name popularity

[elrama]

What do you do if you love a name but you think it might become one of the next really popular names? I have long loved the name Asa and I know boys names are trending towards the ofter sounds like Noah and Asher. Also, the kid that starred in the movie Hugo is named Asa - he's starring in the upcoming Ender's Game which will probably be a bigger movie than Hugo was. Do you avoid names that are growing in popularity, or use it and just hope it doesn't become a top 10? It's important to me not to use a too-popular name since my own name is so common and boring and i hate it.

My second choice is Zev (or Zevi since my last name starts with "F" and the v sound in Zev blends into the f sound in my last name and it sounds weird to me) but I don't like it quite as much as Asa!

[savvyg2]

Any name could skyrocket in popular, so I wouldn't worry about this too much. If Asa is "the one" for you, then go for it!

[lucystone]

If you love a name, then use it. Popularity changes so quickly these days that in five years Asa could be #1 or it could sink to 1001. Honestly, I don't think Asa is going to skyrocket on the boys' list anytime soon. Girls, maybe it might gain a little because of its similarity to Ava and Ana, but I doubt it will be a "popular" boys' name. If you love it, use it.

[ashthedreamer]

Any name could skyrocket in popular, so I wouldn't worry about this too much. If Asa is "the one" for you, then go for it!

I agree! And honestly, I don't really see Asa shooting up that much in popularity--I don't hear it discussed a lot, and I don't think it has the universal appeal of Jacob, Michael, Ethan, William, etc.

Good luck!

[jshores]

I'm with you. I don't want to pick a name that's too popular. I have a fairly popular name and I don't really want my kid to always be know as James T. or James S. (or first name and whatever their last initial is). I love the name Levi and have for a long time, but it's become too popular for me so it's no longer on my list, except for a middle. However, I think I may have to wait until I see my kid. If I love a name and I feel like it's a perfect fit for my kid, then I'd go with it, for sure. But ideally I'd like to have a name that isn't super popular. When I'm building my name list, popularity definitely plays a large role.

[catheyc]

I hear you. No one (or almost no one) wants to pick a name that's going to be the next Aiden, but you will drive yourself crazy trying to figure out which names will get big next. I definitely did when I was pregnant. It doesn't seem worth it. Just choose a name that you love and think you will always love -- that's key for me. I want to make sure I won't cringe later at my kid's name or think I picked it because it was popular or was unique or whatever. The best thing I can recommend is reading the book Cool Baby Names (by the wonderful creators of this site!). It gives you some scientific guesses about which names will be getting big next and which trends will spike, etc. I found that book really interesting and helpful.