20 Hottest Baby Names (So Far) in 2014

July 9, 2014

Every year the baby name site Nameberry.com publishes a mid-year list of the hottest baby names, based on the site’s traffic — and the results are in for 2014!

For boys, the #1 choice is Asher. For girls, #1 this year is Imogen. Both baby names have been under the radar for at least a generation, reports site creators Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran.

New to the boys’ top 10 list: Silas, Jasper, and Milo. On the girl’s side, Claire is the only new top ten addition, but fast-rising favorites include Ellie, Adeline, and Ruby. Up-and-comer names for boys include Knox, Bodhi, Soren, and Wyatt.

Pop culture flexes some muscle in this year’s name game, with new entries in the top 100 reflecting television and movie characters from “Game of Thrones” (Khaleesi), Frozen (Elsa), The Hunger Games (Katniss), and The Fault in Our Stars (Hazel). But the influence of pop culture can be fickle and fade fast. Popular last year, but dropping from their 2013 list status are Hadley, Everly, Merida, Jayden, Gray, and Aiden.

Top 10 (Mid-2014) Girls Names

1. Imogen

2. Charlotte

3. Isla

4. Cora

5. Penelope

6. Violet

7. Amelia

8. Eleanor

9. Harper

10. Claire

Top 10 (Mid-Year) Boys Names

1. Asher

2. Declan

3. Atticus

4. Finn

5. Oliver

6. Henry

7. Silas

8. Jasper

9. Milo

10. Jude

See top 100 lists for both boy’s and girl’s names

Photo: Shutterstock

Vicki Clinebell majored in journalism at the University of Colorado and headed to an advertising agency before beginning a long career in broadcasting, spanning production and copywriting to Sales and Management for an ABC affiliate station.

Her decision to switch gears to pursue a career in writing fulfilled a lifelong ambition. She started as a blogger for a diverse group of businesses, and now writes for a number of digital publications for companies stationed in her hometown in the Rocky Mountains, and provides advertising copy and media buys for national and regional clients. She finds the research as intersting as the writing—she loves learning about subjects as diverse as construction scaffolding, child safety seats, and the newest trends in beauty and fashion.