So here we go again, the dreaded time of year where new mums and dads are bombarded with new and popular names to give their newborn. Some of the celebrity name choices for 2019 included Teddy, Psalm, Anaya, and many other great choices, but as ever a new year means a new list of up and coming names thought to be popular among expecting parents, as well as those predicted to be popular by sources such as the Social Security Administration. Here then, are our top picks from this year’s most popular names.
Boy
Austin
It's 2020 and the weird and wonderful world of Austin Powers is a distant memory (to the relief of many!) and so families are starting to return to this classic Texan name.
Lucius
A name to satisfy all those wanting either a name with a meaning or a pop culture reference. Lucius in Roman times was a clan name meaning light. And of course, let us not forget the notorious Lucius Malfoy from Harry Potter for those looking for a more modern pop culture edge.
Sebastian
FamilyEducation’s third most popular baby name for 2020, this name derives from the Latin for ‘venerable’ meaning worthy of respect due to age, wisdom and character
Liam
2019’s most popular name for boys doesn’t seem to be losing any popularity this year. Meaning strong-willed warrior and protector, this name also owes some of it’s success to popular celebrities such as Liam Neeson and Liam Hemsworth.
Cash
Originally being a shortened version of ancient names such as Cassius, this name could either be a tribute to Johnny Cash, or a simple reference to money itself, this name has proven itself to be popular amongst NameBerry readers with many tipping it to be a breakthrough name this year.
Girl
Adah
One of many names starting ‘Ad’ gaining rapid popularity among parents, and Adah having biblical routes has meant it is an unconventional name with deep meaning, making it ideal for parents looking for something special.
Paisley
One of the fresh faces to the world of popular baby names. Paisley has risen to no. 52 on the official names list in only just over a decade and with great Scottish roots, this name has become a great option for many parents in recent years.
Teagan
A name with both Welsh and Irish origins, this name is considered a unisex name but has been a predominantly female name for a while now with over 90% of bearers being female. This has also been seen as a nice spin on classic 90’s names such as Megan and Reagan
Billie
The never-ending success of music star Billie Eilish has seen this name rocket up the popularity levels recently and this is not expected to stop any time soon making it one of the hottest names of this year for baby girls.
Barbara
One of a number of names gaining a boost thanks to the beginning of the 20s, Barbara was a name typically popular in the Jazz Age and lost popularity very quickly after this due to its aged sound, however, it is now regaining traction among parents.
Unisex
Phoenix
Whether referring to the mythical beast, Dumbledore’s trusty companion in Harry Potter, or the popular Fall Out Boy song, the image of the phoenix has captured many peoples hearts for different reasons and they are now bringing this into their baby names and we can see why.
Rowan
A name that was out of favour during the 19th century but made a massive resurgence in the 1940s, this Scandinavia originating name refers to a tree bearing berries that were considered sacred by some of that time and is a refreshingly modern name suitable for any gender.
Remi
A lovely and simple French name, this name started gaining popularity in 2013 and hasn’t stopped since. This name has the simple meaning of ‘Oarsman’ and has gained popularity among parents for its simplicity.
What’s been Influencing names in recent years
Pop Culture
With the dominance of companies such as Netflix and Prime Video, it is no wonder that people are beginning to take inspiration from their favourite movies and TV shows. Names such as Kylo from Star Wars have been identified by the Social Security Administration as one of the fastest-growing names of the year with names from shows such as Game of Thrones and The Good Place also seeing massive growth in use.
Royalty
The royal family has always provided a positive boost to a number of different baby names, with Harry and William still being two very dependable male names and Elizabeth having had its reign over the baby girl names on a number of occasions. In more recent times, Meghan saw a 49% jump in popularity after Meghan Markle’s addition to the royal family, and Archie had already been seeing an increase in popularity before the birth of the royal baby but is now predicted to be one of the most popular names of the year.
Religious Names
One constant factor in the popularity of different names is their religious value. Names such as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have been constantly popular due to their biblical significance, in different religions, names such as Mohammed and shortenings of this are constantly popular for similar reasons. It is these
20’s resurgence
We’re into the 20s! And many people are taking this as an opportunity to revive some of the names of the time, Jazz Age names such as Frank, Ruth and Virginia have made a staggering reappearance with some names of the age being up to 17% more used.
