Choosing a baby name is a big deal. When new parents are in the process of selecting a name,
there's a lot to take into consideration. But there are some names that should
just be off limits. Here are baby names that no one will use in 2021.
We don't have anything against the name Chris. But given the drama surrounding the name,
specifically the long-running PR competition between famous Hollywood Chrises,
it feels like it probably shouldn't have a place in the baby names list of 2021.
For years, tension has been brewing beneath the surface as several likable actors named
Chris became more prominent in pop culture, crossing paths and drawing audiences in an
endless string of superhero movies. But the Chris Cold War turned hot in October 2020,
when an intense debate about the Chrises emerged on social media.
With so many superhero movies delayed and theaters sitting empty, fans determined that
it was time to decide once and for all who was the best Chris, and who was the most inferior.
"I am… above average."
While there are lots of guys named Chris out there, the debate tended to center around one
foursome of leading men: Wonder Woman star Chris Pine, Captain America Chris Evans,
Thor actor Chris Hemsworth, and Parks and Recreation's Chris Pratt.
"I'm Star-Lord, man. Legendary outlaw? ...Guys?"
The battle of the Chrises blew up, and Twitter eventually concluded,
fairly or not, that Chris Pratt was the worst Chris of them all.
"Whoo. Some competish you are."
Yes, there are other Hollywood Chrises, including Chris O'Dowd, Chris Tucker, and Chris Rock, but
this name and the drama surrounding it is a lot to ask a little kid to take on. So take it from us,
and leave Chris in 2020. Wait for the heat to die down, and let these men duke it out on their own.
Oh Karen — why are you the way that you are? That's the question people have been
asking in 2020, because even though there are some great people in the world named Karen,
the name has become synonymous with white,
entitled women who do things like have public meltdowns in Trader Joe's over wearing a mask
indoors during a pandemic, or who call the cops on an innocent black man birdwatching.
"I'm babysitting, right? Y'all see what I got -- I got two kids in the
backseat with me. I'm babysitting. This lady, over here, she’s following me."
More than a meme, the phenomenon of the name Karen going from a very popular baby name to a
symbol of white entitlement reached the point of being discussed in academic circles in 2020. As
Robin Queen, a professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan, put it,
"At first glance, a generic name becoming infused with so much meaning seems patently absurd."
But she went on to conclude that, due to the name peaking in popularity in the mid-1960s,
it's safe to assume that many women named Karen are middle-aged,
as are many of the women who seem to be having public meltdowns over nothing.
"Even
the cop's like, 'Yo, come on! … Come on!"
So whether you're taking the word of a professor or your own social media,
read the room, take the temperature, and don't carry the baby name Karen into the new year.
This might not come as a surprise, but choosing the name Donald for your
sweet new baby boy — or girl, for that matter — should probably stay in 2020.
Not only is the name indicative of one of the most divisive and dramatic presidents in
United States history, but the name itself has consistently declined in popularity.
According to data collected by the Social Security Administration,
the name Donald decreased from 526th to 553th on the list of most popular names,
a drop of 27 places. It's the name's lowest ranking in history.
"And you be like… so?"
The name did receive a bit of a bump in 2017, right after Donald Trump took office
as President of the United States, but it has since seen a dramatic decrease. The names of
presidents often see a decrease in popularity after their time in office, and Donald seems
likely to be no different. Especially given the divisive nature of Donald Trump's presidency,
the name will most likely not be the first choice for new parents in 2021.
Ask any female who has gone through the humbling college experience that is the
frat party — the world doesn't need any more Chads. No offense to anyone named Chad
out there — we're sure you're lovely — but the name has become so ingrained in
fraternity culture that it has its own Urban Dictionary page for "chadbro."
A "chadbro" is described as a man who
"[hangs] around at frat parties" and "usually [wears] cargo shorts or basketball shorts,
a wife beater or polo with a popped collar." Furthermore, Urban Dictionary says,
"You can usually spot them as the one with a beer in his hand or playing beer pong
calling everyone bro and yelling about how awesome something is."
That's not always a bad thing, but it is kind of... limiting.
According to Behind the Name, the name Chad has steadily decreased in popularity since the 1980s,
and it sat at the 894th most popular name for boys in the United States in 2018,
before falling off the name charts completely. It's a sad fate, but the party has to end
sometime — and for Chad, the party seems like it'll still be thoroughly done for in 2021.
"No, no, Chad, we can't do this anymore."
"Oh, okay."
The name Alexa is beautiful, but unfortunately it is now synonymous with a soulless, impersonal
machine — namely, the Amazon Alexa. And the name's popularity has continued to decrease as a result.
Amazon released the Amazon Echo home device in 2014,
which included Alexa as a proprietary AI assistant — and the name really hasn't been the same since.
In 2015, Alexa was the 32nd most popular girl's name in the United States. In 2019,
according to Nameberry, Alexa was ranked at 139th. And honestly, we really can't blame parents.
Imagine naming your child Alexa, only to then buy one of the Amazon devices.
