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HelpBTN's Favorite Names 2017
2011 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4199011
2012 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4356914
2013 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4483121
2014 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4574822
2015 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4664550
2016 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4774837
We have been doing the monthly top 10s for TEN YEARS! Participation has slightly increased from last year but is still no where near where it was in 2015.
So like I’ve done since 2011, I’ve counted up all the names posted in the top 10s each month to find BTN’s favorite names.
I count similarly to the SSA. Accents do not count (Léo and Leo are counted the same). If you posted a combo, only the first name counted, and if you couldn’t decide between two names (“Lukas / Luke, can’t decide!”) the first name is the one that gets counted. If something appeared to be a double name, it was counted as a double name. Only 10 names per gender were counted, so if you sneakily posted an 11th, it didn’t count. Also, if you fat-finger typed on your phone and misspelled the name, the misspelling counts because I’m not out here reading minds.
Last year’s top names were Helena and Arthur.
This year, we have new #1 names on both sides.
For boys, the new #1 is Sebastian, breaking Arthur’s 3 year streak. Sebastian has never ranked higher than #3 before this.
For girls, the new #1 is Alice, up from #4 last year. Alice was also #1 in 2010 and 2011. The girls rankings are always close, but this year was exceptionally close, with Alice just barely beating out Josephine in the last month’s top 10s.
Here’s the top 20 for girls and top 25 for boys for 2017. To get an idea of how many people put the name on their list each month, divide the number in the parenthesis by 12.
1. Alice (42, 0.93%)
2. Josephine (41, 0.91%)
3. Violet (39, 0.87%)
4. Luna (36, 0.80%)
5. Helena (35, 0.78%)
6. Hazel (34, 0.76%)
7. Clara, Louisa, Willow (32, 0.71%)
8. Anna (30, 0.67%)
9. Eleanor, Winifred (29, 0.65%)
10. Adelaide, Elizabeth, Matilda, Octavia (27, 0.60%)
11. Beatrix (26, 0.58%)
12. Cordelia (25, 0.56%
13. Miriam (24, 0.53%)
14. Sarah, Stella, Sylvie (23, 0.51%)
15. Beatrice, Eloise, Freya, Isabel, Mary (22, 0.49%)
16. Florence, Katherine, Lydia, Rose, Sabrina (21, 0.47%)
17. Ivy, Lucy, Maude, Phoebe, Sybil, Victoria, Xanthe (20, 0.45%)
18. Anastasia, Julia, Rosalie, Susanna (19, 0.42%)
19. Charlotte, Eleanora, Eve, Iris, Lily, Nina, Olivia (18, 0.40%)
20. Audrey, Aurora, Flora, Georgiana (17, 0.38%)
1. Sebastian (75, 1.69%)
2. Alexander (65, 1.46%)
3. Arthur (56, 1.26%)
4. Henry (51, 1.15%)
5. William (47, 1.06%)
6. Isaac (46, 1.04%)
7. Oscar (45, 1.01%)
8. Felix, Samuel (42, 0.95%)
9. Ezra (40, 0.90%)
10. August, Nicholas (38, 0.86%)
11. James (37, 0.83%)
12. Nathaniel (36, 0.81%)
13. Thomas (34, 0.77%)
14. Gabriel (33, 0.74%)
15. Augustus, Rowan (29, 0.65%)
16. Elias, Leo (28, 0.63%)
17. John (27, 0.61%)
18. Adrian, Asher, Malcolm, Nikolai, Walter (26, 0.59%)
19. Jonah, Ptolemy (25, 0.56%)
20. Julian (24, 0.54%)
21. Ambrose, Benjamin, Caspar, Horatio, Charles, George, Raphael, Spencer, Theodore (22, 0.50%)
22. Oliver (21, 0.47%)
23. Tobias, Tristan (20, 0.45%)
24. Ashley, Hugo, Jack (19, 0.43%)
25. Andrew, Edmund, Frederick, Griffin, Grover (18, 0.41%)
Alice's win this year has allowed her to reclaim her spot as BTN’s All-Time #1 Girl’s name, snatching the spot back from Rose, who held the spot for 2 years.
On the boy’s side, no changes to the top 3. I’ll put the top 20 for each in a reply.
Beatrice Ezra Larkin
Parisa Nocturne Silver
www.behindthename.com/pnl/59411
2012 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4356914
2013 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4483121
2014 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4574822
2015 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4664550
2016 results: https://www.behindthename.com/bb/baby/4774837
We have been doing the monthly top 10s for TEN YEARS! Participation has slightly increased from last year but is still no where near where it was in 2015.
So like I’ve done since 2011, I’ve counted up all the names posted in the top 10s each month to find BTN’s favorite names.
