Gen X and Y parents love giving their kids names that are supposedly unique, such as anything ending in -den or that's purposely misspelled, or worst yet is a backwards word.  8-P This trend has been going on since about 1988 or so but especially accelerated about mid-way through the 90's.

Really, what's so wrong with names like Amy and Steve? It's the person that makes a name after all, and IMO names stay popular for a reason. I like the given names from about the late 1940s up to the early 1990s the best. These are the names that sound 'normal' to me so maybe I'm biased.

I have an extremely common name and personally I wish I had a name that was slightly less common but I'm glad my name is at least a classic.

Who cares?  People can name their kids whatever they want to. 

Those kinds of names are not my style and are what I have a tendency to call 'tryndee' names; however, people can choose to name their children whatever they want. I personally prefer more vintage names myself from circa 1920 or sooner. I definitely cannot picture a grandma 'Neveah' or a grandpa 'Jayden.' In my opinion, names such as this do not age very well which is another reason I generally do not care for them but everyone has their own tastes.

Hopefully it dies out soon, but I don't think it will. Dovetailing off what the person before me said, I think parents sometimes forget that their babies will grow up to be adult people...as in, a name may sound cute for a little kid, but for an adult it's just awkward. I lol'd @ Grandpa Jayden. Celebrities are easily worse than the general public when it comes to this though...Apple Martin, anyone?

Popular names are always changing though. For example, Kathy, Deborah, and Linda are popular names for Baby Boomer women but you won't come across many Gen Y females with those names.

Those kinds of names are not my style and are what I have a tendency to call 'tryndee' names; however, people can choose to name their children whatever they want. I personally prefer more vintage names myself from circa 1920 or sooner. I definitely cannot picture a grandma 'Neveah' or a grandpa 'Jayden.' In my opinion, names such as this do not age very well which is another reason I generally do not care for them but everyone has their own tastes.


I'm not suggesting a law or anything LOL I just think it's an annoying fad. Just like people sagging pants irritates me lol. People have a right to do things that I find unappealing though, I'm not God!  ;D

Another thing I wondered too. Biblical names like Sarah, Elizabeth, Rebecca, John, Matthew, Joshua and so on have been popular pretty much forever. I think it's because they sound good or at least non-offensive and respectable, other Biblical names like Aiden or Ezekiel are definitely more trendy or limited to certain ethnic groups, the latter sounds predominately either Amish or Jewish to me and the former wasn't used widely until a few years ago.

Christianity is dying in the West though and I wonder if the death of Christianity will mean the death of those names. I'm inclined to say no because even non-Christians give their kids Biblical names but it will be interesting to see.

Unique/trendy names really date back to the 60's actually. I mean Heather was just as weird and new sounding in 1970 as Madison was in the year 2000, yet we think of Heather or Crystal, flower child names as being normal, albeit dated and rare to bestow upon babies since the late 90's. Once all the Madisons born in the late 90's and 00's enter their 20's and 30's we'll probably forget it was ever an unusual name.

Some names are always gonna sound dumb and weird though, like Neveah is always going to be the butt of jokes, even people who like made up names probably think it's dumb.  :D ;D

Christianity is dying in the West though and I wonder if the death of Christianity will mean the death of those names.

Doubt it. Obviously Christianity isn't as popular (or strong)  as it once was, but Christianity won't die out.

parents have been given their children unique names for years.

parents have been given their children unique names for years.


It's become the norm now though...there aren't as many "standardized" names anymore, parents are making up their own. No on really names their daughter Ashley or Kristina or other common Gen Y names anymore.

I can handle some of the newer names (excepting stupid names like Apple or Rocket)... but I laugh at some of those American names (usually nicknames that stick). I can't believe Bubba Watson goes by that name (or Fuzzy Zoeller either). Tip, Chip, Rock are other examples of what I am getting at. I don't know if that's their name or maybe it's a shortened form of their real name.  :-\\

I can handle some of the newer names (excepting stupid names like Apple or Rocket)... but I laugh at some of those American names (usually nicknames that stick). I can't believe Bubba Watson goes by that name (or Fuzzy Zoeller either). Tip, Chip, Rock are other examples of what I am getting at. I don't know if that's their name or maybe it's a shortened form of their real name.  :-\\


I actually know two girls named Apple. :)  They are both Chinese.  Some other Chinese names ( people I know personally) are more unusual than American names. I know a Rain, Rainbow, Queenie, Ajax, Cryfyx, Bondi, Sicily, Blondie, Milca, Saringe, Winky. Now those are unusual.

