This is part 2 of the year-end Spotlight Name review. If you missed part 1, you can see it here.
The first part focused on general Spotlight Names, and this second part focuses on Spotlight Name series. These series spotlight names around certain themes. Below are lists of these names under each theme and a brief description of the theme. You will get a chance to vote on your favorites.
Boys are coded blue, girls are coded pink and unisex is coded green. ***Note: Each name links to the original post, but you may not be able to see the link because of the color coding. The links should still work.
Failure to Launch Names: Names that could have become popular for a certain decade but didn’t (The decade the name failed to launch is in parentheses.)
Bettina (1960s)
Hillary (1990s)
Juniper (1970s)
Lara (1970s)
Mack (2000s)
Wallis (1930s)
Founding Father’s Names: Our Fourth of July special feature.
Great Grandparent Names: Names of real people’s great-grandparents and the stories behind them. If you want to submit the story of your great-grandparent’s name for consideration, feel free to contact us.
* Great Grandparent Update: The first great-grandparent for this series was my great-grandmother Lottie. From her only child, she had 8 great-great grandchildren when the post was originally launched. I just learned her first triple-great-grandchild was born. Yes, that’s three greats, and two greats for my 94-year-old grandmother.
There are now five living generations in my family. While this is amazing, the fact my cousin is now a grandmother depresses my 26-year-old psyche. I’m slightly consoled by the fact that she is nearly a decade older than me and had her daughter young.
Stealthily Climbing Names: Names that have stealthily hit the top 100 with little fanfare. This is our newest Spotlight Name series.
Unexpectedly Familiar Names: Names that everyone knows, but few are bold enough to use.
Unfairly Dated Names: Names from the past that have something in common with today’s popular names.
Amy
April
Beverly
Cynthia
Douglas
Gregory
Heather
Peter
All of these are names I would love to see on someone else’s baby. As for which ones I would use on a baby of my own, I like Camila, Gregory, Mack, Lara, and Peter. Juniper is a name I never thought I would like, but has grown on me to the point that I might consider using it. I love April as a middle name with one of my favorites, Cecily. But I can’t take credit for that lovely combo—it was the name of late TV casting director, Cecily April Adams.
Readers: Which Spotlight Name Series are your favorites? Would you use any of these names on a child of your own? Which of these names are your favorites? (Multiple votes are allowed.)
Wow, your cousin is a VERY young grandmother! The youngest grandma I’ve ever met was 32.
Would love to see Juniper, Lottie, Cynthia or Tennessee on someone else’s baby, although many of these names are really nice.
Well, my cousin is a little older than 32. She’s somewhere in her mid-late 40s. But being petite-blonde-pretty, she seems much younger than that. I was 32 when I became a Mom!
Oh I see – you said you were 26 in the entry, or else I’ve misunderstood somehow and think it said you were 26.
I was imagining your cousin was in her mid-30s. Mid-40s is still young to be a grandma though.
Oh. No I meant I have a 26 year-old mentality.
Haha, I think I have a 12-year old mentality half the time and a 90-year old mentality the other half.