I count similarly to the SSA. Accents do not count (Léo and Leo are counted the same). If you posted a combo, only the first name counted, and if you couldn’t decide between two names (“Lukas / Luke, can’t decide!”) the first name is the one that gets counted. If something appeared to be a double name, it was counted as a double name. Only 10 names per gender were counted, so if you sneakily posted an 11th, it didn’t count. Also, if you fat-finger typed on your phone and misspelled the name, the misspelling counts because I’m not out here reading minds.
Last year’s top names were Helena and Arthur.
This year, we have new #1 names on both sides.
For boys, the new #1 is Sebastian, breaking Arthur’s 3 year streak. Sebastian has never ranked higher than #3 before this.
For girls, the new #1 is Alice, up from #4 last year. Alice was also #1 in 2010 and 2011. The girls rankings are always close, but this year was exceptionally close, with Alice just barely beating out Josephine in the last month’s top 10s.
Here’s the top 20 for girls and top 25 for boys for 2017. To get an idea of how many people put the name on their list each month, divide the number in the parenthesis by 12.
1. Alice (42, 0.93%)
2. Josephine (41, 0.91%)
3. Violet (39, 0.87%)
4. Luna (36, 0.80%)
5. Helena (35, 0.78%)
6. Hazel (34, 0.76%)
7. Clara, Louisa, Willow (32, 0.71%)
8. Anna (30, 0.67%)
9. Eleanor, Winifred (29, 0.65%)
10. Adelaide, Elizabeth, Matilda, Octavia (27, 0.60%)
11. Beatrix (26, 0.58%)
12. Cordelia (25, 0.56%
13. Miriam (24, 0.53%)
14. Sarah, Stella, Sylvie (23, 0.51%)
15. Beatrice, Eloise, Freya, Isabel, Mary (22, 0.49%)
16. Florence, Katherine, Lydia, Rose, Sabrina (21, 0.47%)
17. Ivy, Lucy, Maude, Phoebe, Sybil, Victoria, Xanthe (20, 0.45%)
18. Anastasia, Julia, Rosalie, Susanna (19, 0.42%)
19. Charlotte, Eleanora, Eve, Iris, Lily, Nina, Olivia (18, 0.40%)
20. Audrey, Aurora, Flora, Georgiana (17, 0.38%)
1. Sebastian (75, 1.69%)
2. Alexander (65, 1.46%)
3. Arthur (56, 1.26%)
4. Henry (51, 1.15%)
5. William (47, 1.06%)
6. Isaac (46, 1.04%)
7. Oscar (45, 1.01%)
8. Felix, Samuel (42, 0.95%)
9. Ezra (40, 0.90%)
10. August, Nicholas (38, 0.86%)
11. James (37, 0.83%)
12. Nathaniel (36, 0.81%)
13. Thomas (34, 0.77%)
14. Gabriel (33, 0.74%)
15. Augustus, Rowan (29, 0.65%)
16. Elias, Leo (28, 0.63%)
17. John (27, 0.61%)
18. Adrian, Asher, Malcolm, Nikolai, Walter (26, 0.59%)
19. Jonah, Ptolemy (25, 0.56%)
20. Julian (24, 0.54%)
21. Ambrose, Benjamin, Caspar, Horatio, Charles, George, Raphael, Spencer, Theodore (22, 0.50%)
22. Oliver (21, 0.47%)
23. Tobias, Tristan (20, 0.45%)
24. Ashley, Hugo, Jack (19, 0.43%)
25. Andrew, Edmund, Frederick, Griffin, Grover (18, 0.41%)
Alice's win this year has allowed her to reclaim her spot as BTN’s All-Time #1 Girl’s name, snatching the spot back from Rose, who held the spot for 2 years.
On the boy’s side, no changes to the top 3. I’ll put the top 20 for each in a reply.
Parisa Nocturne Silver
www.behindthename.com/pnl/59411
This message was edited 12/9/2017, 3:51 PM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
It is really impressive that you've taken the time to do this. Thank you!
Although Behind the Name has slightly different preferences that the national most popular names, it appears that we are still very much subject to trends. I love Alice, so it makes me a little exasperated that everyone else likes it too. If we all end up with daughters named Alice, it wont be as interesting on here. I liked a lot of the girl names, but I wasn't as crazy about some of the boy names.
I liked
1. Alice (42, 0.93%)
3. Violet (39, 0.87%)
4. Luna (36, 0.80%)
5. Helena (35, 0.78%)
7. Louisa (32, 0.71%) – prefer Louise
8. Anna (30, 0.67%)
9. Eleanor (29, 0.65%)
10. Elizabeth, Matilda, Octavia (27, 0.60%)
11. Beatrix (26, 0.58%)
15. Isabel (22, 0.49%)
16. Florence, Katherine, Lydia, Sabrina (21, 0.47%)
17. Victoria (20, 0.45%)
18. Anastasia (19, 0.42%)
20. Flora, Georgiana (17, 0.38%)
2. Alexander (65, 1.46%)
3. Arthur (56, 1.26%)
9. Ezra (40, 0.90%)
10. August, Nicholas (38, 0.86%)
11. James (37, 0.83%)
12. Nathaniel (36, 0.81%)
14. Gabriel (33, 0.74%)
19. Ptolemy (25, 0.56%)
21. Caspar, Raphael (22, 0.50%)
25. Frederick (18, 0.41%)
Although Behind the Name has slightly different preferences that the national most popular names, it appears that we are still very much subject to trends. I love Alice, so it makes me a little exasperated that everyone else likes it too. If we all end up with daughters named Alice, it wont be as interesting on here. I liked a lot of the girl names, but I wasn't as crazy about some of the boy names.
