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The most helpful, complete, and yearly up-to-date name book

What’s new about names? The new edition of 100,000+ Baby Names by Bruce Lansky features the most up-to-date lists of names, trends, advice, and fascinating facts about names, including:

Hundreds of newly popular names and variations
The latest list of top 100 names for boys and girls
The latest naming trends: what’s hot and what’s not
The most rapidly rising and falling top 1,000 names
Updated lists of names to consider, including names of newly famous people and fictional characters
The most popular gender-neutral names and their rates of use (more for boys, more for girls, or 50/50)
New (and classic) celebrity baby names

And our list of names from around the world keeps growing! Here you’ll find more than 100,000 names–complete with origins, meanings, variations, and famous namesakes. You’ll find names from major linguistic and ethnic groups of origin, including English (19,000 names), Latin (11,000 names), Greek (11,000 names), American (11,000 names), Hebrew (9,000 names), Hispanic (9,000 names), French (8,000 names), Irish (7,000 names), and German (6,000 names)–plus thousands of Scottish, Welsh, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Scandinavian, Polish, Native American, Hawaiian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Australian/Aboriginal, African, and Hindi names. The list features unique spellings of popular names that are catching on, plus newly popular names and variations not listed in other books and websites.

Copyright

The “Most Popular Names” lists were derived from data from the Social Security Administration. The “Popular Names around the World” lists were derived from records kept by various government agencies around the globe.

Some of the material in “Fascinating Facts about Names” comes from “The Names People Play” by Frank Remington. It originally appeared in the November 1969 issue of Today’s Health. Used with permission.

Some of the names and occupations of persons listed in “The Name’s the Game” in “Fascinating Facts about Names” are reprinted from Remarkable Names of Real People, compiled and annotated by John Train, illustrated by Pierre Le-Tan. Copyright © 1977 by John Train. Used with permission of Clarkson N. Potter.

Dick Crouser’s contributions to “Fascinating Facts about Names” are used with permission.

Dick Neff’s contributions to “Fascinating Facts about Names” first appeared in the January 8, 1968, and April 1, 1968, issues of Advertising Age. Copyright © 1968 by Crain Communications, Inc. Used with permission.

Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

Da Capo Press

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Current Revised Edition: July 2019

Published by Da Capo Lifelong Books, an imprint of Perseus Books, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Da Capo Lifelong name and logo are trademarks of the Hachette Book Group.

The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

Library of Congress cataloging information is on file.

ISBNs: 978-0-306-84524-6 (paperback), 978-0-306-92298-5 (e-book)

E3-20190523-JV-NF-ORI

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How to Pick a Name You and Your Baby Will Love

The first edition of The Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World, which I wrote back in 1978, had about 10,000 names on 120 pages. So, you could read the introductory material about “15 Things to Consider When You Name Your Baby” and browse all the main listings (and even pause to read the origins, meanings, and variations for names that appealed to you) in a few hours. It’s something a couple could even do together.

100,000+ Baby Names has more than 100,000 names on 576 pages. I don’t know how long it would take you and your partner to browse all the main listings and pause to read more about your favorites, but it could be a daunting task. If you’re up to the challenge, go for it. You’ll certainly find your favorite names and discover some new names as well.

But if the idea of wading through a sea of 100,000 names sounds overwhelming, I’d like to propose another method. The method I suggest involves generating lists of names you and your partner love and then narrowing down the lists based on how well the names might work for your baby. It’s a fun, easy way to come up with a name that has special meaning but is practical as well. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Make a List of Names with Special Meaning

Make a list of names to consider by writing down your answers to the following questions. (You each will make your own list.) These questions are based on the lists starting here. Browse those lists to help you answer the questions and to brainstorm other questions specific to your background, preferences, and experiences.

Popular Names (here)

What are your favorite names from the most recent Top 100 lists?

What are your favorite names from the lists of most popular names over the past 100 years?

If any of your relatives’ names appear in the popularity lists from previous generations, what are your favorites?

Names around the World (here)

What country are your parents or grandparents from? What country are you and your partner from?

If any of your relatives’ names appear in the international lists, what are your favorites?

What are your favorite names that are currently popular in other countries?

What language(s) do you speak?

Where did you honeymoon?

Where do you like to vacation?

Where did you conceive?

