Why do American kids have first names like Paisley, Kennedy, and Presley?
Who Is Your Favorite Sibling Out Of Fifteen?
A1 English listening practice · American English · Picked for people who know a little
A popular American baby-name trend uses old family names or place names as first names. The kids in this clip include Paisley, Kennedy, Presley, Sadie, Lily, and Navy. Many of these names started as last names or places (Kennedy is a famous American family, Presley is associated with Elvis Presley, Paisley is a fabric pattern from Scotland).
The trend grew strong in the 2010s and continues today. Many American parents pick the names because they sound modern, soft, and a bit unusual. You hear them often in the South and the Midwest. This clip shows a family of fifteen kids, and the trend shows up across many of the names.
How common are the words?
How common are the words in this A1 English listening practice video?
How common in written English
How common in spoken English
Harder words in this video
These words are harder than A1. Here is what they mean.
Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-US 2012 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.
- ▸In American baby-name websites (Nameberry, Behind the Name, BabyCenter)
- ▸In American big-family TV shows (Bringing Up Bates, 19 Kids and Counting)
- ▸In American country music star birth announcements
- ▸In American mommy-blogger content
- ▸In American Southern church and school class lists