The Baby Name Trends That Are About to Take Over
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A new year is coming at us full speed, and the mood is bright and fun. Mirroring the styles we’re seeing in fashion and home decor, baby names are trending vintage, lyrical, and bold. Oldies from various decades are back in action as pop culture and history books alike are informing 2023 baby name trends. Plus, we’re seeing new takes on long-standing styles (like nature names with a twist) on the rise.
And then there’s a decided “vibe shift” underlying it all: Sunny optimism, global appeal, and creative sparkle are woven throughout the baby names poised to dominate 2023. Nameberry founder Pam Redmond explains: “There’s a pop, upbeat, bright, 1920s/1960s vibe around. It's the feeling of a new world, where we're dancing as fast as we can and there's a complete reinvention of mood and style.”
Who’s in?! Take note of the best of 2023 baby name trends below, with lots of fabulous examples from the expert team of researchers at Nameberry as well as our in-house name obsessives.
Maximalist Baby Names
Reach for flowery, rich, over-the-top names and you’ll be in good company. This year, alongside the 2023 nursery trends of busy wallpaper, antique chandeliers, and baby rooms that burst with charm in an array of colors, drippy maximalist names will have a major moment.
Get inspired by Shakespeare plays, take a gander through old-world fairy tales, or consider options like these for a gorgeous baby name that stands out and feels extra-special. More is more with the lyrical, long, and lovely maximalist names poised to be chart-toppers, like:
- Amadeus
- Ambrosia
- Andromeda
- Casimir
- Cassiopeia
- Cleopatra
- Draco
- Esmeray
- Euphemia
- Evadne
- Iolanthe
- Jiraiya
- Lazarus
- Lysander
- Mazikeen
- Morpheus
- Myfanwy
- Oberon
- Octavius
- Ottoline
- Persephone
- Perseus
- Valerian
- Venus
- Wednesday
- Wolfgang
- Zebedee
- Zephyrine
In addition to Nameberry’s picks, other maximalist names we like include:
- Almondina
- Balthazaar
- Calliope
- Cenerentola
- Devereaux
- Emeraldina
- Mehitable
- Peregrine
80’s Baby Names
Nameberry is calling these “names so out they’re in,” and you know exactly what that means. Due in some part to the pop culture phenomenon that is Stranger Things; and alongside the puffy sleeves, colorful makeup and nostalgic-sounding music of today’s ‘80s obsession; names that were barely touched for decades are making a bold return.
Happily, this trend means babies will be cropping up all around you that have monikers reminiscent of your neighbors and besties from growing up. Here are some examples of ‘80s names that could explode on the charts this year:
- Billy
- Blane
- Carey
- Chrissy
- Dallas
- Dustin
- Eddie
- Ferris
- Hank
- Heather
- Jeanie
- Johnny
- Julie
- Laurel
- Marcie
- Marty
- Ned
- Robin
- Ren
- Richie
- Sandy
- Sloane
- Sonny
- Suzie
- Todd
- Travis
- Penny
- Perry
Sparkly & Gilded Baby Names
A golden era is upon us, with the pandemic in the rearview and life picking up at a peppy new pace. You’re not alone if you’ve noticed a “vibe shift” in the past year, and the new feeling is not unlike what coursed through the zeitgeist in the 1920s.
New to the scene—or making a valiant reach to popularity from obscurity—are names that sound like, or mean literally, “sun,” shades of gold, or “light.” Think of sunshine and champagne when you read the glow-y baby names poised for a time at the top:
- Apollo
- Atarah
- Aura
- Aurelia
- Elio
- Eos
- Golden
- Goldie
- Glow
- Halo
- Helios
- Lucien
- Lux
- Marigold
- Ochre
- Oriana
- Orla
- Royalty
- Shine
- Solana
- Soleil
- Sovereign
- Sterling
- Sunday
- Sunniva
- Sunshine
- Suvi
- Zora
Want more ideas that fit this trend? Check out this list of 40+ glowy and sunshiney names we put together this past summer. From Aelia to Theros, it’s packed with golden inspiration.
Little Cowboy Baby Names
Country music is experiencing crossover success, and as it follows, so are country names. This year’s Southern baby names turned popular chart-toppers are a lot less Wellington and a lot more Waylon. In other words, forget the old-money surname sounds and buckle up for a new wave of Southern Charm: the type that’s likelier found on a ranch than at a black-tie affair.
Nameberry has these cute cowboy names picked out for your babe:
- Abbott
- Beck
- Boone
- Brando
- Briggs
- Dacre
- Django
- Dutton
- Ennis
- Foster
- Hawkins
- Huck
- Jones
- Lloyd
- Reeve
- Rhett
- Rhodes
- Ridge
- Royal
- Sayer
- Steele
- Tex
- Truett
- Wade
- Walker
- Waylon
- Wilder
- Zane
Check out more of our favorite Southern baby names!
