9 Namey Thoughts For the Week

Names are gifts... whether you want them or not

Scotland has a new Number 1 girl name. Freya is a long-term favourite in Britain, but this is the first time it’s taken the top spot in any of the home nations. Noah maintains the title for boys. (Also, see popularity changes in Scotland over here.)

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It’s tempting to judge parents who give their children highly-themed names. But look a little deeper, and the intention behind them is pretty meaningful — as with these siblings named Nevada, Montana, Indiana, Arizona, Missouri and Dakota. When it’s uncertain how much you’ll be able to give to your children, the free gift of a name becomes all the more important.

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And again! A dad’s gift of the name Cinderella to his daughter became oddly prophetic… and as an adult, she’s learning to embrace her name, not hide it.

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Ok, I wouldn’t necessarily advise anyone to name their child Xfrgolszzzxy. But if it’s allowed by law, then I’ll defend your right to choose it, and not be stopped by rogue officials.

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Similarly, some adults can’t resist shaming children (and parents) for their names to get a laugh on the internet. But… I kind of love the level of commitment Buck and Doe had, to give their children deer-themed names.

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But Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague have broken their deer theme. The British boxing/reality TV couple have a daughter named Bambi, but have just named their son Midas, announcing it in big gold letters on dad’s fighting kit. It’s a smart way to combine the trends for mythological names, and luxurious blingy ones — in a way, I’m surprised it hasn’t been used significantly before now.

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Nautas is now a name. Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden chose it for their third child, defining it as “Sailor, navigator, voyager. One who embarks on a journey and fears not the unknown.” Like their daughter’s name, Raddix, Nautas feels almost familiar, word-adjacent, but stands out as a combination no one has used before. It’s already in the Nameberry database.

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Parents avoid names with a hint of scandal. If the name is on an upwards trend, it can recover — like Harvey after 2017 (hurricane and Weinstein), and Jude after 2005 (Jude Law admits to cheating). But a name like Drake, already falling from peak popularity, took a sharp downwards turn in 2025 after Kendrick Lamar roasted Drake the rapper in his superbowl half-time performance, and we predict it won’t bounce back.

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Who remembers the baby named Olivia Garton in 2017? Her parents were fans of Olive Garden restaurants — and though they didn’t specifically name their daughter after the chain, Olive Garden was generous to the family, and the internet was there for it. Years later, her name story is helping Olivia to feel good about herself.

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