2014 Most Popular Baby Names

So Christmas for us baby name fanatics just arrived, and in case you're new to this scene, it means that the new SSA ranking with the most popular names of last year has just been released. Its usually followed by a short period of excitement where you examine every little detail of the top 1000 and beyond, and then you fall into a sort of post partum depression where the excitement is gone, before the anticipation starts to build up again usually at the start of the year.

But enough about my mood cycles when it comes to baby names, here is the newest top 10 for both genders:

BOYS

01 Noah
02 Liam
03 Mason
04 Jacob
05 William

Update On Previous Names In Trend (3)

So let's take a look and see how our "Names In Trend" performed in 2012:

Ryder

Still making waves, this name has climbed for the first time into the top100, at #100 exactly. I think it'll keep going up for a few more years.

Karter

K spellings are quite trendy for boys, and this one is no exception. Karter has made another nice jump to #347 year, and I don't think it'll be falling anytime soon.

Rhys

After falling last year for the first time, this year it's gone back up 11 places to #476. Still not a huge jump, but it's now officially the most common spelling of the name. I wonder if the feminization of Reese is making parents stay clear of this one?

Update On Previous Names In Trend (2)

Another year has passed, a new ranking has been released. Let's see how all the Names In Trend have done the past year.

First, the boys:

Ryder

It has climbed from #135 to #108, and seems to be a huge threat to next years top 100. It fits right in with the cool cowboy names trend that parents are loving on their boys.

Karter

Climbing over 50 places the past year, there seems to be no stopping this one. K- names are very trendy for boys, and this one is no exception.

Rhys

After being super trendy the past few years, it unfortunately crashed in 2011 when it fell 15 places. Not too significant, but I wonder if Reese going feminine is making parents reconsider any spelling of that name. It's too bad.

Names Of The Year 2011

December is already here, and another year is almost over. The SSA will be soon starting to count all the baby names around the country, a list that is published every year in May.

Seeing that there's still 5 months to go, we might as well talk amongst ourselves about our own predictions, and keep things rolling. What were the biggest names of the year? Who will be #1?

For boys:

- I think Jacob will remain #1 yet again, but stiff competition should be starting to form just below it. I think 2011 will be the year this name will start to decline in popularity, but since it's so ahead of the others, it should be safe at the top. Let's hope it loses it's crown soon...

Update On Previous Names In Trend (1)

With the new list published this month, it's only fair that I keep an eye on all the "Names In Trend (N.I.T)" I posted in 2010. Which ones continued to be on trend? And which ones could have fizzled out?

First with the boys, I posted 3 N.I.T's last year: Ryder, Karter and Rhys.

Ryder

This name is still charming parents, and has climbed 11 spots to #135, inching closer to that ever-so-important top100. Ry- names seem to be a trendy for boys, so I'm gonna predict that it'll keep on climbing steadily each year.

Karter

I was spot on with this one, one of the fastest rising names for boys. It is now #444, up 123 spots from last year. Replacing C with K spellings have always been trendy, but it seems to be even more popular nowadays. I suspect it'll continue to rise, albeit not a huge jump like this every year.

Name In Trend: Rhys

Rhys is a name that has been very popular in the last few years, especially in name blogs, and is currently a very trendy name. It is pronounced just like Reece and Reese, but not as popular as those two names. It is of Welsh origin, and means "enthusiasm".

Both Reese and Reece have been around since the 19th century, with Reese being in the top1000 since its debut, whilst Reece has been in and out, but is currently the most popular spelling for boys.

However, whilst Rhys is the least common spelling of the same name in the top1000, it is the only one that has been climbing steadily the past few years, and it won't be long until it dethrones the other 2 spellings.

Here is how Rhys has performed so far: