2019 Baby Boy Names - Rising Stars
November 14, 2020
What were the fastest-growing baby boy names of 2019?
To make this list, we looked through the entire history of U.S. baby names going back to 1880. We calculated how likely it was for a baby name to grow from year to year. These were the names whose growth from 2018 to 2019 was the most remarkable based on historical precedent.
#1: Ermias
2018 births: 15
2019 births: 519
I've never heard of this name before, and you probably haven't either. Until 2019, the first name Ermias basically didn't exist in the United States. Is it completely made up? No! It is a name that comes from Ethiopia. For example, one of Haile Selassie's grandsons is named Ermias.
Why the sudden interest in this obscure Ethiopian name? It turns out that Ermias Asghedom is the birth name of rapper Nipsey Hussle, who was shot and killed in 2019.
#2: Sekani
2018 births: 12
2019 births: 251
Sekani is apparently a name that comes from Malawi. I can't figure out why this name increased in usage. If anyone has any ideas, please comment below.
#3: Kyro
2018 births: 133
2019 births: 339
Alternate spelling of Cairo.
#4: Amias
2018 births: 113
2019 births: 273
#5: Eliel
2018 births: 169
2019 births: 396
A traditional Hebrew name. No explanation for the spike in popularity in 2019.
#6: Crew
2018 births: 478
2019 births: 988
Lifestyle gurus Chip and Joanna Gaines of "Fixer Upper" fame named their fifth child "Crew" in 2018. Could this explain the name's explosion in popularity in 2019?
#7: Kairo
2018 births: 605
2019 births: 1104
#8: Baker
2018 births: 336
2019 births: 618
Naming your kid after a Cleveland Browns quarterback seems like a risky proposition to me, but what do I know?
I also noticed that some girls are being named "Baker" now as well. I think it might catch on. A lot of "-er" names seem to migrate from male names to female names over time.
#9: Cairo
2018 births: 542
2019 births: 969
#10: Ambrose
2018 births: 116
2019 births: 222
#11: Aziel
2018 births: 118
2019 births: 223
#12: Adonis
2018 births: 892
2019 births: 1,537
#13: Archie
2018 births: 207
2019 births: 381
When a name becomes so unpopular that it starts to become cool again...
#14: Atreus
2018 births: 159
2019 births: 291
#15: Brooks
2018 births: 2,368
2019 births: 3,493
Brook, singular, is more of a female name.
#16: Luka
2018 births: 1,041
2019 births: 1,700
Quite possibly caused by the emergence of NBA phenom Luka Dončić.
#17: Legend
2018 births: 1,718
2019 births: 2,556
For people who were going to name their kid Adonis, but didn't want it to go to his head.
#18: Zyaire
2018 births: 322
2019 births: 539
Alternate spelling of Zaire, the former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
#19: Colson
2018 births: 405
2019 births: 654
#20: Damir
2018 births: 119
2019 births: 206
#21: Seven
2018 births: 122
2019 births: 209
This was the name that George Costanza wanted to name his kid in the Seinfeld episode "The Seven". In case you are wondering, Seven is the most popular number that is used as a baby name in the U.S.
More Highlights
Luka Dončić isn't the only NBA star leaving his mark in the baby name department. Giannis is also gaining in popularity.