You'd be shouting your kid's name to get them to come down the stairs, and all of the sudden
you've realized that your Amazon Alexa has been alerted to the very same command.
Even if you don't have one of the devices, it'd still be awkward for your kid to be living in
a world where any given room could house a machine that strangers shout their name at.
"Alexa, resume my podcast."
"Alexa, turn on the patio lights."
"Alexa, add Rinzu sushi to our favorite restaurant list."
Who knows how long the name will cause this problem — but for now,
it's a safe bet to leave Alexa in 2020.
The year 2020 is really concluding with a bang, helped in part by comedian Sacha
Baron Cohen's surprise Borat sequel. Known for his daring satire, Sacha Baron Cohen
reprised his role as Borat Sagdiyev for an unexpected follow-up to his 2006 hit.
As part of the production, his team captured a very awkward interaction
with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Specifically, Giuliani was caught on camera in a scene in which he appeared to put his hand
down his pants in a suggestive manner during a scene with one of the movie's actresses.
Giuliani since denied that anything nefarious was going on,
but for this and other Rudy-related hijinks, we think it's fair to say that Rudy as an
option for a baby name should go out the window in 2021.
Whether you spell it with an I or a Y, Stormy is a name you probably don't want to name your baby
in 2021. Yes, it's the name of one of the cutest Kardashian/Jenner children, but it will also be
forever tied to Stormy Daniels, the adult film star that President Donald Trump reportedly had
an affair with in 2006, after his wife, Melania, had just given birth to their child, Barron.
After the cheating allegations came to light in 2018, years after the reported affair,
it was clear the tension between Daniels and the first lady certainly had not gone
anywhere. In October 2020, leaked audio of Melania Trump surfaced,
in which she called Daniels some harsh words while referring to a photoshoot Daniels had done
with the photographer Annie Leibovitz, keeping the feud going and the name in the news cycle.
"Annie Leibovitz shot the porn h-----."
"What do you mean? Who? She shot the porn h-----?"
"Stormy."
All the drama has likely contributed to the name Stormy dropping in popularity,
and it doesn't seem primed for a comeback anytime soon.
Out of all the names a parent could choose, none feels more low-effort than
"Guy." This isn't to say anything about the wonderful Guys out there — it's just
not the most inspiring name. It's not unique, it's not elegant… it's just Guy.
And it's not just us who think that the name Guy has got to get off your baby name list for 2021.
The last time Guy peaked as a baby name for boys was in 1954, according to Nameberry,
and it has consistently lost traction ever since. It ranked 320th in uniqueness for boy
names in 2018, and dropped to 989th place in overall name popularity before dropping off
the charts completely. The name won't stop us from loving the ever-charming Guy Fieri,
but it's also not a name we think belongs in 2021.
Baby Amy has a cute ring to it, we won't lie, but the name is going down in popularity.
Amy peaked as an option for baby girls in the 1970s,
when it came in as the second most popular name option for baby girls, and it stayed
pretty consistently popular through the 1980s. But by the mid-1990s, it started to decline,
and sat as the 203rd most popular baby name for girls in 2019, according to Nameberry.
But if our speculations are worth anything, we think the name will see an even bigger
decrease in 2021, in part due to the rushed confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme
Court of the United States and the political strife that the country ensued as a result.
People often look to popular culture and political figures for baby name inspiration,
and it's not a huge stretch to speculate that new moms will be turned off by the name Amy,
considering that it became so tied up in controversy.
We love the name Craig — it reminds us of Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson who is one of
the funniest people on the planet. But honestly, we can't wrap our heads around naming a sweet,
squishy little boy baby Craig. Just think about it — Baby Craig? We're not the
only people who think the name no longer suits a newborn. According to Nameberry,
the name Craig peaked in popularity in the 1970s and started to decline by the 1990s.
By 2017, it ranked as the 984th most popular baby name in the United States,
and now no longer ranks at all — ouch. However, as one user on Nameberry even pointed out,
naming a kid Craig would ensure he wouldn't share a name with two other kids in his class.
But still, the name doesn't quite have the cutest ring to it, especially when
it makes a lot of people think about buying cheap furniture from their neighbors online.
Supreme Court confirmation hearings have been contentious in the past, so it's no wonder the
names of the subjects of these hearings have become less-than-popular in the aftermath.
In 2018, the confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh all but ruined his first name for us.
And don't think the decreasing popularity of the name is our opinion. According to Nameberry,
the name Brett peaked in the late 1990s and has been steadily decreasing in popularity ever since.
It saw a sharp decrease in 2018, and became the 820th most popular boy baby name in the
United States — so basically what that means is that it's not popular at all.
The Kavanaugh hearing left so many of us rattled that it's no wonder the name saw a sharp,
decreasing level of popularity. Kavanaugh was accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct,
including California professor Christine Blasey Ford, who testified against him during his
confirmation hearing. Ford was propelled into the spotlight and the hearings got
ugly, so it's no wonder that the name Brett left a sour taste in our mouths.
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