Shocking to many, it is not uncommon to find a teenager with a list in their phone of potential baby names. Although it may be odd considering they are only in high school, it is not an uncommon practice. Social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok frequently reference the idea and its impact on teens globally. 

A survey of 58 students at NHS concluded that 82.8% of those who responded have a baby name list. Many say that they have a baby name list just because they are bored, or simply because they do not want to forget the names they have liked for future reference.

“I have my baby name list because if I hear a name or think of a name I like then I want to remember it. I also think it’s a fun thing to do and to have. Down the road when I have to think of a name for a baby I for sure will use my chart,” sophomore Emma Huntley said. “I have like 20 – 30 names for each gender. I have had it for a long time so I am just adding to it all the time.”

Huntley says she finds baby names from knowing someone with that name, hearing the name used on TV, or while looking at online lists when she has extra free time. 

“Some of the girl names I have are Lexie, Maggie, Callie, Morgan, Harper, Emily and Bailey. And for some of the boys’ names I have Brooks, Finn, Cooper, Baylor, Xander, Oakley and Dallas,” Huntley said.

Senior Gabriella Mayes does not have a physical baby name list in her phone or on paper but she does have a list in mind that she remembers. Mayes’ favorite names at the moment are Cyrus, Sloan, Boaz and Ruth for a middle name. 

“I have a list that is always changing of baby names not because I plan on having one anytime soon but because I really like those names for the future,” Mayes said. “I [typically] hear baby names either in shows or movies.”

Unlike Mayes and Huntley, sophomore Sadie Nattier uses a baby name list for a different motive. Nattier uses the list currently for inspiration for different characters she makes either in drawing or stories that she writes. 

“I tend to write stories a lot and make a lot of characters when drawing so I often have to think of names for them. I tend to find names off of random fantasy name sites or just by looking up baby names but there have been a few times where I have seen a name from some form of media and liked it enough to use it, like the name River I got from this old game,” Nattier said.

Nattier says her name list is not very long as of now due to using the names for her work and then removing them from her list. Some of Nattier’s baby names consist of River, Fern, Apollo and Cherry. 

“I feel like I will end up using the names at some point, whether that’s for a future child or just making some more characters for storytelling,” Nattier said.