Let's not sugarcoat this: 2017 has been a completely wild year. We said goodbye to the Obamas as the Trump family took over the White House, learned how to use facial recognition for iPhone X, collectively struggled to understand why anyone would make a candy corn pizza, and witnessed survivors band together to share their heartbreaking experiences with sexual assault and harassment.
A lot has changed over the past year, for good and for bad, which is why it's almost refreshing that the year's most popular baby names are, well, not that weird.
According to Nameberry.com, 2017's most popular names for boys and girls are Atticus and Olivia, respectively. While Atticus is new to the top slot (it was listed as only the 360th most popular name in 2016), Nameberry.com reports that this is the second consecutive year parents have shown the name Olivia a lot of love. It's easy to see why, since the name is so sweet and adorable — or, in this couple's case, because it reminded them of their favorite chain restaurant.
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Other high-ranking names for boys included Asher, Jack, Theodore, Jasper, and Milo. Meanwhile, the number of girls named Cora, Amelia, Charlotte, Isla, and Isabella notably rose.
This isn't to say that parents aren't still opting for less conventional monikers. According to Babycenter.com, some people set themselves apart by bequeathing names like Miso, Amen, Heiress, Zenith, and Baltazar to their little ones. (Thankfully, Hashtag was nowhere to be found on the Unusual Top 50 list.)
In the end, what is most important is that parents feel comfortable and empowered to pick a moniker that speaks out to them; and if that means more of the same, then so be it.
Welcome to Mothership: Parenting stories you actually want to read, whether you're thinking about or passing on kids, from egg-freezing to taking home baby and beyond. Because motherhood is a big if — not when — and it's time we talked about it that way