I liked
1. Alice (42, 0.93%)
3. Violet (39, 0.87%)
4. Luna (36, 0.80%)
5. Helena (35, 0.78%)
7. Louisa (32, 0.71%) – prefer Louise
8. Anna (30, 0.67%)
9. Eleanor (29, 0.65%)
10. Elizabeth, Matilda, Octavia (27, 0.60%)
11. Beatrix (26, 0.58%)
15. Isabel (22, 0.49%)
16. Florence, Katherine, Lydia, Sabrina (21, 0.47%)
17. Victoria (20, 0.45%)
18. Anastasia (19, 0.42%)
20. Flora, Georgiana (17, 0.38%)
2. Alexander (65, 1.46%)
3. Arthur (56, 1.26%)
9. Ezra (40, 0.90%)
10. August, Nicholas (38, 0.86%)
11. James (37, 0.83%)
12. Nathaniel (36, 0.81%)
14. Gabriel (33, 0.74%)
19. Ptolemy (25, 0.56%)
21. Caspar, Raphael (22, 0.50%)
25. Frederick (18, 0.41%)
This message was edited 12/11/2017, 12:15 PM
1
Names Posted Only Once in Ten Years [Boys]
Some people sometimes posted joke names, so the weirdest stuff in here can be attributed to that.
Aadolf
Aart
Absolon
Achille
Adams
Adolph
Adolphe
Adoniram
Adri
Adriaan
Adrianus
Adriel
Aeneas
Aether
Afton
Agamemnon
Agustin
Agustine
Airis
Ajax
Ajit
Aksel
Al
Alastor
Albany
Alberto
Albus
Alby
Alcaeus
Alcides
Aldo
Aleister
Aleksandar
Aleksandr
Alessio
Alexandrius
Allan
Allen
Allister
Aloyisious
Alpheus
Alphonse
Alrik
Altair
Alvar
Amaury
Amin
Amir
Amitai
Amleth
Amon
Amraphel
Amyntas
Amzi
Anand
Anaruz
Anatoli
Anatolij
Anatoliy
Andrea
Andrius
Antero
Antonin
Antonio
Anzo
Aphos
Aquila
Archidamus
Aric
Arien
Aristaeus
Aristarch
Aristotle
Some people sometimes posted joke names, so the weirdest stuff in here can be attributed to that.
Aadolf
Aart
Absolon
Achille
Adams
Adolph
Adolphe
Adoniram
Adri
Adriaan
Adrianus
Adriel
Aeneas
Aether
Afton
Agamemnon
Agustin
Agustine
Airis
Ajax
Ajit
Aksel
Al
Alastor
Albany
Alberto
Albus
Alby
Alcaeus
Alcides
Aldo
Aleister
Aleksandar
Aleksandr
Alessio
Alexandrius
Allan
Allen
Allister
Aloyisious
Alpheus
Alphonse
Alrik
Altair
Alvar
Amaury
Amin
Amir
Amitai
Amleth
Amon
Amraphel
Amyntas
Amzi
Anand
Anaruz
Anatoli
Anatolij
Anatoliy
Andrea
Andrius
Antero
Antonin
Antonio
Anzo
Aphos
Aquila
Archidamus
Aric
Arien
Aristaeus
Aristarch
Aristotle
1
I like:
Cadoc
Caine - though I prefer Cain
Charles-Valentin - This is actually a very handsome French masculine name!
Cullen - If it weren't for Twilight...
Darien - though I prefer Darian
Demetri - though I prefer Dimitri
Dominick - though I (much) prefer Dominic
Elihu
Emmet - though I prefer Emmett
Esmond
Fidel
Garrick
Garrison
Gustave
Immanuel
Isaak - though I (much) prefer Isaac
Isidro
Jean-Luc
John-Luke
John-Mark
Judicael
Kean - I used to go back and forth between this spelling and Keane.
Kellan
Kiaran - though I prefer Kieran
Lisle - though I prefer Lyle
Navarre - I wonder if this one was mine...?
Nicanor
Osric
Pierce - Only once, really? Huh.
Raoul
Raul
Rordan
Ruarc - Was this one mine, too? Or did I only have Ruarc as a middle? I'll have to check.
