Baby Name Popularity and Trends
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A+ Baby Names
A is the hottest first initial around these days, with many baby names that start with A rising most quickly up the ranks. Why? It's partly an overall fashion for vowel baby names and partly that we associate the letter A with excellence. And studies prove that children whose names start with A actually do better in school than those whose names begin with D or F.
The hottest A baby names today:
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Antique Baby Names Back in Style
Vintage baby names have been on the rise for several years now, with some antique names climbing popularity lists and reaching the heights of style. If you like vintage or classic baby names that have been in hiding for a few generations, one of these may appeal to you -- but don't be surprised if you meet a lot of other babies with these historic names.
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Baby Names Ending in Ley
Ashley started it, and today there is a whole raft of stylish baby names that end with ley -- if not literally those letters, then at least the sound. Most ley baby names are for girls but some work for boys too. The downside: The ley ending is so trendy that baby names that carry it can feel more popular than they are. There are also lots of names that end in lee, lie, lea, ly, and so one that produce the same trendy sound. The prime baby names that end in ley include the following.
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Baby Names from Children's Books
Names from books are stylish right now, and none more so than baby names from children's books, typified by such high-rising choices as Eloise, Sawyer, and Madeline. Beloved books from childhood can be a wonderful source of names with deep personal meaning and worthy literary namesakes. Here are 100+ of the most iconic baby names inspired by children's books.
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Baby Names from the 1920s
Baby names from the 1920s are due to come back into style, following the Hundred Year Rule. Top names of the 1920s include those on this list that were in the Top 50 in that decade but are not as widely-used today. 1920s names we are starting to hear include Florence and Frances, Hazel and Louise for girls; Arthur and Harry, Walter and royal baby name Louis for boys. Many of the 1920s names sound serious to contemporary ears, with their (often) two-syllable rhythm and consonant endings. These 1920s baby names may be the names of your great-grandparents and so have family meaning for you, or simply have not been stylish in so long that they're ready for a comeback. Browse the prime baby names from the 1920s here.
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Baby Names from the 1930s
Baby names in the 1930s took a serious turn, with many names popular in that decade feeling decidedly out of style today. But given the Hundred Year Rule, we see names from the 1930s starting to feel more appealing over the coming decade, so we may be in for a new generation of girls named Barbara and Joan and boys called Ronald and Howard. These names from the 1930s may be familiar to you via grandparents or great-grandparents or other older relatives born in the first half of the 20th century. If you are interested in exploring names from the 1930s for your baby, browse the selection here drawn from the Top 50 for that decade but relatively rare today.
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Baby Names So Far In They're Out
One of the cornerstones of our work reinventing the way people look at baby names is our list of So Far In They're Out Names. These are trendy names, those that are very in today (or this decade) but are likely to be very out tomorrow. Being popular is not enough to land a name on this list: Names such as Emma and Noah, Charlotte and James may move in and out of fashion but they're hardly trendy. Names here are those that are very very in....until they're very very out.
The up side of trendy names: Kids usually like having names that help them fit in with the crowd, they're easy to understand, they're perfectly in style. The downside: They tend to move out as precipitously as they came in and to linked forever more to this era. Examples of past names that were so far in they were out include Jennifer and Jason, Jessica and Joshua, Ava and Aiden, Katelyn and Kevin. Names that are So Far In They're Out today might include: -
Baby Names With Repeating Sounds
We're in a nickname-friendly era, and these adorable double baby names like Coco and Lulu are in keeping with that trend.
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Belles of the Ball
With Isabella in the Top Ten Girls' names, many other names that end with bel, belle, and bella (including Belle and Bella themselves) are under consideration by modern parents. Here, a roundup of the Belles among girls' names.
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Best One-of-a-Kind Names for Boys
Unusual names that nobody (yes, really!) is using for their baby boys in America include the following, which all ranked below the five-baby cutoff to make the Social Security tally in 2016. Included here are many unusual yet classic boys' names as well as fresh, creative choices. If you are looking for truly unique names for your baby boy, any of these would be excellent choices.
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Best One-of-a-Kind Names for Girls
Unusual names that nobody (yes, really!) is using for baby girls in the US include the following, all ranking below the five-baby cutoff necessary to make the Social Security extended list in 2016. Among these truly unique girl names are many classic choices as well as new and unusual name ideas. If you want a truly unique name for your baby girl, any of these are excellent suggestions.
