Names that Peaked in 2018
Across 16 pages
of 16
Rey
Spanish
"king"
Sounds exactly like Ray—but with an on-trend royal vibe. The central protagonist in the newest Star Wars trilogy is a woman named Rey.
Zaylee
Modern invented name
A contemporary spin on Hailey, Bailey, and Kailey, using the stylish letter Z and the double -ee ending, Zaylee ticks the boxes as trendy choice for a modern baby. It joined the US Top 1000 back in…
Landry
French and English
"ruler of the land"
A rising surname, perhaps inspired by legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry, this name is historically associated with St. Landry, a 7th-century bishop of Paris and founder of the city's…
Bexley
English place-name
The name of an affluent suburb of Columbus, Ohio and a section of Greater London, Bexley is increasingly being coopted by parents looking for a novel name in the Kinsley/AInsley/Paisley family.…
Mordechai
Hebrew
"follower of Marduk"
Mordechai and Mordecai are equally valid — both are used as transcriptions from the Hebrew bible, and one did not originate before the other. But although popular culture tends to prefer the…
Imran
Arabic
"prosperity; exalted nation"
A Quranic name especially popular in South Asia, it is also used across Europe, from Bosnia to France, from Spain to England. It appears in the Quran as the name of Maryam's (the Virgin Mary) father,…
Novalee
Compound name, Nova + Lee, Latin and English
"new meadow"
Can be shortened to Nova, which has seen a meteoric rise into the Top 50 in recent years. Novalee appeared on the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016 and continues to drift gently upward.
Adalee
English compound name, Ada + Lee
"noble + meadow"
Adalee's rise into the Top 1000 is thanks to the current fashion for all names ada-related, including the similar Adeline and Adelaide. It does have a sweet melodic charm, but given the thousands of…
Scout
Word name
"one who gathers information covertly"
Scout, a character nickname from To Kill a Mockingbird (her real name was Jean Louise), became a real-life possibility when Bruce Willis and Demi Moore used it for their now-grown middle daughter,…
Kyng
Spelling variation of word name King
All names connected with royalty have become increasingly popular in recent years, and King variation Kyng is no exception. Some parents may feel that the Kyng spelling makes it more of a name and…
Jaxtyn
Modern invented name
The American appetite for new names ending in the letters "yn" knows no bounds. This one, a close relative of popular Jaxson, was among the fastest-rising boys' names of 2017.
Emmarie
Variation of Emery, German, combination name, blending Emma and Marie
"industrious; universal + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"
On one hand, this may be a twist on the unisex Emery, to make it more obviously feminine - and to make it stand out from Emery, Emory, and Emerie, which all rank in the US Top 600. Alternatively, it…
Leighton
English
"meadow town"
More popular in its Layton spelling, Leighton is rising in popularity in the US for both sexes simultaneously, although this spelling remains more popular for girls for now – no doubt helped by…
Karsyn
Spelling variation of Carson
A surname-style name with a contemporary spelling, Karsyn is a unisex name that has been on and off the charts for boys since 2018. As of 2023, it's back in the US Top 1000 and given to more than 200…
Elon
Hebrew
"oak tree"
The boys' name Elon is best known today as the name of Elon Musk, eccentric billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX. With Canadian singer Grimes, Elon Musk has a son with an even more unusual name, X…
Zhavia
Variation of Xavier, Arabic, Basque
"new house; bright"
This name caught the attention of American parents beginning in 2018, when the Fox show The Four: Battle for Stardom premiered. Zhavia Ward was a finalist on the first season.
Grey
Color name
The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if…
Henrik
Danish and Hungarian variation of Henry, German
"estate ruler"
The long history and solid usage of Henry has infiltrated other cultures, where a number of variations experience the same degree of popularity. In the US, Henrik first entered the Top 1000 in 2014.…
Kase
Spelling variation of Case
Kardashian style transforms many traditional C names to K s, and this is a kase in point.
Decker
German occupational name
"roofer"
Brawny name chosen for his son by rocker Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue.