The data is out, and so are the other four parts of this series! It’s been incredible getting to explore this much sought-after data, tracking brand new trends and monitoring those on their way down as well. Speaking of names on their way down the charts, today I’m covering the most dramatic droppers of the girl names, both the choices that are becoming too outdated to be considered a stylish choice for a child today and names that had a sudden spike in popularity but didn’t have enough of a foundation to withstand the slight shift in trends from year to year. Whether you’re steering clear of any name that has just recently breached the top 1000 barrier in fear of choosing the latest fad that will soon appear on the list or are hoping that your favorites aren’t in the spotlight any longer, here is a thorough look into the latest dying trends, starting with the most dramatic dropper out of the boys and the girls this year: Emmarie.
The Most Dramatically Dropping Girl Name of the Year: Emmarie
Emmarie seemed destined for greatness last year when she appeared in the top 1000 for the first time and scored herself a spot on the trending girl names list. Her curious blend of styles, combining the classics Emma and Marie to make a sound alike to the contemporary Emery, appealed to many parents torn between a traditional and current style. However, despite the buzz around this split style name in 2018, parents moved on to new trends in 2019, leaving Emmarie behind. This German name meaning “industrious” fell 463 spots, going from her peak of #989 to an unimpressive #1452 in just one year of data. Although she may not be the trendiest, Emmarie still provides an excellent compromise name for parents who are divided between two styles. Pronounced eh-MER-ee, the name offers many nickname options, some of which are the beloved Emmy, Marie, and even Emma. Not only that, Emmarie is an excellent honor name for both Emma and Marie for parents who have special women in their lives with those names.
The Top Ten Most Dramatic Droppers:
Below Emmarie is the second most dramatic dropper of the year, Saniyah. Saniyah has been on an unpredictable journey popularity-wise for years now, so the fact that she’s taken yet another drastic dive isn’t a huge shock. She first appeared on the charts in 2004, then climbed up steadily until her peak in 2009. After peaking, she began a rocky descent down to her 2018 rank of #935, before vanishing completely from the top 1000 this year after a 376 spot plunge. A respelling of the Arabic Saniyya, meaning “brilliant,” Saniyah still feels like a reasonable choice for a baby girl today, even without her past popularity, and her lovely meaning sweetens the deal. Number three on the list also has gone through a wild ride in regards to her popularity. The Russian name given to the Romanov princess, Tatiana leapt to #694 in 2018 before crashing down to #951 in 2019. Classic and feminine but not dull in the least, I was quite sad to see the dramatic and sophisticated Tatiana fall. Despite her unexpected descent, Tatiana is a fresh choice with a classic feel.
Given the immense adoration of the male name Xavier, it isn’t surprising that Zhavia, the feminine version, caught parents’ eyes in 2018, when the name jumped to #882. However, the newfound fame didn’t last long for Zhavia, and she plummeted once more out of the top 1000 and into obscurity. Meaning “bright,” this Arabic name sounds exotic and different but also slightly familiar thanks to the shared sounds with Xavier. Moving on, parents tend to like more masculine names on girls (but not feminine names on boys...but that’s a whole other article), but as parents start to tire of the endless -ayden names, Jayden for team pink starts to decline in use. Dropping off the top 1000 entirely, Jayden took a 232 spot nose dive to #1210 in 2019, plummeting from her previous rank of #978. The name is a variant spelling of Jaden, a Hebrew name meaning “God has heard.” Next up is Aislinn, an Irish name meaning “dream.” Although she isn’t in my style realm, I’m shocked by her fall. Her pronunciation ASH-lin provides a modern twist on 90’s favorite Ashley, and the lin sound falls perfectly in line with the -lynn ending that is so popular for girls today. Her only clear downfall is her traditionally Irish spelling, which may prove difficult for Americans to pronounce. However, her more phonetic spellings Ashlyn and Ashlynn have dropped in rank as well, leaving me truly puzzled as to why this name has fallen. At #889 last year, I thought Aislinn would soon be one of the hottest girl names out there, but she has taken a 218 spot dip out of the top 1000, much to my surprise.
Following Aislinn is Aiyana, a stunning Somali name meaning “beautiful flower.” The meaning alone is gorgeous, let alone her striking pronunciation: eye-YAH-nuh. Aiyana peaked in 2010, and has been on the road to exit the top 1000 for years now. A rare alternative to Ariana, Aiyana now ranks at #1200 after a 206 spot fall from #994. Further down, we meet the product of an attempt at making a popular name sparkle again, but with an added modern flair. What name do we love but is too popular? Ava! How do we make it rare but trendy? Add -Lynn! What do we get? Avalyn! This method of creating trendy but unique versions of popular names often doesn’t end in a new classic, hence why Avalyn has ended up on this list alongside her other spelling Avalynn, which has wound up slightly lower on the list. However, Avalyn was one of the fastest rising girl names for a few years before nose diving to the bottom, so she does still carry some appeal. At #9, Emily meets a modern ending to make Emilee, a spelling that peaked in 2003 and has been tumbling down ever since. Once holding the #781 spot, Emilee fell 194 ranks to end up at #975, just holding on to her top 1000 status. Finally, #10 is another Ava variant, a possible attempt to revise the name to be more unique. Avah, a name with unknown origins, peaked at #462 in 2018 before plunging to #656 this year. Although some see this spelling as a botched version of the original, others appreciate the extra -h and the added originality it provides.
Some Fading Trends I’ve Spotted
Obviously, names that are considered “dated” now have been slowly slipping from their previous glory. Some examples of this include the fall of Allyson, Erin, Chelsea and Lisa this year. I also notice a lot of -lyn and -lee names getting tossed aside in favor of new trendy prefixes, such as Jaelyn, Paisleigh, Kyleigh, Zaylee, Tenley, Ansley, and Adalee. A more surprising change I’ve noticed is the drop of Addilynn and Addilyn, perhaps nodding to one spelling of Adalyn becoming dominant in the future. And that concludes my analysis of the falling girl names and this lovely series that I’m hoping to make annually! I hope you enjoyed it, and I will be releasing more lists inspired by the data in the very near future.
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
Which names surprised you the most? Did you enjoy the series?
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