Why The Popular Names Are Popular

I was going to announce the winners of my baby name game from December 31^st at the beginning of this blog but not enough people played L so everyone who played is a winner, thanks for all of your suggestions, and for playing! Maybe next time we will get more of a turnout if I do another client game!
 

This week for my third and last post in my popular baby name series I’m going to talk about the top ten in the United States for 2012. “What makes these names popular?” is the main question I’m going to try to answer because I think that we all have that question, though, I might not be able to answer it for all of the names because there are some that even I don’t understand J Feel free to disagree with anything I say, these are just my opinions and thoughts.

Sophia- The lovely Sophia, I adore this name, but can’t use it (I have a cousin with this name). I think that this name is popular because of wide spread appeal, it appeals so parents looking for a name that has strength, parents who want a child to have a name with a good meaning (wisdom is pretty awesome), modern parents, and old fashioned parents. This name covers all the bases.

Emma- Many people think that Emma became popular because of Friends but that is not the case, it was already rising when Rachel stole this lovely name from Monica; though I’m sure that Friends did help it rise faster. The main reason I think Emma became popular was because it was an alternative to megastar Emily.

Isabella- This is another name that people think became popular because of a popculture phenomenon (Twilight) but Isabella was already number 1 when the first movie came out and in the top 20 when the first book did. I think Isabella was the starter to the trend of long and frilly names for girls, with cute little nicknames. This name gives parents options, a long a flowy name or a short spunky nickname (Izzy or Bella).

Olivia- Olivia has been a rising star since the 90s, and I just love this one. Olivia along with Isabella is part of the long and filly girls name trend. I think it appeals to parents because it’s long and strong, but there is also the adorable nicknames of Liv and Livi

Ava- Ava is like a counter to Olivia and Isabella. While Ava is still girly and beautiful, it’s not long and frilly, it’s simplistic, short and sweet. It has the same appeal as Olivia with the funky V sound in the middle but is much shorter, and has no nicknames.

Emily- Emily was a dominate power for YEARS, until Isabella dethroned it. I think the appeal of Emily is the old-fashioned charm, while still sounding modern. Emily is just a pretty name, it’s not harsh at all, and just sounds sweet.

Abigail- I think that Abigail has the same appeal as Emily, although some might find the B sound kind of harsh. Abigail has old fashioned appeal, while still staying a little bit modern with the lovely nickname Abby.

Mia- Mia, like Ava, is a counter to the long and frilly names that are becoming more and more popular. Mia, even though it’s popular, is like a breath of fresh air to all the long a girlie names that are getting more popular. I think that Mia has universally appealing sounds (feel free to disagree but that’s my opinion), and it’s just a cute little name.

Madison- Honestly, this name doesn’t appeal to me, but obviously it appeals to a lot of other parents. I think it might be the nickname Maddie, but I’m not sure.

Elizabeth- I ADORE the name Elizabeth, and clearly so do other parents. I think the appeal comes from the fact that it is a classic name that will never go out of style. If you hear the name Elizabeth, you don’t link it to a certain decade or area in time, which I’m sure appeals to a lot of parents.

Jacob- Jacob is a name that seems like it has been popular for forever (and it kind of has) so obviously it appeals to a lot of parents. Jacob is just a friendly name to me, you can use the adorable nickname Jake or the full Jacob and have the same ‘boy next door’ appeal.

Mason- I think Mason got a huge boost from the Kardashians, though it was already rising. No one would use this name BECAUSE of the Kardashians, but having heard it more and more means that parents were thinking of it more. This name is an occupational name without being too obvious, and I think parents like this. It’s also is a nice alternative to Jason.

Ethan- Ethan has been popular for a while too. Clearly boy’s names stick around for longer, and I think that’s because they have more overall appeal. There are a few famous people and characters named Ethan, so I think that helped it out. It’s also a softer sounding name, still strong, but not in your face masculine.

Noah- This lovely, Old Testament name is just becoming popular again. Like Ethan, it has a softer sound, while still being masculine, and I think that parents really like that in a name. It is also a nice name for parents who are looking for a biblical name but don’t want something like David or Joseph

William- This is my number one boy’s name, so obviously I see the appeal. I find William as a strong, classic, masculine name. It has the sweet nickname possibility of Will, which I find adorable. I like that William has been used for years, and will never go out of style.

Liam- Liam originated as a nickname for William but is now a standalone name. Liam is another softer but masculine name for boys. I think Liam is very very handsome, and reminds me of the great Liam Neeson. The only thing about Liam is that I don’t think it has staying power like a lot of the other names on this list.

Jayden- I don’t even know…

Michael- Michael has been popular for YEARS; it appeals to many people, in many different walks of life. I feel like Michael might still be popular because of honoring purposes (whether baby is named after Dad or Grandpa Mike) because it sounds a little bit dated to me, but is still a lovely classic choice.

Alexander- This name is similar to William to me. It’s strong and classic, with lots of nickname possibilities. There’s the friendly Alex, the modern Xander, and the cool Lex. Alexander has royal appeal (as does William), and brings to mind some of the great leaders of the past.

Aiden- Aiden is one of the leaders in the –aiden trend that I don’t quite understand. I’m a lover of popular names, but to me, even though I love the sound of Aiden, it’s just around too much for me now with all the different names that are in use now a days.