We’re almost at the end of 2022 (can you believe it!?), which means trend forecasters are looking ahead to the year ahead. They’re predicting upcoming trends in everything from future fashion, to baby names.
When it comes to names, trends are always evolving. In 2021, we were going back to classic, quintessential Australian names. In 2022, it was all about unique names, with special meanings. What will it be in 2023?
Well, the experts at Nameberry have the answers. They’ve just published a list of 10 baby name trends for 2023, set to influence parents when making that all-important choice.
“We identified these trends through a combination of data analysis — names that are rising throughout the United States, as well as names that are rising on our internal charts, based on page views,” baby-naming expert and Nameberry Editor-in-Chief Sophie Kihm told HuffPost.
“We also consider the newest names that have appeared on the charts along with the names being used by celebrities and other tastemakers, who are often ahead of the curve on baby name trends.”
Offering up examples and advice, the Nameberry experts are excited for those expecting little ones in 2023, saying that “the name pool is overall getting more diverse”.
Nameberry’s trend categories draw from a range of important societal elements, including pop culture, history and even adjectives. Below, we’ve rounded up their top 10 trends for 2023.
1. Maximalist Names
“The old adage that ‘less is more’ has lost its luster, and more is back to being more!” wrote Nameberry’s Emma Waterhouse in the report.
2023 parents are likely to lean into extravagance and drama, taking cues from old myths and pop culture hits like Bridgerton and The Witcher, as well as trending maximalist aesthetics like barbiecore.
Examples include:
Amadeus
Ambrosia
Cassiopeia
Persephone
Valerian
Wolfgang
2. Names So ‘Out,’ They’re ‘In’
Is this like Y2K fashion, but with names?
According to the Nameberry report, we should expect to see retro ’80s names (and ’80s pop culture-inspired choices) making an appearance on birth certificates in 2023.
Examples include:
Blane
Chrissy
Dallas
Ferris
Marty
Penny
3. Gilded Names
Fashion really does influence everything. With the 2022 Met Gala theme being Gilded Glamour, plus the absolute smash hit that was Bridgerton and many other adaptations of stories from the Gilded Age; it’s no huge surprise that we should expect to see a resurgence in gilded-inspired names.
Examples include:
Apollo
Golden
Lucien
Lux
Marigold
Soleil
4. Neo-Cowboy Names
“Amazon’s new sci-fi Western Outer Range propelled its protagonist’s cowboy-cool name, Royal, straight to the top of the Nameberry charts this year — surprising even us!” Waterhouse wrote.
In addition to character names from Outer Range (and Yellowstone, OFC) the experts see a clear interest in names with endings like -ett, -er and -s.
Examples include:
Abbott
Boone
Dutton
Foster
Hawkins
Wilder
5. Travelling Lite
Maximalism might be in; but not for everybody. Plenty of people still prefer a simpler approach, and more specifically; there’s an interest in shorter names ending with an i with a cross-cultural vibe ― easy enough to recognise and pronounce across multiple languages and locations.
Examples include:
Esti
Kali
Leni
Mari
Nori
Rafi
6. X-tra Names
The letter X was a common theme within many of the most popular names on Nameberry. Whether it be names that start with X, end with X or just have an X in them somewhere ― it popped up multiple times throughout the report.
Examples include:
Bronx
Felix
Huxley
Maxine
Rex
Xenia
7. Adjective Names
“From the responses we’ve gotten, many people are surprised that adjective names are rising in popularity,” Kihm told HuffPost. “This is something people heavily associate with celebrities, like Nick Cannon who has children with adjective names like Powerful, Golden and Legendary.”
Still, the data indicates that everyday parents (who are not famous) are increasingly choosing adjective names for their little ones.
“These are modern virtue names that feel intentional and active, so we’re only going to see this trend continue to grow,” she said.
Examples include:
Bright
Epic
Loyal
Lucky
Sincere
True
8. Grandpa Names for Girls
It turns out that “grandma core” goes further than just fashion.
One of the most fascinating trends on Nameberry’s list is this idea of “grandpa names” for baby girls. Whether that be an affectionate, old-person name, a name for a grandpa or perhaps a name that a grandpa gives to his wife/partner; it’s all in-keeping within this rising trend.
“Short and often nicknamey, these new old names feel sweet and in-step with the current fashion for all things retro and vintage, yet still a little edgy and subversive,” Waterhouse wrote.
Examples include:
August
Frankie
Georgie
Lou
Ozzie
Rudy
9. Blue-Green Names
We’ve always drawn inspiration from nature, places and colours when it comes to names. In the realm of hues for 2023, blue-green names are apparently having their moment.
Examples include:
Caspian
Cyan
Emerald
Forest
Moss
Sage
10. Mix-and-Match
In recent years, parents have taken to inventing their own names for their kids; as a way of making them unique and special. They often do this by adding -lynn, -leigh and -syn to traditional choices.
The experts at Nameberry predict a shift toward other endings in 2023, like -aire, -ett, -iel, -lani, -land and -wyn.
Examples include:
Beauden
Bowyn
Emberly
Kehlani
Romer
Wrenley
