What's you style?

Hey all. By the time this is posted, I hope you’re all having a fab Easter weekend. I’m writing this on a train to my nana’s and papa’s, so, when it is posted I won’t have any internet! Between essays, a weeknight drinking stint, and a holiday Friday, this week got away from me and I’m kind of in crunch time to get this post out with no idea what I’m going to write! This week, names have just not been inspiring me like they usually do and as a result, I completely torched my tops list. I don’t want to call it a slump, as lately I’ve been spending more time without a solid list than with, but I definitely am not happy with the names I’m used to loving. My problem is that I feel like I as a person have really changed in the last year, but particularly the last few months. As much as I still adore my old names, I don’t necessarily think they fit me anymore. I guess my point is that I’m between styles right now and the four main styles that I see in the naming community are going to be the topic of this post. If I don’t mention what you see as your style, no hard feelings, this is just how I see things. There are also people (like me!) who fit into many styles and names that fit into more than one as well.

The Traditionalists

            Traditionalists, as I see them, choose strong, gender appropriate names with rich histories and legacies. Traditionalists are often drawn to Biblical and other literary names. These names have withstood the test of time. They’re often spelled how they sound and have equally classic nicknames. Because these names have been around so long, they have a certain strength, but can come off as too popular. Names I see as being a part of this style would be choices like Catherine, Elizabeth, Juliet and Rose for girls or Nathaniel, James, Benjamin and Henry for boys.

The Vintage

            I see vintage as being similar to traditionalist, but leaning cutesier. I see old lady/old man chic names as fitting into this style. To distinguish them from traditionalist names, I see the vintage name club as being less popular and with a defining characteristic of sweet instead of strong. Vintage names to me are options like Alice, Maude, Violet and Winnie for girls or Theo, Felix, Thomas and Stanley for boys.

The Cool

            Cool namers, although being the style I identify with least, are some of the most fun to talk names with to me. Cool namers are completely fearless and this enables them to come up with some combos that I see as jaw dropping. Cool namers are unafraid of unknown, hard to spell, mythological or ethnic names that would definitely ensure their child would be the only one with that name in the class. Some names I see as fitting into this style are Astrid, Lux, Tamsin and Zinnia for girls and River, Griffin, Milan and Kendrick for boys.

The Trendy

            And to my main style! Trendy namers have a love affair with the top 20. Sometimes they like a boys name on a girl, and, if things are getting really crazy- an alternate spelling or two. Trendy namers are into surnames, places and occupation. For the most part, popularity doesn’t factor into the choices of a trendy namer. Names that fit in this style in my opinion are Piper, Olivia, Zoey and Addison for girls and Hunter, Mason, London or Brayden for boys.

            How do you see different styles as playing out? Would you categorize our overarching styles like I do? Would you add to mine or take any away? What would you say your style is?

- Hayl