Unexpected Parallels: Fast-Rising Names and The 100 Year Rule
Can we use data from a century ago to predict fast-moving names of the future?
The fastest-rising names of the year reflect the hottest choices of the moment: the ones that had seen incredible climbs up the charts, sudden doubling, tripling, or quadrupling in use or entering the Top 1000 for the first time.
Sometimes, they reflect a cultural mood: see the rise of Truce in 2024, or Liberty in 2002. Alternatively, they may mark of moment in history, by commemorating a memorable figure of the year: Aaliyah in 1994, when she entered the music scene, Kobe in 2020, following Bryant’s death, and Coretta in 1968, for Coretta King.
They may also immortalize the powerful influence of popular culture: recent examples include Kylo and Anakin in 2020 following the release of The Rise of Skywalker and Elsa in 2014, thanks to Disney’s Frozen. In the past, TV show Roots was massively influential when it aired in 1977, with the fastest-rising choices including: Levar, Lavar, Kunta, Kizzy, Kizzie, Haley, and Kinte.
More often however, they are spelling variants of already popular names, often following just behind their trailblazing siblings in the charts. Wrenley was a fresh hit for 2021, while Wrenlee was a fast riser for 2022; Kairo was hot in 2018, while Kyro was a new hit for 2019. There’s usually a selection of similar sounding alternatives to on trend choices too: Rome over Roman, Elio over Elijah.
If looking at the fastest-rising names for a year can reflect a moment in history and capture the trends of the year, what happens when we throw the 100 Year Rule in the mix?
The 100 Year Rule states:
Names cycle in and out of fashion, and on average, it takes a century for the cycle to complete, for a name to shake off its dusty image and sound fresh again.
This have proved true for names such as Ruth, Lottie, Marjorie, Betty, Luella, Jack, Arthur, Felix, Leo, and Conrad.
But what of the fastest-rising names? Do the top rising choices of 1924 and 2024 reveal more similarities in the way parents were naming their children then and how parents are naming their children now?
Do any names come up twice? Were parents interested in similar styles and fashions? And what does this mean for future Fast Rising Choices?
The Top Rising Choices
Let’s begin by taking a look at the Thirty Fastest-Rising Names from 1924 and 2024. To see the full list, click on the years above.
At first glance, the two lists may feel very different, but take a closer look and there are a surprising (though perhaps coincidental?) number of similarities.
Neutral Nicknames
First up are neutral nicknames, many of which have their roots in names with both masculine and feminine forms of names. This style has been trendy in general, in the US, in the UK, and on Nameberry, with the likes of Scottie, Stevie, Jem, Kit, Billie, Toby, Ozzy, and Ziggy gaining attention. As most of these names feature on the girl list, they could also be considered “boyish nicknames for girls”.
From 1924: Ocie, Lennie, Theo, Verlie, Theo, Jackie, Mickey, Pat, Vernie
From 2024: Scottie, Billie, Micah (might be used for Michaela or Micaiah), Angie (might also be used for Angelo), Chris, Rocky
Last Names as First Names
Surname-style names have been cool for a while now, and often rise thanks to popular bearers and on-trend sounds which make them feel more plausible as first names. The same theory may be applied to those on the rise back in 1924, and there were a considerable number!
From 1924: Coolidge, Shelton, Brady, Allison, Kendall, Crawford, Rosevelt
Possible inspirations include: President Calvin Coolidge, footballer Alfred Shelton, rancher and banker John M. Shelton, and President Theodore Roosevelt for 1924.
From 2024: Colsen, Jettson, Kolter, Kolson, Bryer, Darwin, Marlowe
Potential inspirations include: singer Benson Boone, drummer Bob Bryar, biologist Charles Darwin, footballer Darwin Núñez, writer Colson Whitehead, rapper Colson Baker (MGK), and playwright Christopher Marlowe.
Wordy Options
Word names are totally in style at the moment, notably bold ones like Halo, Truce, and Chosen and words from a variety of languages (Sol, Kaiser, Nova Dua). Names adjacent to words are also on trend: respellings (Chosyn, Wynter), elaborations (Oakley, Emberly), and established names that coincide with words (Miles, Flora).
While parents in 1924 were much more likely to go with Robert, Mary, or John, or well-established words like Rose, Grace, and Ivy, less traditional options still show up in the Fastest-Rising Names of the Year.
From 1924: Oral, Prince, Pierce, Abel, Myles, Avril, Refugio, Santos, Savannah
From 2024: Rocky, Ryatt, Heath, Sevyn, Wrenlee, Rowyn, Jream, Lakelyn, Soleil
Creative Respellings
Creative respellings aren’t an exclusively modern phenomenon – though the K- trend does seem to be. Both lists are full of interesting spellings for familiar choices.
