As the year comes to a close it's good to take a look back at the baby name winners from 2019 — and the losers, too. Sure, there were a few trends that took baby name charts by storm: "X" names, like Brixley or Braxton have continued to dominate, as have ad- names, like Addisyn or Adley. Pop culture trends like names taken from Stars Wars or Game of Thrones were also huge for parents looking towards the big and small screen for inspiration. Some of these names really worked, while others — not so much. So what separated a baby name champion from a complete flop? It all comes down to connotation. Some names got a totally bad reputation due to their sound or the things they represent to us or reminded us of. And not all of the trends have resulted in winning monikers.
Which is why we decided to compile a list of the absolute worst baby names that hit 2019 like a ton of bricks. Names that evoke a deep, stomach-churning cringe. Not to get too scientific, but we based our list on a few different categories. There were the names that just sounded bad — Kingslayer comes to mind. And some trendy names have become a little bit tiresome — sorry, but we've had enough of Addyson. But by far the names that make us roll our eyes the most are ones that have been ruined by pop culture or celebrities. All it takes is one bad apple to ruin the bunch (lookin' at you Tristan Thompson). We also looked to things that happened in movies, television, or major national scandals which will most likely change the essence of a name forever (think, Lori Laughlin). Take a look at our list and see if there are any rated b (for bad) names we forgot!
SCOOTER
Inspired by the arch nemesis of Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun is the inspiration for the first name on our list. Technically, Scooter is a nickname, but the twisty tale of Taylor vs. her former record label has caused even the nickname to be besmirched. While we can't take sides in the debate, things don't look good for Scooter.
KHALEESI
Believe it or not, names from Game of Thrones are still huge (don't believe us? Take a look at No. 3 and No. 8 on our list). But that doesn't mean these names are necessarily *ahem* good. Maybe we're still upset over the lackluster season finale, but we hope that the start to 2020 will mean the end of the name Khaleesi.
KINGSLAYER
Another name inspired by Game of Thrones — albeit a nickname, not a true first name. We were surprised to learn that Kingslayer has become a name outside of Westeros. But lo and behold, some parents really went there. The name comes from the pet name given to Jaime Lannister.
ELSA
We all love Frozen — and Frozen 2, but please, we beg, no more naming babies Elsa or Ana. This name has become a little closely associated with the Disney film than we'd like. Although the name is pretty. Elsa was originally the nickname of Elizabeth and is popular the world over — Sweden, Finland, Spain, and even Belgium.
DIESEL
Vroom, vroooom here comes a baby name that we could do without seeing for a while. Diesel is a strong and macho name that evokes motorcycles and gas tanks, but it's a little much for our taste. Gear heads might disagree but the only thing we think of when we hear the name is Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel.
ADDISYN
Addisyn is on the list as a place holder for all of the baby names that got experimental with -y's. For the past couple of years it has been trendy to make a name more interesting by subbing in a -y where another vowel would do just fine. Offenders range from Emersyn, Londyn, and Kamryn.
BRAYDEN
-Den also became a popular suffix this year and while we think a Brayden, Ayden, Zayden, or Kayden can sound nice in small doses, it's just become a little too common. Not to mention that a lot of these names all sound like each other, which could get confusing at the playground.
GRACELYNN
If boys have -den, then girl name trends have been guilty of favoring names that end in -lynn or lyn. Think Braelynn, Addilynn, or Evelynn. Again, it's not that these names are bad on their own, but the trend has now become exhausted and we're excited to see what newer, fresher trends will take over in 2020.
BRAXTON
Names with the letter X have been HUGE this year and we've seen names like Jaxon, Jaxson, Paxton, and Jax dominate the baby name charts. These names all sound so similar and have a similar energetic energy which we know was probably why many parents were drawn to them.
REIGN
Blame Kourtney Kardashian for this one. Reign is the name of Kourtney's third son and started a fascination with the name that we think is ready to be over with. Although Kourtney might have been onto something, baby names with royal connotations have been popular for the last couple of years and include names like Prince, Princess, or even King.
LONDON
London actually made it to the top of the baby name charts this year, but we think this name plus similar names Brooklyn and Paris are a little played out. Maybe next year we could find new names in less exotic locations like Wisconsin, Topeka, Burlington, or even Toronto. Just to keep things fresh.
KEANU
This is a call to keep the Keanu mania at a simmer instead of a full boil. We get it! Keanu Reeves is inarguably The Man but we all know what happens when someone gets too popular too quickly. We love that the internet's boyfriend is causing baby name madness, but perhaps we should take pause before going all in.
BETHENNY
Bethenny is on this list for one reason and one reason only: Bethenny Frankel has left the Real Housewives of New York City. It completely ruins the name for us! Frankel announced that she was leaving the hit Bravo franchise this year and while we can't be sure she'll be gone for good, Bethenny has officially been banned in 2020.
DORIAN
Unfortunately for those that share a name with a natural disaster, sometimes a horrific storm can really tarnish a name's image. Just think about all the poor Sandys or Katrinas. Dorian was thankfully not as tragic as those other two, but it still leaves a bad taste in our mouths for the name at the end of 2019.
EVERLY
Everly, Avery, Evelyn, and Emery are all E names that became huge this year, but sound very, very similar to each other. Perhaps they all became popular because these name have a vintage feel to them, so we can see the attraction, but it's definitely time for a new family of names to reign supreme.
GRAYSON
Grayson is another name that we've seen EVERYWHERE. As a name we like it. But it seemed like we couldn't sneeze this past year without seeing another Grayson being born. It even was on BabyCenter's Top 100 Baby Names list, but that only adds fuel to our fire: Grayson is too popular!
KAREN
Poor, poor Karens. They had a rough 2019. Due to a couple viral incidents that gave the name Karen a bad reputation, the name is now synonymous with a busybody, middle-age lady, who, yes, wants to speak to the manager. Karen hasn't been trendy in a while, but this was the year that it truly was tanked.
PSALM
Names with religious significance are always in vogue, but Kim Kardashian's son named Psalm gets a thumbs down from us. Mostly we're disappointed with what could have been! He could have been South West or Calabasas, but instead the little guy is Psalm, which is slightly a letdown.
FELICITY
Felicity is a beautiful name that was unfortunately a casualty of 2019 after actress Felicity Huffman was caught paying to have someone take her daughter's SAT test. The scandal was a media frenzy for weeks and quite frankly, hasn't died down yet. Fingers crossed the name will make a stirring comeback in the next year, but for now Felicity has got to go.
DONALD
No matter which side of the aisle a person is on, our 45th president is clearly a lightning rod for political and social debate. Some people might be planning on using Donald for a baby name in the new year, but to us it's asking for trouble. And we can all agree that less political yelling in 2020 is something we all want.
