my favorite popular names

                For my last post, I talked about my favorite names that did not make the SSA top 1000 list. This week, I thought I’d go in the opposite direction and discuss my favorite names in the SSA top 100. As someone who’s never shied away from popular names, I had a really hard time narrowing this list down!

Girls

Name: Abigail

Rank: 7

Meaning: my father is joy

My Thoughts: Abigail is pretty universally popular, ranking in the top 100 in Canada, Northern Ireland, The US, Australia and The UK. It comes from Hebrew and was used in the Bible. Abigail is the epitome of a classic and has the adorable nickname option of Abbey. For namers who don’t shy away from popularity, Abigail is a gorgeous choice.

Name: Lily

Rank: 16

Meaning: lily flower

My Thoughts: Lily has been one of my all time favorite names. It’s so feminine and delicate and I love how it evokes images of fields of flowers. Lately, I’ve been loving the association of the character Lily on How I Met Your Mother as well. Lily has many lovely long forms for those who like it, but not its popularity or nickname-y feel, of those, my favorite is Liliana.

Name: Zoë

Rank: 20

Meaning:  life

My Thoughts: Zoë is derived from Greek. Between its meaning and spunky first Z, Zoë has a super youthful and vivacious sound to me. Zoë is short and sweet and would be a great choice for those looking for a super vibrant name. Also, despite it having a high popularity, I definitely don’t feel as if I know very many!

Name: Claire

Rank: 45

Meaning:  clear, bright and famouse

My Thoughts: Claire is the French form of the English, Clara. Claire is my nana’s name and one of my middles and is a name I’ve always adored. I think that despite its one syllable length, Claire is very elegant and feminine.

Name: Caroline

Rank: 80

Meaning:  warrior

My Thoughts: Caroline is so classy. Caroline is the name of a princess and was the name of a character in Pride and Prejudice. Caroline has French roots and has many international variants. Those who love the sound of Caroline, but not the popularity could go with an international version such as Karolina or Carlotta.

Boys

Name: Nathan

Rank: 29

Meaning:  he gave

My Thoughts: Nathan ranks high in many countries and is actually number one in France! Nathan is a Biblical name as well. To me, Nathan is ultra masculine and strong, but still delicate and charming. I adore both Nate and Tate as nickname options. The related Nathaniel is just slightly less popular with all the same charm.

Name: Isaac

Rank: 30

Meaning:  he laughs

My Thoughts: Isaac is a Biblical name with a gorgeous meaning. Isaac has been very common among Jewish families and is a family name for me. In its more original Hebrew form Yitzhak, Isaac has been seen on two recent Israeli Prime Ministers.

Name: Hunter

Rank: 45

Meaning:  one who is a hunter

My Thoughts: Hunter is one of my all time favorite names! To me, this name is super masculine and a name I could totally see on a little hockey playing rough and tumble boys boy and I love that! Hunter is super popular in Canada, The US and Australia, but would be a more unusual choice in the UK.

Name: Jordan

Rank: 48

Meaning:  descends

My Thoughts: Jordan comes from the name of the river between Israel and Jordan. This name is a recent name crush for me. Jordan peaked in popularity in the 90’s and as a result I would probably need both hands to count the number of Jordans I know. This and its usage on girls of late kind of put me off, which is too bad as I think it’s a really lovely sounding name and Jordy is an adorable nickname. For those who like the idea of Jordan on a girl but are not unisex name kind of people, Jordana is a gorgeous and exotic feminine version.

Name: Levi

Rank: 55

Meaning:  attached

My Thoughts: Levi is a name that bounces on and off my lists. Levi is another Biblical name. Levi is popular in the Scandinavian countries as well as the US, Canada and Australia. I love the sound of Levi and how classically masculine it is. That said, I do find the jean brand association a little off putting.

                So those are my favorites from the SSA top 100. What are your favorite popular names and where do you weigh in on the popularity divide?

Hayl