Would you say Meriwether was an unusual name? (Think Meriwether Lewis.) How about Faith, Hope, & Charity? What about Madonna?


What may seem strange to one person, may not seem strange to someone else.



Cat

I have always thought my youngest cousin's name is quite unique. Her name is Laurelis Isamar, Isamar being her middle name. Her three month old daughter is named Sophia, which is a pretty common name I would say.

I have always thought my youngest cousin's name is quite unique. Her name is Laurelis Isamar, Isamar being her middle name. Her three month old daughter is named Sophia, which is a pretty common name I would say.


Sophia is actually the most popular baby name on the SSA list in 2011 for girls so yes it is fairly common in America; however, I'm not sure about its usage in other countries. :]

Laurelis Isamar is definitely a rare name. It has an exotic flair.

There is no such thing as a unique name.  A name you may never have heard of before, may be quite a common name in another country.

Would you say Meriwether was an unusual name? (Think Meriwether Lewis.) How about Faith, Hope, & Charity? What about Madonna?


What may seem strange to one person, may not seem strange to someone else.



Cat


Exactly what I was thinking. It's not really a new trend either  there are plenty of people born before 1988 with unique or nontraditional names and personally I could do with a few less Daniels and Matthews at work.
It's boring when everyone has the same name.

There is no such thing as a unique name.  A name you may never have heard of before, may be quite a common name in another country.


If this were FB I'd totally like this post :-D

Really, what's so wrong with names like Amy and Steve? It's the person that makes a name after all, and IMO names stay popular for a reason. I like the given names from about the late 1940s up to the early 1990s the best. These are the names that sound 'normal' to me so maybe I'm biased.



:D 8)

"What kind of a name is that is that anyhow, Ku-mar...whatever happened to good old American names, like Dave or Jim, you know?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGfYX7NmYnU

I think it goes in cycles.  The weird names of today will be the commonplace names of tomorrow.  In the future naming your child Sarah or Mary will be different and unique. 

I think it goes in cycles.  The weird names of today will be the commonplace names of tomorrow.  In the future naming your child Sarah or Mary will be different and unique.



Sarah? Why would anyone name their chi.......  :-\\  :-X    Um....never mind........





























:D

I picked the name Max out of from Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" when I was nine.  I didn't like my given name or my nickname, so I said I wanted to be called Max.  My family thought I was playing a kids' game so the humored me.  I wouldn't answer to anything but "Max."  When school started I had established my name in the family as Max.  My mother wrote a note to school saying I wanted to be called Max now and that they should call me Max if that's what I want.

It was never Maximilian or Maxwell.  Just Max. 

When I turned 18, I went to court and changed it legally.

My given name was Burke, which is an old surname in the family tree.  I didn't like it.  I thought it vocalized too canine.  The awful nickname I had was "Newly."  That started when I was an infant.  I was the first male grandchild, so my grandfather called me the "New man around the house," and others called me the "Newly born man," or the "Newly born new man," or whatever, it soon got shortened to Newly, which was the name I started school with.  "Newly" what the hell kind of name is that?  So, in third grade, I always asked, "Who's Newly?" whenever anyone would address me as such. By the end of third grade everybody was calling me Max. 

Max is an uncommon name in my generation, but not a "weird" name.  I've gotten used to people telling me they have an uncle named Max or a dog named Max!
;D

It's become the norm now though...there aren't as many "standardized" names anymore, parents are making up their own. No on really names their daughter Ashley or Kristina or other common Gen Y names anymore.


Yes, I've looked at stats of baby names and generally speaking the typical Y names have dropped off dramatically in popularity. Even the late-run Y names like Hannah and Emily aren't used as much as they used to be.

Would you say Meriwether was an unusual name? (Think Meriwether Lewis.) How about Faith, Hope, & Charity? What about Madonna?


What may seem strange to one person, may not seem strange to someone else.



