Plural Names: The Best New Baby Name Formula
After weeks of rumors that they were going to name their baby Plum, Hailey and Justin Bieber surprised fans when they announced the arrival of their son Jack Blues Bieber.
Jack is only notable in how, well, unnotable it is. These days, it's rare for celebrities of the Biebers' caliber to choose such a ubiquitous name. And at Number 14 on the US popularity charts, Jack is already so popular it is unlikely to see a meaningful boost from this birth announcement.
But Hailey and Justin unearthed a hidden gem in Blues. It's virtually one-of-a-kind — Blues has never been used for more than five babies in a given year — yet a perfect fit for our current naming climate.
You can certainly expect to hear more babies called Blues in years to come, but the Biebers' influence will be felt beyond this one name. Blues will be the catalyst for the hottest new boy name trend: Plural Names.
The Plural Names Formula
Plural names combine two of Americans' favorite name styles: word names and last names as first names.
To make a plural name, you simply add an S to the end of a singular noun, making it both a plural noun and a surname. Many English last names — along with some surnames in other languages such as Spanish — were originally derived this way. Gates historically referred to someone who lived near the town gates, while Graves was an occupational name for a steward.
But not every noun works in the plural name formula (we don't recommend naming your child "Towels" or "Photographs", for example). Here are our tips for creating the ideal plural name:
The Brisker the Better
One-, or at most, two-syllable plural names are most effective. Keep it short!
Stick to the Themes
A couple of dominant plural name themes have emerged. Municipal names — think Banks, Parks, Bridges — evoke places you visit around town. Nature names — like Brooks, Woods, and Groves — conjure the landscape. A plural name from one of these categories — whether common or one-of-a-kind — is likely to get a good reception.
When in Doubt, Ask Yourself: Is This Name a Surname?
The braver namers among us might invent totally new plural names — how about Alps? — but for many parents, the appeal of plural names lies in that they're surnames in addition to word names. If your plural name exists as a surname, it will naturally have a more name-like sound.
Here are some of the best plural names for boys, organized by popularity level.
Top Plural Names
Popular plural names currently rank in the US Top 1000, with top choice Miles at Number 43 on the US charts and the Spanish plural name Santos (meaning "saints") at Number 795.
With the exception of Hayes and Riggs, all of these names increased in popularity between 2022 and 2023.
Rare Plural Names
In addition to Blues, the other plural name on everyone's lips is Townes, recently used by both Hilary Duff (the OG plural namer, responsible for popularizing Banks) and Alexander Ludwig. Townes hasn't cracked the Top 1000 yet, but if it follows in Banks's path, expect to see it on the 2024 charts.
Other hot — but still uncommon — plural names include Stiles, Parks, and Oakes, which were among the fastest-rising boy names beyond the Top 1000 last year.
These rare plural names rank outside of the Top 1000 but were given to at least five baby boys in 2023:
- Barnes
- Bridges
- Crews
- Fields
- Gates
- Graves
- Mills
- Oaks
- Oakes
- Parks
- Piers
- Raines
- Reyes
- Rivers
- Stiles
- Stokes
- Styles
- Townes
- Watts
- Woods
One-of-a-Kind Plural Names
One-of-a-kind plural names are as unique as they come. At last count, fewer than five baby boys were recorded with these names.
Some, like Shields (last charted in 1962) and Groves (1925), have appeared in historical data. But most of these choices are entirely new to the baby name lexicon.
And yes, Blues makes the list of one-of-a-kind plural names at present. But don't expect to see it here next year!