or one you named yourself), you can change it at any time. All you do it pick a new one that you can say in a way that's similar in pitch and rhythm to the old one. It's the overall sound that matters - dogs don't parse the language bits.
Sorry, but this is utter nonsense I hear all the time.
You can name a dog whatever you wish whenever you want. My dog's name was Mama when I got her. I changed it to Shakedown. No problems. Most dogs I've lived with have been rescues with no known name when I got them and none had any problem "learning" their new name.
I've dog sat and walked 100s of dogs. Dogs do not understand the concept of names. To any dog, their name is a verbal command which means "look at me".
posted by dobbs at 11:37 AM on May 23, 2023 [3 favorites]
Sorry, but this is utter nonsense I hear all the time.
It worked for me, but maybe I've overstated what I thought was going on. I think we probably agree that dogs respond to a human voice directed at them that has something about the volume and pitch that says 'come here', like when you call a small kid. Maybe the 'sounds like their old name' part is an over-elaboration; you're saying it would probably have worked for me whatever name I chose, which I'm happy to concede.
posted by pipeski at 4:30 PM on May 23, 2023
It worked for me, but maybe I've overstated what I thought was going on. I think we probably agree that dogs respond to a human voice directed at them that has something about the volume and pitch that says 'come here', like when you call a small kid. Maybe the 'sounds like their old name' part is an over-elaboration; you're saying it would probably have worked for me whatever name I chose, which I'm happy to concede.
posted by pipeski at 4:30 PM on May 23, 2023
For a while in my 20s I wanted to name a child Schenectady but then realized that I couldn’t just name any random child, I’d have to produce one of my own.
You could sneak into the town hall and impersonate a registrar for an afternoon - you could name a few that way before the parents catch on. I'm not sure that it's even a crime.
---
I've long maintained that the Palin boys' full names are Trigonometry and Tracheotomy, and I won't let mere reality dissuade me.
--
Apropos of nothing, I discovered yesterday that the French composer of light and library music, Roger Roger, was actually christened that. His family name was Roger, and his father had a peculiar sense of humour. I'd always thought it was an affectation, though he'd have had to have been flamboyantly mustachioed to carry it off, and he wasn't.
---
I'm a John. Apart from anything else, I now realise that dates me as an Old, in much the way being called Herbert or George would when I was a child. In fact one is more likely to meet a ten-year-old Herbert or George than a similarly aged John.
posted by Grangousier at 10:25 AM on May 24, 2023
You could sneak into the town hall and impersonate a registrar for an afternoon - you could name a few that way before the parents catch on. I'm not sure that it's even a crime.
---
I've long maintained that the Palin boys' full names are Trigonometry and Tracheotomy, and I won't let mere reality dissuade me.
--
Apropos of nothing, I discovered yesterday that the French composer of light and library music, Roger Roger, was actually christened that. His family name was Roger, and his father had a peculiar sense of humour. I'd always thought it was an affectation, though he'd have had to have been flamboyantly mustachioed to carry it off, and he wasn't.
---
I'm a John. Apart from anything else, I now realise that dates me as an Old, in much the way being called Herbert or George would when I was a child. In fact one is more likely to meet a ten-year-old Herbert or George than a similarly aged John.
posted by Grangousier at 10:25 AM on May 24, 2023
Didn't run into many Sebastiens growing up in Southern California. But, the single time I got lost on a beach in Corsica, as a young boy? I swear, every kid was called Sebastien - they'd spawned extra children to name them Sebastien - it was traumatizing.
> Oh, and not abusing the edit window, I think this: Pluto. Alchemy. Vandal. Meet America’s Newest Boys’ Names belongs here.
Lighting a candle for nominative determinism.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:24 AM on May 25, 2023
> Oh, and not abusing the edit window, I think this: Pluto. Alchemy. Vandal. Meet America’s Newest Boys’ Names belongs here.
Lighting a candle for nominative determinism.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:24 AM on May 25, 2023
We are open to ideas.
