Some of the most popular baby names of today were actually pretty uncommon just five years
ago.
While some of these names were never trendy in past eras, others are tried-and-true classics
that had fallen out of use before making a comeback.
Is your baby's name on this list?
Eleanor
A popular name for centuries, Eleanor can be traced back to at least the 12th century
when it was used by the legendary royal Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Five years ago, Behind the Name ranked Eleanor the 135th most popular name in the United
States, but today it has seen a huge surge in popularity, coming in at number 41 — the
highest it's ranked since the Great Depression.
Paisley
Originally a Scottish last name, Paisley didn't even turn up on name charts until 2006 when
0.016 percent of baby girls were given the name.
Even five years ago, the name had yet to break the top 100, but now it's ranked number 46.
Prince's song "Paisley Park" could have been part of the influence, or maybe we can thank
country sensation Brad Paisley's fans for helping the name trend.
Whatever the reason, Paisley's popularity as a name proves that it's more than just
a design pattern.
Willow
This is a name that has really only been used in recent years — it's ranking can only
be traced back to 1998.
It started gaining notable traction as a name shortly after the hit show Buffy the Vampire
Slayer debuted in the late '90s.
The show featured a character named Willow, and it seems people were fans of both the
show and the name.
Since then, the name has slowly started to climb the charts, and today it's ranked 96th.
Clara
Wildly popular in the early 20th century for girls, Clara has long been considered old-fashioned.
After the Great Depression, the name's popularity began to plummet and the once-popular name
fell into relative obscurity.
It has once again begun trending, now coming in at number 99.
The name is even more popular in Europe, where it is currently the 8th most popular female
baby name in Denmark.
Mila
This name has made huge strides up the ranks in recent years, probably gaining mainstream
notoriety thanks to the mega-popularity of actress Mila Kunis.
It ranked for the first time since the 19th century in 2006 at number 744, and jumped
up hundreds of points over subsequent years.
Five years ago, it was ranked 115th, and now it's in the top 50 names at number 48.
Leo
While the name Leo has been used for centuries, it's been a long time since it's been as popular
as it is today.
Leo means "lion" in Latin, so it makes sense that generations of parents wanted their babies
to have this strong name.
It's been the name of more than a dozen popes, as well as several emperors and kings.
Perhaps because of its long history, the name fell out of favor for decades, but has made
an extraordinary comeback and is now ranked 74th.
Ezra
The name Ezra means "help" in Hebrew and has Biblical roots.
It might seem like an old-fashioned name, but according to the name rankings, it's actually
trending like crazy.
Ezra is currently at number 85 — the most popular it's ever been, even going back to
when name rankings began in the late 19th century.
It's jumped almost a hundred spots in the last five years and looks like it will only
continue to move up on the list.
Penelope
In ancient times, Penelope was best known from Greek mythology as the wife of the hero
Odysseus.
Perhaps because of its old roots, the name was fairly uncommon over the past century.
The name emerged back into the top one thousand in 2001, but for the first time in recorded
history, it showed a steady upward trajectory.
Five years ago, the name wasn't in the top 100, but now it's the 27th most popular baby
name for girls.
It's no coincidence that the name showed notable growth in popularity after Keeping Up with
the Kardashians star Kourtney Kardashian named her baby Penelope in 2012.
Sawyer
Initially more common as a last name, Sawyer was most typically associated with the character
from Mark Twain's beloved classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
It first broke the top one thousand as a first name for boys in 1991, but it's only in the
last couple of years that Sawyer has become popular, making its way into the top 100 for
the first time in 2015.
Even more interesting is its growing use as a gender neutral name.
While it's currently ranked as the 97th most popular boy's name, it's ranked number 246
for girls.
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