Cat


I think Meriwether and Madonna sound unusual by modern standards yes. Faith, Hope and Charity actually not really. No more than Destiny or something.

I think it goes in cycles.  The weird names of today will be the commonplace names of tomorrow.  In the future naming your child Sarah or Mary will be different and unique.


I would consider naming your daughter something like Ruth or Cheryl way more unique than naming them Hayden or Emmalina or something like that actually, yes. Because those names are common for older people but not for a child.

Actually Mary is kinda unusual even now for a baby though Sarah is still pretty common I think.

:D 8)

"What kind of a name is that is that anyhow, Ku-mar...whatever happened to good old American names, like Dave or Jim, you know?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGfYX7NmYnU


;D

How about Moon Beam?

How about Moon Beam?


Moon Unit
Dweezel
River
Summer
Rainbow
Leaf Joaquin

Advent names of the hippie late 60s-70s.

Piper and Dakota are popular yuppie names.  My friends named their son Forest, which is a great name, unfortunately it reminds me of Gump 

I heard a lady in the supermarket calling for her daughter, "Miley."  After Miley Cyrus?  But why?

Then you have your African-American names like Ladonia, and Latisha, DeShawn, and Jamal.  Somebody on this board told a story about a RaTroy getting called "rat-roy." 
;D

I would consider naming your daughter something like Ruth or Cheryl way more unique than naming them Hayden or Emmalina or something like that actually, yes. Because those names are common for older people but not for a child.

Actually Mary is kinda unusual even now for a baby though Sarah is still pretty common I think.


Mary definitely faded after the boomer generation. Back when they were being born, it was all the rage, at least among the Catholic community, to name your daughter after the blessed virgin. And sometimes a second name would be tacked on like MaryAnne, MaryLynn, MaryKay, etc. Honestly if I went through my mom's old yearbooks probably at least a quarter of the girls would be named Mary. But yeah, I didn't really know any Gen Y Mary's growing up. Even among Gen X, Mary might be kind of rare.

I definitely knew plenty of Sarahs in my generation though...I wouldn't say that name was rare at all.

Mary definitely faded after the boomer generation. Back when they were being born, it was all the rage, at least among the Catholic community, to name your daughter after the blessed virgin. And sometimes a second name would be tacked on like MaryAnne, MaryLynn, MaryKay, etc. Honestly if I went through my mom's old yearbooks probably at least a quarter of the girls would be named Mary. But yeah, I didn't really know any Gen Y Mary's growing up. Even among Gen X, Mary might be kind of rare.

I definitely knew plenty of Sarahs in my generation though...I wouldn't say that name was rare at all.


In Mexico it still seems like every other girl is named Maria. Not sure if it's true for their younger generation though.

I picked the name Max out of from Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are" when I was nine.  I didn't like my given name or my nickname, so I said I wanted to be called Max.  My family thought I was playing a kids' game so the humored me.  I wouldn't answer to anything but "Max."  When school started I had established my name in the family as Max.  My mother wrote a note to school saying I wanted to be called Max now and that they should call me Max if that's what I want.

It was never Maximilian or Maxwell.  Just Max. 

When I turned 18, I went to court and changed it legally.

My given name was Burke, which is an old surname in the family tree.  I didn't like it.  I thought it vocalized too canine.  The awful nickname I had was "Newly."  That started when I was an infant.  I was the first male grandchild, so my grandfather called me the "New man around the house," and others called me the "Newly born man," or the "Newly born new man," or whatever, it soon got shortened to Newly, which was the name I started school with.  "Newly" what the hell kind of name is that?  So, in third grade, I always asked, "Who's Newly?" whenever anyone would address me as such. By the end of third grade everybody was calling me Max. 

Max is an uncommon name in my generation, but not a "weird" name.  I've gotten used to people telling me they have an uncle named Max or a dog named Max!
;D



My brother-in-law's brother was named Warren. As a kid, they started calling him DooDoo. I have no idea why but that was his nickname and that is what he answered to. When he started school, the teacher called "Warren" and of course he just sat there. The teacher then asked him, "Is your name Warren?" He said, "No. My name is DooDoo." He went home from school asked his parents if his name was Warren. Of course they said yes. He then asked, "Then why don't you call me that?" So, there ended his nickname-UNTIL in his 20s when my sisters learn his nickname and started calling him DooDoo again-first as a joke but then it stuck. I would talk to my sister and she would say something like, "DooDoo did this" or "DooDoo did that."