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Boy Baby Names Moving Up Fast
Boys' baby names moving quickly up the popularity ladder, according to our deep dive into US statistics, include:
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Boy Names ALWAYS in the Top 1000
There are just over 200 baby boy names that have been on the Top 1000 since 1880, when the U.S. Social Security office began tracking baby names. The classic boy names here are included among that elite that has been perennially popular. For the full group plus analysis, see our blog on perennially popular boy baby names.
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Boy Names Trendier Than You Think
The trendiest baby boy names may be a very different group than you'd guess, especially for the first-time parent new to recent baby-naming fads and trends. Here, some surprisingly trendy baby names for boys.
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Celebrity-Inspired Baby Names
Many of the hottest baby names today are inspired by celebrities. These are not celebrity baby names but the names of celebrities that have been widely adopted as names for babies. Here are the star-inspired names that are rising through the ranks.
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Cool Baby Names That Start With L
Baby names that start with L are intrinsically lovely, luscious, lilting -- and among the most stylish of our era. Here, a list of some of the most intriguing L-starting baby names.
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Country Music Baby Names
The new crop of Country Music Baby Names aren't quite as down-home as they used to be. They've shaken off the hayseed image and would be equally at home in New Jersey as Nashville. The names of country music stars inspiring parents as baby names today include:
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Designer Baby Names
Designer kids' clothes these days often have adorable brand names--names that would be equally stylish baby names on your own little boy or girl. Here's a selection of some of the best designer baby names from Agatha to Zella.
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English Word Names
English names might be easiest to define when they're actual word names drawn from the English languages and transformed into baby names. This genre has grown tremendously in the past decade, to the point that now parents are creating names from words they love or that have a symbolic meaning in English along with other languages such as Spanish, French, or Italian. Of course, there is also a long tradition of English names that were originally flower or place or inspirational or other word names, most notably practiced by the Puritans. At this point, words like Iris or Mercy or Christian have been used so long as names that they are solid entries in the name lexicon apart from their original connection to the words that inspired them. Today, celebrities are often coining names from English words -- think North, Saint, Bear -- and so helping to popularize not just the specific names but the whole concept. And stars from Drake to Rebel Wilson have driven the word name idea home. Now, almost any English word is fair game for transformation to a baby name. And if you're not adventurous enough to use these new word names as first names, you might want to consider them as middle names to add uniqueness and meaning.Newer English word names finding wide favor include the following.
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Fashionable Classic Baby Names
Can classic baby names also be fashionable? We think so: Witness several of the centuries-old names at the top of the popularity list today. There are other names that are both classic and stylish even if they're not yet visibly in the Top 100. Of course, not every classic name is fashionable or vice versa, but these qualify.
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Favorite Names on Nameberry
Nameberry visitors are more intelligent and sophisticated and have more style than the average baby namer -- of course we do -- and the names we love often become future favorites on the official popularity lists. Many of the baby names beloved on Nameberry are also popular among the rest of the country, but the names here are loved significantly more on Nameberry. These Nameberry favorite baby names are destined for more widespread appreciation.
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Girl Baby Names Moving Up Fast
Baby girl names moving quickly up the popularity ladder include the following. Expectant parents who are looking for a girls' name for the first time, be warned: Many of these names may seem strange and unusual to you. But according to statistics, all these names for girls are becoming more popular in recent years.
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Girl Names ALWAYS in the Top 1000
These perennially popular girl names have all appeared on the Top 1000 list for every year since the U.S. government started keeping records in 1880. While many are names you'd expect to be classics, such as Elizabeth and Sarah, there are lots of surprises here.
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Girl Names Trendier Than You Think
The trendiest baby girl names may be a very different group than you'd guess, especially for the first-time parent new to recent baby-naming fads and trends. Here, some surprisingly trendy names for baby girls.
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Gladiator Baby Names
Gladiator baby names -- boys' names from Ancient Rome -- are suddenly hot again after a couple of millennia, thanks to Hunger Games, HBO's Rome, Atticus Finch, and Russell Crowe. If you're looking for a baby name for your own little gladiator -- or emperor or god, for that matter -- consider the following.
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Hipster Baby Names
The hipster baby names most often heard around Brooklyn, Austin and Madison these days (though we can't resist pointing out that the names Brooklyn, Austin and Madison are nowhere among them).
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Hot Celebrity Baby Names
Many celebrity baby names have crossed over to widespread use among the rest of us. What happens is that a celebrity chooses a distinctive name for their child, we are inspired by its style and originality, and decide to give our baby that name too. Here, names chosen for celebrity babies that have become most popular and influenced baby name trends.