Here they are below, with their more popular (or traditional) spellings in parenthesis:
From 2024: Bode (Bodhi, Bodie), Ryatt (Riot), Sevyn (Seven), Kolter (Colter), Aylani (Ailani, Alani), Jream (Dream), Elowyn (Elowen), Wrenlee/leigh (Wrenley), Alisson (Alison)
From 1924: Virgle (Virgil), Dwayne (Duane), Murl (Merle), Benjiman (Benjamin), Wanita (Juanita), Elayne (Elaine), Louvenia (Lavinia), Dorathy (Dorothy), Elois (Eloise), Gearldine (Geraldine)
Spanish Influence
Some of these Spanish choices may start out as exclusively popular among the Hispanic community in America, but might enter the fastest rising name category if they suddenly become more widely used, thanks to their cross-cultural appeal.
Alternatively, they may simply have gained popularity within the Hispanic community either as Spanish spellings of rising choices (think Ailany), or due to pop culture (Solana is the singer SZA’s birthname, for example).
From 1924: Refugio, Agustin, Adolfo, Abel, Lonzo, Ricardo, Luisa, Hermina, Catalina, Santos, Wanita
From 2024: Ailany, Solana, Melany, Kataleya, Agustin, Izan, Brayan, Elio, Belen
Revivals
Revival names include names from the distant past, pulled from Roman surnames, the Old Testament and ancient mythology — and those from the more recent past, borrowed from your parents and grandparents. Both lists feature some of these revived options.
From 1924: Herminia, Bridget, Eve, Theola, Ignatius, Gilda
From 2024: Dereck, Heath, Chris, Ozias, Jasiel, Seraphina, Romina, Marjorie, Arlette
Agustin
Yes, it gets its own category because it is on both lists! An anglicized spelling of the Spanish Agustín, or the Piedmontese and Provençal form of the name, it ultimately comes from the Latin Augustine, meaning “exalted, great.”
Agustin has been on and off the US chats since the 1900s, but 2024 saw it return after a brief absence. Similarly, in 1924, it was re-entering the charts following two years of being outside the Top 1000.
Pronounced a-ghoos-TEEN, it was given to 277 boys in 2024 and 69 in 1924 (compared to 214 and 46 in 2023 and 1923 respectively.)
What might 1925 suggest to us about the 2025 data?
All of the above is interesting, however, it all rests on spotting patterns and applying (creating?) meaning in retrospect. A real test of the validity of the 100 Rule in relation to Fastest Rising Names would be to see if we can use it to predict future data.
So, for this purpose, and mostly because I think it’s fun, we’ll be looking at the fastest risers of 1925, which are as follows:
Some notable categories:
Spanish word names
“Feminine” word names for boys
Elaborate (or elaborated) girl names
Virtue names
One-syllable names for boys
D names
Using the above as inspiration (and taking 2025 trends and events into account), here are some predictions for the 2025 data set:
Girls: Paz, Dulce, Joya, Rubi, Leonora, Marceline, Cordelia, Emmaline, Violetta, Opaline, Truly, Prue, Verity, Darcy, Della, Deborah
Boys: Rio, Azure, Nova, Sky, Aire, True, Noble, Earnest, Creed, Cove, Wells, Riggs, Cal, Wes, Boone, Dalton, Dorian
Now it’s over to you…
What would you add to this list of predictions? Are there any patterns I haven’t spotted? Do you think there is any truth in the 100 year rule of names? Is this all completely ridiculous and unlikely to reveal anything?
Let us know in the comments below!
Great analysis! Some names I wouldn't have been able to tell if they rose in 1924 or 2024 - like Dereck for boys or Mickey for girls. This is such an interesting way to predict rising patterns in 2025... I can see Turner coming back, and definitely elaborate girl names.
(Oral, though... 🙈)
A few random thoughts: Im surprised Rio has not risen faster or higher (Brando's character in One Eyed Jacks is Kid Rio, 1961...and footballer Rio Ferdinand). Its cool, its short, its just exotic enough. I think (like my son's middle name...one of my sons....ACE.....) these kind of very short male names will gain in popularity. I think DON will gain, too. (not donald...for obvious reasons). Gene not eugene will rise, I would guess. Hank is another. Harry became just TOO TOO TOO popular. But alternatives are there...hank and charlie and even Frank (all feel like Raymond Chandler character names). Also anything smacking of 19th century West US.....for girls maybe even more than boys. Prudence for girls, Clara, Ida, Jenny or Ettie. And for boys Wilbur (which has maybe finally lost its goofy quality...was very big in the 1890s), Clarence, Carl, Emmett, Roscoe. The 100 year rule is correct, but there are mediating factors.