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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Can a Baby Name Propel Your Child to Stardom? Here's What Experts Say
Countless considerations go into picking the perfect baby name. For some parents, manifesting future fame for their little one may be on the list of things to think about. Case in point: Singer Reneé Rapp recently said her mother helped her become destined for stardom with her name choice. 'My mom chose my first and last name to be, well, okay, arguably chose my first and last name to both have [two letter R's]. She was like, 'Alliteration, just in case she wants to be a pop star' before I was born," Rapp explained on the Good Hang With Amy Poehler podcast. Jennifer Moss, the CEO and co-founder of author of The Baby Names Workbook and One in a Million Baby Name Book, and producer and co-host of The Baby Names Podcast, tells Parents there is some truth to this assertion. 'Alliteration is used in prose and poetry and just sticks in our brains and memory,' Moss says. But can you actually pick a baby name that predestines your kiddo for stardom? Of course, as Moss qualifies, 'No name is going to guarantee fame or success.' Likewise, baby name consultant Colleen Slagen of Boston, Massachusetts, and author of the book Naming Bebe, tells Parents, 'I don't think a child's name has anything to do with whether or not they are going to be famous.' That said, according to Moss, 'There are name combinations and sounds that can definitely make a name more memorable.' If you are looking for a baby name that will help your child reach fame or glory, try names with these attributes: Alliteration. The baby naming experts we spoke with recommend picking a name that has the same first letter as your baby's last name. Just think of Marilyn Monroe. 'Stan Lee knew this when he named his comic book characters,' Moss says, pointing to the examples of Peter Parker and Bruce Banner. Slagen adds golfer Scottie Scheffler and basketball player Caitlin Clark to this list of alliterative names. Tradition. Want your wee one to run for president one day? Moss suggests employing a moniker that has been used by a previous head of state. 'The most common names among U.S. presidents are currently James, John, William, and George, in order,' she shares. Pleasing cadence. Moss points to the examples of Ryan Gosling and Saoirse Ronan as names that satisfy this rule. Uniqueness. Just think of Idris Elba as a star who doesn't share a name with anyone else. Slagen's tip for manifesting a future musician, meanwhile, is to choose an artsy, indie-type name, such as Ziggy or Bowie. Moss's only advice if you go this route: 'Don't get so crazy and unique that your child might get teased for their name.' Finally, Moss cautions against naming your child after a specific celebrity, since you never know when their reputation could take a hit (ahem, Sean Combs). These star baby naming tips are all in good fun. But it must be noted that if you do truly hope your child grows up to be famous so much that you're manifesting their fate from birth with a baby name, there may be a hefty price to pay when it comes to their well-being. There isn't necessarily a downside to picking an original name that rolls off the tongue, is easy to remember, and has no negative associations to date. But importantly, Laurie Kramer, PhD, a Northeastern University professor of applied psychology, reminds parents, 'Names have meanings.' Your child will eventually be interested in the meaning behind their name, or why they were given a certain name. 'Kids will catch on if they've been given a name that implies high expectations for them,' Dr. Kramer explains. 'Some names can represent a high bar which could lead a child to worry that they may not be able to live up to that expectation.' Your child could end up worrying they will disappoint their parents if they don't achieve what was hoped for them. There's also the potentially misguided motive of trying to mold your child's identity before they are ready to do that for themselves, according to Dr. Kramer. 'If you are naming a child with any expectation, that could be a burden on them,' agrees Moss. Just think of kids with names like Legend or Honor. 'That's a lot to live up to!' Moss asserts. Ultimately, she says that while it's normal for parents to have dreams for their kids, they may go their own way no matter what name you bestow upon them. The best advice, according to Slagen, is to pick a name because you love it, not to manifest some outcome. Read the original article on Parents
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
New Jersey parents are favoring these baby names — and the No. 1 pick might be a shock
No Pauly or Francesca on this list. Home of the Jersey Shore, Wawa and Tony Soprano — in 2025, there are specific baby names that are popular in New Jersey, and the top spot for both boys and girls might not be what you would think. Nor are they grandma or grandpa-sounding by any means, despite a recent surge in popularity in old-fashioned baby names. Advertisement Sad news for Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi — parents in the Garden state love the names Liam and Noah for their baby boys — as those two came in first and second place, according to the Social Security Administration. Despite old-fashioned baby names coming back into style — New Jersey isn't jumping on the trend. Getty Images/iStockphoto Liam being the most popular shouldn't come as a total shock, considering it's held the No. 1 spot for boys' names for eight years in a row. Advertisement The adorable name Lucas came in third, and to no one's surprise, for those who are from the tri-state area, Joseph and Michael got the fourth and fifth spots. For baby girls — Mia was the No. 1 choice for New Jerseyans. Sophia came in second. And Emma