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Irish Baby Names
Irish baby names on Ireland's recent Top 100 popularity list include the following native choices. Click here for the full list of Irish baby names on Nameberry.
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Kool K Baby Names
Spelling baby names with a K, whether they started out being spelled that way or not, may be one of the hottest trends of our time, inspired by the K-named Kardashians. Some of the koolest new K baby names:
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Latin Baby Names
Latin culture is having an important influence on the United States, and that includes Latin baby names. Baby names that a generation ago might have been used exclusively by Hispanic parents are now filtering into the mainstream. Here, some Latin baby names increasing in popularity.
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Mermaid Baby Names
Mermaid baby names of myth and popular culture are a lovely group and may prove inspiration for your little water baby. See our blog for more on mermaid baby names.
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Modern Hero Baby Names
Modern hero baby names might be inspired by stars of screen or sports or literature or by heroes and heroines of the past or of fiction who still inspire us today. Cool modern hero names are usually surnames used as firsts. Here are some of the hottest modern hero baby names.
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Most Popular Names for Dogs
The top dog names today are also baby names. While there is no authoritative list by country of popular names for dogs, different organizations such as the American Kennel Club and locales like New York City keep their own lists of popular dogs names. While the dog names here appear in different order on different lists, here is our compilation of the 20 most popular names for dogs today.
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Names from the 1900s
The Turn of the Century -- the 20th century, that is -- featured some baby names newly back in style and others still moored in that long-ago era. Sourced from the Top 50 of the decade from 1900 to 1910, here is a list of popular baby names which are relatively rare today.
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Names from the 1910s
Classic names from a century ago are featured on this list, sourced from the era of The Great War, from the 1910 to 1920. These classic names were in the Top 50 then but many are relatively rare today.
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Names from the 1940s
Names from the 1940s' Top 50 may be those of your mom and dad, one generation shy of sounding cool today. Many of these names are classics that were revived for the first generation of post-World War II babies, the oldest Baby Boomers. Expect to start hearing them on babies again in 20 years.
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Names from the 1950s
Baby names from the 1950s epitomize the Baby Boom. These are the names of today's grandmas and grandpas, not quite baby ready for a another generation. Sourced from the 1950s' Top 50, here is a list of popular baby names from that decade which are relatively rare today.
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Names from the 1960s
Names from the 1960s Top 50 which are relatively rare today include the following.
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Names from the 1970s
Names popular in the 1970s are the names of many of today's parents, not their children. Sourced from the 1970s 'Top 50, here is a list of popular baby names then which are relatively rare today.
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Names from the 1980s
Names from the Decade of Decadence are the names of the new moms and dads of today. Sourced from the 1980s'US Top 50, here is a list of popular American names from the 1980s that which are relatively rare today.
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Names from the 1990s
These popular American names were used relatively more often for babies born in the US in the 90s than they are today. Many of these names are more likely to be the names of American moms than American babies. If the Hundred-Year Rule continues to hold, we can expect to see these names on babies at the end of the 21st century.
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Names Girls Love Having
What little girl wouldn't want to be named Princess? Or, next best thing, Belle or Jasmine. You can count on your young child to thank you for giving her one of these names, though a teenage or grownup daughter may wish for something a bit less fanciful.
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New Baby Names on the Rise
These new baby names have only recently been born, but are rising through baby names popularity lists and we predict will be used more frequently in the future. The new baby names to pay attention to include the following.
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Number One Baby Names
Baby names that have achieved the top standing in the U.S. are an elite group. Since the beginning of American baby-naming time, 1880, there have been only 16 baby names that have reached Number One, with Emma and David only touching the top for one year each and Ashley for just two. The all-time Number One baby names in the U.S. are:
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Old-Fashioned Baby Names
Old-fashioned baby names sound new again: We mean the gently old-fashioned vintage names last popular a century ago. Some of the old-fashioned baby names recommended for your consideration today include:
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Popular Baby Names 2017
What are the most popular baby names of 2017? The baby names here are drawn from the lists of most popular names along with names that capture the spirit of the year. Also see the official lists of popular baby names from around the world.
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Popular Baby Names for Boys
The list of popular baby names for boys in the U.S. is more straightforward than the girls' list, which is skewed by spelling variations. Except for the Aiden/Caden/Jaden names, which are more popular than they look on the national list because of their many variations, most of the popular baby names for boys exist in one form only. Here, the current 25 most popular baby names for boys.
