Freshly Picked Baby Names of 2014: New Names in the top 100s and 200s

When the 2014 names stats were released, I was thrilled...and busy. So when I finally got to sneak in some time to delve into the names, I was determined to write up a quick post on a few finds. The results are fantastic, fresh names that are showing tons of promise. It doesn't get more inspiring than that!

America has spoken—these top names are the latest picks worthy of the top 100 and the top 200. They range in style from pioneer-era favorites (Alice) to modern inventions (Ryder), but there's such a rich sample here that one or two is bound to entice you. To put it simply: these are red-hot names to watch in the next coming years.

Baby Names New to the Top 100

New Top 100 Girls' Names

• Eleanor
• Alice
• Vivian
• Hadley

New Top 100 Boys' Names

• Asher
• Ryder
• Leo

This group of names does have a few things in common. Eleanor, Vivian, and Leo are choices popular in the 1910s and 20s, demonstrating that our taste for "old fashioned" is starting to move beyond pioneer times. Alice, however, is a perfect example of the hold that those Victorian-era names continue to have over us. Hadley and Ryder could be a perfect little sibling set, as they are both modern choices new to the naming scene. Asher is a newly discovered biblical favorite, with little use in America before the 21st century.

Baby Names New to the Top 200

New Top 200 Girls' Names

• Emilia
• Arabella
• Everly
• Callie
• Alina
• Rose
• Athena
• Emerson
• Adelyn

New Top 200 Boys' Names

• Luca
• Karter
• Graham
• Jayceon

This group is really going places! They are all on a sharp upward trend, as parents look for names that aren't overdone, but aren't unfamiliar.

You can put a check in the old-fashioned column next to Callie, Rose, and Graham, but for the most part, these names reflect a more modern style. Some are a twist on wildly popular old-fashioned favorites with Emilia (Amelia), Adelyn (Madeline), and Karter (Carter). Truly modern choices are Everly, Emerson, and Jayceon. Luca is an Italian classic, while the girls have a flowing trio of multisyllabic "a" names with Arabella, Alina, and Athena.