Community Chat

[Oznell]

The Social Security Administration has released its list of the most popular names in 2016.  Here are the top five for boys and girls:

Boys:   Noah, Liam, William, Mason, James

Girls:    Emma, Olivia, Ava, Sophia, Isabella

Not too terribly surprising, is it?   We know a fair number of kids with most of those names, or variations of them.

It's interesting that in the number two and three position for boys, are two versions of William (with Liam being the Irish version).  I really like the Welsh form of William,  "Gwilym", but don't expect it to catch on soon!

The trend for girls names ending in "a" is still going very strong, I see.

I'm a name nerd, so I love these lists.  Any surprises for you?

[MoJoV]

No surprises,all pretty common. Matter of fact my younger granddaughter is named Ava,she's 10. So it's been popular for awhile.

[stevieb]

At least Jacob has finally dropped out of the top five... 

[stevieb]

I'm not really wild about any of these names, boy or girl, but I also don't actively dislike any of them... I am, however, tired of hearing some of them...

[ROMARY]

I like 'Isabella'.  Trying to think of names that I've liked......

[Nomorebirthdays]

I like them, and they won't have to through life with a name no one knows how to spell or pronounce. My husband has an odd name and he hates it. And to top it off it is gender neutral.

[ROMARY]

Just thought of one that I haven't heard in years:  Laurine.  Pretty name.  Gabriella or Gabrielle.  

[ROMARY]

Can't think of any unique male names, so far.  Mentally going down the alphabet..........can't think of any unique, handsome names..........

[mistriTsquirrel]

"Mason" I could do without.  I'm not a fan of last names as first names.  The others are okay.

I've gotten a little sick of Caitlin, Hayley, Madison, Mikayla...and I'm sooo sick of the "aden" names, which were never good to begin with.  (Jaden, Braden, Caden...ad nauseam.)

[Oznell]

I've liked so many names over the course of my lifetime, that I keep forgetting half of them!   But have been poring over them and "collecting" them since I was a teenager, and a pattern is recognizable:

I tend to like Welsh, other Celtic names, especially Manx and Cornish; a lot of traditional names that might not be that common; Biblical names; medieval names; and botanical names.  Some people want to beat me over the head for some of the weird names I like, yet some are very familiar and "comfortable".   Were I naming a child now, I might or might not choose from this selection:

Girls:

Honour

Tess

Sibyl

Bryony  (a botanical)

Marigold (ditto)

Fleur  (ditto)

Phoebe

Olwyn

Dominy

Mavis

Jocelyn

Keturah (unusual Biblical; nickname "Kit")

Mabyn (Cornish saint)

Eloise

Malkyn  (medieval diminutive for "Mary")

Glynis

Boys:

Barnaby (old English version of Biblical "Barnabas")

Oliver (in the last 20 years though, it's gotten a little too popular-- still like it though)

Malcolm

Hugh

Christian

Cadoc (dashing Welsh medieval name)

Peregrine (medieval again)  pronounced "PARE-a-grin"--  means "wanderer"

Peter

John Wesley

Solomon

Colin

Tobias

Reuben