Impressions Names Make (here)

What might your baby’s personality be like?

How might your baby look physically?

What impression would you like your baby’s name to make about him/her?

Names Inspired by People, Places, and Things (here)

Who are your favorite literary figures?

Who are your favorite historical figures?

Who are your favorite figures from religion and mythology?

Who are your favorite figures from movies and television?

Who are your favorite musicians? What are your favorite songs?

Who are your favorite sports figures?

What are your favorite natural elements and places?

What are your favorite trades?

What are your favorite pieces of pop culture?

What are your favorite other ideas for names (last names as first names, old-fashioned names, etc.)?

Once you answer these questions, turn to the Girls’ Names and Boys’ Names sections to find interesting spellings or variations based on the names from your list. (As you flip through the book, you might stumble across a few new names that capture your attention, too.) That will give you a long list of names to consider for the next step.

Step 2: Narrow the List Based on What Will Work Best for Your Baby

Now that you’ve each created a list based on personal considerations, it’s time to narrow them down based on practical considerations. This way, you’ll choose a name that works well for you and for your baby. You may love a particular name, but if it doesn’t hold up to these basic criteria, your baby probably won’t love it. It can be unpleasant going through life with a name that for whatever reason doesn’t work for you.

Make enough copies of the table on the following page for each name on your list. Have your partner do the same. Rate each name on twelve factors. Example: Consider the popularity of the name Jacob—if you think there might be too many Jacobs in his school, check “too popular.” Consider nicknames—if you love Jake, check “appealing.” Another example: Consider the way Rafael sounds to you—if it’s music to your ears, check “pleasing.” Consider its fit with your last name—if you don’t think it goes so well with Abramovitz, check “doesn’t fit.”

When you’ve completed the table, add up the score by giving three points for every check in the Positive column, two points for every check in the Neutral column, and one point for every check in the Negative column. Scoring each name might help make the subjective process of selecting a name more objective to you.

(Note: If you’re pinched for time, mentally complete the table for each name, keeping track of a rough score. The important part is to narrow the list to your top five boys’ and girls’ names.)

Name:__________________

Factors	Positive	Neutral	Negative
1. Spelling	easy	medium	hard
2. Pronunciation	easy	medium	hard
3. Sound	pleasing	okay	unpleasing
4. Last Name	fits well	fits okay	doesn’t fit
5. Gender ID	clear	neutral	unclear
6. Nicknames	appealing	okay	unappealing
7. Popularity	not too popular	popular	too popular
8. Uniqueness	not too unique	unique	too unique
9. Impression	positive	okay	negative
10. Namesakes	positive	okay	negative
11. Initials	pleasing	okay	unpleasing
12. Meaning	positive	okay	negative

Final Score:_______________

Step 3: Make the Final Choice

List your top five boys’ and girls’ names in the chart below, and have your partner do the same. It’s now time to share the names. If you have names in common, compare your scores; perhaps average them. If you have different names on your lists, swap names and rate them using the same table as before. In the end, you’ll have a handful of names that work well for you, your partner, and your baby. Now all you have to do is make the final decision. Good luck!

Mom’s Top Five Names

1._______________ Mom’s Score: ___ Dad’s Score: ___

2._______________ Mom’s Score: ___ Dad’s Score: ___

3._______________ Mom’s Score: ___ Dad’s Score: ___

4._______________ Mom’s Score: ___ Dad’s Score: ___

5._______________ Mom’s Score: ___ Dad’s Score: ___

Dad’s Top Five Names

1._______________ Dad’s Score: ___ Mom’s Score: ___

2._______________ Dad’s Score: ___ Mom’s Score: ___

3._______________ Dad’s Score: ___ Mom’s Score: ___

4._______________ Dad’s Score: ___ Mom’s Score: ___

5._______________ Dad’s Score: ___ Mom’s Score: ___

What’s Hot; What’s Not: The Latest Popularity Trends

Every year around Mother’s Day, the Social Security Administration releases the latest baby name popularity data. Here are the most interesting and salient development in 2017 vs. the previous year.

1. The Top-10 Names

Girls: The ranks of most popular three names, Emma, Olivia and Ava, retained their ranks from last year. Sophia and Isabella swapped positions at the #4 and #5 slots. The only excitement was caused by Amelia (the new #8) and Evelyn (the new #9) hopping into the top 10 while pushing Abigail to #10 and pushing Harper and Emily onto the next-10 list. Note that Sophia (and all variations of the name), which means “wisdom,” is the most popular root name for girls.

