Trendy or vintage: the cycles of naming fashion

A name that feels dated today may well be tomorrow's darling. Behind the fashions lies a strikingly regular cycle.

The hundred-year rule

Names return in waves, on a roughly century-long rhythm — the time it takes for a “grandmother” name to stop signaling old age and regain a retro charm. It's the “grandparent effect”: we don't name children after our parents, but happily after our great-grandparents. Emma, Alice, Leonardo — yesterday vintage, today stars.

What's rising

Our barometer spots the trending names: Sofia, Leonardo, Enzo… Short sounds, often vowel-rich, easy to carry across borders.

What's fading — only to return

Names tagged “vintage” (Walter, Rita, Diana) look to be declining… yet they are precisely the ones poised for a comeback a generation or two from now. Naming fashion is an endless loop.

Curious who's up and who's down right now? The “Trending” and “Vintage” views on our homepage show it live.