Ambiguous & Quirky Baby Names
Names that surge with global appeal are an up-and-coming baby name trend that Nameberry has dubbed “traveling lite.” These tend to be short baby names that feature cross-cultural sounds and often a nickname-y feel (think: Kai—which has long been a monosyllabic favorite!). Other names that fall into this trend include:
- Avni
- Bibi
- Esti
- Ezri
- Gigi
- Indi
- Joni
- Kali
- Kiki
- Kiri
- Leni
- Lili
- Lumi
- Mari
- Mavi
- Mimi
- Nori
- Rafi
- Rani
- Ravi
- Remi
- Rumi
- Suki
- Tavi
- Xavi
- Yoli
- Yuki
- Zuri
X Baby Names
2023 will include the X-factor, a lingering trend parents are still loving. Like many names on this list, the emerging “X” name faves have an ethereal, cool-kid vibe no matter where that special letter is placed, whether it’s beginning, middle, or end. Nameberry’s top names for 2023 containing X are as follows:
- Abraxas
- Ajax
- Beaux
- Bellatrix
- Bronx
- Calix
- Dixie
- Eryx
- Felix
- Fox
- Hendrix
- Huxley
- Jinx
- Lexington
- Maxine
- Moxie
- Nixie
- Nyx
- Onyx
- Pax
- Pixie
- Rex
- Roux
- Trixie
- Xenia
- Xerxes
- Xia
- Xiomara
Want some more X-ceptional baby name inspo? Check out our favorite names starting with X here, and note that some of these cuties have cross-trend appeal, like the maximalist Xenobia, and “travel lite” Xini.
Adjective Baby Names
A new take on the word name trend we’ve seen growing in recent years: We’re seeing descriptive words for babes. This is an adorable trend that combines our generation’s interest in aesthetics and language with an adoration for our little ones. Adjective names are impactful in that they provide a no-questions-needed way to let the world know how you feel about this baby. Some of the best adjective names that could be ready for a power position are:
- Brave
- Bright
- Celestial
- Divine
- Epic
- Eternal
- Glorious
- Heavenly
- Icy
- Legendary
- Lovely
- Loyal
- Lucky
- Majestic
- Noble
- Powerful
- Righteous
- Savvy
- Sincere
- Stellar
- Supreme
- True
- Valiant
- Wavy
- Wild
- Winsome
- Worthy
- Zealous
Grandparent Baby Names
All things vintage are being lauded right now, and old-fashioned names are no exception. Taking a look at the US Census from 100 years ago has provided a cool cheat sheet for old-fashioned baby names in recent times, as has a breeze through family albums. But this year’s parents might be taking that Granny and Grandpa baby name fixation to the next level, giving old-school boy names to their baby girls. Here are some cuter-than-cute examples:
- Andie
- Arlo
- August
- Billie
- Bobbie
- Clarke
- Davie
- Drew
- Frankie
- Gene
- Georgie
- Iggy
- Ira
- Jasper
- Joey
- Jude
- Lenny
- Lou
- Max
- Miller
- Monroe
- Murphy
- Ozzie
- Ray
- Rudy
- Scottie
- Stevie
- Teddy
If you like this idea but want to choose a name with a distinct feminine vibe, consider elongating the nickname-sounding Grandpa names for Baby’s full name. For example, “Frankie” can be short for Francesca, “Georgie” can be short for Georgina, and “Lenny” can be short for Lenora.
Blue & Green Color Names
Bright, beautiful blue is a top color for 2023, and will make its presence known on runways and hallways alike. It’s doing so on the baby name lists as well. Color names and word names in general have been picking up speed over the past several years, but 2023’s blue and green names feel extra fabulous and current:
- Azula
- Azure
- Bluebell
- Blues
- Caspian
- Cerulean
- Cielo
- Cyan
- Emerald
- Fern
- Forest
- Halcyon
- Indigo
- Ivy
- Lazuli
- Lupine
- Marina
- Mazarine
- Moss
- Navy
- Ocean
- Rainey
- Rivers
- Sage
- Sapphire
- Sky
- Storm
- Wave
Modern Invented Baby Names
Every year sees a new string of fancy baby names that show parents couldn’t find just the right fit on the lists and went rogue. 2023 will be no exception, experts say, with this year’s trend of “mix-and-match” baby names. Essentially parents are taking the syllables they like from different names and mashing them together.
As explained by Nameberry, name components set to rise “include Kai and Cy, Beau (or Bo) and Mae, Oak and Ice. And new “in” endings we’re watching include -aire, -ett, -iel, -lani, -land and -wyn.” Words and places may factor in here as well, for some super creative names that meld old and new. Examples include:
- Aylani
- Aziel
- Beauden
- Bowyn
- Caliana
- Cyaire
- Dariel
- Ellowyn
- Emberly
- Foxton
- Icelyn
- Kailo
- Kehlani
- Larose
- Levitt
- Maebry
- Maevyn
- Novarae
- Oakland
- Rhyett
- Riverly
- Romer
- Starlette
- Wayland
- Winry
- Wrenley
- Woodson
- Zakhai
Just for fun, here are a few more cute ideas for creative, mix-and-match names to consider for your 2023 baby:
- Adorabella
- Beauman
- Britfield
- Cyland
- Elizabella
- Harlyn
- Laylette
- Zyland
No matter which trend you pluck from, one thing is for sure: 2023’s baby names are bursting with vibrance that’s sure to match a beautiful new year ahead!
More Baby Name Ideas:
- The Top 1,000 Girls Names
- The Top 1,000 Boys Names
- Adorable Pairs of Twin Baby Names
- The Best Baby Names for Every Zodiac Sign
- Our Favorite Names from A to Z
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