I’m seeing a lot of discussion today about the fastest-rising baby names of 2010. There’s Maci and Bentley (thanks to a reality TV show about pregnant teens), Tiana (thanks to Disney), Kellan (thanks to Twilight), Knox (thanks to Brangelina), and more.
But let’s look at the flip side. Which names fell in 2010? Which were some of the biggest losers?
I’ll give you a hint: Many were once the fast-risers. They became trendy for a little while, thanks to pop culture (e.g. a singer, a band, a movie, a book). But when that influence began to fade, the names began to fall.
- Ciara, down 79 spots (singer Ciara)
- Jonas, down 80 spots (musicians Jonas Brothers)
- Marley, down 85 spots (movie Marley & Me)
- Kimora, down 90 spots (model Kimora Lee Simmons)
- Rihanna, down 198 spots (singer Rihanna)
- Analia, down 472 spots (telenovela El Rostro de Analía)
This group even includes the names of the president’s daughters, Sasha (down 84 spots) and Malia (down 111 spots), whose names have not been in the news as much since 2008 and 2009.
Sources: SSA’s Change in Name Popularity page, “Maci” and “Bentley” soar in baby name game