We know, we know— who are we to tell parents what to name their little ones? After all, a name is a special thing, and we know most, if not all, parents think long and hard about what their little girls and boys will be called for the rest of their lives.
And yet. We also know that, like anything, names are subject to trends. Every generation has its “Jennifer” or its “Joshua”, its “Lisa” or “Larry,” names that were seemingly everywhere before nearly disappearing the next decade. Then there are the names that have lasted for centuries, your “David” or “Thomas”, “Mary” or “Elizabeth”, ones that every classically-inclined parent has considered for at least a few minutes.
Really, we love them all. But anybody’s whoever had to go by his last name, or been called “Ashley I.” to prevent being confused with Ashley A., Ashley B., Ashley Q. and Ashley T., knows the wish that parents would just. Stop. Using. The Same. Names. And then there are the teachers who face class after class of kids with the same exact names, distinguishable by only a letter or two if that.
Friends, think of the teachers. Think of the teachers.
So, with our tongues planted firmly in our cheeks, we present the 21 names parents today should really think twice about giving their children— the trendy, the overused, and the just-plain-played-out.
21-Emma
Yes, Emma is a beautiful name— and it’s been beautiful since long before Rachel “stole” it from Monica on Friends back in 2002. It’s been 15 years; it’s time we all moved on to new names and new pop culture references, don’t you think?
Besides, it’s been a popular moniker for baby girls for way longer than that particular moment in the television zeitgeist. “Emma” – which means “universal,” appropriately enough! – has been in the top 100 names for babies in the U.S. since 1993, the top 20 since 1999, and the top 10 since – yup – 2002. More than that, it’s been the number 1 name since 2014. Let’s break the trend, shall we?
Just Open The Next Page to See More
