Best New Names in the Top 1000
By Esmeralda Rocha
Each year, the Top 1000 names in the US are given to around 78% of boys and 69% of girls (in 2017 2,798,250 babies received a first name that ranked in the Top 1000).
While there is always a little movement in the Top 10 and Top 100, nearly 90 new names appeared in the Top 1000 last year – making that list a fun way to gauge trends and find hidden or underused gems.
Top picks:
Our favorite dozen names from each list are:
GIRLS
BOYS
Amora (#698)
Alaric (#994)
Emerald (#979)
Ayan (#917)
Florence (#980)
Briar (#880)
Kimora (#960)
Caspian (#868)
Legacy (#945)
Frankie (#898)
Magdalena (#955)
Gianluca (#986)
Octavia (#593)
Khari (#969)
Saanvi (#991)
Ledger (#973)
Selene (#917)
Nova (#918)
Spencer (#975)
Rashad (#981)
Sunny (#984)
Simeon (#974)
Yara (#987)
Yadiel (#975)
Trend spotting
Among the new names certain trends can be seen:
GIRLS:
Words and places – Dream (#828), Egypt (#974), Emerald (#979), India (#890), Legacy (#945), Opal (#859), Sunny (#984), and Treasure (#968)
Vintage names – Alisa (#988), Florence (#980), Jenny (#996), Magdalena (#955), Octavia (#593), Renee (#966), Selene (#917), Sonia (#983), Tara (#985)
International beauties – Amora (#1000), Kimora (#960), Saanvi (#991), Samira (#992), Xiomara (#848) and Yara (#987)
Modern monikers – Emberly (#629), Ensley (#965), Marlowe (#981), Meilani (#911), Oaklyn (#676), Spencer (#975)
BOYS:
Old school fun: Alaric (#994), Caspian (#868), Frankie (#844), Randall (#960), Mike (#949), Shmuel (#965), Simeon (#974)
Surnames – Colson (#736), Decker (#995), Gatlin (#957), Ledger (#973), Shepard (#926), Wells (#915)
Titles and Power – Bishop (#988), Kaiser (#929), Kyng (#959), Reign (#961)
International beaux: Ayan (#907), Bjorn (#957), Gianluca (#986), Khari (#969), Koa (#939), Rashad (#981), Yadiel (#975), Zahir (#966), Zayd (#931)
Modern monikers: Aaden (#888), Briar (#880), Jaxx (#1000), Jaxxon (#846), Juelz (#776), Kace (#870), Kairo (#803, Kylen (#980), Nova (#918).
Names lost from the Top 1000:
Of course, some monikers from 2016’s Top 1000 had to make way for these new additions. Some we were surprised to see go include:
GIRLS
BOYS
Aislinn (#967 in 2016)
Amare (#982 in 2016)
Antonia (#996 in 2016)
Benicio (#976 in 2016)
Arden (#972 in 2016)
Gilbert (#963 in 2016)
Elin (#991 in 2016)
Harris (#969 in 2016)
Farrah (#961 in 2016)
Immanuel (#937 in 2016)
Julianne (#919 in 2016)
Jair (#939 in 2016)
Marisol (#941 in 2016)
Jericho (#924 in 2016)
Tabitha (#934 in 2016)
Neymar (#887 in 2016)
Wendy (#855 in 2016)
Ralph (#998 in 2016)
Yasmin (#936 in 2016)
Rolando (#937 in 2016)