Have you checked out the top baby name trends of 2013? Controversial erotic trilogy 50 Shades sparked a huge boost in babies named Grey, Gray, James, Elliot and Anastasia last year, and our love for gadgets was enshrined in children’s names too. Apple rose 15% for girls, Mac jumped 12% and even Siri jumped five places…and that’s before wonders such as Hashtag, Like and Facebook. We also loved Downton Abbey inspired names, fairy-tale inspirations and space-linked monikers – so what will we be naming babies this year? Check out some of the top baby name trends of 2013.
The letter of the year is set to be ‘L’ – and celebrities are already getting in on the act. Matthew McConaughey started the trend, naming his son Livingston, before Snooki, Hilary Duff and Jillian Michaels followed soon. ‘L’ names are often seen to be classic and upbeat, and there’s a wide selection to choose from – Liam, Levi, Luna and Lily are all already climbing up the popularity charts. L is definitely set to be one the biggest baby name trends of 2013.
We can thank Beyonce and Jay Z for this one – while the name Blue began to grow in popularity almost as soon as Blue Ivy’s name was announced, the color trend is set to last for the rest of the year. They aren’t all unusual shades, either – Scarlett, Hazel and Violet are all becoming more popular, and Ruby has doubled in popularity over the last three months.
The Beckhams have been naming their children after their (reported!) places of conception for years, and it’s started to catch on. It doesn’t need to be so personal, though – you can pick favorite places, holidays or even just place names that you love. Reese Witherspoon named her son Tennessee after her home state, and Chris Hemsworth admitted that he couldn’t resist calling his daughter India after their favorite country. There’s been a few Memphis and Dakotas, too.
This is one trend I love! Pink started it with the birth of her daughter, named Willow, and Jason Bateman and Drew Barrymore have followed suit, naming their daughters Olive and Maple. Colorful, exotic, strong and beautiful names are catching on, so it’s no surprise that this year has seen growing registrations for Juniper, Forrest and Acacia, too.
Scandinavia has taken everything by storm recently, from furniture to fashion, and names are set to follow suit. Nordic names are often seen to be strong and unusual without being too weird, and the growing popularity of Avengers' Thor is another big plus. Jennifer Nettles and Elizabeth Banks both recently named their sons Magnus, and I don’t think Axel, Soren, Lars and Viggo will be far behind in the popularity stakes.
Great-granny names are finally having their revival – and they are more chic than ever. Lily Allen might have thought she was getting ahead naming her daughters Ethel Mary and Marnie Rose, but some of the most popular old names are even more antique than that. Wilhelmina was a hit name in 1880 that is making a comeback, and Vivian is also rising the lists. Jack Osbourne’s choice of Pearl for his daughter, and Uma Thurman’s Rosalind will propel those vintage names to popularity too.
The trend I’m most unsure about? Definitely this one. Celebrities are still naming their children rather randomly, with Alex O’Loughlin opting to call his son Lion and Jeremy Sisto naming his Bastian Kick – and the rise of names such as Hashtag has shown that we are following suit. Just be very careful – anything too wacky can be very difficult for your average child to pull off!
So will you be using any of these baby name trends of 2013 to name your little ones? Studies show that the trends make a big impact on the naming trends, whether it’s deliberate or sub-conscious, so they are definitely worth knowing. I’m still loving classic names, but Harper is something special too…what’s your favorite baby name at the moment?