Of course the sad part of this story is that DooDoo is no longer with us-as well as my brother-in-law.  :\'( :\'( :\'( :\'( :\'(


Cat

I like the female name Cumbamba. I also like Chiniqua/Shiniqua.

Moon Unit
Dweezel
River
Summer
Rainbow
Leaf Joaquin

Advent names of the hippie late 60s-70s.


Don't forget Winter Spring and Autumn.

No one seems to have pointed out yet that psychology tries to explain this thing with giving uncommon names reflects individualist culture, meaning that countries like the U.S. are more likely than India (which is collectivist) to do it, in order to reflect their unique personality. 

I'll go look for a source. 
Here you go: http://www.livescience.com/9841-parents-choosing-unusual-baby-names.html




Edit - And now to answer the topic question:



http://ebooks.bfwpub.com/myers10einmodules/figures/12_3.gif
At this point, it seems as if it's getting more so rather than dying out. 

What about the name Cotton? Does the name Cotton Mather mean anything?



Cat

What about the name Cotton? Does the name Cotton Mather mean anything?



Cat


When I hear the name Cotton, I think of Cotton Weary, which was the name of the character that actor Liev Schriber played in the 'Scream' movies.

I like the female name Cumbamba

If you name your kid that, expect her to get teased in school

What about the name Cotton? Does the name Cotton Mather mean anything?



Cat


Nope but Cotton Weary does  :D

When I hear the name Cotton, I think of Cotton Weary, which was the name of the character that actor Liev Schriber played in the 'Scream' movies.


Dammit. Foiled again  >:(

What about the name Cotton? Does the name Cotton Mather mean anything?



Cat


I dunno.  Maybe my dad knows.  He wrote his PhD thesis was about Puritan Boston.  Cotton Mather's father was Increase.  Increase Mather.  I imagine Increase was some reference to Christian faith increasing your spiritual health.  Women's names you can find in Boston cemeteries.  Hope. Faith.  Charity.  Patience. Chastity. Silence. Submit.  I think Agony was another, but I wouldn't say for certain.  Preserved was a Puritan male name.  Preserved meaning saved in the grace of God.  There are records in the Bay Colony of one Preserved Fish.  How about Fly From Wrath?  The called him Fly.  You wouldn't want to saddle a kid with that one nowadays, but it was all good in Puritan Bible school. 
8)

No one seems to have pointed out yet that psychology tries to explain this thing with giving uncommon names reflects individualist culture, meaning that countries like the U.S. are more likely than India (which is collectivist) to do it, in order to reflect their unique personality. 

I'll go look for a source. 
Here you go: http://www.livescience.com/9841-parents-choosing-unusual-baby-names.html




Edit - And now to answer the topic question:

http://ebooks.bfwpub.com/myers10einmodules/figures/12_3.gif
At this point, it seems as if it's getting more so rather than dying out.


Yes the drop off really did happen right about at 1988! It's only been a quarter century that it's been changing, it could always swing the other way in the near future.

I dunno.  Maybe my dad knows.  He wrote his PhD thesis was about Puritan Boston.  Cotton Mather's father was Increase.  Increase Mather.  I imagine Increase was some reference to Christian faith increasing your spiritual health.  Women's names you can find in Boston cemeteries.  Hope. Faith.  Charity.  Patience. Chastity. Silence. Submit.  I think Agony was another, but I wouldn't say for certain.  Preserved was a Puritan male name.  Preserved meaning saved in the grace of God.  There are records in the Bay Colony of one Preserved Fish.  How about Fly From Wrath?  The called him Fly.  You wouldn't want to saddle a kid with that one nowadays, but it was all good in Puritan Bible school. 
8)



That is my point. "Unique" names have been around since the beginning of time. There is nothing new here.



Cat

That is my point. "Unique" names have been around since the beginning of time. There is nothing new here.
Cat


They've been around but not in the same frequency as they have been from the late 1980s to the present.

They've been around but not in the same frequency as they have been from the late 1980s to the present.


I think that's your opinion but not necessarily fact.

