These are the newborn title tendencies to look out for in 2022
New parents tend to follow certain trends when it comes to naming their babies, whether by design or not. (How many Arlos, Oscars, Finns and Emmas are in your child’s daycare class right now? And how many of you are called Jessica, Jennifer, Matthew or Michael?) Maybe you google “popular baby names” because you want to be up to date, or maybe your goal is the exact opposite: to make sure your child’s name stands out from the crowd and isn’t just a fad. Either way, it makes sense to know what kinds of names will be everywhere.
The folks from popular baby name site Nameberry are already looking ahead in the 10 trends that will make it big in the new year. Here is our breakdown of their top 10 picks.
Playful names
According to Nameberry, after the troubles of the past few years of pandemic life, people want to have more fun with their children’s names. Such cute names that are usually used for nicknames – like Bear, Baby, Ziggy, Buddy, Gigi, and Honey – are given to many newborns as their actual, real names.
Well, that’s all well and good, but we just want to remind new parents that you are not calling a baby, but a person who will eventually be a grown adult. So if you go down this route, you may want to give them a middle name that can be used as a substitute when commanding a boardroom or running for office.
(Also, be warned, if you want to name your child baby, good luck trying to give them time off when they’re older, because as we all know, no one puts baby in a corner.)
Escapist natural names
We love a Good nature name, and after being stuck in a lockdown after being locked up, it’s no surprise that parents who would normally love to travel want to name their new baby a name with an adventurous spirit. Nameberry predicts that names like Banyan, Capri, Bali, and Dune will be popular for quenching wanderlust. If you want your child’s name to be truly distinctive, consider options like Sequoia, Reef, Zephyr, or Horizon.
Names inspired by Bridgerton
Last Christmas, the steamy Netflix show Bridgerton hit the pop culture scene like a debutante dancing in a ballroom wearing the most stunning Regency-era dress. With a multitude of characters living only to attend lavish parties and spread juicy gossip, it was a sight for sore eyes in the middle of a pandemic winter. Perhaps that’s why the show inspired a renaissance of vintage names like Cressida, Eloise, Hyacinth and Daphne for girls and names like Simon, Rupert, Benedict and Albion for boys. (Of course, these names can always be used for children of any kind Gender identity.) With season two next year and new characters to meet, there is sure to be a lot more inspiration for fans expecting a baby in 2022.
Non-binary names for boys
As mentioned earlier, traditionally gender names can be used for children of all genders – there really are no rules. And with our culture, which is more and more of outdated gender norms, it is not surprising that parents give their children more gender-neutral names.
It has long been the trend to give your daughter a name that is usually given to boys (think Ryan, Dylan, Alex, and Charlie), but we haven’t really seen names go the other way – that is, through now. Next year Nameberry predicts we will see an increase in “female” names like Sasha, Blair, Wren and Shiloh for babies. Do you want to make more splash? Try Artemis, Juniper, Harlow, or Holland.
Spiritual and soul names
In a world where our children’s futures can feel so uncertain (someone can Say climate crisis?) and scary (um, ongoing global pandemic), it is understandable that some parents would want their children’s names to spark their hopes and dreams in order to anchor them in their family’s values. Because of this, you are sure to see more spiritual names in 2022, such as those based on admirable traits. (Examples: Righteous, Brave, Honor, and Truthful.) We may also begin to see names from ancient mythology or religions such as Psalm, Kali, Rishi, and Galiliee.
Names with the ending “S”
Now we have predicted the same trend again in early 2020 (Do you remember earlier times?) And it seems like this trend is unstoppable just yet. In contrast to 2020, when the trend was hardest hit by boy names (think Charles, James, Brooks, and Reeves), Nameberry predicts that the “End in S” trend will be widespread in 2022.
Regardless of your baby’s gender or gender, you can get on the trend with names like Collins, Jules, Lois, Rivers, and Emrys. But be careful parents, if you are giving your child a name that fits into this trend, be prepared to teach them the right apostrophes and possessives early on. (Is it “Wells ‘Sippy Cup” or “Wells’ Sippy Cup”? Even we are sometimes not entirely sure!)
Retro nostalgia names
Some people look back on the “good old days” for their little ones with nostalgic names like Etta, Frank, Polly, Mae and Sally. These names have a nice vintage feel to them, but in a completely different way than the fancier, fancier Regency-era names we mentioned above. They are sunny, simple and more modest, and convey a sense of comfort and stability.
Next wave music names
Musical names like Aria, Lyric, and Cadence have been on the rise with girls in recent years, but like the names ending in S-Trend, this trend is expanding its reach. More masculine, music-inspired names could appear over the next year – e.g. Major, Drummer, Sway, and Solo. Some unique, more feminine names also join the choir, such as minuet, madrigal, allegra, and coda.
Expressive “R” names
If you want your baby’s name to be cute and to the point, you should follow this trend of expressive “R” names like Rain, Ren, Revel, and Rio. Nameberry suggests that names that follow this trend make great middle names too: they’re short and simple, which adds great flow or rhythm to your child’s full name. For the more adventurous namesake, Rogue, Riggs, Rox, and Rune should be considered.
Euro chic names
Nameberry’s predictions generally reflect name trends in North America – the United States, to be precise. Because of this, some of these names may seem like classics to Europeans, but they still feel fresh and new on this side of the Atlantic. We speak of names like Cillian, Viggo, Dimitri, Stellan and Laszlo for boys and Astrid, Iskra, Petra and Oona for girls.
