Baby name trends in 2013
-
Baby name website Nameberry.com lists its 14 top trends for baby names in 2013.
-
Long/short Names -- Goodbye, two-syllable names. Cutting edge parents are interested in either super short or super long names like Kole, Zane, Arabella and Theodora.
-
Secret Names -- A trend among celebrity parents right now is keeping their child's name (and gender) a secret for a long period of time -- if not permanently.
-
Ancient names -- HBO's "Rome" and "The Hunger Games" have kindled the interest in ancient names like Agustus and Atticus for boys and Athena and Maeve for girls.
-
At last -- Etta was in the Top 100 baby names in the 19th century, but fell off of the charts until the recent death of famed jazz singer Etta James. Now it's starting to pop up everywhere.
-
Leonine Names -- Leo has been a fixture with the rise of Leonardo DiCaprio, but other "leonine" names are now getting trendy, like Leon, Lionel, Leopold and Leonora.
-
Double "L" Names -- All those little girl names with lots of "Ls" -- such as Lily, Lila and Lola -- are now on the decline.
-
Meaningful Place Names -- Reese Witherspoon name her baby Tennessee in honor of where she was raised and her mother's native state. Other celebs are also choosing names of places with emotional significance.
-
Midcentury Nicknames -- Maybe it's the "Mad Men" craze, but midcentury nicknames seen to be getting more and more popular. Try Hank, Hal, Millie or Lou on for size.
-
Non-Name Middle Names -- Celebrities have lead the way on this trend, using everything from Bear to Ballerina, to Star or Song in place of traditional middle names.
-
Superstorm Sandy Names -- Maybe not Sandy or Sandra, but Nameberry.com says the endless repetition of the name is statistically likely to increase the use of "S" names -- was was the case with "K" names after Hurricane Katrina.
-
Scandinavian Names -- Some of these names have already been introduced through celebrities like Viggo Mortensen, but others like Kai, Magnus, Linnea, Astrid, Soren and Leif are also on the rise.
-
"W" Names -- William has always been a favorite among boy names, but now other "W" names are getting recognition, like Weston, Wesley, Wyatt for boys and Willa, Willow and Winnie for girls.
-
Wildflower Names -- Hottest among names derived from wildflowers are Clover and Poppy, along with the up-and-coming Maple and Juniper.
-
Northern Exposure -- Names like Winter and January are on the rise among trendy parents doing the seasonal name thing. Even Snow and Frost are being used, particularly as middle names.



