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Just to let you know, none of these names are common. There are several names on the girls list that are common for boys such as Kyle and Mason.

Bambi - Although I saw Disney film in the movies while extremely young, I'd forgotten that Bambi is a male deer. Throughout a casual memory of the film, I only remember it as a tear-jerker, I guess I assumed that the fictional character Bambi to be a female deer.

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I've written and copy pasted an objection to the social stereotype that Bambi, as a female name, receives.

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I too like Caledonia as well - perhaps due to a Langston Hughes poem.

These are the ones I've seen on Americans:

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Archer
Bay -- I've only seen this once as a middle name on a girl
Bear -- as a nickname
Brenner -- but maybe only as a surname, iirc. A lot of the names on this list are things I've seen as surnames but not given names.
Colt
Colter -- although I think I've actually seen Coulter more than Colter. Also Colt and Colton
Deston -- maybe?
Devlin
Garrison -- I've only met one
Guthrie
Hunt -- middle name on a girl (although I've seen Hunter as a first name on boys and I assume Hunt is probably used on boys too)
Jaidon -- or some similar name
Jaxsen -- never seen this spelling though
Jededish -- I've met onw Jedidiah. I assume this is just becuse a is next to s on the keyboard
Kodiak -- only on a dog but I could see it being used on humans
Smokey -- on a cat
Sterling
(lots of Tan names on this list but no Tanner. Tanner seems pretty common for Americans)
Turk -- only as a nickname

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Carter -- only on boys
Chandelle -- Chantelle but not Chandelle
Chandler -- one of my best friends in 1st grade was a girl Chandler but I've never met another one
Darah -- maybe? I've met Daras
Darren -- only on boys
Enfinity -- There was a girl at my high school whose middle name was Enfinity! With the E and evertything! (Actually it might have even been "Enfiniti"...) I have no idea why
Javonna, Jennara, Kanessa -- I can't recall any specific people with these names but they seem like the sort of names Americans would use
Krislyn -- same (Kristyn is pretty popular and so is -lyn)
Kyle -- only on boys (unless it was meant to say Kylie)
Mason -- only on boys
Montana -- I've met exactly one
Spencer -- only on boys
(I've never seen Tarja used in America. The only one I can think of is Tarja Turunen)
Tyana -- don't know if I've seen this exact spelling but it wouldn't surprise me
(I thought Wallis was just masculine too but apparently not.)

This message was edited 8/11/2018, 6:10 PM

Some of these names sound almost over-the-top stereotypical American.

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The following names I do think sound genuinely American:
Archer
Arlan
Arnel
Beck
Beckon
Birchall - this kinda has a 19th century vibe to it
Bishop
Boyd - as a MN
Caldwell - surnames ending in -well always made me think American even though they're found in other English-speaking countries too
Case
Colt - definitely. America's the only country I can think of that names kids after guns.
Colter
Cord
Cordelle - this one sounds specifically African-American
Dack
Deston
Devlin
Farrin
Finch - probably among hipsters (as if Atticus wasn't bad enough)
Fleet - see below
Fleetwood - I could see counterculture types using it with Fleet as a nickname
Garrison - definitely due to Garrison Keillor
Guthrie - probably more familiar as a surname, but I could see Americans using it if it's a family surname
Hiatt
Holt
Hoyte - Hoyt seems to have had usage in the US, so why not?
Hunt - as a nickname for Hunter
Jaidon - no questioning this one's American-ness!
Jaxsen - see above
Jerran
Jevin
Kodiak
Marland
Pardee
Parish
Park - I could see this as a nickname for Parker.
Phoenix - definitely
Rider - definitely
Rush - Rush Limbaugh pretty much cemented this name as stereotypical American
Shawnel - this sounds like an African-American name too
Sterling
Stoddard
Tandon
Zebulun

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On the other hand, I'd disagree with these:

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Bear - actually, I'd say this is more British due to its usage by British celebrities.
Brazier - doesn't even sound like a name. Also too close to brassiere.
Brenner- this is a German surname. Despite there being millions of German-Americans, I've never heard any using German surnames as first names.