Boys: Liam grabbed the top spot from Noah. Also moving up were James, Elijah, Oliver and Logan (which leaped from #18 to #5). Losing popularity were Noah, Mason and Jacob. There are now only three biblical names on the list, but notice that half of the names feature soft consonants, including the top three names. It is very unusual for a root name, William (#3), and a short form of that name, Liam (#1), to be on the top-10 list at the same time.

2. The Next-10 List

Girls: Harper (the new #11) and Emily (the new #12) now lead this list. Other upwardly mobile names include: Avery (#14), Ella (#16), Victoria (#19) and Aria (#20).

Boys: Michael (-4) dropped out of the top-10 (to #12) for the first time in years. Other names losing popularity were: Alexander (-2), Daniel (-2), and Jackson (-3). Names that moved up in the popularity rankings were: Lucas (+3), Ethan (+4) and Henry (+4).

3. The Top-100 Names

Girls: Names on the top-100 list which significantly increased in popularity were: Camila (+9 to #32), Nora (+ 8 to #28), Zoey (+6 to #29), Luna (+40 to #37), Hazel (+ 9 to #43), Bella (+28 to #50), Aurora (+15 to #51), Kinsley (+28 to #59), Elena +27 to #67, Emilia (+28 to #74), Willow (+15 to #81), Everly (+25 to #82), Isabelle (+11 to #92), Valentina (+12 to #94) and Nova (+41 to #95). Names whose popularity dropped significantly were: Lily (-11 to #33), Samantha (-10 to #54), Allison (-10 to #60) Alexa (-14 to #65), Ariana (-11 to #66), Sadie (-11 to #71), Piper (-11 to #78), Autumn -10 to #75), Kaylee (-13 to #84), Arianna (-18 to #87), and Mckenzie (-14 to #99).

Boys: Names on the top-100 list which significantly increased in popularity were: Logan (+13 to #5), Wyatt (+8 to #25), Lincoln (+9 to #41), Mateo (+17 to #42), Asher (+12 to #59), Leo (+13 to #61), Theodore (+20 to #62), Ezra (+16 to #69), Elias (+ 15 to #78), Greyson (+16 to #80), Ezekiel (+39 to #82), and Bryson (+8 to #86). Notice the rapid improvement of two biblical names which started with “Ez.” Names whose popularity dropped significantly were: Hunter (-8 to #53), Evan (-15 to #84), Jace (-11 to #87), Santiago (-13 to #93), Gavin (-16 to #96) and Jameson (-28 to #100).

4. The Top-1,000 Names

Girls: The fastest-rising names (based on percentage of rank positions gained) were Ensley (+60.2%), Dream (+58.9%), Oaklynn (+54.7%), Oaklyn (+52.6%), Luna (+51.9%), Emberly (+49.4%), Melania (+ 43.6%), Octavia (+43.6%), Kehlani (+39.9%) and Mila (+37.5%). The fastest falling names were Lily (-37.5%), Kylie (-37.3%), Emily (-33.3%), Jessa (-29.6%), Tenley (-29.2%), Julianne (-28.6%), Wendy (-28.4%), Jayden (-28.0%), Kaydence (-27.4%), Miah (-27.2%) and Arianna (-26.1%).

Boys: The fastest rising names on a percentage basis were Logan (+72.2%), Wells (+35.5%), Matias (+34.8%), Ezekiel (+32.2%), Kashton (+32.0%), Colson (+ 30.5%), Mateo (+28.8%), Caspian (+27.4%), Kace (+26.6%) and Nova (+26.0%). The fastest falling names were Mason (-75.0%), Michael (-50.0%), Riaan (-49.2%), Jacob (-42.9%), Ethan (-40.0%), Kylo (-27.5%), Jayceon (-25.7%), Urijah (-23.3%) and Kamdyn (-23.3%).

5. Naming Themes and Sounds Behind Fast-Rising Baby Names

When selecting names, parents often consider options that are similar in some way. For example, they may choose between root names (e.g., Michael) vs. a shorter form (e.g., Liam); or between names with different spellings (e.g., Oaklynn vs. Oaklyn); or names that sound alike (e.g., Jayden vs. Brayden). They may like names with the same theme, such as place names (e.g., Paris vs. London,); trade names (e.g., Cooper vs. Mason); brand names (e.g., Mercedes vs. Tiffany); and ethnic names (e.g. Riley vs. Kelly).

Girls: (The numbers below reflect the number of rank positions gained or lost in the last year for each name)

• Names that start with “Oak”: Oaklynn (+1,072), Oaklyn (+749), Oaklee (+ 251), Oakley (+105)

• Names that end in “lani”: Kehlani (+347), Malani (+271), Nalani (+176), Kalani (+138), Kailani (+131)

• Singer names: Selene (+248), Alessia (+203), Miley (+122), Jurnee (+77), Celine (+70), Lennox (+53)

• Jewel names: Emerald (+161), Opal (+169), Jewel (+112)

• Pompous titles: Reina (+142), Reign (+126), Royalty (+111)

• Place names: India (+115), Phoenix (+79), Florence (+75), Egypt (+64), Dallas (+44)

Boys: (The numbers below reflect the number of rank positions gained or lost in the last year for each name.)

• Place names: Kairo (+423), Caspian (+328), Cairo (+196), Zyaire (+100) Memphis (+48), Dayton (+47), Zaire (+37), Dallas (+36)

• Names of athletes: Bjorn (+276), Kyree (+73), Kyrie (+70), Casey (+37), Hank (+35),

• Guns and Ammo names: Gatlin (+282), Kannon (+124), Kaison (+85), Colt (+67), Kaysen (+61)

• Pompous titles: Reign (+236), Kyng (+112), Kaiser (+75), Bishop (+60), Legend (+56), Ace (+44)

• Nature names: Briar (+128), Sage (+75), Forrest (+35)

• Brand names: Wesson (+105), Oakley (+98), Coleman (+95), Mack (+86), Colt (+67), Winston (+67), Stetson (+66), Armani (+48)

6. Predictions:

• Avery could challenge Abigail for the last slot on the girls’ top-10 list next year.

• Lucas, Ethan and Henry might have the momentum to keep moving up—onto the boys’ top-10 list next year.

7. Warnings

• Don’t be the last family on your block to pick a name that rhymes with Jayden, Braden and Hayden for either a boy or a girl. Those previously trendy names are in a long-term popularity decline and don’t come across as “original.”

• Naming your child after young, attractive athletes or celebrities is fraught with danger. As stars grow up, they are likely to change their behavior in a way that is no longer cute (e.g., Britney and Miley). It’s a lot safer to stick with historical figures or fictional characters whose reputations are well-established, appealing and inspiring.

• Names that create the impression of perfection or power like fast-rising Dream, Kyng, or Royalty raise problems. It could take months (or years) for your child to sleep quietly through the night. And if you’re not a “royal” your child certainly isn’t one either. Good luck when Kyng orders you to serve him a second helping of ice cream.

• Hunter is a name used for boys and girls. I noticed it is growing in popularity for girls, but falling in popularity for boys. As names increase in popularity they tend to seem fresh. As names decline in popularity they tend to seem stale.

The Most Popular Names

Top 100 Girls’ Names in 2017

2017 Rank	Name	2016 Rank	Rank Change
1	Emma	1	0
2	Olivia	2	0
3	Ava	3	0
4	Isabella	5	1
5	Sophia	4	-1
6	Mia	6	0
7	Charlotte	7	0
8	Amelia	11	3
9	Evelyn	12	3
10	Abigail	8	-2
11	Harper	10	-1
12	Emily	9	-3
13	Elizabeth	13	0
14	Avery	16	2
15	Sofia	14	-1
16	Ella	17	1
17	Madison	15	-2
18	Scarlett	18	0
19	Victoria	21	2
20	Aria	23	3
21	Grace	19	-2

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On Sale: Jul 9, 2019
Page Count: 576 pages
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
ISBN-13: 9780306845246

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Bruce Lansky

About the Author

Bruce Lansky is the #1 author of baby-name books in North America, selling over 11.5 million copies of baby name books. His other name books include: The Best Baby Name Book in the Whole Wide World, The Very Best Baby Name Book, 60,000+ Baby Names, 25,000+ Baby Names, and 15,000+ Baby Names.

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