Just like music and fashion, society's taste in certain types of baby names is constantly shifting and evolving. The names that baby boomer parents loved in the '80s — think Jessica, Ashley, Amanda, Michael, Christopher, Joshua — are now the names of millennial parents. And those parents are now going for monikers with entirely different styles and sounds for their little ones, referred to as Generation Alpha. The New York Times reported that there are more than 2.5 million Gen Alphas born globally every week. Once they have all been born — their generational cut-off year is 2025 — they will number almost 2 billion. They will also reportedly be the most formally educated generation ever.
Experts also say Gen Alpha will be the most technology-supplied generation ever, as well as, globally, the wealthiest generation ever. That said, it's no wonder millennial parents are seeking more unusual, meaningful names for their children. They're going to need dynamic names as they grow up in an exciting, next-level global community!
According to Laura Wattenberg, founder of BabyNameWizard.com and the author of the Baby Name Wizard guidebooks, one of the baby name trends millennial parents are embracing lately for their Gen Alpha babies is being referred to as "hidden O" names.
"End a name in the sound 'o,' but not the letter 'o,' and you have a recipe for high style," Wattenberg explains on her Baby Name Wizard blog. "The final 'o' may be cloaked by a silent letter … or an alternate spelling may lead to a similar sound. The effect of the spelling is subtle, but it shapes the name's impact."
She notes she first started discussing this phenomenon when it became an apparent trend with baby girl names. "Parents loved the unconventional sound for girls, and the fact that spelling set them apart from the many boys' names ending in o," she says. "That trend is still growing. Seven different hidden-o names now rank among America's top-1000 names for girls, vs. zero with the final letter o. But the style is catching on for boys, too."
Here are 20 of the "hidden O" names for boys and girls that Wattenberg says parents will love in 2019.
WILLOW
Taken from the name of the tree, Willow is derived from the Middle English wilwe (willow).
MARLOWE
A unisex option, Marlowe means remnants of the lake — a boggy area — in Old English.
PHARAOH
The title of an ancient Egyptian king and baby boy name Pharaoh literally means "great house" or "royal palace."
ARROW
Possibly used for a boy or a girl, hidden "o" name Arrow has an adventurous feel.
MARGOT
One of the most classic hidden "o" names, Margot is a girl name that means "pearl" and has been linked to Queen Marguerite de Valois (1553-1615), wife of Henry IV of France.
MEADOW
The nature-inspired name for girls Meadow was used on The Sopranos and is rising in popularity.
RAINBOW
Another one inspired by a natural phenomenon, Rainbow is a colorful choice for a little girl.
SNOW
From old English, Snow might be a fitting choice for a baby born in the winter.
THOREAU
Of French origin and bringing to mind the author Henry David Thoreau, this boy's name is related to the names Terry, Thierry, Theodore, and Thor, which may mean "ruler of the people" or (in the case of the mythological Thor) "thunder," notes Baby Name Wizard.
WINSLOW
Winslow, rising in popularity as a baby girl or boy name, is of Old English origin.
JUNEAU
The French-originating Juneau means queen of heaven. The name is also the capital of Alaska.
MARGAUX
Margaux is the pet form of Margaret, which is derived from the Greek maragon, which means "pearl."
BEAU
A borrowing from the French, boy's name Beau is derived from beau (pretty, a dandy, handsome).
HARLOW
Jean Harlow was a sultry film star in the '30s, and today, her last name is a popular "hidden O" choice for a girl — or a boy. Nicole Richie named her first-born daughter Harlow in 2008.
BOWE
Pronounced the same as Beau but with a different, more modern spelling, Bowe brings to mind another boy's name Bowen, which may be from the Welsh oen (lamb), the Gaelic Loghunn (youth), or the Welsh form of the Latin Eugenius (well-born, noble).
CROWE
Perhaps inspired by the actor Russell Crowe, this boy's name brings to mind the bird of the same name, as well.
WOODROW
A possible nod to Woodrow Wilson, the 28th United States president, or actor Woodrow "Woody" Harrelson, Woodrow is a boy's name that peaked in the 1910s but may be due for a revival.
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