Maci

The name Maci first appeared on the U.S. naming charts in 1995, marking the last spelling variation of the “Macy” family of names. Macie was first, then Macy and then came Macey. After her debut on the charts in the mid-1990s, the name Maci sort of languished at low to very moderate levels of popularity. Then something interesting happened. Between the years 2009 and 2010, the name Maci shot up a whopping 423 positions on the charts. This was a head-scratcher for us; trying to understand what influenced the sudden and remarkable popularity of this name? Well, it only took a little bit of research for us to find the connection and it’s, of course, a pop-culture one. Maci Bookout was a reality TV character on MTV’s wildly popular “Teen Mom” series (a spin-off of “16 and Pregnant”). She is the mom of Bentley (this name also made a significant jump on the charts in 2010). Call us old-fashioned, but it’s hard to understand why American parents would want to name their child after a teen mom (um, hello?). Although we have to admit, Maci’s saving grace is that she’s an over-achiever: popular, athletic and successful at school. She is also (thankfully) a spokesperson against teen pregnancy, having first-hand knowledge of the massive responsibilities and limitations a baby brings into one’s life. In any case, Maci is a cute name, but we definitely consider it a fleeting fad. And we hope your little Maci doesn’t repeat the same mistake Maci Bookout did. Girls are just not ready to be moms at 16. And that’s our one public announcement for the day.