The baby names trends of 2023 is already a hot topic with the new year just around the corner. Experts predict the latest cohort of newborns could reflect a palpable shift in mood and style.
Given the historic events of the last few years, forecasters believe baby names will be a reaction and rebellion to the state of the world. As parents consider identity, image and quick-changing trends, experts say the next era of popular baby names will be looking on the bright side.
Pam Redmond, founder of the baby name website Nameberry, explained: "There's a pop, upbeat, bright, 1920s/1960s vibe around. Feeling of a new world, dancing as fast as we can. A complete reinvention of mood and style."
"As in the 1920s and 60s, there's a wish to leave everything from the 'before' times behind. In the 20s, it came after the flu epidemic, World War I, the revolutions. In the 60s, it followed World War II and the conservative 1950s. At both junctures feminism was a force. Social mores loosened a lot."
How will this manifest in baby name trends? Here, Nameberry goes on to share their predictions for 2023.
At a fundamental level, we're seeing an unprecedented fragmentation of fashionable names and styles right now. Today's parents, along with society as a whole, are more individualistic than ever before. But political and cultural events of recent years have also given rise to an increased sense of tribalism.
We expect to see many more micro-trends – highly localised, social group-specific, "viral" fashions – and an end to era-defining styles that cut across the whole population.
The cycle of fashion will speed up as our online world causes trends to hit faster and harder. Social media and pop culture (over)exposure are already making names and styles feel played out at the point where, in previous generations, they would only just have been catching on.
Image, identity and values are uppermost in new parents' minds. Today's baby namers are more conscious than ever about the statement their choice makes: about them, about their family identity, about their place in the cultural context.
Pam added: "There's a sea change upon us. Exactly how that will play out over the next ten years in terms of which names are up, which down, is more difficult to predict than the overall feeling that things are going to change a lot. The mood of names is going to change along with the mood of people."
Read on for 10 key baby name trends Nameberry is watching for 2023.
1. Maximalist names
The old adage that "less is more" has lost its lustre, and more is back to being more!
Opulence, decadence and drama are highly attractive to the new parents of 2023, after years of restraint both stylistic – think Marie Kondo, all-white interiors, eco everything – and literal, with the impact of the pandemic restrictions.
Recent pop culture phenomena from Bridgerton to The Witcher to The Sandman have popularized maximalist aesthetics such as dark academia, high fantasy and regencycore.
And the impact of this on our tastes in everything from clothing to graphic design to, yes, baby names is starting to play out.
Extravagant options like Amadeus and Astrophel , Myfanwy and Mazikeen are among the fastest-rising names on Nameberry so far this year.
Maximalist names hail from myth and legend, from history and fantasy, from literature and anime. But they are united by their strong sounds, gravitas, and confident main character energy.
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
2. Names so out they're in
Call it the Stranger Things effect. 2022 has given us the return of the mullet, Kate Bush back at #1, and nostalgic 80s clothing and makeup styles trending.
And we predict that 2023 will see the start of a revival of 80s inspired names by ahead-of-the-curve admirers of this retro style.
We're not expecting a surge in babies named Jessica or Michael, the top girl and boy names of the 1980s – at least not yet. Instead, we're watching the more era-evoking choices that came of age around the same time as lumberjack shirts, leg warmers and bomber jackets.
Names in this category include character names from 80s pop culture classics, like Ferris , Marty and Sloane , as well as Stranger Things names and others with the same cozy, even kitschy, retro feel.
By rights, these names should be at the height of unfashionableness… and yet. Their nostalgic charm and countercultural appeal really speak to the current zeitgeist.
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
3. Gilded names
The future's golden! Shimmering, shining, gilded names are shaping up to be one of the top trends of 2023. Parents are actively seeking names that feel bright, luxurious and optimistic.
Golden names include those that directly reference the precious metal – such as cool retro nickname Goldie , new to the Top 1000 last year.
But also among the gilded names we're watching are sun deities like Apollo and Helios , names meaning gold or light like Aurelia and Lux , and rich regal names like Atarah and Sovereign .
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
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!
Amid the turmoil of the past few years, we've seen interest in rugged, outdoorsy, back-to-basics style names positively booming. With modern life feeling increasingly uncertain and destabilising, parents are gravitating towards themes of nature, rural living, and simpler times.
