Aurora - sudden spike in popularity?

[ZoyaTheDestroyer]

Idly considering girls' names for DC2 and popped Aurora into the name.darkgreener site. I was surprised to see that it has had an ENORMOUS surge in popularity in the last few years and am trying to work out why. It's almost in the top 100.

Obviously there is the Disney princess connection but that has been around since 1959. Has a celebrity used it for their baby? Are there loads of Auroras in pop culture that have completely passed me by?

[Notalitigator]

I think it's one of those names (also Arlo/River/Fox) that people who perhaps identify as being a bit hippy/alternative/different choose without realising that all the other hippy etc people choose the same names

[Goshthatwentwell]

Just reminds me of the P&O cruise ship TBH.

[SuperBeagle]

It reminds me of the name Atticus: the sort of name people choose when they think they're being "unique", without realising it's the exact name loads of other people choose when trying to be unique.

Aurora, Aurelia, Arabella, Aria etc. are all having a bit of a moment.

[TheEmpressWears]

I think it's hard to say. Well, I'm Irish and pronounce Rs, but there are two with no other consonants to 'support' the Rs. If you're in England, do you pronounce your Rs fully, would the name sound like au-wa. Would you end up repeating it endlessly while people tried to make sense of what they'd just heard. I think it's a bad choice, I think you'd spend your life saying 'Aurora' and people wouldn't know what they'd heard.

And that's just the sound. It's also got a bit of cultural appropriation going on (Native American? not sure) and yet it sounds jaded and disney-inspired.

Can I suggest Alba? Even Dawn (!) considered very dated I know is better as it hasn't been used for decades and it's got the snappiness of standing out for that reason.

[crazypenguinlady]

I know someone who had a baby girl called Aurora (nn Rory) last month. She's a little cutie.

[Sophronia]

I once heard someone say it sounds like a dog barking

I agree that it’s having a moment along with Aria, Aurelia etc.

[HaHaHmm]

It's also got a bit of cultural appropriation going on (Native American? not sure) and yet it sounds jaded and disney-inspired.

Where on earth have you got this from? It is Latin, from the Roman goddess of the dawn.

I probably won't use it but FWIW I've been very fond of it for a very long time, ever since reading the epic poem Aurora Leigh.

One of the meanings of 'Alba' is 'white' is so I'd prefer to avoid this. It's also the Gaelic name for Scotland and with zero Scottish heritage it probably isn't appropriate for us.

[Thewolfsjustapuppy]

Just spent a happy few minutes on that site, thanks .
Aurora is one of those names I see a lot on MN along with variations. I hate it but mainly because I knew a particularly irritating woman of the same name.

[meltingmarshmallows]

It's also got a bit of cultural appropriation going on (Native American? not sure) and yet it sounds jaded and disney-inspired.

Erm what? Not even remotely it’s Latin. Aurora borealis ... I think of nature not Disney.

[SyrilSneer]

Empress of course English people can pronounce “R” - we have non-rhotic accents not speech impediments!

[IVflytrap]

It follows the current trend of girls' names that start with a vowel and end in the letter A. Also the name Rory has gained huge popularity recently and a mum I know who used Aurora wanted to give her daughter an official, feminine-sounding name on their birth certificate, while using the cuter nickname Rory in everyday life.

If you're in England, do you pronounce your Rs fully, would the name sound like au-wa.

We're not all Jonathan Ross over here.

[ZoyaTheDestroyer]

If you're in England, do you pronounce your Rs fully, would the name sound like au-wa.

That's not how non-rhotic accents work.

Non-rhotic speakers drop an 'r' if it is immediately after a vowel and not followed by another vowel. Both of the 'r's in Aurora are followed by a vowel so a non-rhotic speaker pronounces them. So, for example, a rhotic speaker would pronounce both 'r's in 'river', but a non-rhotic speaker would only pronounce the first.

[May50]

I can't say my r's very well ( a bit like Jonathan Ross!) so the name Aurora comes out like Owowa. Can't say the name Warren either. I deliberately chose kids names without an r for me and incase my kids struggled with the r too.

[Whohasnickedmyvodka]

My dd1 who is 12 next month is an aurora i named her after the northern lights

[TheEmpressWears]

Yes, I know that Zoya !
You like the name and are in its favour so to speak! And I'm coming from the other side of the fence so I'm not as kind to it. I just think it will sound both blah and weird at the same time, which is actually an achievement come to think of it!

What's your first dd called? Is Aurora in the same style?

[TheEmpressWears]

Just noticed you are the OP zoya
Unobservant of me.
I think you will be safe enough if you use this. I don't think the name will ever be in the top 30. A lot of people like it but it doesn't have the easy appeal of say Ruby or Chloe or Emily. It will never be that popular.

[ContessaBonessa]

I hate, hate, hate Rory being used a 'cute' nickname for girls.

[ContessaBonessa]

Bloody Gilmore Girls.

[starzig]

Malifecent movie.

[ZoyaTheDestroyer]

Maleficent, of course! Thank you!

[17caterpillars1mouse]

I know 4! I don't get it personally

[lou1221]

I watched a film last night Passengers, I'm sure the woman character was called Aurora. It was made last year.

[NerNerNerNerBATMAN]

I love the name aurora but it is definitely having a bit of a moment around here. There are two at DDs nursery and both are more Disney princess than hippy if that makes sense.

[pipilangstrumpf]

I like Aurora.

[DiegoMadonna]

I don't think there always has to be a specific tangible explanation for rising and falling trends. Some names just share characteristics or styles with what is generally popular at a given time, and as more people use a name, it grows in popularity even more.

It's a name bubble, basically.

And lol at the idea of English people not being able to pronounce Aurora because of the Rs