Six months into 2024 and we’re now seeing several baby name trends that are going strong this year at BabyNames.com. Some of these trends are new and some have been around for a while, like the influence of celebrities, pop culture, and royal baby naming. Grandma and great-grandma names still remain strong among the baby girl names, like Hazel and Eleanor. Even Opal and Mabel have edged their way into the top 100 baby girl names. Charlotte remains strong in the top three, thanks to the UK’s royal princess and Bridgerton. We also see a strong resurgence of William from #40 to #16 among boys, which we believe is influenced by the increasing popularity of Prince William. And if you are team Harry, the boy’s name Archie is also ranking in the top 100.
Other boy names that are ranking higher this year include Gabriel (up to #6 from #15) and Alexander (up to #4 from #16), both of which are more traditional baby names, showing a possible trend back toward more the more traditional. Looking at gender-neutral names, the nature trend remains strong, with Sage remaining at #1, accompanied by Willow and Eden in the top 10. Other nature names on gender-neutral names list include Rain, River, Kai, Poppy, and Sky, and Lavender.
Unique names still remain a popular trend among all three gender categories. Girl names that stood out include Odette (#93), Clover (#79), and Elowen (#62). Unusual baby boy names that caught the eye include Callum (#33), Evander (#35), and Caspian (#43). The particularly unique and unusual gender-neutral names include Briar (18),Teagan (31), and Orion (20).
The most enduring 2024 baby naming trend from roughly the last two decades is Pop Culture–particularly the Twilight effect, named after the book and movie series. Names popular among girls that increased with the debut of these series include Alice (#32), Rosalie (#87), and Esme (#90), all of which skyrocketed among baby name popularity. Similarly, we still see among boys the Twilight-inspired names Jasper (#11), Emmett (#25), and Jacob (#92). Other books, movies, and tv series represented in this year’s trends include Game of Thrones (Arya, still ranked #6 among girls), The Fault in Our Stars (Hazel ranked #4 among girls), and even classic film names such as Rhett (#97), Scarlett (#14). And to go back even further, Shakespeare Names are hitting the charts, including Juliet (31) and Ophelia (24).
Take a gander at the top 20 baby names and see if you can detect any other trends. We’d love to hear them!
Top 20 Girl Names for 2024 (so far)
1. Violet
Violet is a name of English origin meaning a “purple/blue flower.”
2. Aurora
Aurora is a name of Latin origin meaning “dawn.”
3. Charlotte
Charlotte is a name of French origin meaning “free.”
4. Hazel
Hazel is a name of English origin meaning “the hazel tree.”
5. Amelia
Amelia is a name of Latin origin meaning “work.’
6. Aria/Arya
Arya is a name of Persian origin meaning “friend, faithful.”
7. Evelyn
Evelyn is a name of English origin meaning “desired, beautiful.”
8. Juniper
Juniper is a name of Latin origin meaning “juniper berry.”
9. Maeve
Maeve is a name of Irish origin meaning “intoxicating.”
10. Nora
Nora is a name of Irish origin meaning “honor.”
11. Ivy
Ivy is a name of English origin meaning “climbing vine plant.”
12. Ava
Ava is a name of English origin meaning “to breathe, to live.”
13. Eloise
Eloise is a name of French origin meaing “famous warrior.”
14. Scarlett /Scarlet
Scarlett is a name of English origin meaning “red.”
15. Eleanor
Eleanor is a name of French origin with an unknown meaning.
16. Sophia /Sofia
Sophia is a name of Greek origin meaning “wisdom.”
17. Audrey
Audrey is a name of English origin meaning “noble strength.”
18. Adeline
Adeline is a name of English origin meaning “noble.”
19. Isla
Isla is a name of Scottish origin meaning “island.”
20. Lily/Lilly
Lily is a name of English origin meaing “lily flower.”
Top 20 Boy Names for 2024 (so far)
1. Oliver
Oliver is a name of English origin meaning “olive tree.”
2. Silas
Silas is a name of Latin origin meaning “man of the forest.”
3. Theodore
Theodore is a name of Greek origin meaning “gift of God.”
4. Alexander
Alexander is a name of Greek origin meaning “defender of the people.”
5. Asher
Asher is a name of Hebrew origin meanign “blessed, happy.”
6. Gabriel
Gabriel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is my strength.”
7. Liam
Liam is a name of Irish origin meaning “helmet, protector.”
8. Felix
Felix is a name of Latin origin meaning “happy and prosperous.”
9. Henry
Henry is a name of German origin meaning “ruler of the home.”
10. Owen
Owen is a name of Irish origin meaning “the Yew Tree” or “youth.”
11. Jasper
Jasper is a name of English origin meaning “treasurer.”
12. Declan
Declan is a name of Irish origin meaning “full of goodness.”
13. Lucas/Lukas
Lucas is a name of Latin origin meaning from “Lucania, Italy.”
14. Sebastian
Sebastian is a name of Greek origin meaning “venerable.’
15. August
August is a name of English origin meaning “great, to increase.”
16. William
William is a name of English origin meaning “will, desire and helmet, protection.”
17. Everett
Everett is a name of English origin meaning “wild boar herd.”
18. Alastair/Alistair
Alastair is a name of Sottish origin meaning “defender of the people.”
19. Caleb
Caleb is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “whole hearted.”
20. Leo
Leo is a name of Latin origin meaning “lion.”
Top 20 Gender-Neutral Names for 2024 (so far)
1. Sage
Sage is a name of English origin meaning “herb or prophet.”
2. Rowan
Rowan is a name of Irish origin meaning “little red one.”
3. Noah
Noah is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “rest, peace.”
4. Willow
Willow is a name of English origin meaning “from the willow grove.”
5. Avery
Avery is a name of English origin meaning “elf king.”
6. Finlay/Finley
Finlay is a name of Scottish origin meaning “fair warrior.”
7. Eden
Eden is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “paradise.”
8. Flynn
Flynn is a name of Irish origin meaning “descendent of the red-haired man.”
9. Luca/Luka
Luca is a name of Italian origin meaning “from Lucania, Italy.”
10. Rory
Rory is a name of Irish origin meaning “red king.”
11. Ezra
Ezra is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “help.”
12. Riley
Riley is a name of Irish origin meaning “descendent of Roghallach.”
13. Rain/Raine
Rain is a name of American origin meaning “blessings from above.”
14. Jade
Jade is a name of English origin meaning a type of “green gemstone.”
15. River
River is a name of English origin meaning “stream of water that flows to the sea.”
16. Harper
Harper is a name of English origin meaning “harp player.”
17. Kai
Kai is a name of Hawaiian origin meaning “ocean.”
18. Briar
Briar is a name of English origin meaning “shrub, small tree.”
19. Quinn
Quinn is a name of Irish origin meaning “descendent of Conn.”
20. Orion
Orion is a name of Greek origin meaning “mountain dweller.”
Mallory Moss is the co-founder of BabyNames.com and co-host of The Baby Names Podcast. Mallory has a PhD in psychiatric nursing and has written articles for The Huffington Post on names and name trends. She has one grown daughter, Veronica, who lives in Austria.
