Baby Names So Out They’re (Heading) In
The future of hipster naming? Check out our roundup of the coolest retro, eclectic and do-you-dare names we’ve seen this week.
When is a baby name so out it’s in? 🧐
We used to give a fairly clear-cut answer to this question: about 100 years.
Names that belonged to our great-grandparents’ (or great-great-grandparents’) generation – names like Arthur and August, Elsie and Evelyn – felt far enough removed from the old people in our everyday lives to feel charmingly vintage, rather than terminally dated.
Our names, our parents’ names, or (god forbid) our grandparents’ names? Not so much.
But it seems like fashion is on fast-forward right now. Hair, make up, music, clothing styles… and yes, baby names are coming back into fashion years, or even decades, ahead of their time.
If – and it’s a big if – you’re cool enough to pull it off. For better or worse (and I’m pretty sure it’s the former), my butterfly clips and hipster jeans will never see the light of day again 🙅♀️
Next Wave Old People Names
This week on the blog we’ve been predicting the next wave of old people names we think have kindergarten potential in 2021.
They range from 100-year relics that somehow slipped through the net, like Rufus and Thelma, to midcentury throwbacks that feel ripe for revival, like Trudy and Hal.
Our 14 top picks are all currently given to fewer than 50 babies per year in the US, but we think they could be ones to watch 👀
Weird Americana Girl Names
Prize for the most creative new aesthetic of the week goes to “Weird Americana”, coined by Berry @maywake 🇺🇸
What is it? “Names like Edsel, Foster and Jethro – 1920s to 1970s, a little midwestern/folksy, a little bit psychedelic.” YES to these names coming back around!
The Berries came up with some perfect suggestions for girl names that fit the Weird Americana vibe: Joni! Abilene! Twila! Chickadee!
Crazy Nicknames for Boys
A semi-related trend we’ve been seeing more and more of lately… super quirky nickname names for boys (and girls)!
British vloggers Rose and Rosie welcomed their son Ziggy Wilder last week, and we’re in love with his zippy little name 😍
Ziggy actually made our list of on-trend names for 2021, and we think we’ll be hearing much more of these punchy, high-energy, informal style names in the near future.
Several – including Chuck, Moss, Odie and Zed – even made our list of 100 Cool Undiscovered Boy Names on the blog this week.
More Fun Stuff
👴 Love retro names and naming stories? Get the scoop behind our guest Andrea’s choice of Casper Jerome for her little boy.
🚫 Share your most beloved vetoed names here! What great names got a hard no from your SO?
🚙 Not sure how your chosen name will go down in real life? Test drive it here!