Hello and welcome to the fourth and final article of my series exploring the US top 50, 2020. We started with outlining the girl and boy sides of the top 50 by sharing some of the new arrivals, old staples, iconic features, and other names that well reflect the different styles and sounds within the group of what many people would agree are popular names. I followed up with some of my own favorites of this group for the girls’ side of things, and today, as you may have assumed, I’m giving the boys the same treatment. This additional two-part extension to what I planned on being only a two part series originally is thanks to Amy, who suggested this idea. Thank you so much, Amy! I appreciate all of my suggestions so much and love when my community contributes to the content I put out. So after a lovely run with the girl names, I'm excited to get my hands on some boy names. Boys top 50, here I come!
Elijah- From the interesting soft sounds in that last syllable to the cute nickname embedded in the first, Elijah is undoubtedly my favorite of the top ten. Strong in a more gentle sense, I think Elijah perfectly embodies our new favoritism towards boy names like Mateo, Asher, and Sebastian over Jacob, Kayden, and Zachary. Of course, that’s not to say that more traditionally masculine and harder sounds like Maverick, Knox, and Axel aren’t also flying high right now. But Elijah is leading a group of what’s beginning to be a highly successful sound pattern up the charts. And Elijah might not be the first thing you think of when someone says “classic name,” but believe it or not, he’s managed to rank above the top 700 for every single year of data collection. Elijah has roots in the bible as well, further proving his longevity. A boy name that feels like it was crafted for this era yet shows up across time, Elijah ranks at #4 today for his outstanding traits.
Theodore- He’s really the one that got away. I don’t think I ever stopped loving Theodore, necessarily. He just became “too popular.” Not even the kind of “too popular” where you look at the ranking and grimace. The type of “too popular” when you look at too many birth announcements, name articles, and baby naming forums and the name just dulls. Theodore lost his sparkle for me, although I still have a part of me that likes him, he’s just not special in the way he once was. As for his actual ranking, Theodore snags a very high #23, the most popular the name has ever been. And the SSA data does include the time of the beloved presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, and even then, Theodore’s popularity doesn’t surpass the popularity he claims now. Crisp and cool Theo or cuddly and cute Teddy both encompass the vintage flavor of this dusty but charming treasure.
Asher- I wouldn’t necessarily ever add Asher to my list. But I do have quite a bit of respect for the name. The Ash- sound has interested parents for years, from Ashley to Ashton to Asher and Ashlyn, and I also find the sound lovely. Unisex and cool, just plain old Ash is wonderful as well, a slim, minimalistic choice that ends on such a satisfying note. But Asher takes Ash and adds an Old Testament spin, in addition to that thoroughly cool -er ending that has taken Carter, Parker, and Oliver to fame. Asher was first introduced to the fame of the top 1000 in 1983, which explains his fresher and more current feel than most traditional biblical boy names, and has risen fast. With all the right sounds in all the right places, Asher has climbed to #32, where he peaked and ranks today.
Daniel- Daniel made the “Names More Popular Than You Think” list a couple months ago, and even now, I’m still a bit shocked. But it’s no wonder that this gentle classic still retains such a high ranking. It’s astonishing, really, the hold Daniel has on parents from all different backgrounds and time periods. Get this: for the entirety of data collection in the US, since 1900, Daniel has not gone lower than #55. Even Catherine and Charles can’t even fathom that kind of evergreen persistence. Both of those key classics can’t surpass Daniel. The name has a friendly charm, an easygoing timelessness that completely fits any age, personality, or time period. It’s a name with the soft sounds and -iel ending perfect for this era, and I personally adore the cute little nickname Danny.
James- It seems every celebrity who has a baby girl for the past couple years has the middle name James. Now, that’s not to dissuade you from choosing James for your own little girl. Celestina Gabriella Ophelia Anderson might not be quite as well-rounded of a combo as Celestina Gabriella James Anderson, and balancing a frilly combo with something a bit more tailored can in fact enhance a standalone name or a sibset. After all, Celestina Gabriella Ophelia Anderson may not fit as well with Coralee Lucien Pearl Anderson as the James version would. But even though James can work for many families as a girl name, I personally prefer James in his masculine form. He’s a classic, but not dull in the least. It’s a name that your son will probably share at some point in his life, being a #6 name at the moment, but also a name that, for that same reason, has bountiful honorable namesakes. The meaning “supplanter” isn’t my favorite, but you really can’t go wrong with a name so traditional and timeless as James.
Leo- I mean, you can picture the cute little newborn photos with a cute little lion mane. Not only does this name have the familiarity of the sound of Leigh, Leah, Leland, and more, he’s topped off with that -o sound that is ripping through mainstream naming trends right now. This -o ending trend’s latest name in the spotlight? Arlo, a vintage charm with a hint of steampunk energy in there. But although Arlo’s sound is a bit older, reminiscent of names like Arnold and Arlene from the past, Leo’s sound feels perfectly familiar. He’s a name that feels more contemporary than vintage to me, but that little oldie glimmer still stands out. In most recent data, 2020, Leo peaked at #36, an all time high to rival his old high of #38 in 1903. His revival definitely came at a good time for this three-letter boy name. I personally find Leo a lovely mix of current and vintage, which fits my current naming style a bit more than, say, Theodore.
That’s all I’ve got from this series! Feel free to contribute your own favorites of the US top 50 2020 in the comments down below. Send in any naming dilemmas or article ideas via my Contact tab if you want your ideas to appear in my blog. I really hope all of you enjoyed reading, and have a wonderful rest of your day, dear friends!
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon