Latest news with #NamingBebe
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Professional Baby Name Consultant Is Begging Parents To Stop Using These 2 Names
A Professional Baby Name Consultant Is Begging Parents To Stop Using These 2 Names originally appeared on Parade. When you're expecting, it's normal to pore over countless books and lists of names for your little bundle of joy. And inspiration can be anywhere you look—including old men and old ladies, colors, religion and more. However, one baby naming expert is begging parents to actually stop using two names, in baby name consultant, social media personality and author of Naming Bebe (released June 10) Colleen Slagen, AKA @NamingBebe, went from utilizing her skills and passion as a "lifelong hobby imposed upon my loved ones" to offering personalized baby name consults full time starting in 2023. With plenty of viral videos on TikTok, Slagen is known for sharing her baby-naming tips and opinions online—and from discussing "new mom names" to commenting on monikers related to pop culture (like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives), it's easy to see why she's become such a sensation. Now, she's revealing which two specific names to avoid in 2025, what general baby naming trends she's not a fan of, and how to tell if you might benefit from using a name "I want to disclaim this because I really do like both of these names—they're popular for a reason," Slagen begins telling Parade. "But being in this job I can't help but try and push people to find a name other than Olivia and Liam (the #1 boy and girl names)." It makes sense that she'd encourage parents to think outside the box."I think it's so fun to try and find alternatives that parents could embrace if they keep an open mind," she continues. "The best way to change someone's mind about a name is a positive association. Of course, we're more likely to have a positive association with popular names so it's a positive feedback cycle."That being said, she has some suggestions for parents who are leaning toward Olivia and Liam."Alternatives can be names that have similar sounds, like Violet, Sylvia, Ophelia, Lydia, Olive or Vivian for Olivia," she explains. "Or names that have a similar style—other elegant, feminine names like Margot, Daphne, Juliet, Leona, Hollis.""For Liam, there are a lot of similar names that are also quite popular; Leo, Levi, Luca," she continues. "I love Cian as a Celtic alternative that is much less common, or Callum for something that's a bit more mainstream."Related: "I almost never support alternative, less common spellings," Slagen reveals. "There are some exceptions to that statement! But for example, spelling Peyton 'Peytyn' to make it appear more unique or feminine. Even when traditionally masculine names are being used for a girl, which is a big trend right now, I prefer their traditional spelling." "It's hard to dislike any of the top, top names; they became popular for a reason and familiarity breeds likeness," Slagen admits. However, "I tend to go Marie Kondo on names that feel like they're heavily trending (rapid rises in popularity over a short time period); thank you for the memories, goodbye," she tells Parade. One recent trend that has legitimately shocked Slagen? "The super macho word names like Crash, Danger and Ryatt," she shares. "Kids can make a name their own no matter what it is, but these names do feel a bit prophetic." Related: According to Slagen, these are some common signs you might benefit from using a professional baby name consultant: "Difficulty agreeing with a partner Creativity rut (I've looked through SO many name lists/books and nothing sticks out to me!) Outside opinion: people who want to get a gut check/analysis of their top contenders without discussing with friends and family Finding a name that is cohesive with sibling(s) names Finding a name with a particular meaning Fun! Talking about baby names and hearing what someone else thinks fits your style is such a fun experience for people." Up Next:Colleen Slagen, AKA @NamingBebe, professional baby name consultant, social media personality and author of Naming Bebe (released June 10) A Professional Baby Name Consultant Is Begging Parents To Stop Using These 2 Names first appeared on Parade on Jun 10, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
New Jersey parents are favoring these baby names — and the No. 1 pick might be a shock
No Pauly or Francesca on this list. Home of the Jersey Shore, Wawa and Tony Soprano — in 2025, there are specific baby names that are popular in New Jersey, and the top spot for both boys and girls might not be what you would think. Nor are they grandma or grandpa-sounding by any means, despite a recent surge in popularity in old-fashioned baby names. Advertisement Sad news for Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi — parents in the Garden state love the names Liam and Noah for their baby boys — as those two came in first and second place, according to the Social Security Administration. Despite old-fashioned baby names coming back into style — New Jersey isn't jumping on the trend. Getty Images/iStockphoto Liam being the most popular shouldn't come as a total shock, considering it's held the No. 1 spot for boys' names for eight years in a row. Advertisement The adorable name Lucas came in third, and to no one's surprise, for those who are from the tri-state area, Joseph and Michael got the fourth and fifth spots. For baby girls — Mia was the No. 1 choice for New Jerseyans. Sophia came in second. And Emma came in third while Olivia fell into fourth place. Similar to how popular Liam is for boys — the name Olivia has topped the list of baby girl names for six years in a row. Charlotte rounded out the list by coming in fifth place. Advertisement Some other notable mentions for both guys' and girls' names include Anthony, James, Oliver — and Amelia, Isabella and Ava. It seems like the state of the pork roll versus Taylor ham debacle might not be the biggest fan of old-fashioned names, like the rest of the country. According to Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of and baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey, grandma-like names such as Eleanor, Eloise, Elodie, Alma, Margaret, Nora and Bennett are popular for 2025, originally reported by Yahoo! Life. Advertisement 'On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book 'Naming Bebe,' also told the outlet. '…I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore,' added Humphrey. While some parents are giving their babies rather mature names — others are opting for the simpler route. 'More families in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds, and I hear parents commonly request that they want their child to travel and have a relatively easy-to-understand name,' said Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Old-fashioned baby names are roaring back into fashion — and experts say they know why
In recent years, out-there, creative or trendy baby names were all the rage — now it seems like the classic, old-fashioned ones are popular again. According to Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of and baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey, grandma-like names such as Eleanor, Eloise, Elodie, Alma, Margaret, Nora and Bennett, are 'super trendy' for girls this year, originally reported by Yahoo! Life. 'On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book 'Naming Bebe,' also told the outlet. '…I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore,' added Humphrey. 'These names feel grounded, elegant and sturdy; they offer just the right mix of vintage soul and modern edge.' Why are these dated names gaining traction again? 'I think vintage names evoke a sense of nostalgia. I get a lot of clients who pull out their family tree, looking to grandparents and great-grandparents for name inspiration,' Slagen said. '…Nursing homes and graveyards would be great sources of name inspiration.' And according to Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website, today's parents are leaning more towards simpler names for their babies. 'More families in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds, and I hear parents commonly request that they want their child to travel and have a relatively easy-to-understand name,' she said. In regards to which names are getting the baby bump, at least for a while — ones with 'aden' in it, like Braden or Jayden, according to the experts. 'I do hear less of those names now,' said Slagen. 'I think they hit their peak in the early 2000s.' Before you get offended if your name is no longer favored, Humphrey pointed out that baby name trends ebb and flow — similar to fashion trends. 'As with fashion, baby names follow emotional and aesthetic cycles — and as collective tastes shift, so do our naming desires.' However, despite old-school names like Eloise and Margaret making a comeback, Liam and Olivia remain two of the most popular names for the youngins, according to the Social Security Administration. Liam has held the No. 1 spot for boys' names for eight years in a row. Olivia has held that title for the girls for the last six. Emma and Noah came in at No. 2 for the sixth year in a row. If you're looking for some inspo on what to name your newborn — old-school or not — you can scroll the complete list of baby names on the Social Security website.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- New York Post
Old-fashioned baby names are roaring back into fashion — and experts say they know why
In recent years, out-there, creative or trendy baby names were all the rage — now it seems like the classic, old-fashioned ones are popular again. According to Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of and baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey, grandma-like names such as Eleanor, Eloise, Elodie, Alma, Margaret, Nora and Bennett, are 'super trendy' for girls this year, originally reported by Yahoo! Life. 'On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper,' she told the outlet. Advertisement Some of the classic, old-fashioned names are popular again. Louis-Photo – '…I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore,' added Humphrey. 'These names feel grounded, elegant and sturdy; they offer just the right mix of vintage soul and modern edge.' Advertisement Why are these old-fashioned names gaining traction again? 'I think vintage names evoke a sense of nostalgia. I get a lot of clients who pull out their family tree, looking to grandparents and great-grandparents for name inspiration,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book 'Naming Bebe,' also told Yahoo! '…Nursing homes and graveyards would be great sources of name inspiration.' And according to Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website, today's parents are leaning more towards simpler names for their babies. Advertisement 'More families in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds, and I hear parents commonly request that they want their child to travel and have a relatively easy-to-understand name,' she said. In regards to which names are getting the baby bump, at least for a while — ones with 'aden' in it, like Braden or Jayden, according to the experts. And according to Sophie Kihm, editor-in-chief of Nameberry, a baby naming website, today's parents are leaning more towards simpler names for their babies. Gary – 'I do hear less of those names now,' said Slagen. 