Sefton
Stephan - though I prefer Steffan
Terrence - Another one where I'm surprised it only appeared once in 10 years.
Trenton
Uriah
Vaughan - though I prefer Vaughn
Warwick - However, being American, I think Warrick would be easier to use (although I think Warwick looks better).
&
Arrow - I actually think of this as a girls' name more than a boys' name, for some reason. Not sure why.
Cerys
Fern
Gethsemane
Jewel
Lindsey - though I prefer Lindsay
Loveday
Penrose
Topaz
Vesper - This used to be a huge favorite feminine name of mine, and I entirely blame James Bond for it.
The second group are names I regard as feminine.
Altogether, I find I'm much, much pickier about masculine names than feminine ones!
Cadoc
Caine - though I prefer Cain
Charles-Valentin - This is actually a very handsome French masculine name!
Cullen - If it weren't for Twilight...
Darien - though I prefer Darian
Demetri - though I prefer Dimitri
Dominick - though I (much) prefer Dominic
Elihu
Emmet - though I prefer Emmett
Esmond
Fidel
Garrick
Garrison
Gustave
Immanuel
Isaak - though I (much) prefer Isaac
Isidro
Jean-Luc
John-Luke
John-Mark
Judicael
Kean - I used to go back and forth between this spelling and Keane.
Kellan
Kiaran - though I prefer Kieran
Lisle - though I prefer Lyle
Navarre - I wonder if this one was mine...?
Nicanor
Osric
Pierce - Only once, really? Huh.
Raoul
Raul
Rordan
Ruarc - Was this one mine, too? Or did I only have Ruarc as a middle? I'll have to check.
Sefton
Stephan - though I prefer Steffan
Terrence - Another one where I'm surprised it only appeared once in 10 years.
Trenton
Uriah
Vaughan - though I prefer Vaughn
Warwick - However, being American, I think Warrick would be easier to use (although I think Warwick looks better).
&
Arrow - I actually think of this as a girls' name more than a boys' name, for some reason. Not sure why.
Cerys
Fern
Gethsemane
Jewel
Lindsey - though I prefer Lindsay
Loveday
Penrose
Topaz
Vesper - This used to be a huge favorite feminine name of mine, and I entirely blame James Bond for it.
The second group are names I regard as feminine.
Altogether, I find I'm much, much pickier about masculine names than feminine ones!
1
Names Posted Only Once in Ten Years [Girls]
Since it's the decade mark, I thought I'd post these. Maybe there's some hidden gems.
(On more than one occasion, some people have posted joke names to the top 10 posts, so if you see something really strange, that's probably what it is)
Abra
Abril
Adaline
Adalmiina
Adamae
Adastra
Addalie
Addax
Adder
Adelaida
Adelys
Adolfiina
Adorestine
Aela
Aenor
Aerie
Aeronwy
Afanen
Agafia
Agathe
Agnessa
Agneza
Agnieszka
Agrippa
Aikaterine
Ailís
Ainhoa
Aino
Ajay
Akasha
Akira
Alani
Alanna
Alaska
Alastair
Alayna
Alazne
Alberte
Aldona
Alecto
Aleksandria
Alendra
Aletheia
Alette
Alexandrea
Alexandrina
Alexia
Alfhild
Alida
Alinde
Aline
Aliona
Alisha
Alizee
Allaire
Allira
Allyson
Almaz
Almira
Alora
Alyona
Alyssia
Alyssum
Alyx
Amanda
Amarilis
Amaterasu
Amber
Ambrosia
Ameline
Amethyst
Aminah
Since it's the decade mark, I thought I'd post these. Maybe there's some hidden gems.
(On more than one occasion, some people have posted joke names to the top 10 posts, so if you see something really strange, that's probably what it is)
Abra
Abril
Adaline
Adalmiina
Adamae
Adastra
Addalie
Addax
Adder
Adelaida
Adelys
Adolfiina
Adorestine
Aela
Aenor
Aerie
Aeronwy
Afanen
Agafia
Agathe
Agnessa
Agneza
Agnieszka
Agrippa
Aikaterine
Ailís
Ainhoa
Aino
Ajay
Akasha
Akira
Alani
Alanna
Alaska
Alastair
Alayna
Alazne
Alberte
Aldona
Alecto
Aleksandria
Alendra
Aletheia
Alette
Alexandrea
Alexandrina
Alexia
Alfhild
Alida
Alinde
Aline
Aliona
Alisha
Alizee
Allaire
Allira
Allyson
Almaz
Almira
Alora
Alyona
Alyssia
Alyssum
Alyx
Amanda
Amarilis
Amaterasu
Amber
Ambrosia
Ameline
Amethyst
Aminah
1
RE: Names Posted Only Once in Ten Years [Girls]
This is a trove! Let me go through them... I like:
Adaline
Adastra - I feel like this might have been mine...? Idk, I'd have to go back and look. But it means "to the stars" in Latin, I know that. I think I was drawn to it because it was the pseudonym Aphra Behn used as a spy in Antwerp.
