Here we are: the finale of my 2020 Data Analysis series! It’s over all too fast, but I hope you’ve gained a good understanding of the new social security baby name data. We still have our falling girl names, though, a list that always consists of a combination of dated “mom” names, alternative spellings that are just too wacky, and names that showed up on last years Trending names article but heated up too fast to have a strong basis to stay or climb from that spot and fell instead. In a way, being on either list isn’t necessarily ideal, because you pretty much have a 50/50 shot of going completely extinct in the next ten years from either jumping too high for the momentum to match or falling and not being able to scramble back up. Dear readers, this is a list of the top ten farthest falling girl names of 2020!
The Most Dramatically Dropping Girl Name of the Year: Yaritza
If you remember last year’s data review series, you’ll know that Yaritza actually made the top five Trending Girl Names article at #5, belonging to that third category of names who took the opportunity to climb without thinking and just couldn’t uphold that same standard of consistently rising. Yaritza is an Arabic name that also shows up frequently in Spanish-speaking countries and regions, one that took her chance for top 1000 fame too fast, and only stayed in that group for one year before getting knocked right back into the depths of the rankings, beyond the viewable stats on the social security website. Yaritza went from flying high at #813 last year to feeling a 387 spot drop and ending up at #1200 for 2020, a less than spectacular rank considering the expectation she had raised from such a powerful entry into the top 1000 last year. This adorable, not to mention unique choice means “butterfly,” a dainty and beautiful meaning that brings to mind delicate but powerful monarch butterflies, intricate wing patterns, and stunning colors. As for her sound, it’s truly one of a kind. Ys are not often frequenters of our favorite name lists, which may contribute both to Yaritza’s downfall as well as the qualities that make her stand out enough to parents to get chosen in the first place. Not only that, she has that attention-grabbing -itz sound. The soft, sweet -it sound is contrasted by a sudden and dramatic Z sound. All combined, the Yar- beginning draws you in with familiarity yet a pinch of surprise with the Y, then followed by a soft it- and completed with an exotic burst of flavor from the -za at the end. Even if Yaritza isn’t well-suited for the top 1000, she still is a beautiful name with a lovely balance of striking sounds and familiar patterns.
The Top Ten Most Dramatic Droppers:
A remnant of our obsession with double Ss and -a endings, we have Marissa at #2, her fall out of the top 1000 from #875 in 2019 just some clean up from the trends of the 80s. An elaboration on #1 name of decades, Mary, Marissa still has the sound of Alyssa, potentially making her a possibility for a modern baby girl if you really adore the name. However, the majority of American parents didn’t quite see the sparkle, because she’s been bumped down 209 spots to #1084. As for #3, we say goodbye to a beautifully frilly -bella name, potentially a result of the same datedness that’s eating away at Isabella in the new data. Annabella falls 197 spots to #852, the feminine and sweet treasure plummeting despite an adorable not to mention classic style. Both Anna and Bella have left their heydays behind in this new decade of data, each pulling Annabella down with them, but I still think that Annabella is a perfectly appropriate choice for right now, an elegant but playful name that feels thoroughly versatile.
A spider from Greek myth, Ariadne seemed to fail to capitalize off of Aria enough. With that much-wanted, always in demand first syllable, and those interesting last few letters as an ending, I was expecting Ariadne to soar once she entered the top 1000 very nearly last year at #999. But instead of somersaulting off of similar sounds and catapulting into mainstream baby naming along with Daphne, Phoebe, and Athena, Ariadne tanked. Why? For one, Aria fell six spots last year, from #20 to #26. Now, this might not seem like a whole lot, but for a top twenty name, losing that much ground is really a big deal. Exactly 994 babies, in fact, make up the gap between Aria’s position last year, and this year, so that explains a large part of Ariadne’s #1195. As for #5, we have Jayde, an alternative spelling of the sleek gemstone name Jade. Perhaps a better way to get to the nickname Jay, Jayde is stylistically more current and cool, but that means that she had to fall at some point. After all, names whose main purpose is to be current and modern will someday reach a point where their only purpose isn’t a fulfillable one and they will inevitably drop, as is the case with Jayde, who now ranks at #1025 after a 193 spot drop.
Another alternative spelling takes the fifth spot, and that is Miah, a creative take on Mia. Mia ranks at #8, so it’s a given that she would have some alternative spellings that also mount the ranks for parents who love the name, but want something just ever-so-slightly different for their child. So then why did Miah slip from #876 to #1067 in just a year if she’s backed by such a successful name? Well, Mia is actually on her descent, and I predict that next year, she won’t be so lucky as to stay in the Top 10 if Amelia doesn’t pull some strings for her sound-alike, explaining why Miah isn’t faring so well either. Following Miah is Beatrix, a spunky and sweet take on Beatrice that I’m shocked (as well as secretly elated) fell this year. With adorable nicknames Bix and Bettie, I don’t see why Beatrix had to drop 190 spots and all out of the top 1000 entirely, especially given that she’s such a perfect balance between whimsical and childish Dixie and Trixie and regal and proper Beatrice. At #1152 after a 188 spot plummet is Tinley, a practically adorable and endearing little baby name. A variation of the Tinsley-Kinsley-Kinley names that are beloved trends for their cuteness and sweetness, Tinley’s fall is inevitable, as all variations on top trends often are, but I’m sure that I’m not alone when I say that this name is perfect for a baby girl (and I can totally see a cute little bunny called Tinley as well). Two more alternative spellings finish off the top ten most dramatic droppers, the first of which being Amiya, an alternative spelling of the name Amaia. Amiya is a Basque name, a name with the sounds of Maya and a little tribute to Amy in case you have a special Amy that you want to honor with your daughter’s name. After a 187 spot fall, Amiya ranks at #1035, just outside the top 1000. Other spellings Amaya and Amayah have been falling since 2017, so this isn’t a huge shock. Finally, at #10, we have Maleah, a name that took quite a hit falling 182 spots from #687 in 2019 data to #869 in recent data. A name associated with the Aaliyah-Maliah-Jaliyah-Kamila trend, Maleah is feminine, frilly, vowel heavy, and flowy. I’ve investigated the rise and fall of her sister names, and have found quite a curious trend. About half of the Aaliyah-Maliah-Jaliyah-Kamila soundalikes fell, while the other half rose. Maleah happened to be in the less fortunate of those two groups, dragging Maliyah down with her.
The Top Ten Most Dramatic Droppers:
I noticed a lot more “dated” names on the girl’s list than the boy’s, which is always to be expected. Girl name trends pass faster than boys, so it makes sense that Jenna, Patricia, Jillian, Clarissa, Karen, Casey, and Meghan all rank in the top 30. However, it seems to me that we’re gutting our top 1000 of “dated” names far more than we were last year, although perhaps if I could access both lists at once, my opinion on that would change. Another thing that I’ve noted is that Ks over Cs have really started declining on the popularity charts. Karter, Kiera, Katelyn, Kaylin, and more all took up some of the top spots on the free-faller charts. Those are all my observations on the new data, friends, so I really hope that you enjoyed and followed this series this year. If you noticed anything about the new data, feel free to drop that in the comments, and if you have any article ideas that you’d like me to take a look at, make sure to fill out and submit my Contact form. Thanks for reading, friends, and I hope you have a lovely rest of your day!
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon