When it comes to choosing a moniker for their precious bundles of joy, parents this year are choosing two very different avenues when naming their boys versus their girls.
According to Nameberry’s Most Popular Baby Names of 2017, the half-year mark is showing parents are getting more creative with their choices in boys’ names, while names chosen for girls remain more classic and staid.
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But it’s boys taking the spotlight this year, with nearly one-fifth of all names on the top 100 new ones compared to Nameberry’s most popular name list last year.
Among the new names in the top 100 list are Kane, Magnus, Arlo and Cassius.
In the top 10, Jasper and Theodore (a name in the spotlight thanks to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s young child) make their debut.
For girls, however, the choice in names remains stable.
Olivia remains the No. 1 name, followed by Amelia and Charlotte, who hold onto the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.
New names appearing on the top 10 list for girls are more vintage monikers like Evelyn, Eleanor and Penelope. The most surprising new names on the top 100 list, Nameberry says are Ines, Fiona, Saskia, Celeste and Alexandria.
How names for girls compare to last year
The following girls’ names already appeared in the top baby names for 2016. This list shows how many spots these names climbed in the first six months of 2017.
- Evelyn +60
- Amara +42
- Ada +27
- Phoebe +22
- Gemma +21
- Naomi +20
- Matilda +19
- Sienna +19
- Ophelia +16
- Isabel +16
How names for boys compare to last year
Just like the list for girls above, here is a list of the boys’ names that appeared in the top names for 2016 and how much they’ve progressed in the first six months of 2017.
- Kai +57
- Cassius +33
- George +33
- Jude +31
- Finn +26
Hottest new names for boys
Twenty new boys’ names have appeared on the list this year. Here they are in order of appearance:
- Charlie
- Everett
- Dante
- Lucas
- Kane
- Rhett
- Jonathan
- Xander
- Magnus
- Emmett
- Ian
- Maverick
- Winston
- Augustus
- Kian
- Arlo
- Cassian
- Edward
Top three names for girls and what they mean
Appearing as the third-most given name in the first half of 2017, Charlotte – which has French origins – means “free man,” Nameberry reveals.
At No. 2 is Amelia. Its origin is German and means “work.”
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Taking the No. 1 spot is Olivia, which appeared as the second-most popular name for girls last year. It’s a name with Latin origins, and it means “olive tree.”
Top three names for boys and what they mean
Sitting at No. 3 is Jack. The name’s origin is English and means “God is gracious.”
Atticus takes the No. 2 slot, a name with Latin origins. The name means “from Attica.”
And the most popular name for boys is Asher, which appeared as number 71 on the list last year. The origins of the name are Hebrew and it means “fortunate, blessed, happy one.”
To see the full list of popular baby names for the first half of 2017, click here.
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