Adelaida
Adelys
Afanen - In Welsh this is lovely, though it might be difficult to bear outside Wales.
Agnessa
Agnieszka
Alanna - This only appeared once, really? Wow. It's not an "out-there" name at all.
Alendra - This was definitely mine! Someone I knew in college told me she had a (female) friend named this back home (and she was in a photo in the dorm room). I never met the real Alendra, but I've always thought her name was really cool. Surprise, surprise, when I submitted it to the BtN database I discovered that it was mainly used by Hispanic (and Italian?) men in the 19th century!
Alette
Alida
Aline
Almira
Alora
Amber - Hey, I like it. Not sure how it acquired a "trashy" reputation, honestly.
Amethyst
Amos
Anjou - Was this also mine? At one point I was obsessed with the Plantagenets, and this is basically where they originated from.
Belen
Berenice - As long as it's pronounced BEHR-eh-nees.
Bernadine
Blanchefleur
Briella - I feel like this might've been mine, too. A stock combo I had for a while - even before I began posting on BtN - was Briella Gwen Fae.
Brigitte
Cadence
Caledonia
Camellia
Carrow
Ceres - This might've been mine, too. I pronounce it SEHR-ays, but I'm not 100% certain that's correct.
Christiana - This is my stepsister's name, but she doesn't really like it (thinks it's too fancy); she goes by Christi.
Cyan
Cypress
Damaris
Eos - Was this mine, too? I used to get crazy with my lists. I pronounce it AY-ohs / EH-ohs.
Eponine
Erianthe
Esperanza
Galatea
Galilea
Ghyslaine - I initially preferred this spelling to Ghislaine.
Gladys - Only once? I feel like Gladys was in my Top 10 more than once, way back. My stock combo was Gladys Emily.
This is a trove! Let me go through them... I like:
Adaline
Adastra - I feel like this might have been mine...? Idk, I'd have to go back and look. But it means "to the stars" in Latin, I know that. I think I was drawn to it because it was the pseudonym Aphra Behn used as a spy in Antwerp.
Adelaida
Adelys
Afanen - In Welsh this is lovely, though it might be difficult to bear outside Wales.
Agnessa
Agnieszka
Alanna - This only appeared once, really? Wow. It's not an "out-there" name at all.
Alendra - This was definitely mine! Someone I knew in college told me she had a (female) friend named this back home (and she was in a photo in the dorm room). I never met the real Alendra, but I've always thought her name was really cool. Surprise, surprise, when I submitted it to the BtN database I discovered that it was mainly used by Hispanic (and Italian?) men in the 19th century!
Alette
Alida
Aline
Almira
Alora
Amber - Hey, I like it. Not sure how it acquired a "trashy" reputation, honestly.
Amethyst
Amos
Anjou - Was this also mine? At one point I was obsessed with the Plantagenets, and this is basically where they originated from.
Belen
Berenice - As long as it's pronounced BEHR-eh-nees.
Bernadine
Blanchefleur
Briella - I feel like this might've been mine, too. A stock combo I had for a while - even before I began posting on BtN - was Briella Gwen Fae.
Brigitte
Cadence
Caledonia
Camellia
Carrow
Ceres - This might've been mine, too. I pronounce it SEHR-ays, but I'm not 100% certain that's correct.
Christiana - This is my stepsister's name, but she doesn't really like it (thinks it's too fancy); she goes by Christi.
Cyan
Cypress
Damaris
Eos - Was this mine, too? I used to get crazy with my lists. I pronounce it AY-ohs / EH-ohs.
Eponine
Erianthe
Esperanza
Galatea
Galilea
Ghyslaine - I initially preferred this spelling to Ghislaine.
Gladys - Only once? I feel like Gladys was in my Top 10 more than once, way back. My stock combo was Gladys Emily.
This message was edited 12/10/2017, 1:52 PM
1
What is my name doing here amongst all this weirdness??
1
All pretty nice names. I think I prefer the boys list to the girls.
Ones I have has on my list in the past year:
Alice (only recently came around to this; prefer it as a MN)
Willow (MN only)
Sylvie (one of my favorites)
Freya
Anastasia (MN only)
Rosalie
Eleanora (now slightly prefer Eleonora)
Iris (MN only)
Lily (MN only)
Flora (though I don't really care for it ATM)
I like Josephine, Winifred, Xanthe, & Adelaide a lot too but wouldn't use them.
Sebastian (I probably wouldn't use this now)
Arthur
Oscar (only recently came around to this; MN only)
Felix (MN only)
Rowan (MN only)
Gabriel (MN only)
Elias (MN only)
Leo (Leonardo MN; not sure if that counts, lol)
Ambrose (MN only)
Raphael
Oliver (MN only; I think I prefer Olivier ATM)
Hugo
Edmund (I don't think I'd realistically use this, however)
I also really like Thomas (can't use), Nikolai, & Tristan but wouldn't use them.