Howlin'.
Is this a Rivers Solomon reference?
(Rivers, also a great name, thinking on it.)
posted by eirias at 4:56 AM on May 29, 2023
Howlin'.
Is this a Rivers Solomon reference?
(Rivers, also a great name, thinking on it.)
posted by eirias at 4:56 AM on May 29, 2023
Howlin' is also Chester Burnett's second first name.
posted by y2karl at 12:44 PM on May 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by y2karl at 12:44 PM on May 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
Everybody's so creative!
I do think a 'unique' name can have its benefits, so I understand the impulse. However, the trend in some places to take a classic name, and make the spelling as wild as possible, is not good. Having to constantly spell your name is annoying.
posted by chaz at 2:10 PM on May 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
I do think a 'unique' name can have its benefits, so I understand the impulse. However, the trend in some places to take a classic name, and make the spelling as wild as possible, is not good. Having to constantly spell your name is annoying.
posted by chaz at 2:10 PM on May 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
Is this a Rivers Solomon reference?
No. Y2Karl has it.
posted by dobbs at 3:38 PM on May 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
No. Y2Karl has it.
posted by dobbs at 3:38 PM on May 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
However, the trend in some places to take a classic name, and make the spelling as wild as possible, is not good. Having to constantly spell your name is annoying.
Oh lord, we had one of these at my job too--they changed their name to two common nouns and then kr8tively spelled them, and I was all, "good lord, why on EARTH do you want to spend your entire life spelling out" (note: totally made up example here) "I-N-F-Y-N-N-E-T-Y K-L-O-U-T-D" to every single person you meet for the rest of your life? Why are you doing this to yourself?!"
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:26 PM on May 29, 2023
Oh lord, we had one of these at my job too--they changed their name to two common nouns and then kr8tively spelled them, and I was all, "good lord, why on EARTH do you want to spend your entire life spelling out" (note: totally made up example here) "I-N-F-Y-N-N-E-T-Y K-L-O-U-T-D" to every single person you meet for the rest of your life? Why are you doing this to yourself?!"
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:26 PM on May 29, 2023
Can confirm. My daughter's 2nd grade class is 13% Theo. Not 13% of boys, 13% of the whole class.
posted by juliapangolin at 10:28 AM on May 31, 2023
posted by juliapangolin at 10:28 AM on May 31, 2023
Dogs do not understand the concept of names.
Well, my experience is that they recognize the names of other dogs, cats -- cows and horses, etc. where available! -- and other large to small mammals, birds and reptiles where they live, and, furthermore, respond accordingly depending as to whether and how much or not they like the creature mentioned. If yes, wagging tails, dancing feet and even barking can ensue. If not, eyes narrow to slits, ears go back and an occasional growl barely can be heard. And I would also contend that they also anticipate encountering the aforementioned because their behavior changes depending on their feelings about the other. All this is based from personal experience, of course. So, my tentative conclusion is that dogs have the concepts of time, self, others and names fairly down, boy. BAD Dobbs!
posted by y2karl at 11:18 AM on May 31, 2023
Well, my experience is that they recognize the names of other dogs, cats -- cows and horses, etc. where available! -- and other large to small mammals, birds and reptiles where they live, and, furthermore, respond accordingly depending as to whether and how much or not they like the creature mentioned. If yes, wagging tails, dancing feet and even barking can ensue. If not, eyes narrow to slits, ears go back and an occasional growl barely can be heard. And I would also contend that they also anticipate encountering the aforementioned because their behavior changes depending on their feelings about the other. All this is based from personal experience, of course. So, my tentative conclusion is that dogs have the concepts of time, self, others and names fairly down, boy. BAD Dobbs!
posted by y2karl at 11:18 AM on May 31, 2023
« Older The Tyranny of 'the Best' | A Field of Ruins Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by clawsoon at 9:48 AM on May 21, 2023 [3 favorites]