Do you know anyone named Aroha, Laken or Frost? By the end of the year, you might.
Those names follow some of the biggest baby-name trends for 2019, according to nameberry, a website that is all about names for babies in the United States.
Pamela Redmond and Linda Rosenkrantz are “onomasts.” That means “someone who studies names,” especially names for people. They have done research, written books and created a website about baby names. Recently, they wrote a post on their website about the 12 baby-naming trends they think will be hot in 2019.
People will draw inspiration for their baby names from around the world, they say. Names like Aroha (the Maori word for love) and Niabi, an indigenous name meaning “fawn” according to nameberry,
will be popular in 2019.
Names beginning with the letter F are on the rise, they say. We may see more Fayes, Floras, Florians, Frosts, Ferns, Finnians and Frankies in 2019.
According to nameberry, in 2019 we’ll see more:
- Gender-neutral or nonbinary names (in other words, not typically used for any specific gender like boys or girls). That includes names like Justice, Royal, Journey and Story.
- Names that are soft, pastel colours like Lavender, Sage and Fawn will be popular in 2019.
- Gemstone names like Topaz, Emerald, Garnet and Peridot.
- Vintage nicknames for boys, like Ace, Spike, Buster and Sonny.
- Three-letter names, like Liv, Van and Lux.
- Celebrity last names being used as first names for babies, for instance Bowie (singer-songwriter David Bowie), Beckham (soccer player David Beckham) and Ellington (American jazz composer and musician Duke Ellington).
Nameberry says that the hottest vowel in baby names is U, so in 2019 we may see more babies named Hugo, Jude, Luna, Tallulah and Louise.
The website babycenter.com also released baby-name predictions for 2019. They said babies may be named after running shoe brands, like Brooks and Van. The British royal family may also provide inspiration for new parents, as they follow their lead with names like Meghan (after Meghan Markle, who recently married Prince Harry), Louis, Arthur and Charles (Prince William and Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge named their third child Louis Arthur Charles).
Related Links
Read more about nameberry’s 2019 predictions for baby names: https://nameberry.com/blog/baby-name-trends-2019
Some 2019 predictions from babycenter.com: https://www.babycenter.com/baby-name-predictions
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
By Kathleen Tilly
Writing/Discussion Prompt
Every name has a meaning behind it. Why was your name chosen for you? Who chose your name? What does your name mean? (If you don’t know the meaning of your name, you can look it up online).
Reading Prompt: Extending Understanding
What is your favourite name? Why is it your favourite? Does this name follow the trends outlined in the article? Why or why not?
Junior
Extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them. (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Intermediate
Extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them (OME, Reading: 1.6).
Language Feature: Bullet points
Bullet points are dots used in front of items in a list. This article contains a bullet point list that outlines baby name trends for 2019. Why do you think the journalist chose to write in bullet points instead of in paragraphs?
