Just about everyone loves picking out baby names, right? I have a whole list of baby names that I still guard closely, despite the fact that I do not have plans to have any more babies ever. And I, like a lot of you, love checking out lists of popular baby names whenever they come out.
Recently, The Bump released a brand-new list of the top 100 most popular baby names for girls and boys in 2020 so far. You might be surprised by a few: Mila and Braxton have taken over as the top girl and boy names. Mila means "miracle" in Spanish (and could also be a nod to actress Mila Kunis), and Braxton is traditionally thought of as a last name but has steadily gained momentum as a first name for years.
Last year's most popular baby names were Sophia and Liam, so it will definitely be interesting to see if Mila and Braxton dethrone the 2019 choices!
However, there's one surprising addition to the list: the baby name Corona is gaining popularity. It turns out Americans are naming their baby girls after the virus that is plaguing the world because … why not?
For the first time ever, Corona has entered the charts. The name is currently the 100th most popular name for baby girls in the United States. Little detail has been provided about the name and why parents are using it, so we're left to assume the obvious: It's kind of 2020's theme.
It's definitely a curious choice, since it's unlikely the name elicits positive feelings from a lot of people who hear it. I don't know about you guys, but I definitely will not be spending my time in the future looking for things that remind me of this particular health crisis.
There are a few other names on the list that have probably been inspired by people who have made news this year. Keanu ranks at No. 71 and is likely a nod to Keanu Reeves, who has been in the news frequently throughout 2020 (or at least more frequently than he usually is).
Gianna is also rising, perhaps as a tribute to Gianna Bryant, who died in January 2020 in a helicopter crash that also claimed the life of her father and several others. Gianna is currently No. 88 on the list of the top 100 names for girls.
In addition to Mila, the top 10 most popular baby names for girls are Aaliyah, Aurora, Aria, Amelia, Eliana, Nova, Kayden, Molly, and Ivy. The top 10 most popular baby names for boys so far in 2020 are Braxton, Zion, Hunter, Kai, Urban, Logan, Elliot, Liam, Lucas, and River.
Corona isn't the only virus-themed baby name that we've heard of so far in 2020. Earlier this year, news broke that two babies had been named Corona Kumar and Covid Marie. The parents of Covid Marie explained why they chose the name: "to remind us that [the virus] did not only bring us suffering. Despite all of this, a blessing came to us."
A family in Rajasthan, India, also decided to give their son a name that is of the times: Lockdown. Local media reported that the father said, "I named him after Lockdown as we all are reeling under [the virus]. In my view, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the right step to impose lockdown in the entire nation to save us from the deadly virus. My boy will remind everyone to take precautions against [the virus], to save themselves and the nation."
Another mom reportedly decided to name her child after two big events from 2020: The baby is called Covid Bryant, as a nod to both the virus and Kobe Bryant.
Parents are also mulling giving their children more traditional names that are a play on popular terms of the era.
For example, some parents are planning to name their daughters Tina (for quarantine), Demi (as a nod to pandemic), or even Rhona, which is a traditional Celtic name.
Other parents have discussed choosing names that are a nod to the feelings that many of us are clinging to these days: Hope, Patience, and Joy are all options.
We will all have to wait and see how the rest of 2020 impacts baby names across the United States and throughout the world. Luckily, so far it seems that Murder Hornets hasn't taken off as a baby name, and hopefully we can all put our best foot forward and keep it that way.
