Jacob
. . . let’s give our boys better literary role models than characters who – *SPOILER ALERT* – angry-kiss their best friends and “imprint” on newborns. And even if the name doesn’t immediately make you think of werewolves in Y.A. fiction, consider the fact that it’s been in the top 10 since 1993, top 50 since 1978, and top 100 since 1974.
Sophia
This one breaks our hearts a little, but the numbers don’t lie: this lovely name’s been in the top 10 since 2006, top 5 since 2009, and number 1 from 2011 to 2013. In 2016 alone, about 16,000 baby girls in the U.S. got “Sophia” or “Sofia” on their birth certificates. The “wise” decision is to back away from this one.
Declan
Here’s a boy name trend we’re going to try to get out in front of. While you may not be familiar – YET – with the Irish moniker, which means “full of goodness”, you’re about to be. It’s been steadily gaining traction over the past decade and is absolutely exploding in popularity this year; Babynames.com has it on track to be at least number 3 in 2017. And looking at our Facebook feeds, that prediction seems accurate. So unless you want your baby boy to go by his last name in four or five years, avoid this one.
Emily
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know at least two or three people named Emily, and unless you’re a time traveler from before the Civil War, chances are you’re in the same boat. And you’d have to go back into history much farther than that to find a time when Emily wasn’t common. It’s a beautiful name; it’s also pretty played out.
Michael
This ancient and Biblical name is another one that’s been popular since, oh, forever, and that any time traveler would recognize. It’s never been out of the top 100. It’s been in the top 10 since 1943. It was number 1 for nearly 34 years, from 1954 to 1998, with only one slight dip to number 2 in 1960. (Thanks “David”.) Its popularity graph is basically a straight line. It needs a break.
Olivia
It’s possible we’re calling this one too soon, but after jumping into the top 10 in 2001, this one’s only been getting more and more popular. It’s officially “trendy,” which means it’s officially time for parents to find another “so-old-it’s-new-again” name for their girls . . .
Oliver
. . . and for their boys. Babynames.com has this one trending for the number 1 spot in 2017, a HUGE jump from its number 52 position only four years ago. Resist the urge to join the trend, especially since it and “Olivia” both just mean “descendant of the ancestors” which seems . . . pretty redundant, no? Finding a more unique name with a much more unique meaning can’t be that difficult.
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