Will you be reaching the end of your pregnancy in 2013 but still don't have any names picked out for your little one? While you could spend hours poring over baby name books or take a gamble by asking your friends and family for ideas, why not just check out the top 10 baby name trends predicted to be huge next year?
1. Anything Sandy-related. Hurricane Sandy was a big headline toward the end of 2012, and many people are predicting that Sandy-like names are going to be big in the coming months. Names like Cassandra, Sander, Alessandra and even names like Dune and Storm might be popping up on birth certificates across the country as people pay tribute to the hurricane.
2. European names. For whatever reason, Americans are starting to like the idea of naming their children after those who were born across the sea. Whether it's Basil, Leopold, Leonora, Eoin, Lars or Maxime, if it's big in Europe, it's going to be bigger in America.
3. Mid-century retro. Parents are expected to go wild over mid-century American names, specifically those with "cool" nicknames, probably inspired by "Mad Men." Boy's names in particular may fall under this category, like Hank, Hal, Ray, Monty and Lou. But girl's names like Fay and Millie are also reemerging. Just ask your parents or grandparents what kinds of names their friends had and you're sure to come up with a trendy winner.
4. Random word middle names. More parents are choosing non-name middle names to follow their conventional first name choices. We're talking people who are naming their kids things like Samantha Star, Josh Bear, Emma Ballerina and Bryan Seven. It's kind of weird, but pretty creative. Just make sure the middle name you choose won't pressure your kid to live up to any expectations (what if Emma doesn't want to be a Ballerina?).
5. Scandinavian names. Maybe it's because of the popularity of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" series and other fantasy novels and movies with Norse-inspired names, but Scandinavian names are showing up more often in America. Names like Stellan, Kai, Liv, Axel, Astrid and Soren are appearing everywhere.
6. Wildflowers. Again, this trend might get its popularity from books like "The Hunger Games," in which names like Katniss were the norm. That's why it's totally acceptable to name your kid something like Poppy, Thistle, Juniper and Buttercup. If you want something a little more imaginative, you could always flip through a flower identification guide.
7. Winter-inspired. It used to be that people liked naming their children after the warmer seasons, like May, Summer, June or Sunny. But 2013 seems to be turning more toward the cooler sounding names, like Winter, January, Snow or even Frost. It might be particularly appropriate if your child is born in the winter months.
8. Places. If you have a favorite state, town or country, why not name your child after it? That's what Reese Witherspoon did when she named her son Tennessee. Names like India, Dallas, Austin and China will forever remind you of the places you adore most. And who knows, it might even inspire your kid to move there, giving you plenty of chances to visit.
9. Starting with W. For some reason, names that start with W are becoming more popular. Maybe it's because they're not seen that often. Think about choosing names like Willa, West, Wyatt, Willow, Waverly or Walker. Why not?
10. Double Ls. The L sound tends to roll off the tongue, which may explain why names with two Ls are getting trendier. How about something like Lola, Layla, Leila, Lily or Lilac? Bonus points if you find a boy's name with two Ls.
Leave a Reply