Names That Peaked in 2022
Across 9 pages
of 9
Kai
Hawaiian, Frisian, Chinese
"sea; warrior; triumph"
Kai is an internationally flexible name with many possible origins and meanings, growing in popularity in the US and a diverse range of European countries. In the US, the name Kai is most commonly…
Sienna
Italian color name
"orange red"
Sienna has been a Top 100 choice in England & Wales since 2005, the year after Sienna Miller's acting breakthrough in the hit movies Alfie and Layer Cake . In the US, it also got a big boost in the…
Quinn
Irish
"descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence"
Quinn is one of the most popular Irish unisex surnames out there, a strong and attractive choice on the rise for girls but still popular for boys. A recent year saw it used for nearly 2690 girls…
Archer
English
"bowman"
Archer is an Anglo-Saxon surname that feels more modern than most because of its on-target occupational and Hunger Games associations. And it's a nice way to bypass the clunky Archibald to get to the…
Parker
English occupational name
"park keeper"
Indie actress Parker Posey put a female imprint on this sophisticated surname that's still about three times as common for boys but rising for both sexes. Parker has the advantage of its nature…
River
Nature name
River shares the tranquil feeling of all the water names, and seems to have pretty much escaped its past strong association with River Phoenix and his unfortunate fate. Actor Joaquin Phoenix named…
Raelynn
Modern invented name
What do you get when you cross two out-of-style, mid-century favorites together? Something new and cool and one-of-a-kind? A monstrous, stitched-together creation? No, you get Raelynn, a popular…
Milo
Latin and Old German
"soldier or merciful"
Milo is most commonly considered to be Germanic name derived from the Latin word miles , meaning "soldier." However, there is evidence to suggest it also may have independently spawned from the…
Alina
Slavic, Germanic, Arabic, Scottish
"bright, beautiful; noble; delicate, soft; defending men"
Alina has been drifting up the US popularity charts since the early 1980s, and now sits in in the Top 200. But Alina's real strength is in its international flexibility: The name ranks highly in a…
Emersyn
Spelling variation of Emerson,
Parents of female Emersyns will say this Emerson variation's Y makes it more feminine -- and to some extent, it does. This, combined with the trendy Y, have flagged this name as on-the-rise. "Em"…
Beckett
English and Irish
"bee hive, little brook or bee cottage"
Beckett is one of the big baby name hits of the decade. A handsome name with an attractively brisk sound, and rich in literary associations via major Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, it is especially…
Sloane
Irish
"raider"
Sloane is a sleek, sophisticated surname name that has gradually morphed over to the girls' side. With its distinctive and intriguing sound, Sloane has been in the US Top 1000 since 2009, and in…
Natalia
Latin
"birthday [of the Lord]"
Natalia was derived from the Latin word natalis , meaning "birthday." It refers to the birthday of Jesus Christ, and thus originated as a name for girls born on Christmas Day. Related forms include…
Remi
Variation of Remy, French
"oarsman"
Remi is an adorable name that's fashionable and keeps gaining momentum. Remi entered the US Top 1000 in 2013 and is now approaching the Top 100. The Remi spelling is more popular for girls, while…
Elliot
English diminutive of Elias, Greek
"Yahweh is God"
Elliot (which boasts several spellings depending upon how many 'l's or 't's you want to use) is a winner -- it has the ideal quality of being neither too common nor weirdly unique. Elliot had a style…
Ember
Word name
"ember, glowing coal or wood"
A warm and contemporary choice, Ember refers to the still-glowing parts of a fire once much of it has gone out. As such, some of its appeal lies in its associations with hope, rekindling, and light…
Sage
Herb name, Latin
"wise and knowing"
Sage is an evocatively fragrant herbal name that also connotes wisdom, giving it a double advantage. It entered the Top 1000 at about the same time for both genders in the early 1990s, but it has…
Alani
Hawaiian
"orange tree"
One of those names you may not even be aware of if you haven't been paying attention to recent naming trends, Alani was given to more than 700 baby girls in the US in one recent year, to be the…
Ace
Latin
"one, unity"
No longer tied to the hapless Ace Ventura, this jaunty, high-flying nickname name is starting to take flight among celebrity and other parents, with its countless positive references to doing well in…
Ailani
Hawaiian, Hispanic variation of Aileen or Aylin, "high chief; shining light; of the moon"
"high chief; shining light; of the moon"
Lilting and lovely, Ailani entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2016 and was a fast climbing choice in 2024 and 2025 when it climbed more than 400 places up the charts to rank in the Top 200…