came in third while Olivia fell into fourth place. Similar to how popular Liam is for boys — the name Olivia has topped the list of baby girl names for six years in a row. Charlotte rounded out the list by coming in fifth place. Advertisement Some other notable mentions for both guys' and girls' names include Anthony, James, Oliver — and Amelia, Isabella and Ava. It seems like the state of the pork roll versus Taylor ham debacle might not be the biggest fan of old-fashioned names, like the rest of the country. According to Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of and baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey, grandma-like names such as Eleanor, Eloise, Elodie, Alma, Margaret, Nora and Bennett are popular for 2025, originally reported by Yahoo! Life. Advertisement 'On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book 'Naming Bebe,' also told the outlet. '…I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore,' added Humphrey. While some parents are giving their babies rather mature names — others are opting for the simpler route. 'More families in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds, and I hear parents commonly request that they want their child to travel and have a relatively easy-to-understand name,' said Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Old-fashioned baby names are roaring back into fashion — and experts say they know why
In recent years, out-there, creative or trendy baby names were all the rage — now it seems like the classic, old-fashioned ones are popular again. According to Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of and baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey, grandma-like names such as Eleanor, Eloise, Elodie, Alma, Margaret, Nora and Bennett, are 'super trendy' for girls this year, originally reported by Yahoo! Life. 'On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book 'Naming Bebe,' also told the outlet. '…I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore,' added Humphrey. 'These names feel grounded, elegant and sturdy; they offer just the right mix of vintage soul and modern edge.' Why are these dated names gaining traction again? 'I think vintage names evoke a sense of nostalgia. I get a lot of clients who pull out their family tree, looking to grandparents and great-grandparents for name inspiration,' Slagen said. '…Nursing homes and graveyards would be great sources of name inspiration.' And according to Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website, today's parents are leaning more towards simpler names for their babies. 'More families in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds, and I hear parents commonly request that they want their child to travel and have a relatively easy-to-understand name,' she said. In regards to which names are getting the baby bump, at least for a while — ones with 'aden' in it, like Braden or Jayden, according to the experts. 'I do hear less of those names now,' said Slagen. 'I think they hit their peak in the early 2000s.' Before you get offended if your name is no longer favored, Humphrey pointed out that baby name trends ebb and flow — similar to fashion trends. 'As with fashion, baby names follow emotional and aesthetic cycles — and as collective tastes shift, so do our naming desires.' However, despite old-school names like Eloise and Margaret making a comeback, Liam and Olivia remain two of the most popular names for the youngins, according to the Social Security Administration. Liam has held the No. 1 spot for boys' names for eight years in a row. Olivia has held that title for the girls for the last six. Emma and Noah came in at No. 2 for the sixth year in a row. If you're looking for some inspo on what to name your newborn — old-school or not — you can scroll the complete list of baby names on the Social Security website.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
Old-fashioned baby names are roaring back into fashion — and experts say they know why
In recent years, out-there, creative or trendy baby names were all the rage — now it seems like the classic, old-fashioned ones are popular again. According to Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of and baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey, grandma-like names such as Eleanor, Eloise, Elodie, Alma, Margaret, Nora and Bennett, are 'super trendy' for girls this year, originally reported by Yahoo! Life. 'On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper,' she told the outlet. Advertisement Some of the classic, old-fashioned names are popular again. Louis-Photo – '…I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore,' added Humphrey. 'These names feel grounded, elegant and sturdy; they offer just the right mix of vintage soul and modern edge.' Advertisement Why are these old-fashioned names gaining traction again? 'I think vintage names evoke a sense of nostalgia. I get a lot of clients who pull out their family tree, looking to grandparents and great-grandparents for name inspiration,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book 'Naming Bebe,' also told Yahoo! '…Nursing homes and graveyards would be great sources of name inspiration.' And according to Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website, today's parents are leaning more towards simpler names for their babies. Advertisement 'More families in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds, and I hear parents commonly request that they want their child to travel and have a relatively easy-to-understand name,' she said. In regards to which names are getting the baby bump, at least for a while — ones with 'aden' in it, like Braden or Jayden, according to the experts. And according to Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website, today's parents are leaning more towards simpler names for their babies. Gary – 'I do hear less of those names now,' said Slagen. 