On a boy, its packed with surfer-style appeal and a twinge of natural vibes. On a girl, Blake sparkles with celebrity status and carries a fresh and cool vibe. Either way, Blake is adored for its thoroughly modern and current stylish feel, and is a wonderful choice for many families searching for a name for their little girl or little boy. But has Blake’s popularity in the past combined with its usage for girls painted boy Blake as a goner? Or is Blake’s sound gender neutral enough to keep it a unisex possibility with plenty of sparkle for a child in the 21st century? Today, I’m taking a close look at the name Blake, including a origin and meaning, possible associations, popularity predictions for the future, and even my opinion on the name at the end. So, without further adieu, let us begin!
Pros
Blake has one main association that first sparked a tidal wave of baby girls answering to Blake. Blake Lively stands out as a significant female Blake, an actress behind the star of Gossip Girl, a high school student called Serena Van Der Woodsen. The role shed light on the name Blake applying to more than one gender, and from there, Team Pink seized a good portion of the percentage of babies called Blake born each year. Not only was Blake Lively a beloved TV show character, she also had some lovely named daughters, three, in fact. Her eldest was given the name James, then Inez, and finally Betty, whose name I personally adore.
As for origin, the name Blake came from the Old English phrase “blac”, which means “dark-haired,” a sweet and personal meaning for a couple of dark-haired parents to give their child in the case that the baby inherits their dark hair as well. And let’s not skip past the surname origin. Thanks to Blake’s surname style, it’s edgy and cool, perfect for a modern day classmate to Jackson and Harper. For either gender, Blake suits the naming trends and fits what parents are looking for. In the realm of sound, Blake has a unique Bl- beginning that differentiates it from it’s surname style peers. Not only that, the name/word Lake is embedded in the name, making the name’s sound and associations gentler and sweet for a family that loves the outdoors. And while Blake on a girl is a fairly recent discovery, Blake on a boy is no fad. Blake, at least for Team Blue, has had quite the history, and even relatively steady popularity that makes him seem like a far more traditional choice than his sounds may suggest. Blake first took off in the early 80s, and in 1981, he ranked at #159. By 2000, he had steadily risen to #80, and in 2019, he’s still holding strong and stably at #183. Analyzing data over about 40 years, it’s clear that Blake is a keeper, and a dependable name that will never dive completely out of style.
Cons
While grandma’s jaw may completely fall off from shock at hearing that your daughter will be answering to Blake Georgina, your sister may insist that Blake is washed up on a boy, and that he will be mercilessly taunted for having a girl’s name. It’s a pretty sizable debate: is Blake solely for a boy, a handsome and strong name that feels like it belongs to an athletic and cool young man, or a name only cool for a little girl, a trendy surname that feels every bit as girly as Harper or Brooke. So likely, parents choosing Blake may receive backlash for the gender of the baby they intend to bestow the name upon, and getting backlash for a name hurts a lot for many parents, particularly if close family disses the name in question. In addition, the main male character that comes to mind when thinking of the name Blake is Blake Carrington, a sketchy billionaire who partakes in illegal activity for wealth in the series Dynasty. And it doesn’t help that this 80s fandom was resurrected in 2017 for a reboot, throwing the negative associations back into mainstream pop culture.
Just to give you some numbers, Blake on a boy currently ranks at #183, while the girls lag not far behind at #222. Those are some pretty high numbers, numbers that many parents strive to avoid when choosing a name for their child. Everyone is grasping for something different and unique after being the 4th Amanda in their class, and certainly high popularity isn’t a great thing in today’s world of wanting to have our children and their names stand out from the masses. Not only is Blake popular in and of itself, there are also more “girly” spin-offs. Blakely ranks at #182 this year, one spot above boy Blake, and combined, the number of babies, boy and girl, Blakely, Blakeleigh, Blakeley, and just plain Blake mounted up, making the name even more popular than the stats already claim it is. But Blake, particularly for a boy, is sort of yesterday’s news. Despite his current high popularity and relatively steady trajectory, he peaked at #72 in 2012, and has fallen since, proving that his 80s reign has finally caught up to parent’s views of the name. When the parents themselves are called Blake instead of the children they are raising, then the name tends to reflect that in the form of a plummet in popularity, and this plummet is occurring right now, although it isn’t as blatantly obvious as, say, Jessica’s. Now this final objection to Blake may be a bit insignificant, but nevertheless, important to consider if you or your family has Blake on the shortlist. Blake and Blakely sound quite a bit like flaky, which can mean delicious pie crust, or an insult for an often unreliable and kooky person. The similarity to flaky initially put me off the name, but there’s no guarantee that anyone but me sees that connection.
Predictions For Blake:
Blake for a boy is on his way down. But I don’t think Blake will crash and burn as hard as many other names who found their way to fame in the 80s. He has shown major staying power, and even if he does slip off into the abyss, I’m certain Blake for a girl will carry on Blake’s legacy with a fresh and current surname style girl name twist and vibe to better accommodate the needs of modern day parents. Thank you for reading, and I hope you stick around for my next article!
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
Do you like the name Blake? For which gender? Let me know down below along with other names you might be interested in getting more insight into!
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