Do you have names yet? This is probably the second most asked question of pregnant women behind, “how far along are you?” Everyone from your mother to your barista wants to know what potential names you have chosen for your little one. Choosing whether or not to share baby names before your infant’s arrival may be a simple choice but actually choosing a name can be much more difficult.
Choosing the name your child will carry for his or her lifetime is a hefty task. Parents- to-be have many unique formulas for constructing the proper name but there are a few common themes that can help guide the process.
- Searching your family tree for first, middle and last names to call your babe by can be a great way to honor someone important to you.
- Choosing a name based on its origin is a way to recognize your family heritage. For example, Aiden and Kennedy are both Irish while Boden and Emerson are German.
- Favoring alliteration can narrow down name choices to those that start with the same letter as baby’s last name.
- Loving a nickname can help you work backwards from the nickname to a formal name such as Olivia from Liv.
You can also turn to the numerous lists of popular baby names. These lists are helpful to see current name trends as well as help you choose or avoid trending names. You don’t need a crystal ball to predict the 2019 trending baby names. The Social Security Administration (SSA) and Names.org have done the work for you. The SSA tracks names based on applications for social security cards and Names.org uses the SSA data along with user interest on their site to predict trending names.
The most popular names in the coming year are almost always predicted by the most popular names in recent years according to Names.org. You will likely see some of the names from the SSA’s 2017 most popular names list on birth announcements in 2019.
Girls
Emma, Olivia, Ava, Isabella, Sophia, Mia, Charlotte, Amelia, Evelyn, Abigail
Boys
Liam, Noah, William, James, Logan, Benjamin, Mason, Elijah, Oliver, Jacob
In addition to the overall most popular names, the SSA and Names.org track names that are quickly rising in popularity. The lists are quite different but these 20 names are also very likely to be trending in 2019.
The SSA noted the greatest change in popularity in the following names from 2016 to 2017:
Girls
Ensley, Oaklynn, Dream, Oaklyn, Melania, Emberly, Octavia, Paisleigh, Yara, Kehlani
Boys
Wells, Kairo, Caspian, Nova, Colson, Kace, Kashton, Koa, Gatlin, Bjorn
While Names.org reports the following names are quickly increasing in popularity and likely to take the top spots in 2019:
Girls
Nova, Luna, Kinsley, Mila, Emilia, Elena, Everly, Camilia, Eliana, Aurora
Boys
Ezekiel, Maverick, Theodore, Mateo, Greyson, Ezra, Santiago, Elias, Asher, Bryson
Baby name options are endless but we’re betting you’ll meet a few sweet babies with the trending names from these lists in 2019. Maybe a Caspian, Greyson, Mia or Luna?
By Lauren Fischer