Trends show 2019 homebuyers will be largely female, Millennial and Hispanic

2018’s top homebuyer names

Know a Hannah, Austin, Alexis, Logan or Taylor? According to new data, they might just become homebuyers this year.

The name of the homebuying game

A recent analysis from Realtor.com shows Hannah, Austin, Alexis, Logan and Taylor were the fastest-growing names on home sale deeds in 2018. Each one averaged a 22 percent jump in frequency over 2017.

Other names showing up more often were Brooke, Kayla, Alexandra, Alyssa, Devin, Julio and Chelsea. All six jumped anywhere from 12 percent to 17 percent in frequency.

By sheer volume, the top five names were Michael, John, David, James and Robert — though each dropped between 3 and 5 percent in frequency.

What’s in a name?

What do all these names mean for the future of homebuying? According to Realtor.com, they indicate a trend that’s largely female, Millennial and Hispanic.

Seven of the top 10 names are common Millennial female names (hitting their peak between 1981 and 1997). These edge out Millennial male names by 1.5 percent, according to the data.

Millennials aren’t waiting until marriage to buy a home — at least not in these cities

Considering single-women have been one of the fastest-growing homebuying cohorts for the last few years — and that Millennials are finally reaching their prime homeownership years — the findings aren’t a complete surprise. Millennials have accounted for the largest share of home purchases for several years now, according to the National Association of Realtors. In 2017, they made up 36 percent of all home sales.

Javier Vivas, director of economic research at Realtor.com, said we can expect these trends to continue in 2019.

“First names associated with women — especially millennial women — saw a significantly faster level of home sales growth in 2018, giving us a sneak peek of homeownership trends in 2019,” Vivas said. “Hispanics and Millennials names overall also saw a surge in home purchases last year. If these buyers can continue to break through the affordability barrier, they are likely to make up a larger share of owners than ever before and dominate the market for years to come.”

Who’s buying houses? All the single ladies

Get today’s mortgage rates

Looking to join the Hannahs and Austins of the world and become a homeowner? Then shop around and see what mortgage rates you qualify for today.