Hipster Baby Name or Hipster City: International Edition

One of my most popular posts is Hipster Baby Name or Hipster City? Now I'm bringing it back, but this time we're going outside of the states. What exactly is a hipster baby name? Hipster baby names seem too quirky, old fashioned, or extreme for yuppie parents. In fact, they're probably names you never would have thought of. The trickier part is identifying a hipster city--I had some trouble with it myself. For the purpose of this post, a hipster city has to be well-known for housing trend-setting twenty-somethings. I know that every city has a hipster neighborhood, but to be a real HC, it has to go beyond that (Tip: the bigger the city, the more likely it is to be a hipster city). Good luck on the quiz, and make sure to come back after the jump to read my justifications.

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Royalty Inspired Names

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Kourtney Kardashian's new baby is named Reign Aston--a nod to their high-class status and dad Scott's "title" Lord Disick. Royal names have been on the rise the past few years, but this birth announcement could send them to the upper half of the top 1000. I don't think Reign will have quite the effect Mason or Penelope did on American baby naming, but nevertheless, look forward to a year full of royal names.

Girls
Corona- She does mean "crown" in Spanish, but I think that fact would be lost on most people. Pick a  name not associated with an alcoholic beverage, or put her in the middle.
Grace- It is not uncommon to hear Royals be referred to as "Her Grace." Add Princess Grace Kelly, and you've got yourself a very regal name.
Honor- Honor feels very similar to Grace. Not the first name you think of when talking about royal names, but she makes for a nice, subtle option.
Princess- On the other hand, there's nothing subtle about Princess. Names like Princess teeter on the edge of tacky. I'd stick with Sarah (who means princess) instead.
Queenie- I don't hate the name Queenie. I see how she could feel no better than Princess, but Queenie has an old school, retro charm about her.
Tiara- File this one with Princess. I much prefer Tierra (meaning land or earth in Spanish), which is less material, more earthy.

Boys
Baron- With his regality and similarity to names like Aaron, I'm a little surprised Baron isn't being used. He'd fit right in on the playground.
Duke- Was Duke the name that started this all? He's been rising in popularity the past few years, and now it's Reign's turn.
Earl- Earl gives me more of a country song picture than a royal one. Is he ready for revival with the others? I have a feeling he might sit this one out.
King- Names beginning with King surged in popularity a few years ago. On his own, he makes a great middle, and even works as a first name.
Noble- Like Grace and Honor, Noble is a royal-virtue name. I expect to see a few celebrities use this name in the coming year.
Royal- My first thought is Royal Tenenbaum, but I'm a huge Wes Anderson fan, so maybe it's just me.

Either
Reign- With its similarity to the unisex nature name Rain, Reign remains undecided in terms of gender. Will Reign Aston change that?

Names Ending in -ing

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There are many popular suffixes for names, and -ing is not one of them. Maybe it sounds too much like a verb, but hey, we've got those too. There's Chase, but not Chasing; Dash, but not Dashing; and Hope, but not Hoping. The names that do end in -ing sound much less like verbs, and work much better than Chasing. Take a look.

Aishling- She may end in -ing, but don't pronounce her like that. This Irish name is said ASH-lyn.

Banning- Unlike the rest of these names on the list, Banning is an action (and not an entirely pleasant one). But if you can get over that fact, he makes a great, unique name.

Benning- So maybe Banning is a little harsh. Benning super similar, but with the nickname Ben, and without the negative connotations.

Downing- He's a surname that would work nicely if he was Mom's maiden name. Otherwise he might seem a bit obscure to some people.

Harding- A presidential surname that is seldom heard. If we can use Nixon and McKinley, why not Harding?

Irving- Irving is the old man of the group. I agree, he sounds super dated, but is it too early to put him on the "Never Coming Back" list?

King- Title names have been on the rise lately (Deacon, Duke, Judge), King included. He may be a simple name, but it's a lot to live up to.

Lansing- I've never been to Lansing, Michigan, so I don't know if this State Capital name is worthy of giving to a child. Maybe if it's your hometown.
 
Sperling- He's a type of squash that would be a fun name for the son (or even a daughter) of a chef.

Spring- The neglected season name. Is it because of her -ing ending? I happen to prefer the Spanish version Primavera myself.

Sterling- A silver-tinged name that's a bit out of style. He's definitely still usable though.

Prediction: Kimye's Baby

By now we all know that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are having a baby. The big question everyone is asking is "What K name will they use?" We aren't sure that the baby will in fact have a K name, but if it does, here are my predictions.

Girl:
Kacia
Kaia
Kalila
Karina
Karma
Kendra
Kenya
Kerensa
Keturah
Keziah
Kinsey
Kizzy
Klementina

Boy:
Kade
Kane
Karston
Keane
Kenyon
King
Kingston

Best guess: Keziah and Keane