Trends and Insights - 2014 Victorian Top 100

Photo by Karen Wiltshire

The Australian state of Victoria has already released it's top 100 results for 2014!

Since it's the state I live in, I'm particularly interested in what is happening in Victoria. So I thought I'd share some of the insights I got from this years results.

For The Girls...

We're falling in love with vintage nicknames - Particularly if they're boyish! Charlie and Billie have returned to our top 100, while Frankie debuted at #95 and Sadie and Elsie also entered the top 100. Sadie is actually the hottest new entry and fastest rising girl name overall, entering at #64! Evie and Ellie also rose, while Millie held her ground.

We think "EL" is a hot sound - Elsie entered the top 100 at position #84, Ella, Ellie and Eloise are all on the rise and Eliza and Elizabeth are also still in the top 100. Other names featuring the "EL" sound that rose in 2014 were Evelyn, Isabel, Annabelle, Isabelle and Madeleine. Hazel and Penelope both entered the top 100. And Isabella, Stella and Bella can also be found in the top 100.

We prefer Sophie over Sophia. And Sofia. - In 2013 in Australia the combined spellings of Sophia and Sofia put the name at number 8, two places ahead of Sophie. She was also the winner in the U.S. But in 2014 in Victoria? Combining Sophia and Sofia would put her at #15, still 8 places behind our 7th favourite name, Sophie.

We made different pop culture choices - All the punters have been tipping Elsa to rise dramatically thanks to Frozen. But it seems our hearts are actually with her sister, Anna. Elsa is noticeably missing from our top 100, whereas Anna was one of our fastest rising names, up 23 places! We also shunned 'Game of Thrones' character Khaleesi/Daenerys but gave the nod to the actress who plays her, with Emilia entering the top 100 at #68.

But we agree with some predictions - Violet, Penelope, Hazel, Ariana and Piper are hot picks to rise in 2015, but we've gotten an early start on that! Violet is up 35 places and Piper 18. Penelope, Hazel and Ariana were all new entries.


For The Boys...

We're heavily debating nicknames vs full names - Over a quarter of the names in the top 100 are nicknames and their full names. In some cases the nickname is tops, in other cases it's the full name. So it seems there are some sounds that we simply love, in any of its' forms. The most popular options are highlighted below:

	Full Name	Position		Nickname	Position
	Alexander	11		Alex	83
	Archer	40		Archie	34
	Charles	92		Charlie	12
	Elijah	39		Eli	70
	Harrison	22		Harry	23
	Jackson	35		Jack	2
	Jaxon	42
	Jacob	25		Jake	55
	Lucas	7		Luke	63
	Maxwell	87		Max	17
	Nathaniel	97		Nate	53
	Nathan	64
	William	3		Liam	14
	Zachary	51		Zac	95
	Isaac	21

But overall, full names are winners - We seem to predominantly like a formal name on the birth certificate. For those names where only the full name or the nickname appears in our top 100, there are three times as many full names as nicknames. For example, we love Benjamin but not Ben, Samuel but not Sam, Nicholas but not Nick. Theodore and Anthony also entered the top 100 in 2014, with no Theo or Tony to be seen. Nicknames that buck the trend? That would be Leo, Toby and surprising new entry, Lenny.

We're pretty conservative when naming boys - We love the old fashioned staples, particularly if they can be found in the Bible or on a Royal family tree. This isn't anything particularly new, but shows few signs of changing. The next hot Biblical pick looks to be Caleb, which rose 20 places in 2014. The fastest rising Royal pick of 2014 was George - thanks to William and Kate's first born. Hot on his heels though is Edward, already placed ahead of George and also rising. If William and Kate's second child - due in April - happens to be a boy and they name him Edward, we could see Edward shoot into the top 10 very soon.

Kai bucks the norm - It seems that the winning formula for a boys name in Victoria is a two syllable name (71% of the top 100) with Biblical or Royal (preferably British) roots. So why is it that one-syllable Kai was super hot in 2014? Kai is a new entry to the top 100 and the fastest rising name for boys or girls in 2014, entering at position #61! We are admittedly a little behind the other states though as Kai has been a top 100 Australian name for the past couple of years already.


For Both...

It's Charlie all the way - Charlie is the only name that appears in both the girls top 100 (at position #91) and boys top 100 (rising 9 places to #12 in 2014). Longer version Charlotte is #2 for girls, while Charles is #92 for boys.


Want to check out the full lists for yourself? Check out Anna's post at Waltzing More Than Matilda.

Indie

Photo Courtesy of Work of Heart Photography

It feels like not too long ago, we were talking about how vintage flavoured nickname names ending in "ie" are making a comeback. Ellie, Sadie, Gracie and Allie were all in the U.S top 200 in 2012, while current Nameberry favourites include Maisie, Elsie, Millie, Evie, Hattie and Edie. Names such as this were so popular in the early 1900's that it might have felt like all the good "ie" names had been used. But it seems this wasn't necessarily the case. Meet Indie - one of the freshest "ie" nickname names to appear in recent years.

As the top names for the different Australian states were being released recently, I was following Anna's analysis posts at Waltzing More Than Matilda. At first, I was intrigued to note that Indigo is rising as a girls name in multiple states. But then I noticed Indie. Also quietly moving up the charts, and possibly indicative of a future trend for girls names containing "ind".

