For many parents, part of the stress of choosing a baby name is whether or not their coveted choice will soon melt into a fad. Is Olive a beautiful baby name, or the “next big thing” that will dissipate in a couple years? Will Xavier’s name forever look strange and faddish next to his brother’s name, James? There is, at least for some, that underlying fear of going for the name that is only a fleeting trend or the next big filler middle. So while choosing the most timeless names aren’t always the most important aspect of bestowing a well-thought out name for your child, I thought I’d put together some ways to spot faddish or “phase” first and middle names for parents who are concerned about selecting a name that will be painfully indicative of their child’s age. Without further ado, let's dive into the advice, Name Warehouse readers!
Look at the numbers
It’s all in the numbers. The SSA is incredibly helpful when it comes to analyzing and predicting baby name data, and also an extremely valuable resource for parents looking to determine how popular a given name is, and how popular it might be in the future. So if Isabelle has been checking all of your requirements lately but you’re not sure if she’s a quickly passing phase, take a look at the Social Security’s website. They have a search bar titled “Popularity of a Name” where you can easily see visually through a table format Isabelle’s popularity throughout the past 120 years, a plenty wide variety of data that can display whether or not a name has staying power or whether it’s come out of thin air in the past couple years. In Isabelle’s case, you would be able to tell based on the data that she ranked very highly in the early 1900s and early 2000s, which shows that she does indeed have longevity.
If the earliest ranking listed for the name is in the last decade or so, assuming you’ve set the range as 1900 and later, then you might be faced with a faddish name. Of course, this is also considering that the name you picked may not be in the top 1000 for whatever reason, in which case these strategies may not be the most helpful. If the name you’ve chosen doesn’t rank in the top 1000, try searching for some alternative spellings. Another dead giveaway for a name that is a fad of the past is if there’s a sudden spike in children with that name, and now it’s very rare again. Either way, any graph where the lines are extremely varied in length or are nonexistent for a large chunk of time may be that of a name that is a mere fad, although exceptions always apply.
Check out the forums
Baby name forums also might be a worthwhile place to check out if you’re struggling with finding a baby name that isn’t quite a trend. While forums do mention timeless, classic names and names catered to parents who are searching, many of the user favorites are on trend and cool, especially since you’re in such a niche and name-obsessed community. And this is not to say that all users of baby naming platforms are trend-hoppers with faddish styles, just that often the names circulating forums are the ones heating up, the names that are flowing in and out of style rapidly. So if you’re looking to avoid names that are a mere phase, pay attention to repeats of certain names on baby naming forums (Elias, Elowen) or the middle names that everyone’s choosing (Pearl, Fox), or even the classics that are suddenly getting a trendy rebirth (Eleanor, Theodore) if you’re truly looking to pick a name that won’t fall out of favor.
Forums are a wonderful place to look both for context of what the rest of the world is calling their children and also for information on fads and the like. These are the communities that often propel names to shift, so what better than to look on that platform to catch a little glimpse into the trends and fads of today. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find a classy and stylish choice that you just can’t get over, even with the aspect of trendiness added in!
Ask around for adult namesakes
If you love Morgan for your daughter but are worried that she will soon fall out of favor and rot as a discarded trend, maybe look around for some adult Morgans. What you’ll find is that your babysitter is Morgan, and the lifeguard at the pool is Morgan, and the highschooler who mows your lawn is Morgan, and your coworker’s maiden name is Morgan. Sometimes, collecting and being aware of names in your area can be even more valuable than looking on the Social Security Website. What you’ll discover is that Morgan is likely a first name for someone on the younger side, so definitely not timeless, yet has had success over a period of about 20 years, making it a name that won’t flicker out of style the instant you choose it either.
And by looking into adult names and noting some of your favorite’s absences or presence in that group, you also get an idea of how well your name could age. If you were having difficulties picturing Hazel on a grown woman, meeting a cashier called Hazel or a kid you tutor called Hazel can really help you picture the name on a real child or adult. At that point, you can determine whether or not the name in question actually suits a grown person or older child. If it’s hard to find someone with the name you like, assuming it’s not extremely rare, above the age of 5 or so, then you might be faced with a more trendy name that could possibly fall out of favor in the next few years.
In the end, choosing the most traditional, evergreen treasure isn’t necessarily what everyone’s shooting for, and if that’s not a huge issue for you, then I wouldn’t worry too much. However, if you are second guessing the likelihood of your favorites prevailing for years to come, I hope that these tips helped you sort out which names on your list meet or fail to meet that criteria.
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon
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