Popularity of names (poll)

lewispm

I am pretty much against "trending" or even just commonly used names. I want a unique name for my son that is not going to turn into a trend or make him the 3rd or 4th kid sharing his name in his class. We have a small list that we have agreed on. Which name do you see as being the lest trendy or common in the coming several years? I fear naming him something uncommon, but then that name's popularity skyrocketing (this happened to my sis several years ago with her son Jackson)

EDIT: I would love some feedback as well, maybe why you voted for what you did. Baby naming is HARD! Thanks ladies!

[Poll]

salt78

I would say of all of those, Callan would be the least trendy, but I have heard it recently. (A friend of mine has a son my DD's age by that name.)

Honestly, as far as your kid ending up being named the same thing as multiple kids in the class...there is no way you can ever really prevent that or know if it will happen. My name was #81 the year I was born and there was still 3 other girls with the same name in my class.

strawberrytree

I like both Kellan and Oliver, but Oliver feels more classic. Even if it is popular, it won't necessarily date him as a 2012 baby the way I feel Flynn and Kellan might. 

plunderb

What state are you in?

lewispm

I am in Alabama. I don't know of any babies with the names on my list, but I like to browse namevoyager and other sites to get ideas of what is trending around the country and stay away. Oliver has has gained popularity dramatically in the past several years and that is what is scaring me away from it. Everyone is answering that it is "classic" or has always been popular, but it recently has gained more popularity than I would like!

JuliaBug

I voted for Callan having the least chance of becoming popular, but it's NMS. 

That being said, it totally depends on your state. I was really disappointed when Liam really increased in popularity the year we named our son. However, we don't know a single other Liam in our area. We met a ton while vacationing out west though.

queenbone

I voted for Oliver, but it is becoming trendy.  DS1 had one in his preschool class last year, has a different one in his pre-K class next year.  Plus I think I know at least 2 other little ones.I think it is darling for a child, but transitions well into adulthood.

Have you considered Oscar?  It has the same vibe as Oliver to me, but not quite as popular.  I hear it occasionally so I think it is losing it's association with the muppet.

Flynn is a character in a Disney movie I think so it might be rising in popularity, especially considering the rhyming potential with other -in names: Quinn, Finn, Brynn, Madelyn, Katelyn, etc.

Callen and Kellen don't do anything for me.

chibride4

JuliaBug:

I voted for Callan having the least chance of becoming popular, but it's NMS. 

That being said, it totally depends on your state. I was really disappointed when Liam really increased in popularity the year we named our son. However, we don't know a single other Liam in our area. We met a ton while vacationing out west though.

This. Like your sister, DS1 is named Jackson. We decided on his name years before he was conceived and it hadn't risen to popularity yet. However, perhaps unlike her personal experience, it isn't remotely common in our social circle (but we tend to meet other Jacksons when traveling). On the other hand, DS2's name, Reid, ranks around #300 and we know quite a few of them. I can think of five lil' Reids off the top of my head. These trends aren't what's reflected on the SSA list, so there's no way you can truly predict the future. If you go with a name you love, you won't be sorry... whereas I can see this happening with the contrary. 

plunderb

Alabama Data: 

 

Kellan: 

2011: 10 uses (rank #438)

2010: 12 uses (rank #383)

not recorded before 2010, so a popularity increase in recent years, but still fairly uncommon

 

Kellen:

2011: 11 uses  (rank #391)

2010:  8 uses (rank #530)

no recorded uses in 2009 or 2008

2007:  5 uses (rank #733)

 

Oliver:

2011: 36 uses (rank #144)

2010: 44 uses (rank #131)

Increasing in popularity every year. In 2005, Oliver was #300 in AL, in 1999 it was #518 ? a fairly dramatic rise.

 

Flynn:

Flynn does not appear in the AL records for any year 1911-2011, meaning that fewer than 5 boys have been given that name in any particular year.

 

Callan:

Same as Flynn ? no recorded uses.

 

Short answer: Oliver is trending up strongly, Kellan/Kellen are trending up, but are not as popular overall as Oliver, Flynn and Callan aren't on the charts.

lewispm

plunderb:

Alabama Data: 

 

Kellan: 

2011: 10 uses (rank #438)

2010: 12 uses (rank #383)

not recorded before 2010, so a popularity increase in recent years, but still fairly uncommon

 

Kellen:

2011: 11 uses  (rank #391)

2010:  8 uses (rank #530)

no recorded uses in 2009 or 2008

2007:  5 uses (rank #733)

 

Oliver:

2011: 36 uses (rank #144)

2010: 44 uses (rank #131)

Increasing in popularity every year. In 2005, Oliver was #300 in AL, in 1999 it was #518 ? a fairly dramatic rise.

 

Flynn:

Flynn does not appear in the AL records for any year 1911-2011, meaning that fewer than 5 boys have been given that name in any particular year.

 

Callan:

Same as Flynn ? no recorded uses.

 

Short answer: Oliver is trending up strongly, Kellan/Kellen are trending up, but are not as popular overall as Oliver, Flynn and Callan aren't on the charts.

Thanks so much for the info! May I ask what site you got it from? I love researching names.

plunderb

SSA Beyond the Top 1,000 has a giant zip file of all the state data:

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/limits.html

lewispm

Thanks!

Mayan2011

I really like Callan - Cal for short, but I can't get DH to bite.

Pearl16

Even though it's technically the most popular, I voted for Oliver because it's classic. I do seem to hear it a bit more recently and do think it's trending upward, but I think it's the least "trendy" on your list.

Flynn would be my second choice, but it doesn't even compare to Oliver, IMO. It reminds me too much of Finn, which seems pretty trendy right now, and also of the character in Disney's Tangled. My 2 1/2 year old loves that movie right now and calls Flynn her boyfriend, so maybe I'm the only one with that association...

Callen and Kellen might not be individually popular, but 2-syllable boy names ending in "n" are ridiculously trendy right now. Think Caden (et al.), Mason, Jackson, etc. I, personally, would try to stay away from those if you don't want anything trendy.

MKang20

I actually know 3 Callen's that are under 1.  So, it seems to be trending where I am from.  I know 1 Oliver and 1 Kellen.  I don't know any Flynn's but, I wouldn't be surprised if it broke the top 200 this year.  Along with Finn.