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This message was edited 8/12/2018, 7:39 AM

Not sure what makes these names “American.” Canada is, well, Canadian ;). And the rest just seem like fashionable names in suburbia or US place names (I used to live near Camas). What an interesting list.

What a strange perspective your book gives.
I wouldn't be surprised if they were the names of Americans, but to say that they characterize "American names" is very misleading.

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I've met:
Bear
Wray
Ionia
Darah
Shasta
Danean (spelled Deneen I think)
Kyle f was a small fad when it was a popular boy name but I've never met one personally.
Mare (nick for Mary) and Rush are famous names.

Uuuummm.... Your book is on drugs.

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Names I have actually heard used on first names on Americans in real life in my nearly 30 years of living here:

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MALE
Archer -a "young" name
Colt -I knew a guy named Colt, but it was short for Colton which is marginally more common, but neither name is something you see everyday.
Garrison -And this isn't exactly common. I've met one and Garrison was the maiden name of the boy's mother.
Jaidon
Jaxsen -idk if I've ever seen this horrible spelling though. ugh.
Jerran -I knew of a Jarron once and he was well aware he had an unusual name.
Kodiak -I know a dog named Kodiak. Does that count?
Sterling

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FEMALE
Bambi -an old lady name
Boyd -not common, but not unheard of either
Carter -I've met a few boys named this, but no girls.
Chandler -I've known one girl named Chandler. (The upsetting thing is that she had a twin sister named Elizabeth so how's that for mismatched?)
Darah -I used to know a Darrah.
Darren -men only though I have met two females named Darryl.
Kyle -boys, sure
Mason -never met a girl named this, but plenty of boys. Misha Collins has a daughter named Maison though.
Spencer -once and she said, "Spencer, like the boy's name" when she introduced herself.

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Names that I just need to comment on:

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MALE
Arlan -Sounds like the way native Irish people pronounce Ireland. Never seen it in America though.
Arnel -never heard of it
Banner -surname and not even a popular one. It's claim to fame is Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk).

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Wouldn't be that surprised to see these...

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Archer
Bishop
Cord - grew up with one
Devlin - met a couple
Hunt - Hunter is popular, so why not
Jaidon - variation of very popular Jayden
Jaxsen - variation of very popular Jackson / Jaxson
Phoenix
Sterling - met one
Zebulun

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Arizona - state names have been used pretty much as long as the states/colonies have existed
Cameo - I thought this was cool when I was a teenager
Carter
Chandler
Darah - just seems like a variation of Dara, and I know one
Darren
Enfinity
Javonna - spelling variation of Giovanna? makes sense for pronunciation
Jennara
Mason
Parish
Prairie
Royce
Treasure
Montana
Nevada
Sahara
Shasta - people name their kids after mountains sometimes
Spencer
Wednesday
Windy - I know some Wendys and grew up with a Stormy, so why not

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Would be a bit surprised to see these (they're definitely weird but not outlandishly so?)...

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Arnel
Bay
Bear
Beck
Boyd
Brenner
Caldwell
Colt
Cordelle
Cramer
Deston
Duran
Farrin
Finch
Fleetwood
Garrison
Guthrie
Hoyte
Jerran
Kelby
Kivi
Kodiak
Leeson
MacAllister
Olsen
Parish
Pepper
Shawnel
Smokey
Wray

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Alcinda
Arnett
Brice
Caledonia
Carlana
Chandelle
Kanessa
Karas
Kierce
Krislyn
Kyle
Lavita
Marcenya
Mare
Maxy
Mishaila
Miskaela
Monaco
Neida
Oneida
Pacifica
Paradise
Pepper
Philene
Randelle
Shalana
Shaleen
Tanadia
Tarja
Tauna
Terris
Tishra
Tuesday
Tyana
Venetia
Venice
Vienna
Wallace
Wyetta

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The rest probably exist somewhere in America, but I'd never expect to see them.

This message was edited 8/9/2018, 2:31 PM

Some are last names often found in the US, some are US place names, but very few have been used with any kind of regularity as first names here, and some of them look like the compiler just made them up to sound what they considered "American."

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And they don't have a very good idea; Trout is not used as a name.

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And Jededish is surely a typo that didn't get caught by whoever edited your book, if anybody edited it at all..