Taylor Swift May Be a Baby Name Influencer, but She Won’t Popularize This Name
Taylor Swift names, from the botanical Ivy and Willow to the whimsical August, have been among the fastest-rising choices of recent years. Even Evermore, inspired by her 2020 album, made its debut on the charts last year.
Lately, Swift has been making headlines for her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, which has those of us in the name world wondering: will this affect the popularity of the baby name Kelce?
You may have heard murmurings that Kelce will be among the top trending names of 2024, but we're here to set the record straight. Kelce will not be the next big baby name.
You'd be forgiven for making this prediction. After all, Kelce does have some of the components that could make it a trending name — it's a last name as a first name, and, of course, connected to Taylor Swift. But it's missing a key component required to create a pop culture baby name hit: style.
The Kelsey Effect
Kelce is a homophone of Kelsey, one of the most popular girl names of the Millennial generation. Kelsey was ranked among the Top 50 girl names in the US from 1989 — recognize that birth year, anyone? — through 1996.
The average woman named Kelsey is almost 32 years old. By today's standards, that makes Kelsey a mom name. Like other names that peaked in 1992 — Chelsea, Ashley, Megan — Kelsey is out-of-step with current styles.
Changing the spelling to Kelce makes it look like a modern name, but it still sounds dated. And when a parent is entering her Mom Era, she wants her child to sound like the kid on the soccer field, not the mom passing out orange slices.
Just as Taylor Swift hasn't made her Millennial name reverse course, she won't suddenly send Kelce to the top of the charts.
The Gamble of Celebrity Names
The most concerning factor to Swifties is the longevity of Travis and Taylor's relationship. That is: what happens if they name their child Kelce, and then Taylor and Travis break up?
It's a risk most Swift fans aren't willing to take.
One fan told me, "It's too closely related to Travis and Taylor during this cultural moment and that's just not something I'd want to do to a kid. Especially if they break up — it's just weird!"
Another commented, "I'd only consider using Kelce if Taylor and Travis were married. Because what if they break up and then we hate [Travis]?"
As is the case with using any celebrity name, you run the risk of a change in, ahem, their reputation.
But Wait — The Kelce Family Will Impact Name Trends
That's right — Kelce itself won't be the next big baby name, but there are other name influencers in the Kelce family: Travis's nieces.
Travis's older brother Jason Kelce and his wife Kylie have three daughters: Wyatt, Elliotte, and Bennett. These boyish names that end in a double T are thoroughly modern — exactly the style of name that many of today's parents want for their daughters.
Beyond the Kelce girls' names, other possibilities include Barrett, Beckett, Emmett, Everett, and Truett.
Expect to see this class of names rise in popularity for baby girls, along with these choices inspired by Taylor Swift's discography:
Taylor Swift-Inspired Names
August
August would have been a hit on its own, but the Taylor Swift connection — via her song "august" — certainly doesn't hurt. August is poised to break the Top 100 for boys in 2023. For girls, it's in the Top 900 and rising.
Betty and Inez
Swift featured the names of bestie Blake Lively's daughters on her album Folklore, where she revealed the youngest's name, Betty. Both Betty and Inez are vintage beauties that remain outside of the Top 1000.
Cornelia
"Cornelia Street" references Swift's Greenwich Village address. This ancient Roman name is overdue for a comeback — along with brother name Cornelius — but Swift has not been able to move the needle on Cornelia thus far.
Daisy-Mae
Double-barrelled Daisy-Mae is a quick callout in “You’re On Your Own Kid.” While the US does not accurately record double-barrel names in the data, there's evidence to suggest they're on the rise.
Dorothea
Dorothea grew in popularity by more than 25% following the release of Swift's album Evermore in 2020. Dorothea's inverse, Theodora, is more common, but names with the "thea" component are rising across the board.
Evermore
Speaking of Evermore, the name of the album itself debuted as a baby name in 2022. It was only used for seven baby girls, but we'll watch the 2023 charts to see if this name is a one-hit wonder or not. One factor in its favor: the trendy nickname Ever.
Ivy and Willow
Two of this generation's favorite nature names, Ivy and Willow, are song titles on Evermore. Both are currently in the US Top 50, with Willow at Number 37 and Ivy at Number 42.
Lavender
Swift released her single "Lavender Haze" in 2022, previewing her Midnights album. The song has strong feminist themes, making Lavender a powerful choice for a daughter. It's rising quickly outside the Top 1000, and was last given to 188 baby girls.
Marjorie
The "Marjorie" track on Evermore is a tribute to Swift's grandmother, opera singer Marjorie Finlay. Marjorie reached its historical peak in the early 1920s at Number 16. Following the 100 Year Rule, it's ripe for revival today.
Tree
Swift's publicist Tree Paine has introduced parents to her pan-arbor nature name, which is likely to rise alongside the likes of simple-yet-substantial tree names Ash, Oak, and Maple.