Don't Go Down That Road! 5 Baby Name Trends to Avoid

Posted on: May 28th, 2017\""by Nicole Huppenthal

Think back to when you were younger and it was the first day of a new school year in elementary school. Were you ever the kid who waited with your breath held until the teacher got to your name, knowing that she was going to butcher it? You were going to either have to correct her, or listen to the whispers and giggles from your new classmates?

Granted, times have certainly changed, as have baby naming trends. Certainly, the biggest name issues going into a local school classroom now will not be distinguishing between the three Ashleys (thank goodness Ashlee S. spells her name with two Es! Now what to do with the two Ashley Bs). No, these days we are surrounded by interesting and unique names, so much that we barely blink an eye when we call customer service and are speaking to Apple or Diamond.

Let's take a quick look at some baby naming trends ' that should probably be avoided.

1) The Stranger the Spelling, the More Unique the Name.

For some reason, it is becoming more common to add Ys, Is, Xs, and PUNCTUATION MARKS to once common names. Don't force your child down an endless road of repeating 'no, that's Danyal with a Y.' Huh? Brook'lynn, Attyson. Alyzzabeth. Jorjia. Mykel. NO! Naming your baby isn't the ultimate time to express your creativity. There are other outlets for that.

Side note, this is not to be confused with unique spellings. Society is far enough into the unique baby naming trends that Camren, Allyson, Karlee, Caitlin, Jaiden, and Adelynn aren't all that uncommon. Find a name you like, and visit some alternate spelling options before making your final decision.

2) Sdrawkcab Seman Gnilleps (Spelling Names Backwards)

Neveah/Heaven is the one that I see the most following this trend. And so many people have done it that it isn't even original anymore. Let's just stop while we are ahead and NOT use Adaven (Nevada), Haras (Sarah), or Trebor (Robert). If you like the original name so much, just go with it. Or, keep it simple on everyone and use a palindrome. Nothing wrong with Nan, Ava, Pip, Otto, Elle. And look how simple that is!

3) Unisex Names – Are They Really Fit for Both?

Let's think about unisex names for a bit. This truly is a love it or hate consideration, and completely up to personal opinion. Some parents prefer for the child's gender to be apparent in their given name, while others really seem to love names that work for either gender. Think: Taylor. Bailey. Riley. Charlie. Sawyer. Hayden. However, this is a trend that seems to be taken further and further each year. 'Meet my daughter Henry. This is my son Jade.' Some names really are better fit for one gender, and we always need to go back to 'think of your child in the future.' Remember, your child gets no input into their name. Don't give them a lifetime of constantly having to correct people, or deal with the surprised look on a manager's face when Sasha shows up for the interview, and in fact, IS NOT a female.

4) Hollywood Stars and Movie Characters

Yes, Star Wars seems to be the trend that never dies. And with the most recent revival of the classic series, we will be seeing more little ones running around with the labels Amidala, Anakin, Padme, and Rey. And with that particular movie, the fanfare and obsession may never die. However, do you think your son or daughter will appreciate being called Olaf or Elsa, when Frozen is no longer so popular? Or Katniss from the Hunger Games? Caius from Twilight? Probably not.

5) Names of Places

What better way to commemorate where you and your spouse met than to give your beautiful baby the same namesake? Except you met in Tallahassee. Indiana. Egypt. Springfield. Naming babies after cities is definitely a trend that is on the rise, but it does not mean that just because you met down in Doraville, Georgia, that your daughter should suffer with the full name Doraville (this one is easy ' shorten it and still honor your special place!). There are plenty of places that are common names these days: Dallas. Hudson. Milan. Dakota. Charlotte. London. Sydney. Georgia. But few people choosing these names for their child truly have a special connection to the actual place. Again, this is just a trend.

As always, being able to name the new life that you worked so hard to bring into this world is an honor given to parents alone. And you really should be able to choose a name that you love, honor places or people in your life, or give your child a special name that will set them apart. Always consider your reasons that the name is so important, and make sure you aren't just blindly following a trend that is popular now and will fade later. Otherwise you will be the parent down the road guiding your unfortunate child through the name change process (and possibly funding the endeavor) because she just can't handle explaining to people that her real name REALLY is Princess Diana Jenkins.

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