'I think they hit their peak in the early 2000s.' Advertisement Before you get offended if your name is no longer favored, Humphrey pointed out that popularity in certain baby names always ebbs and flows — similar to fashion trends. 'As with fashion, baby names follow emotional and aesthetic cycles — and as collective tastes shift, so do our naming desires.' However, despite old-school names like Eloise and Margaret making a comeback, Liam and Olivia remain two of the most popular names, according to the Social Security Administration. Liam has held the No. 1 spot for boys' names for eight years in a row. Olivia has held that title for the girls for the last six. Emma and Noah came in at No. 2 for the sixth year in a row. If you're looking for some inspo on what to name your newborn — old-school or not — you can scroll the complete list of baby names on the Social Security website.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meet Barbara the baby: Why old-fashioned baby names are back in style
A visit to a nursery school in 2025 will likely include meeting a toddler named George, or perhaps an Elijah, a Hazel, a Martha or a Winifred (a name that in 2023 cracked the list of top 1,000 most popular baby names for the first time since 1965). Classic names that have not seen popularity in decades are rising in the ranks, while once-trendy choices (including Taylor) are in decline. It's what millennials would call the rise of 'grandparent names.' 'Names that once felt dusty or forgotten are now being lovingly reclaimed,' baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey tells Yahoo Life. 'In a fast-paced, tech-saturated world, parents are reaching back in time for names that feel timeless, classic and meaningful. Names like Mabel, Evelyn, Otis or Theodore evoke a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for yesteryear.' According to the Social Security Administration's just-released list of the most popular baby names for 2024, the top five girls' names were Olivia, Emma, Amelia, Charlotte, Amelia and Mia. For boys, the names were: Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore and James. Look back to the mid- and early-'90s, when many of the people becoming parents today were born, and the list of baby names is entirely different. In 1994, the top five baby names for girls were Jessica, Ashley, Emily, Samantha and Sarah. For boys, the names were Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Joshua and Tyler. In the world of baby naming, there is a phenomenon called "the hundred-year cycle,' which posits that every hundred years, a name that feels old-fashioned comes back into style. 'It's usually the case that the baby-having generation [does] not want to use names of the immediate past generation (their parents) because those names are uncool or out of style," says Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of "But going back 100-plus years seems acceptable." With that in mind, people in their 20s and 30s — who grew up in a world filled with Jessicas and Chrises (and parents named Susan and Bill) — are likely to choose names that were popular in the 1910s and 1920s. 'We saw a major revival of turn-of-the-century names in the 1990s and early 2000s when names like Henry, Jack, Emma and Grace began making their return to the top 100 most popular baby names list,' says Humphrey. True to the trend, in the 1920s, some of the most popular baby names in the United States included George, Barbara and Eleanor. The popularity of each of those names is on the rise now. 'I think vintage names evoke a sense of nostalgia. I get a lot of clients who pull out their family tree, looking to grandparents and great-grandparents for name inspiration,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book Naming Bebe, tells Yahoo Life. 'I've recently had a client who used Reggie and another who used Althea, nicknamed Thea. Nursing homes and graveyards would be great sources of name inspiration.' As for what's trending in 2025, Moss says that 'El-beginning names like Eleanor, Eloise and Elodie are super trendy" for girls. "On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper.' 'For girls, I'm hearing a lot of Alma, Eloise, Flora, Mara, Margaret, Nora and Bennett,' adds Humphrey. 'For boys, I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore. These names feel grounded, elegant and sturdy; they offer just the right mix of vintage soul and modern edge.' And what's fading away? There's a decrease in the 'aden' names — think Braden, Jayden, Caden or Aidan. 'I do hear less of those names now,' confirms Slagen. 'I think they hit their peak in the early 2000s.' 'A few years ago, the light, lyrical, short-and-sweet Isla was a top contender on many of my clients' 'names we are considering' lists, but it seems to have less of a hold on the parents I've worked with recently," notes Humphrey. "As with fashion, baby names follow emotional and aesthetic cycles — and as collective tastes shift, so do our naming desires." 'I think people see Liam as oversaturated now,' adds Moss. 'Since it was so popular the last five years.' As for other old-fashioned names currently on the rise. According to theBump, between 2022 and 2023, Barbara rose 87 points on the list of top baby names in the U.S.; Bob rose over 4,000 points, and Agatha went up 90 spots. 'Choosing 'grandparent names' allows parents to honor the past while gently shaping the future,' says Humphrey. 'These names anchor the next generation in something enduring, eternal, soulful and time-tested. In a world that often feels all too fleeting and fast-paced, a name like Arthur, August, Mabel or Florence reminds us to slow down, kick up our feet and sit on the front porch with a cold glass of sweet tea for a little while.'
