How Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Are Leading Baby Name Trends
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have proven themselves celebrity baby naming champions and leaders of baby name trends for the fourth time by naming their newborn son Wren Alexander.
Wren is a bird name that’s been rising quickly for both sexes over the past few years, but particularly for girls. In 2022, Wren ranked Number 184 for girls and Number 1008 for boys. Of the 1800 American babies named Wren last year, about 12% of them male.
We expect that to change now, following the lead of these champion celebrity baby namers. Their choice is right on trend with a growing interest in unisex names for baby boys, according to an exclusive analysis by Nameberry.
“The use of unisex names has more than doubled since 1980,” says Nameberry’s creator Pamela Redmond, “but the newest and most dramatic change is parents wanting to give their sons unisex names as well as their daughters.”
True gender neutrality is now the ideal many parents have for raising their children, Redmond says, and choosing a name that transcends conventional gender identity is part of that.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s choice of baby names has been both adventurous and influential, sparking major trends in the US.
"Chrissy and John have been ahead of the curve with all of their children's names," says Nameberry's Editor-in-Chief and Name Guru to the Stars, Sophie Kihm. "Luna is a Top 10 name today, due in no small part to this famous family."
They have inspired broader baby name trends, including celestial baby names, boy names that end in S, and girl names that end in I, Kihm says. Now, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend will encourage more parents to embrace Wren for their sons, along with other unisex names for boys.
Celebrities such as Khloe Kardashian, who named her son Tatum, and Yamiche Alcindor, who named her son Yrie, have also embraced the trend of unisex names for baby boys. Other unisex names that lean feminine, but are rising for boys include Sage, Harlow, Shiloh, Holland, and Scout.