Baby Name Wizard author Laura Wattenberg
@babynames.bsky.social
Viewing the world through a name lens. Writer, web site creator, find me nowadays at Namerology.com. ( @BNW and @NamerologyTalk on Twitter)
This Thanksgiving, spare a thought for the baby snuffleupagus
November 20, 2025 at 4:19 PM
This Thanksgiving, spare a thought for the baby snuffleupagus
The D&D series "The Legend of Vox Machina" hit big in the baby name arena. It introduced two brand-new names, Vex'ahlia and Keyleth, and spurred big jumps in the very old names Percival, Percy, Frederick and Archibald.
May 29, 2025 at 1:17 AM
The D&D series "The Legend of Vox Machina" hit big in the baby name arena. It introduced two brand-new names, Vex'ahlia and Keyleth, and spurred big jumps in the very old names Percival, Percy, Frederick and Archibald.
Of course this is the name of my plane
May 27, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Of course this is the name of my plane
Last year 6 American boys were named Ripper.
May 18, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Last year 6 American boys were named Ripper.
All of the brand-new -LYN names debuting for American girls last year
May 13, 2025 at 6:15 PM
All of the brand-new -LYN names debuting for American girls last year
The interactive NameGrapher is updated with 2024 baby name popularity stats! Come explore--and marvel that Oliver and Olivia have converged namerology.com/baby-name-gr...
May 12, 2025 at 7:09 PM
The interactive NameGrapher is updated with 2024 baby name popularity stats! Come explore--and marvel that Oliver and Olivia have converged namerology.com/baby-name-gr...
A brand-new name in this year's American baby name stats: Grizz, the name of the Memphis Grizzlies' mascot as well as a cartoon bear and a goth/hip-hop musician.
May 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
A brand-new name in this year's American baby name stats: Grizz, the name of the Memphis Grizzlies' mascot as well as a cartoon bear and a goth/hip-hop musician.
There's zomething going on with boys' names. These were all among the top 25 fasted rising rare names for boys last year. No such pattern for girls.
May 10, 2025 at 2:05 AM
There's zomething going on with boys' names. These were all among the top 25 fasted rising rare names for boys last year. No such pattern for girls.
White smoke! There IS new baby name popularity data, and it's looking interesting.
namerology.com/2025/05/09/t...
namerology.com/2025/05/09/t...
May 9, 2025 at 6:47 PM
White smoke! There IS new baby name popularity data, and it's looking interesting.
namerology.com/2025/05/09/t...
namerology.com/2025/05/09/t...
Hot new baby names are more likely to come from reality tv than Hollywood films today. Could one reason be that Hollywood films no longer introduce new characters? Take a look at the top-grossing domestic films of last year.
May 6, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Hot new baby names are more likely to come from reality tv than Hollywood films today. Could one reason be that Hollywood films no longer introduce new characters? Take a look at the top-grossing domestic films of last year.
Today a milk truck painted to look like a giant cow bashed in the side of my car. Hard to even take the damage seriously. Richard Scarry-ass accident.
March 18, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Today a milk truck painted to look like a giant cow bashed in the side of my car. Hard to even take the damage seriously. Richard Scarry-ass accident.
Fascinated by the wave of Bluesky spambots with names like Brenda, Susan, Vicki and Linda. Somewhere in the world, a troll factory's America setting is stuck on 1954.
January 17, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Fascinated by the wave of Bluesky spambots with names like Brenda, Susan, Vicki and Linda. Somewhere in the world, a troll factory's America setting is stuck on 1954.
New months and days just dropped, I guess.
December 19, 2024 at 3:49 AM
New months and days just dropped, I guess.
Just a reminder that the ASL name sign for Kamala Harris is a rare example of beauty and meaning by committee. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHpC...
November 5, 2024 at 2:51 PM
Just a reminder that the ASL name sign for Kamala Harris is a rare example of beauty and meaning by committee. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHpC...
Ok but if we’re talking solid gold…
November 4, 2024 at 2:18 PM
Ok but if we’re talking solid gold…
fortunately method came out with a man-safe deodorant too, since their standard design is so unreasonably girly
October 28, 2024 at 1:31 AM
fortunately method came out with a man-safe deodorant too, since their standard design is so unreasonably girly
Some Wild West legends and their given names. I'd make this a guessing game, but you WILL NOT guess.
Wild Bill Hickock: James
Black Jack Ketchum: Thomas
Annie Oakley: Phoebe
Pistol Pete Eaton: Frank
Belle Starr: Myra
Wild Bill Hickock: James
Black Jack Ketchum: Thomas
Annie Oakley: Phoebe
Pistol Pete Eaton: Frank
Belle Starr: Myra
October 8, 2024 at 8:12 PM
Some Wild West legends and their given names. I'd make this a guessing game, but you WILL NOT guess.
Wild Bill Hickock: James
Black Jack Ketchum: Thomas
Annie Oakley: Phoebe
Pistol Pete Eaton: Frank
Belle Starr: Myra
Wild Bill Hickock: James
Black Jack Ketchum: Thomas
Annie Oakley: Phoebe
Pistol Pete Eaton: Frank
Belle Starr: Myra
Not surprisingly, most of the results are proxies for race, ethnicity and age. IMO the most interesting reflect style--telling you about the parents' dreams, not just their demographics. Like the dominance of nouveau-cowboy names among young Republican men.
September 16, 2024 at 5:17 PM
Not surprisingly, most of the results are proxies for race, ethnicity and age. IMO the most interesting reflect style--telling you about the parents' dreams, not just their demographics. Like the dominance of nouveau-cowboy names among young Republican men.
Could not agree more! A couple more from my bookshelf
August 24, 2024 at 5:19 PM
Could not agree more! A couple more from my bookshelf
Yes! Though I’m more partial to The Tattooed Potato and other clues
August 24, 2024 at 4:17 PM
Yes! Though I’m more partial to The Tattooed Potato and other clues
Never too late for The Westing Game! Or for another Ellen Raskin classic, Figgs & Phantoms—an astonishing piece of existential exploration leavened by a veneer of silliness
August 24, 2024 at 1:22 AM
Never too late for The Westing Game! Or for another Ellen Raskin classic, Figgs & Phantoms—an astonishing piece of existential exploration leavened by a veneer of silliness
The Wall Street Journal, hitting this analysis out of the park.
August 6, 2024 at 7:57 PM
The Wall Street Journal, hitting this analysis out of the park.
If you like the baby name Ezekiel, you're probably west of the 100th meridian
May 31, 2024 at 2:26 PM
If you like the baby name Ezekiel, you're probably west of the 100th meridian
We've updated Namerology's interactive US baby name map. Come explore regional name trends! bit.ly/NameMap
May 25, 2024 at 12:39 AM
We've updated Namerology's interactive US baby name map. Come explore regional name trends! bit.ly/NameMap
Here's how celebrity baby name trends really work today: the ultra-familiar name Taylor continued its 25-year decline. The unconventional-looking name Kelce doubled--for both girls and boys.
May 13, 2024 at 2:44 PM
Here's how celebrity baby name trends really work today: the ultra-familiar name Taylor continued its 25-year decline. The unconventional-looking name Kelce doubled--for both girls and boys.