Neo-cowboy names evoke this rugged ideal, but they also feel bang on trend for 2023. Think stylish name sounds like the -ett, -er and -s endings, or choices with recent celebrity endorsement, like Brando , Tex and Wilder .
We'll also be watching character names from the coolest new Western shows, from Outer Range 's Royal and Rhett to Yellowstone's Dutton to 1883's Ennis .
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
5. Traveling lite names
Until recently, parents searching for cross-cultural baby names tended to turn to the classics. Options like Anna or Leo might not be unique, but they're instantly recognisable and pronounceable in many different languages.
But today's parents aren't willing to sacrifice individuality in pursuit of international appeal. The coolest new cross-cultural names are fresh, funky and light. Chameleon-like, they travel seamlessly between languages and cultures without feeling too strongly tied to any in particular.
A and O endings are still big, but the hottest new choices in this category fit a very specific formula: four letters, two syllables, ends in I. This name shape hasn't been mainstream cool since the midcentury era of Lori , Teri and Geri , but it's about to come back with a bang!
Pop culture and celebrities are boosting options like Bibi and Gigi , Rani and Rumi , Nori and Lili . The latest example to leap up the Nameberry charts is Leni , chosen for his daughter by British fitness influencer Joe Wicks earlier this month.
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
6. X-tra names
The new parents of 2023 are looking for names with the X factor! Beginning, middle or end, X is without doubt the coolest letter of the moment.
Interestingly, the X names trending right now on Nameberry are drawn from a wide variety of styles and sources. Mythological heavyweights like Abraxas and Xerxes , pop culture picks like Bellatrix and Hendrix , quirky traditionals like Felix and Maxine … The one thing that unites them is that edgy letter X.
Even the undisputed king and queen of unconventional baby names, Elon Musk and Grimes, can't escape this trend! Their two children are X Æ A-Xii (known as X) and Exa Dark Sideræl.
Most parents won't go quite that far in 2023, but expect to see more of X-tra names like Beaux and Calix , Huxley and Onyx .
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
7. Adjective names
A huge celebrity trend right now, adjective names take fashionable word names to the next level.
Early adopter Nick Cannon has sons Moroccan , Golden and Legendary , as well as daughter Powerful . Other recent high-profile examples include Chris Brown's daughter Lovely , Jessica Hart's son Glorious , and Lucky Blue Smith's baby boy Slim Easy – continuing the family tradition!
As modern virtue names, adjectives carry even more punch and power than nouns. They feel more intentional than aspirational – reflecting the shift in mood away from the powerlessness many have felt in recent times, towards a brighter and more determined future.
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
8. Grandpa names for girls
Bye bye, Elsie . Hello, Ozzie ! One of the most fun trends we see emerging into 2023 is a whole club of so-clunky-they're-cute grandpa names on the rise… for baby girls.
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. The next generation of parents is all about playing with expectations, embracing incongruity, and reinventing tired trends in novel ways.
The hottest new upstart in this category is Max . Featured prominently in not one but two hit series this year, Stranger Things and A League of Their Own, it also boasts that stylish X and a strong yet easygoing charm. Watch this space!
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
9. Blue-Green Names
Paint brand Glidden recently announced its colour of the year for 2023 as Vining Ivy. It's a deep shade of "bluish-greenish-something-in-betweenish" inspired by themes of calmness, reflection and the environment.
Indeed, many of the blue-green names we see trending right now are drawn from nature. Deep green names like Forest , Emerald and Moss , as well as brighter blues like Lazuli and Cyan – the name chosen by supermodel Adriana Lima for her son last month.
Other recent celebrity babies on the blue-green spectrum include Michael Bublé 's daughter Cielo , Darren Criss' Bluesy , and Camilo and Evaluna Montaner's baby girl Indigo .
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
10. Mix and match names
What's the best way to ensure a unique, or at least highly unusual, name for your baby? Invent your own!
The parents of 2023 and beyond will start to move away from the overexposed -lynn, -leigh and -syn style endings that characterised Millennial baby names. Instead, they'll draw on a fresher bank of fashionable components to create novel names that still fit current trends.
Name components we expect to see rising 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.
We also predict an uptick in modern compound names in the British mould, with trendy elements like Luna , Nova and Rae replacing the traditional Southern-style double names based on mostly Biblical classics.
It doesn't matter whether or not these names happen to have history as authentic surnames, place names, on-trend international names, and so on – as long as they sound and feel like a vibe.
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
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