Ones I have has on my list in the past year:
Alice (only recently came around to this; prefer it as a MN)
Willow (MN only)
Sylvie (one of my favorites)
Freya
Anastasia (MN only)
Rosalie
Eleanora (now slightly prefer Eleonora)
Iris (MN only)
Lily (MN only)
Flora (though I don't really care for it ATM)
I like Josephine, Winifred, Xanthe, & Adelaide a lot too but wouldn't use them.
Sebastian (I probably wouldn't use this now)
Arthur
Oscar (only recently came around to this; MN only)
Felix (MN only)
Rowan (MN only)
Gabriel (MN only)
Elias (MN only)
Leo (Leonardo MN; not sure if that counts, lol)
Ambrose (MN only)
Raphael
Oliver (MN only; I think I prefer Olivier ATM)
Hugo
Edmund (I don't think I'd realistically use this, however)
I also really like Thomas (can't use), Nikolai, & Tristan but wouldn't use them.
This message was edited 12/10/2017, 7:21 AM
1
I like
1. Alice
3. Violet (39, 0.87%)
7. Clara, Willow (32, 0.71%)
15. Eloise, Freya (22, 0.49%)
16. Florence (21, 0.47%)
19. Charlotte, Lily (18, 0.40%)
20. Audrey, Aurora, Flora (17, 0.38%)
8. Felix, Samuel (42, 0.95%)
12. Nathaniel (36, 0.81%)
15. Rowan (29, 0.65%)
16. Elias, Leo (28, 0.63%)
19. Jonah (25, 0.56%)
20. Julian (24, 0.54%)
25. Frederick, Griffin, Grover (18, 0.41%)
1. Alice
3. Violet (39, 0.87%)
7. Clara, Willow (32, 0.71%)
15. Eloise, Freya (22, 0.49%)
16. Florence (21, 0.47%)
19. Charlotte, Lily (18, 0.40%)
20. Audrey, Aurora, Flora (17, 0.38%)
8. Felix, Samuel (42, 0.95%)
12. Nathaniel (36, 0.81%)
15. Rowan (29, 0.65%)
16. Elias, Leo (28, 0.63%)
19. Jonah (25, 0.56%)
20. Julian (24, 0.54%)
25. Frederick, Griffin, Grover (18, 0.41%)
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I hadn't realized Alice was in so many people's Top 10. I admit there is something visually appealing about the name, but I've ever been fond of that short-A first syllable. "Al." Don't like that sound. But I will say that Alice is one of the most "gothic" names I've ever encountered (probably why Lewis Carroll was drawn to it for Alice in Wonderland, further influencing its legacy).
Sebastian, for me, is the ultimate "rake" name. Show me some Georgian, Regency, or Victorian gentlemen with bad reputations, and I can guarantee the leader of the pack is named Sebastian. Dangerous Liaisons / Cruel Intentions have further solidified this image for me. In my own Top 10 for boys it's a middle name, but this image is what prevents me from wanting to use it as a first name on a real person, despite my liking of it.
As for the other names, I like:
Josephine (was in my Top 10 back in March - now a middle name)
Violet
Clara (I often go back and forth between Clara and Clarissa; the latter is currently in my Top 10)
Willow
Eleanor
Winifred
Adelaide
Elizabeth
Cordelia (this was a favorite a long time ago... I think my combo wound up being Cordelia Wren)
Miriam
Sylvie
Eloise (not sure why I like this so much more than Louisa...)
Freya
Florence
Katherine
Lydia
Sabrina (My favorite! I'm sure I'm a huge reason this made the Top 20!)
Maude (though I prefer Maud)
Phoebe
Xanthe
Anastasia
Julia
Rosalie
Iris
Olivia
Audrey
&
Sebastian
Arthur
William
Isaac
Oscar
Ezra
Nicholas
James
Nathaniel
Thomas
Gabriel
Rowan
Elias
Adrian
Malcolm (one of the oldest names consistently in my PNL)
Nikolai
Jonah
Julian
Caspar
Spencer
Tobias
Edmund
Overall, I think BtN tends to have very good taste (though it's admittedly Anglo-centric). However, I was really surprised to see Ptolemy crack the Top 20 for boys! That's not a name easily encountered outside a history book!
Sebastian, for me, is the ultimate "rake" name. Show me some Georgian, Regency, or Victorian gentlemen with bad reputations, and I can guarantee the leader of the pack is named Sebastian. Dangerous Liaisons / Cruel Intentions have further solidified this image for me. In my own Top 10 for boys it's a middle name, but this image is what prevents me from wanting to use it as a first name on a real person, despite my liking of it.
