I run a baby-naming site. Trends in 2024 include space-inspired names and names ending in 'ai.'

Kelly Burch
·4 min read
Newborn baby sleeping in hospital bed with name tag on the crib blank.
Gary S Chapman/ Getty Images

  • Sophie Kihm is the editor in chief at Nameberry.

  • Here, she shares seven trends that she's seeing in baby names.

  • These include character names and giving boys names that would traditionally be given to girls.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sophie Kihm is the editor in chief at Nameberry. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Naming another human is no small feat. And yet, names are impacted so much by trends in pop culture. This year, I'm seeing more parents naming children after the parents' interests, whether that's with names of characters in their favorite anime or STEM-inspired names from parents who work in science, technology, and math.

Parents are also embracing names typically given to girls — for their daughters and sons — and choosing names that are easy to pronounce in various languages.

Here are seven trends I'm seeing in the world of naming— and believe it or not, the name Seven (which has Turkish origins) is on the rise for both boys and girls.

Girl's names for boys

Historically, names have migrated from predominantly male to predominantly female. Think Leslie, Ashley, and Dana.

But these days, we're seeing parents bestow names typically given to girls on their sons. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen named their son Wren, while Rihanna used Rose as a middle name for her son Riot. This generation of parents loves to play with gender roles and social expectations, and it shows.

Here are some examples of boys' names that we're seeing rise despite the fact that they're more often used for girls:

  • Willow

  • Harlow

  • Cleo

  • June

  • Juniper

  • Jade

  • Robin

  • Winter

Adult-sounding name

These names are usually associated with older generations, having been popular decades ago. This trend can be tied right to social media, and the naming experts who remind parents that they're naming an eventual adult, not just a baby. Parents who choose these names think it's better to grow into an adult-sounding name than outgrow a baby-ish name.

For girls, these baby women names are popular:

  • Marjorie (helped along by the Taylor Swift song of the same name)

  • Martha

  • Georgine

  • Florence

  • Dolores

Popular names for little men include:

  • Lionel

  • Arthur

  • Duncan

  • Cedric

  • Harold

  • Ray

Names ending in '-ai'

So many modern families are multicultural, which contributes to this trend. Names that end in "ai" are easily pronounced in many languages, including indigenous languages, European languages, Japanese, and African languages. I like to say these names travel light, meaning they're easy to understand and pronounce anywhere.

Some of these names, like Kai, have existed for a long time. Others are modern inventions. Some of the more popular options for names are:

  • Jakai

  • Zakai

  • Adlai

  • Lorelai

  • Mordecai

  • Ozai

  • Azakai

Insta-ready names

We're all familiar with the old-time Ivy League names that portray wealth and privilege. The more modern spin on this is what I think of as "natural glamour" names. To me, these names have the same feel as the "Ballerina Farm" Instagram account: very effortless and pastoral until you pull back the layers.

Some examples for girls include:

  • Mable

  • Flora

  • Talia

  • Phoebe

  • Petra

  • Asha

For boys:

  • Killian

  • Harris

  • Magnus

  • Harvey

  • Orson

  • Archie

Names based on the parents' interests

Many parents name their children after the things that they (the parents) love, including names inspired by a favorite musical icon, book, or Anime series.

For girls, these include:

  • Collins

  • Lennon

  • Joanie

  • Marceline

  • Raya

  • Ophelia

For boys:

  • Zeppelin

  • Guthrie

  • Elton

  • Jiraiya

  • Cassian

  • Anakin

  • Chozen

Sky and space names

Another area where interest is sky-high (ha!) is names inspired by the atmosphere and weather. Sometimes, these can include space-inspired names given for a parent's love of science.

For girls, we're seeing:

  • Araceli

  • Astra

  • Cielo

  • Icelynn

  • Nova

  • Lumi

  • Sole

  • Sky

  • Stormy

For boys, the popular options include:

  • Kepler

  • Darwin

  • Edison

  • Cosmo

  • Air

  • Lightning

  • Zephyr

  • Storm

Girly girl names

For a while, it felt feminist to give girls traditionally masculine or gender-neutral names. But now we're seeing parents embrace that names can be girly but still strong. We're seeing a rise in long, elaborate names but also in shorter, cutesy names for girls. These include:

  • Winslow

  • Dorthea

  • Talula

  • Guinevere

  • Lulu

  • Pippa

  • Honey

We can never quite predict what names will be popular (I didn't think Chozen would be on this list!), but the changes and trends in baby naming keep me on my toes.

Read the original article on Business Insider