Nameberry's 'Hear Me Out Cake' 🎂🍓

The ones that get it, get it.

And the ones that don’t… don’t.

Guilty pleasure names are not going to be — or intended to be — everybody’s cup of tea.

This week’s blog explored Wild Names You’ll Hear a Lot More Of — outlandish baby names that saw over a 100% increase in page views across the last six months.

This lineup of polarizing picks features nouveau word names like Tag, Covey, and Helix as well as undiscovered international treasures like Morfydd, Akatsuki, and Capucine.

Nameberry’s Hear Me Out Cake

You may or may not be familiar with the concept of a “Hear Me Out Cake”. In this popular trend on Tiktok, friends take turns nominating characters or celebrities that they controversially think are attractive, with the premise: “hear me out” before you form an opinion or make a judgement.

The concept is meant to be silly and unserious, with nominations like Shrek, Bluey’s dad, and a surprising number of cartoon foxes.

I asked my colleagues at Nameberry to each nominate two unconventional and controversial names to add to Nameberry’s first ever “Hear Me Out Cake”.

These nominations aren’t your obscure-but-appreciated gems like Primrose and Pomeline, Laszlo and Lysander. No, these are the real wild and wacky wonders that we haven’t heard even whispers about from the most innovative namers.

These are names that you know will leave your dad shaking his head in disapproval and your sister cracking jokes in the family group chat — but at the end of the day, you just can’t help but love.

Hear us out….

Beryl — nominated by Madison

“For a girl, Beryl. It is an antique gem name that brings to mind the elegance of the Art Deco era. Though it may sound like 'barrel' in some accents (including my own!), Beryl feels opulent and refined.”

Brosie — nominated by Grace

“Brosie feels friendly and cozy, but rough-and-tumble at the same time. A short form of Ambrose or Ambrosio, this is the nickname I use nearly exclusively for one of my guinea pigs and that’s turned it into a totally normal name for me – though I am reminded that it’s not with the weird looks when I introduce him.”

Cameo — nominated by Sophie

“We’re living in such a word name moment and I’m shocked that Cameo isn’t a regular on the American charts. It conjures up romantic, artistic imagery, has that uncommon and upbeat O ending, and neatly shortens to the short form Cam. Are you convinced yet?”

Element — nominated by Brynn

I think that Element would make an out-of-this-world name for any gender, and the right nickname would help bring this word name back to earth. Personally, I favor Elle for a girl or Monty for a boy, but the options are endless. It brings to mind the natural elements of the earth like fire, water, and air — all popular name meanings on their own.

Irving — nominated by Sophie

“I recently tried to convince a couple in consulting to use the name Irving for their son to no avail (mom liked it, dad did not). We need another decade or two until the mainstream warms up to Irving but I’m here to tell you: use it now. Irving has old-school charm, a slightly geeky quality, and is found on many of our family trees. If the nickname Irv turns you off, you could always go for the spiky, jazzy Ving.”

Kite — nominated by Grace

“I read The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley recently, and since then, Kite has started to feel like it could be a name. It reminds me of more popular choices like Kit, Kai, Wren, and Fox, but also the bolder options such as Lark, Finch, or Dove.”

Lavender (m) — nominated by Madison

“Hear me out … Lavender … but for a boy. Lavender is a name that has a calming nature and a unique balance of softness and strength. The -ender ending is reminiscent of distinctly masculine names like Evander and Alexander.”

Mungo — nominated by Clare

“This might sound made up, but it's actually an ancient British saint's name meaning "my dear". St Mungo is patron of the city of Glasgow, and the name is not unknown in Scotland. It's also one of Hugh Grant's middle names. So if we can use Milo and Hugo... why not Mungo?”

Selkie — nominated by Brynn

“These mythological cousins of the mermaid are popular in Gaelic folklore. Selkies were thought to be extraordinarily beautiful, and possess the ability to shape-shift between a seal and human. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a mermaid?”

Solitaire — nominated by Clare

“Solitaire is over-the-top dramatic, with a sleek, elegant sound: just what many parents love. Yes, she's a James Bond girl, but so is the ever-rising Vesper. And if it gets too much, Sol is a lovely nickname.”

So, what do you think of our hot takes? Let’s hear it!

We listen and we don’t judge.

Well, maybe we judge a little bit sometimes. Tastefully.

You berries confessed your own guilty pleasure names on Instagram this week, from Honey and Hedwig to Rex and Rooster.

nameberry

A post shared by @nameberry

Your turn!

What are your deepest, darkest guilty pleasure names?

I’m talking about the ones strictly reserved for goldfish, house plants, and Sims. The bolder the better!