
When coronavirus started spreading around the world earlier this year, there were lots of headline-grabbing stories about baby names inspired by the pandemic. Twins in India called Covid and Corona. A baby boy named Lockdown. Another one named Sanitiser.
But seriously.
A couple of months down the track, it’s starting to look like COVID-19 could really be starting to influence the names being chosen by parents. Your little child probably won’t end up in a class full of Sanitisers at school, but here are four trends to look out for.
Watch: Brace yourselves, Reddit has revealed the worst baby names they've ever heard. Post continues below.
Less viral-sounding names.
A survey by Channel Mum in the UK showed that parents were planning to steer clear of names that sounded similar to “coronavirus” or anything related.
That includes Cora, Rona, Violet (apparently it sounds like “virus”) and Lachlan/Lockie (sounds like “lockdown”).
In Australia, Lachlan is already on the way out, with McCrindle research showing it dropped from 23rd to 28th spot last year.
McCrindle communications director Ashley Fell says once a link like Lachlan/Lockie/lockdown is pointed out, it can have an impact.
“I hadn’t thought of that, but once it’s brought to your attention, you’re like, ‘Oh yeah,’” she tells Mamamia. “I do think we will continue to see that drop.”
As well, any parents thinking of naming their daughters Miley – as in Miley Cyrus, rhyming slang for coronavirus – might want to reconsider.
More strong names.
It feels like everyone’s been having a tough time lately – not just those struck down by coronavirus, but people out of a job and new mums isolated from their support network. So it’s understandable that baby names that mean “strength” are experiencing a surge in popularity.
In the US, interest in the name Griffin for girls, meaning “strong lord”, is on the rise, according to Nameberry.
Other “strength” names currently piquing interest in the US include Millicent, Mahogany, Bedelia and Barrett (girls), and Valentino, Quillon, Hartman, Armstrong and Zale (boys).
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