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Popular Baby Names for Girls
The most popular baby names for girls in the U.S. are tallied every year by the Social Security Administration, but the government list counts each spelling separately, masking the true popularity of baby names with many variations such as Lily or Isabella. Here, the 25 baby names that in all their different forms are the most popular names for girls.
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Popular Bible Baby Names
Bible baby names have been among the most popular classic names over the past several decades. Old Testament Names for boys, particularly, have been high on the popular baby names list, but some Biblical girls' names are also longtime classic favorites. Here's a selection of the most popular Bible baby names for someone who wants a historic name that also feels right for a contemporary child.. For more unusual yet still classic name choices, you might also want to check the Cool Bible Baby Names list.
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Popular Irish Baby Names
Popular Irish baby names are very different in the US and in Ireland, with selections from each country rarely heard in the other. For more details on which Irish names are popular where, go to our popular names page. These are the most popular Irish names for boys and girls in both countries, and among Nameberry visitors. You can also check out our curated lists of our favorite Irish baby names for boys and girls.
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Popular Italian Baby Names
We include hundreds of Italian baby names on Nameberry, but which are most popular among parents in Italy? According to the most recent statistics, these are the top 100 names for babies in Italy, including Italian names along with English or mutli-cultural names popular in Italy.
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Popular Nicknames
Popular nicknames may be used on their own on the birth certificate or might be short forms for proper names ranging from the common to the unusual. The nicknames here rank highly on both the US and the British lists of popular baby names. These top nicknames are friendly and likeable, but may be much more pandemic than you guess given that they're used as diminutives for such a wide range of names. Don't be surprised if your little Ellie or Jack is one of many on the playground!
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Popular Unisex Baby Names
Popular unisex baby names are rising up the lists these days for both girls and boys. The most popular unisex names for girls include Avery, Riley, and Harper. For boys, the top unisex names are Carter, Dylan, and Lincoln. Most unisex names lean at least slightly towards one gender or the other, though there are some names that feel unisex but are really used nearly exclusively for girls or boys: Addison and Madison are examples of popular names for girls that may have started out as boys' names and moved into the unisex category, but are now squarely on the girls' side. The names on this list are given to at least 10 percent of the minority sex and rank among the most popular gender neutral names today.
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Stylish L Baby Names
L is the letter that lends style to almost any name that contains it these days, whether at the beginning, in the middle, or -- most fashionably of all -- in a couple of different places. Also stylish are baby names that not only contain the letter L but its sound, as in Ella and Elliot. Here, fashionable baby names made all the lovelier by the letter L.
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Unusual Baby Names
Unusual baby names come from a range of categories, from ethnic names to place names to word names to surnames used as first names. The best unusual names are distinctive without being strange, seem unique yet are also easy to understand. Of the thousands of unusual baby names on nameberry, here are some of our favorites.
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Urban Prairie Names
Urban Prairie is the hottest new style on the fashion runways, and one that translates perfectly to baby names. These names are a little bit city and a little bit country, sophisticated yet artless, traditional yet edgy, so far out they're very very in.
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Vintage Baby Names
Vintage baby names are among the most fashionable today, for girls as well as boys. Choosing a vintage name can give you the best of all worlds, drawing on classic inspiration with modern style. Vintage baby names are drawn from the popularity lists of a hundred years ago, from classic literature along with biblical and royal sources. Here, a list of the vintage baby names stylish today.
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Vintage Baby Names for Boys
Vintage baby names for boys are in style now, along with vintage clothes and furniture. The most popular and stylish vintage baby names for boys include the following.
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Vintage Baby Names for Girls
Vintage baby names for girls are as chic as vintage clothes and furniture. The vintage baby names for girls that are most stylish today include the following.
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Vowel Baby Names for Boys
Baby names that start with vowels are growing the most in popularity. Here, some of the best baby names for boys starting with A, E, I, O, and U.
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Vowel Baby Names for Girls
Many of the coolest baby names seem to start with vowels these days. Here are some cool baby girl names starting with A, E, I, O, and even U.
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Yupster Baby Names for Boys
Yupsters -- a blend of yuppies and hipsters -- prefer baby names that are to the left of the most popular list but far to the right of most choices on this site. The Yupster Baby Names are classic as well as cool, embodying style along with history. The only problem is that you may hear them far more than you want to in the years to come.
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Yupster Baby Names for Girls
Yupsters -- a blend of yuppies and hipsters -- prefer baby names that are to the left of the most popular list but far to the right of most choices on this site. The Yupster Baby Names are classic as well as cool, embodying style along with history. The only problem is that you may hear them far more than you want to in the years to come.
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