As for the other names, I like:
Josephine (was in my Top 10 back in March - now a middle name)
Violet
Clara (I often go back and forth between Clara and Clarissa; the latter is currently in my Top 10)
Willow
Eleanor
Winifred
Adelaide
Elizabeth
Cordelia (this was a favorite a long time ago... I think my combo wound up being Cordelia Wren)
Miriam
Sylvie
Eloise (not sure why I like this so much more than Louisa...)
Freya
Florence
Katherine
Lydia
Sabrina (My favorite! I'm sure I'm a huge reason this made the Top 20!)
Maude (though I prefer Maud)
Phoebe
Xanthe
Anastasia
Julia
Rosalie
Iris
Olivia
Audrey
&
Sebastian
Arthur
William
Isaac
Oscar
Ezra
Nicholas
James
Nathaniel
Thomas
Gabriel
Rowan
Elias
Adrian
Malcolm (one of the oldest names consistently in my PNL)
Nikolai
Jonah
Julian
Caspar
Spencer
Tobias
Edmund
Overall, I think BtN tends to have very good taste (though it's admittedly Anglo-centric). However, I was really surprised to see Ptolemy crack the Top 20 for boys! That's not a name easily encountered outside a history book!
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Your image of Sebastian is so very different from mine that it made me laugh. It sounds like a stereotypical butler name to me. These are the top two that come to my mind.
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BTN's Favorites vs the SSA list
inb4rox
These are the overall SSA trends for all the names appearing here. The data is over a 5 year span (2012-2016). I bolded the really large rises/falls (like 100+ ranks).
Ranks & Rising
Alice (#126 -> #76), Josephine (#160 -> #114), Violet (#89 -> #47), Luna (#223 -> #77), Helena (#559 -> #518), Hazel (#172 -> #52), Clara (#136 -> #99), Louisa (unranked -> #825), Willow (#171 -> #96), Eleanor (#135 -> #41), Adelaide (#345 -> #258), Matilda (#657 -> #497), Miriam (#306 -> #292), Stella (#62 -> #45), Sylvie (unranked -> #955), Beatrice (#695 -> #559), Eloise (#362 -> #209), Freya (unranked -> #330), Lydia (#95 -> #80), Rose (#258 -> #153), Ivy (#186 -> #112), Lucy (#66 -> #55), Victoria (#28 -> #21), Anastasia (#335 -> 192), Rosalie (#404 -> #254), Charlotte (#19 -> #7), Eve (#557 -> #456), Iris (#281 -> #186), Aurora (#167 -> #66)
Sebastian (#64 -> #23), Arthur (#355 -> #273), Henry (#43 -> #22), Felix (#315 -> #247),
inb4rox
These are the overall SSA trends for all the names appearing here. The data is over a 5 year span (2012-2016). I bolded the really large rises/falls (like 100+ ranks).
Ranks & Rising
Alice (#126 -> #76), Josephine (#160 -> #114), Violet (#89 -> #47), Luna (#223 -> #77), Helena (#559 -> #518), Hazel (#172 -> #52), Clara (#136 -> #99), Louisa (unranked -> #825), Willow (#171 -> #96), Eleanor (#135 -> #41), Adelaide (#345 -> #258), Matilda (#657 -> #497), Miriam (#306 -> #292), Stella (#62 -> #45), Sylvie (unranked -> #955), Beatrice (#695 -> #559), Eloise (#362 -> #209), Freya (unranked -> #330), Lydia (#95 -> #80), Rose (#258 -> #153), Ivy (#186 -> #112), Lucy (#66 -> #55), Victoria (#28 -> #21), Anastasia (#335 -> 192), Rosalie (#404 -> #254), Charlotte (#19 -> #7), Eve (#557 -> #456), Iris (#281 -> #186), Aurora (#167 -> #66)
Sebastian (#64 -> #23), Arthur (#355 -> #273), Henry (#43 -> #22), Felix (#315 -> #247),
This message was edited 12/12/2017, 9:08 AM
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Phoebe should be in the Ranks & Falling section; you have her in Rising. But I do find it intriguing that, for the most part, BtN's tastes are trending upward in popularity.
Honestly, in the United States, I think you'd have to be very brave, with very thick skin, to name your son Ashley. I say this because, when I was born, Ashley was the #1 girls' name in the country, and I went to school with SO MANY ASHLEYS, it was unreal! Despite its unisex roots, it has a distinctly feminine image in the U.S. post-1990.
I'm imagining being a Xanthe right how, and I think it would be really cool to have a name like that.
Honestly, in the United States, I think you'd have to be very brave, with very thick skin, to name your son Ashley. I say this because, when I was born, Ashley was the #1 girls' name in the country, and I went to school with SO MANY ASHLEYS, it was unreal! Despite its unisex roots, it has a distinctly feminine image in the U.S. post-1990.
I'm imagining being a Xanthe right how, and I think it would be really cool to have a name like that.
