The List Of 2018's Most Popular Baby Names Has A Few Surprises

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The List Of 2018's Most Popular Baby Names Has A Few Surprises

Public Domain Pictures / Universal Pictures

Some years just seem to fly by, but this one seems to be taking its sweet time.

Yes, it's already more than halfway through, but that still leaves plenty of 2018 to deal with.

Checking this year's list of popular baby names is an easy way to cheer up. Especially because millennial parents have revived some golden oldies.  

The baby name website Nameberry.com created this list based on page views.

While it may not line up with national naming trends, it's neat to see which names parents are interested in these days.

10. Genevieve / Declan

Pop singer Genevieve and Saint Declan.NPR / Wikimedia

While we associate it with the French, Genevieve was originally a German or Celtic name. It was very popular in the 1920s and is staging a comeback today.

Meanwhile, Declan is a Gaelic saint's name, and means "man of prayer" or "full of goodness." Growing in popularity since 1998, the name could break America's top 100 boys' names list this year.

9. Ava / Henry

Ava Gardner and 'Man of Steel' star Henry Cavill.Wikimedia / Eva Rinaldi

An English name with deep roots going back to the middle ages, Ava is most famously connected to celebrities like Ava Gardner and Ava Astor. Last year, it ranked 3rd on the girls' names list.

Of course, Henry has always been a popular name, but it peaked at the beginning of the 20th century. These days, it's staging a comeback as parents look for traditional names that still feel modern.

8. Rose / Oscar

Kate Winslet as "Rose" in 'Titanic' and actor Oscar Isaac.Paramount Pictures / Gage Skidmore - Flickr

There are a few theories about why Rose is climbing up the rankings, but we have to credit Titanic with reviving this classic name.

Meanwhile, celebrities like Oscar Isaac could be boosting Oscar's popularity. It's also a favorite name for European royalty.

7. Amelia / Theodore

Amelia Earhart and President Theodore Roosevelt.Wide World Photos / Library of Congress

A huge number of parents are picking Amelia, making this name surge from 77th to 8th place on the rankings in just a decade. It's derived from the Germanic word for "work".

And while Theodore has a long, long history, most Americans connect it to our 26th president, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt.

6. Aurora / Silas

Aurora from Disney's 'Sleeping Beauty' and Silas.Disney / Free Bible Images

Here's a tricky one: of course the auroras are the beautiful northern lights that dance in the sky. But it's also the name of the princess from Sleeping Beauty, which fits this Disney-obsessed generation of parents.

Silas is a Christian name, but it was never one of America's favorites until very recently. Ranked 969th in 1990, today it's almost in the top 100 boys' names list.

5. Charlotte / Asher

'Dexter' star Charlotte Rampling and playwright Arthur Miller (whose middle name was Asher).Supplied photo / U.S. State Department

A name associated with historic kings and queens, Charlotte had a surge in popularity during the early 2000s. Today, it's ranked 7th on the girls' list.

And while Asher sounds modern, it's actually a biblical name that captured the millennial imagination. Ranked 601st in 1999, it reached the 59th spot in 2017, and it's still climbing.

4. Isla / Jack

Actress Isla Fisher and Leonardo DiCaprio as "Jack" in 'Titanic'.Richard Goldschmidt - Wikimedia / Paramount Pictures

Give some credit to actress Isla Fisher for making this name more popular, because it came out of nowhere. It actually dropped off Social Security's top 1000 names list in 1908, before landing back on the list in 2008.

Like Henry, Jack is a tried and true boys' name that's still among the top choices for new parents. Still, since it's on the same list as Rose, we can't help thinking Titanic made it even more popular.

3. Cora / Jasper

Cora is taken from a Greek name for the goddess Persephone. Right: American painter Jasper Johns.Wolfgang Sauber - Wikimedia / Sartle

Cora is taken from the Greek name Koré, associated with the goddess Persephone. Thanks to a few trendy variations - Kora, Korra, Corra - this name is almost as popular as it was in the early 1900s.

While Jasper is peppered throughout British and American history, it's actually believed to have a Persian origin, and means "treasurer". That last time it was this popular in America was the 19th century.

2. Amara / Milo

Actress Amara Miller and Milo Ventimiglia.Fandango / Today

Nameberry describes Amara as "a multicultural girls' name with roots in three continents." It first hit the top 1,000 list in 2000 and has been climbing ever since.

Milo is a name with Greek roots, but the baby naming site guesses that celebrities like This Is Us star Milo Ventimiglia have also given Milo a boost.

1. Olivia / Atticus

Actress Olivia Wilde and Gregory Peck as "Atticus Finch".Christiano del Riccio - Wikimedia / Universal Pictures

Take your pick with this name: Olivia has connections to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Holliwood stars like Olivia de Havilland, and modern pop stars like Olivia Newton-John. It's been the 2nd most popular girls' name in America since 2013.

Atticus, a Greek name, is most associated with the character Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird. It's no surprise the name has climbed to the 350th place since joining the top 1,000 list in 2004, because millennial parents read Mockingbird in their high school English classes.

[H/T: Nameberry]

Did you name make the list? What do you think of this year's popular names?

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