I'm gonna have a kid and name him "Unique Name" just because I damn well can! >:(

How about names like "Bar" and "Brooklyn"?

I dunno.  Maybe my dad knows.  He wrote his PhD thesis was about Puritan Boston.  Cotton Mather's father was Increase.  Increase Mather.  I imagine Increase was some reference to Christian faith increasing your spiritual health.  Women's names you can find in Boston cemeteries.  Hope. Faith.  Charity.  Patience. Chastity. Silence. Submit.  I think Agony was another, but I wouldn't say for certain.  Preserved was a Puritan male name.  Preserved meaning saved in the grace of God.  There are records in the Bay Colony of one Preserved Fish.  How about Fly From Wrath?  The called him Fly.  You wouldn't want to saddle a kid with that one nowadays, but it was all good in Puritan Bible school. 
8)


I'm surprised that "Silence" and "Submit" aren't more popular names among members of the Tea Party today.

They've been around but not in the same frequency as they have been from the late 1980s to the present.



You are only aware of it because the internet has made the world smaller. There have been A LOT of "unique names" before. Try picking up a baby name book that was published before 1980 and you will see.



Cat

I'm surprised that "Silence" and "Submit" aren't more popular names among members of the Tea Party today.


Prudence was another.  "Dear Prudence" was about Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow.  I once worked with a woman named Prudence.  She called herself "Pru," which was kinda sexy.
8)

Prudence was another.  "Dear Prudence" was about Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow.  I once worked with a woman named Prudence.  She called herself "Pru," which was kinda sexy.
8)



Going off on a tangent for a bit:

Mia Farrow's brother Patrick lived in the town next to ours (they lived right next to the college where Carlos worked). Unfortunately, he committed suicide a few years ago. His widow, Susan still lives there. I have not met either of them (Patrick or Susan) but we seem to travel in the same circles. 


Ok, back to the topic.



Cat

How about names like "Bar" and "Brooklyn"?


http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv58wwkpNB1r6rvl8o1_500.jpg

...yes?

If you are a well-known, national politician, I think it's a rule that you have to name at least one of your children an "unusual" name, i.e. Tripp Palin and Tagg Romney, and for that matter, Malia is unique, although not as much as Tagg...  :-\\

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv58wwkpNB1r6rvl8o1_500.jpg

...yes?


I was referring to Bar Refaeli and Brooklyn Decker.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv58wwkpNB1r6rvl8o1_500.jpg

...yes?


;D

Going off on a tangent for a bit:

Mia Farrow's brother Patrick lived in the town next to ours (they lived right next to the college where Carlos worked). Unfortunately, he committed suicide a few years ago. His widow, Susan still lives there. I have not met either of them (Patrick or Susan) but we seem to travel in the same circles. 


Ok, back to the topic.



Cat


Yes, I remember that.  Very sad.
:\'(

"I got a dog and named him 'Stay'. Now, I go 'Come here, Stay!', 'Come here, Stay!', After a while, the dog went insane and wouldn't move at all."  - Steven Wright

"I got a dog and named him 'Stay'. Now, I go 'Come here, Stay!', 'Come here, Stay!', After a while, the dog went insane and wouldn't move at all."  - Steven Wright



;D

I think people should be allowed to name their kids whatever they want, as long as it's not Hitler or there's a number in their name (4real? really?  ;D)

The best names IMO strike a balance between being rare and common.

"I got a dog and named him 'Stay'. Now, I go 'Come here, Stay!', 'Come here, Stay!', After a while, the dog went insane and wouldn't move at all."  - Steven Wright



Gotta love Steven Wright.

I thought my Elvira would think her name was "No."  :-\\



Cat

Gotta love Steven Wright.

I thought my Elvira would think her name was "No."  :-\\



Cat

:)
Steven Wright, gotta love him.

How about names like "Bar" and "Brooklyn"?


I don't mind Brooklyn but Bar is a weird name.

I actually know two girls named Apple. :)  They are both Chinese.  Some other Chinese names ( people I know personally) are more unusual than American names. I know a Rain, Rainbow, Queenie, Ajax, Cryfyx, Bondi, Sicily, Blondie, Milca, Saringe, Winky. Now those are unusual.
I was just going to say unique names have been around for quite sometime!  I know (and yes they are older than me) a Rayne, 2 Rainbows, Sunshine, Sonny, and my favorite is a Bambi.  Now think of those as grandparent name???    Grandpa Jaydan doesn't sound so bad! 

