Names that I would NEVER use and strongly dislike...

... due to either a bad association, undesirable meaning, trendiness, or the general style.
  1. Auden
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "old friend"
    • Description:

      A softly poetic surname name, associated with poet W.H., Auden is enjoying quiet but marked fashion status. It was chosen for his daughter by Noah Wyle and is definitely one to watch.
  2. Bella
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Isabella, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "beautiful"
    • Description:

      Everything ella, from Ella to Bella to Arabella, is red hot right now. Bella is one of the most, well, beautiful girl names starting with B. It carried a hint of a nice Old World grandmotherly veneer, until it became attached to Twilight's Bella Swan.
  3. Cami
    • Carter
      • Origin:

        English occupational name
      • Meaning:

        "transporter of goods by cart"
      • Description:

        Carter has ranked in the Top 100 since the the turn of the millennium, but despite its recent popularity, it's not a trendy new name. In fact, Carter is one of those names that just misses ranking in the US Top 1000 for its entire 140+ year history.
    • Carver
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "wood carver"
      • Description:

        Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, as is the newly arrived Painter, which has a fresher feel than the 1990's Carter. It also has eminent last-name links to botanist and educator George Washington Carver and short story master Raymond Carver.
    • Edward
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "wealthy guardian"
      • Description:

        Unlike perennials William, John and James, Edward is a classic that moves in and out of fashion. This royal Anglo-Saxon standard has benefited in recent years from the popularity of the hot hero of the vampire sensation Twilight — Edward Cullen — who has given his name a new infusion of cool.
    • Harley
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "the long field"
      • Description:

        Once a macho biker name, Harley is now showing its softer side. In the UK, Harley is predominantly masculine, but it's currently more popular for girls than boys in the US.
    • Harry
      • Origin:

        Diminutive of Henry
      • Meaning:

        "estate ruler"
      • Description:

        Harry is the medieval English form of Henry, which derived from the Germanic name Heimrich, meaning "estate ruler." Harry was the nickname of all eight King Henrys; it is also a diminutive of Harold and Harrison.
    • Hazel
      • Origin:

        English
      • Meaning:

        "the hazelnut tree"
      • Description:

        Hazel has a pleasantly hazy, brownish-green-eyed, old-fashioned image that more and more parents are choosing to share. Former Old Lady name Hazel reentered the popularity lists in 1998 and now is near the top of the charts.
    • Hudson
      • Origin:

        English place-name and surname
      • Meaning:

        "Hugh's son"
      • Description:

        Hudson has risen quickly up the charts over the past 30 years, getting a lot of its style value from New York's Hudson River. That makes it a nature name and a place name that's also got the fashion gloss of New York City.
    • Jared
      • Origin:

        Hebrew
      • Meaning:

        "he descends"
      • Description:

        Jared is an Old Testament name that has been popular for decades--it was revived in the sixties via TV westerns-- and is still an appealing option.
    • Jose
      • Origin:

        Spanish and Portuguese version of Joseph
      • Meaning:

        "Jehovah increases"
      • Description:

        Jose is as widespread in the Hispanic community as Joseph and Joe are elsewhere in the U.S., though its numbers here are starting to decrease somewhat. Jose is one of those Spanish baby names that has never crossed over into the Anglo naming culture.
    • Juan
      • Origin:

        Spanish and Manx variation of John
      • Meaning:

        "the Lord is gracious"
      • Description:

        Juan, the Spanish version of John, is ubiquitous in the Spanish-speaking world, and is familiar internationally via such references as Don Juan and San Juan.
    • Kaley
      • Katniss
        • Origin:

          Literary and botanical name
        • Description:

          Katniss Everdeen is the heroine of the popular Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, whose name comes from the (very real) edible aquatic plant of the genus Sagittaria. Katniss's father tells her that if she "finds herself," she'll never go hungry. Other unusual botanical names in the series include Primrose, Posy, Rue, and Clove, all for girls. Several of the boys' names come from ancient Rome: Cato, Seneca, Flavius, Caesar. Katniss the name has less appeal than Katniss the heroine, though it's definitely more attractive than Renesmee.
      • Lucifer
        • Origin:

          Latin
        • Meaning:

          "light-bearer"
        • Description:

          Lucifer is the name of the archangel cast into hell -- theologians disagree on whether he and Satan are separate beings -- and as such has long been on the forbidden list for religious parents. Still banned in New Zealand, Lucifer is occasionally used in the contemporary U.S.: Six boys were given the name in the most recent year counted.
      • Mackenzie
        • Origin:

          Scottish
        • Meaning:

          "son of Kenneth"
        • Description:

          Originally inspired as by eighties TV actress Mackenzie Phillips, parents since have flocked to Mackenzie for their daughters. Now a staple All-American choice, Mackenzie has ranked in the US Top 1000 for nearly 50 years.

          Mackenzie originates from the Scottish surname which itself an anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Coinnich. Coinnich is one of the original Gaelic forms of Kenneth meaning "handsome, beautiful, comely".
      • Molly
        • Origin:

          Diminutive of Mary, Hebrew
        • Meaning:

          "bitter"
        • Description:

          Molly is one of the original nickname names, ALWAYS ranking among the US Top 500 girl names since statistics began, in 1880. Molly peaked in 1991 only to rise just as high again in 2011, and though softening retains a good measure of popularity and charm.
      • Myrtle
        • Origin:

          Greek botanical name
        • Description:

          Long in our category of so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out category, once seen as a gum-cracking 1940's telephone operator, we think it's time to reassess Myrtle, and look at is as a nature name, a plant with pink or white aromatic berries. Ruled by Venus, myrtle is a plant associated with love, peace, fertility and youth.
      • Raven
        • Origin:

          Word and animal name
        • Description:

          Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.