'I think they hit their peak in the early 2000s.' Advertisement Before you get offended if your name is no longer favored, Humphrey pointed out that popularity in certain baby names always ebbs and flows — similar to fashion trends. 'As with fashion, baby names follow emotional and aesthetic cycles — and as collective tastes shift, so do our naming desires.' However, despite old-school names like Eloise and Margaret making a comeback, Liam and Olivia remain two of the most popular names, according to the Social Security Administration. Liam has held the No. 1 spot for boys' names for eight years in a row. Olivia has held that title for the girls for the last six. Emma and Noah came in at No. 2 for the sixth year in a row. If you're looking for some inspo on what to name your newborn — old-school or not — you can scroll the complete list of baby names on the Social Security website.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meet Barbara the baby: Why old-fashioned baby names are back in style
A visit to a nursery school in 2025 will likely include meeting a toddler named George, or perhaps an Elijah, a Hazel, a Martha or a Winifred (a name that in 2023 cracked the list of top 1,000 most popular baby names for the first time since 1965). Classic names that have not seen popularity in decades are rising in the ranks, while once-trendy choices (including Taylor) are in decline. It's what millennials would call the rise of 'grandparent names.' 'Names that once felt dusty or forgotten are now being lovingly reclaimed,' baby-name consultant Taylor A. Humphrey tells Yahoo Life. 'In a fast-paced, tech-saturated world, parents are reaching back in time for names that feel timeless, classic and meaningful. Names like Mabel, Evelyn, Otis or Theodore evoke a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for yesteryear.' According to the Social Security Administration's just-released list of the most popular baby names for 2024, the top five girls' names were Olivia, Emma, Amelia, Charlotte, Amelia and Mia. For boys, the names were: Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore and James. Look back to the mid- and early-'90s, when many of the people becoming parents today were born, and the list of baby names is entirely different. In 1994, the top five baby names for girls were Jessica, Ashley, Emily, Samantha and Sarah. For boys, the names were Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Joshua and Tyler. In the world of baby naming, there is a phenomenon called "the hundred-year cycle,' which posits that every hundred years, a name that feels old-fashioned comes back into style. 'It's usually the case that the baby-having generation [does] not want to use names of the immediate past generation (their parents) because those names are uncool or out of style," says Jennifer Moss, founder and CEO of "But going back 100-plus years seems acceptable." With that in mind, people in their 20s and 30s — who grew up in a world filled with Jessicas and Chrises (and parents named Susan and Bill) — are likely to choose names that were popular in the 1910s and 1920s. 'We saw a major revival of turn-of-the-century names in the 1990s and early 2000s when names like Henry, Jack, Emma and Grace began making their return to the top 100 most popular baby names list,' says Humphrey. True to the trend, in the 1920s, some of the most popular baby names in the United States included George, Barbara and Eleanor. The popularity of each of those names is on the rise now. 'I think vintage names evoke a sense of nostalgia. I get a lot of clients who pull out their family tree, looking to grandparents and great-grandparents for name inspiration,' Colleen Slagen, author of the forthcoming book Naming Bebe, tells Yahoo Life. 'I've recently had a client who used Reggie and another who used Althea, nicknamed Thea. Nursing homes and graveyards would be great sources of name inspiration.' As for what's trending in 2025, Moss says that 'El-beginning names like Eleanor, Eloise and Elodie are super trendy" for girls. "On the boys' side, we're seeing the 'trad name,' or old-fashioned names, stick — like Theodore, Oliver, Owen, Silas and Jasper.' 'For girls, I'm hearing a lot of Alma, Eloise, Flora, Mara, Margaret, Nora and Bennett,' adds Humphrey. 'For boys, I'm hearing Hayes, Lachlan, Palmer, Soren, Sterling and Theodore. These names feel grounded, elegant and sturdy; they offer just the right mix of vintage soul and modern edge.' And what's fading away? There's a decrease in the 'aden' names — think Braden, Jayden, Caden or Aidan. 'I do hear less of those names now,' confirms Slagen. 'I think they hit their peak in the early 2000s.' 'A few years ago, the light, lyrical, short-and-sweet Isla was a top contender on many of my clients' 'names we are considering' lists, but it seems to have less of a hold on the parents I've worked with recently," notes Humphrey. "As with fashion, baby names follow emotional and aesthetic cycles — and as collective tastes shift, so do our naming desires." 'I think people see Liam as oversaturated now,' adds Moss. 'Since it was so popular the last five years.' As for other old-fashioned names currently on the rise. According to theBump, between 2022 and 2023, Barbara rose 87 points on the list of top baby names in the U.S.; Bob rose over 4,000 points, and Agatha went up 90 spots. 'Choosing 'grandparent names' allows parents to honor the past while gently shaping the future,' says Humphrey. 'These names anchor the next generation in something enduring, eternal, soulful and time-tested. In a world that often feels all too fleeting and fast-paced, a name like Arthur, August, Mabel or Florence reminds us to slow down, kick up our feet and sit on the front porch with a cold glass of sweet tea for a little while.'