Names have been unique for a long time!  I am sure the first Sandy's sounded strange.  I have an uncle Laverle, and aunt Lavonne and RomaJane all sound weird to me.  A friend just named her sons Tate, and Laramie.  Those are unique but don't fit your criteria.  Jayden is an old name it was in a book of old names when I was looking for names for my two.   

I was just going to say unique names have been around for quite sometime!  I know (and yes they are older than me) a Rayne, 2 Rainbows, Sunshine, Sonny, and my favorite is a Bambi.  Now think of those as grandparent name???    Grandpa Jaydan doesn't sound so bad! 

Names have been unique for a long time!  I am sure the first Sandy's sounded strange.  I have an uncle Laverle, and aunt Lavonne and RomaJane all sound weird to me.  A friend just named her sons Tate, and Laramie.  Those are unique but don't fit your criteria.  Jayden is an old name it was in a book of old names when I was looking for names for my two. 


Unique names have been around for ages, but they are definitely not my style. Children do not stay children forever. Some names are better for a pet.

By the way, I wanted to add Jadon (spelled this way) is actually from the bible but Jayden (spelled this way) is a name which fits in the tryndee category of names such as Aiden, Cayden, Brayden, Zaiden, and other similar sounding names which became very popular in the 2000's and are starting to feel dated in my opinion.

To further illustrate my point about the sudden spike of popularity in this name I have included a screenshot from the SSA website:

http://i49.tinypic.com/15g77lg.png

Unique names have been around for ages, but they are definitely not my style. Children do not stay children forever. Some names are better for a pet.

By the way, I wanted to add Jadon (spelled this way) is actually from the bible but Jayden (spelled this way) is a name which fits in the tryndee category of names such as Aiden, Cayden, Brayden, Zaiden, and other similar sounding names which became very popular in the 2000's and are starting to feel dated in my opinion.

To further illustrate my point about the sudden spike of popularity in this name I have included a screenshot from the SSA website:

http://i49.tinypic.com/15g77lg.png
Aiden is Irish, there are several on my husbands side of the family from years past.  Found it in the family bible.  We were going to use it if the girl (now 11) was a boy all those years ago.  I believe the same is Caden and Braden as well. 

Unique names have been around for ages, but they are definitely not my style. Children do not stay children forever. Some names are better for a pet.

By the way, I wanted to add Jadon (spelled this way) is actually from the bible but Jayden (spelled this way) is a name which fits in the tryndee category of names such as Aiden, Cayden, Brayden, Zaiden, and other similar sounding names which became very popular in the 2000's and are starting to feel dated in my opinion.

To further illustrate my point about the sudden spike of popularity in this name I have included a screenshot from the SSA website:

http://i49.tinypic.com/15g77lg.png
Kelly, Brook, Chris (Christopher, or Christine), and Angie were all super popular to name your children in the 70's. None of which I would name my child today.  There will always be popular names, sort of like popular clothes.  That is why people choose them, and they become popular, hence pop culture.

Aiden is Irish, there are several on my husbands side of the family from years past.  Found it in the family bible.  We were going to use it if the girl (now 11) was a boy all those years ago.  I believe the same is Caden and Braden as well.


I prefer "Aiden" spelled "Aidan," but it still is one of the names which spiked largely in popularity in the 2000's.

However, I do think honoring family members is a nice tradition. It is cool you found it in the family bible.

Kelly, Brook, Chris (Christopher, or Christine), and Angie were all super popular to name your children in the 70's. None of which I would name my child today.  There will always be popular names, sort of like popular clothes.  That is why people choose them, and they become popular, hence pop culture.


Right. That is what I was meaning when I used the term dated. Some names you can date to a specific birth year or decade because it was used much more heavily then than now.

Right. That is what I was meaning when I used the term dated. Some names you can date to a specific birth year or decade because it was used much more heavily then than now.


Yeah, like if a woman is named Melissa I can pretty much guarantee you she is older than 15 but younger than 45 even if I know nothing about her. Or if she's named Ashley I can be almost certain she's younger than 35.