In 2013 Indie entered the Australian top 100 for the first time at #94. In the U.S it first charted in 1959, but the highest it has ever climbed there (so far) is #3017 in 2011. For girls, Indie is the most popular spelling, ahead of Indi and Indy, while for boys Indy is by far the most popular variant.

So why the higher popularity in Australia? It's likely that in 2013 Indie benefited from the 'Home and Away' effect, in much the same way that Brax and Braxton did in 2012. This time the character was Indigo "Indi" Walker, played by Samara Weaving. The character had been on the show for a few years, leaving in November 2013, so perhaps the news of her departure brought her name to the forefront of people's minds. Or maybe people admired Aussie action hero Chris Hemsworths' choice of India Rose for his daughter in 2012.

This assumes though that Indie has to be "inspired" by a different, longer name, when it's actually a perfectly spunky name in its own right. And that assumption probably isn't too far wrong. Most baby naming sources say it is a form of India, a place name likely meaning 'river' or 'from the river Indus'. Some say it's from Indigo, an Greek colour/word name meaning 'Indian dye'. Or maybe Indiana, meaning 'land of the Indians'. Or even Indira, a Sanskrit name meaning 'beauty'. The allure of simply using Indie is that it could possibly mean any - or all - of these things.

My first thoughts are of Indiana Jones and "indie" movies, songs and artists, so Indie feels like a confident, free spirited, adventurous and smart person to me. Others may think of  the colour Indigo, and think of an Indie as a spiritual, intuitive and relaxed personality. With so many different possible sources and associations, an Indie could be many things. Plus it's a great compromise if you love the sound but can't decide between two great, similar choices, or don't feel quite confident using Indigo or India.

But then again, maybe you think Indie is super cute - but suitable only as a nickname. Good news is there are plenty of options for a formal name. So as a final note, here's a list of "formal" names that all lend themselves to Indie as a nickname.

	Adelind		Corinda		Indianna		Josalind		Lucinda
	Aurinda		Delinda		Indiara		Kalindi		Marindi
	Belinda		Dorinda		Indica		Kindall		Melinda
	Brindley		Elinda		Indigo		Laurinda		Mindy
	Callinda		Florinda		Indira		Linda		Olinda
	Cherlindrea		Giacinda		Indra		Lindy		Rosalind
	Cinda		Glinda		Ingrid		Linden		Tindra
	Cindy		India		Jacinda		Lindezza		Windsor
	Clarinda		Indiana		Kaitlind		Lindsay		Yasminda

The New Twilight Names?

Photo courtesy of The Book Diaries

It often feels like 'Twilight' made a huge impact on the naming scene. Isabella and Jacob may have been top ten names before the first book was published, but the series possibly enabled them to hold onto their top positions longer than they may have otherwise. And while Edward seems to be the one anomaly that didn't benefit from the resurgence in attention, the secondary characters in the series certainly did.

As soon as the final movie had been released, critics have been theorising on what will be the next big sensation. And name enthusiasts have been wondering what will replace 'Twilight' for naming inspiration.

One promising contender is the Veronica Roth written 'Divergent' trilogy - 'Divergent', 'Insurgent' and 'Allegiant'. The first movie is due for release in March, starring Shailene Woodley (of George Clooneys' Oscar winner 'The Descendants') and Kate Winslet. But perhaps more importantly, it feels that in many ways the author has managed to tap into a naming style that may prove to be just as inspiring as Stephanie Meyers'.

Beatrice “Tris”

The books are told in the voice of Beatrice “Tris” Prior. As the series is very much about how the characters identify themselves, it's a poignant moment when Beatrice leaves one life behind her and chooses to “remake” her identity with the new name Tris.

There are several ways in which this name and character are reminiscent of Isabella.

1 – The name is a classic beauty

2 – It comes with more than one great nickname option

3 – It's already rising in popularity

4 – She's a strong girl yet quietly reserved girl with a “unique” mind

5 - And it is this that captures the romantic attention of a an aloof but attractive, seemingly unattainable older guy.

Could Beatrice be the next Isabella? I'm sure a lot of Beatrice lovers are hoping it won't, but it has real potential.

Tobias

Tobias is another fantastic classic choice with a familiar nickname, however has been hovering on the charts around the low 500's for a few years now. Exposure from this series may be just the boost this name needs to gain some upward momentum.

Tobias is Beatrice's love interest, and like Beatrice Tobias has turned his back on his old life and is better known by the nickname Four (for reasons unrelated to his name). In fact, very few people in his life know his original name, and revealing his “real” name to Tris signifies the depth of his feelings for her. In many ways, this is a strong character that will likely appeal to many.

Other Worthy Mentions:

Alice, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Cullen – and even invented name Renesmee – have all experienced a surge in popularity in recent years thanks to 'Twilight'. Luckily, the 'Divergent' supporting characters are also rich with options for parents looking for underused classics begging to be rediscovered.

Albert (Al)

Amity (faction name)

Caleb

Cara

Christina

Eric

Evelyn

Hector

Jeanine

Johanna

Marcus

Marlene

Max

Molly

Myra

Natalie

Peter

Susan

Tori

Uriah

Will

Zeke

**This is an update to the post that originally appeared on Nameberry in August 2013**