Picking a name for your baby is one of the biggest decisions a new parent can make.
“In a larger context being unique is a trend,” global trends expertDaniel Levinetold me.
“Your name is the ultimate in personalization.
Names like Titan, Atlas, and Apollo are on the rise.
Even several supreme evil names are back on the table too, like Lucifer, Lilith, and Kali.
But, that’s justnotthe case.
The nameKingstonis good evidence of the star baby effect.
Royal names
The nameRoyalitself has been gaining traction over recent years.
In just three years it jumped from outside of the top 1000, to number 465.
Otherroyal-related nameslike Princeton, Noble, Legion, Kensington, and Princess have been growing in popularity too.
Pop culture names
Pop culture gives us an even bigger pool of names to choose from.
For example, whenCharmeddebuted in 1998, the namePiper(my favorite!)
wasn’t even in the top 1,000 girls' names in the U.S.
The following year, it appeared at number 700 and today, it’s at number 68.
We saw asimilar trendwhen theTwilightseries hit peak popularity.
It’s number 58.
Mother Nature names
We’ve seen quite the rise in nature-related names for boys and girls.
Different kinds of flowers, trees, seasons, topography, and animals serve as beautiful inspiration.
For the girls,nature namesskewed towards flowers and trees.
Tree-inspired names like Willow, Aspen, Cedar, and Juniper continue to grow strong.
Gender-neutral names
The rise in gender-neutral names has grown quite a bit in the past couple years.
A recent study suggests clear distinctions between names inRed and Blue States.
“It either makes it stand apart, or it looks silly,” Levine suggests.
Kason is such a popular name that it dominates the boys' list withfourdifferent spelling variations.
Mercy, Patience, Hope, Charity, Treasure, andPromiseare also other examples of these upcoming virtuous names.
How to win the name game
Anything goes!
Do your research, don’t rush into a name, and don’t feel pressured.
Honor you someone you love, pick a name you like, or choose a name that is unique!
And most of all, be proud of the name you choose.