1
I agree about Ashley, except I think the kid would need very thick skin more than the parents.
1
Thanks for catching that; I was seriously starting to forget which way numbers go by the time I was finishing this up and I know I kept putting things in the wrong area. Didn't catch all of them, obviously.
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Top 20 All Time
Number of uses and percentage of use are in the brackets and rank change in the parenthesis.
As of this year, we have posted 3419 unique female names and 2738 unique boys names. That means there were 217 new female and 161 new male names this year.
Here’s the top 20 of all time:
1. Alice [417, 0.96%] (+1)
2. Rose [412, 0.93%] (-1)
3. Helena [368, 0.85%] (+1)
4. Iris [359, 0.83%] (-1)
5. Louisa [325, 0.75%] (+1)
6. Charlotte [313, 0.72%] (-1)
7. Eleanor [308, 0.71%] (0)
8. Matilda [297, 0.68%] (0)
9. Clara [276, 0.64%] (+1)
10. Elizabeth [273, 0.63%] (-1)
11. Anna [260, 0.60%] (+1)
12. Willow [250, 0.58%] (+2)
13. Penelope [247, 0.57%] (-2)
14. Beatrix [240, 0.55%] (+1)
15. Josephine [239, 0.55%] (+5)
16. Miriam [232, 0.53%] (+2)
17. Lydia [231, 0.53%] (-1)
18. Astrid [227, 0.52%] (-5)
19. Sylvie [224, 0.52%] (0)
20. Cecily [222, 0.51%] (-4)
1. Henry [625, 1.45%] (0)
2. Alexander [574, 1.33%] (0)
3. Arthur [554, 1.29%] (0)
4. William [492, 1.14%] (+1)
5. August [483, 1.12%] (-1)
6. Sebastian [428, 0.99%] (+5)
7. James [423, 0.98%] (+1)
8. Theodore [421, 0.98%] (-2)
9. Leo [416, 0.97%] (-2)
10. Felix [410, 0.95%] (-1)
Number of uses and percentage of use are in the brackets and rank change in the parenthesis.
As of this year, we have posted 3419 unique female names and 2738 unique boys names. That means there were 217 new female and 161 new male names this year.
Here’s the top 20 of all time:
1. Alice [417, 0.96%] (+1)
2. Rose [412, 0.93%] (-1)
3. Helena [368, 0.85%] (+1)
4. Iris [359, 0.83%] (-1)
5. Louisa [325, 0.75%] (+1)
6. Charlotte [313, 0.72%] (-1)
7. Eleanor [308, 0.71%] (0)
8. Matilda [297, 0.68%] (0)
9. Clara [276, 0.64%] (+1)
10. Elizabeth [273, 0.63%] (-1)
11. Anna [260, 0.60%] (+1)
12. Willow [250, 0.58%] (+2)
13. Penelope [247, 0.57%] (-2)
14. Beatrix [240, 0.55%] (+1)
15. Josephine [239, 0.55%] (+5)
16. Miriam [232, 0.53%] (+2)
17. Lydia [231, 0.53%] (-1)
18. Astrid [227, 0.52%] (-5)
19. Sylvie [224, 0.52%] (0)
20. Cecily [222, 0.51%] (-4)
1. Henry [625, 1.45%] (0)
2. Alexander [574, 1.33%] (0)
3. Arthur [554, 1.29%] (0)
4. William [492, 1.14%] (+1)
5. August [483, 1.12%] (-1)
6. Sebastian [428, 0.99%] (+5)
7. James [423, 0.98%] (+1)
8. Theodore [421, 0.98%] (-2)
9. Leo [416, 0.97%] (-2)
10. Felix [410, 0.95%] (-1)
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It would appear that Alice & Rose, Helena & Iris, Louisa & Charlotte, Clara & Elizabeth, William & August, Samuel & Thomas, Isaac & Oliver, and Gabriel & Jasper simply switched places with each other. The All-Time Top 20 is such a stable list that there was only one new entry on it altogether (Oscar). Though I predict that Cecily & Frederick will drop next year, and Astrid might join them.
Just once, I think it would be interesting to have a name that's not in the database (yet) make one of these lists.
Just once, I think it would be interesting to have a name that's not in the database (yet) make one of these lists.
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Ooh. I've never looked into which name is the highest-ranking non-database name, but I've checked now.
It is Sonnet (#79) and Jorah (#238 -- which was probably put their entirely by me, actually). Followed by Fable (#103) and Hawthorn (#261)
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I've seen Sonnet on a couple people's lists (I think one BtN user has it as her #1), and while it's not my style I admit it does have a certain ring to it.
Evanna was one of my favorite names not too long ago, and it's possible she could work her way back into my Top 10.
Evanna was one of my favorite names not too long ago, and it's possible she could work her way back into my Top 10.
1
x
wrong spot :)
wrong spot :)
This message was edited 12/9/2017, 2:17 PM
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