After analyzing the names that our users are adding to their favorite name lists, we’ve compiled a list of the trending baby names for 2023 (and beyond)! As for categories, “Interstellar” or “Space Names” are on the rise and will remain popular for the next couple of years. Alternative or “Kreatyve” spellings of more common names – like Ryleigh v. Riley – are on the outs! We guess people are taking our advice and not burdening their child with a name they have to spell their entire lives. And finally, gender-neutral names are in! As the concept of gender becomes non-binary, parents are adjusting their name choices to reflect this new era.
Top 20 Girl’s Names for 2023:
The “V” sound in girl’s names is still holding strong with names like Violet, Ivy, Ava, Olivia, Evelyn, Maeve and Genevieve (with two)! “Grandma” names are dropping off slightly with more other-worldly names like Aurora, Aria, and Luna replacing them.
- Aurora
- Hazel
- Charlotte
- Amelia
- Violet
- Nora
- Ivy
- Aria
- Ava
- Eleanor
- Ophelia
- Iris
- Luna
- Olivia
- Adelaide
- Evelyn
- Maeve
- Wren
- Sophia
- Genevieve
Top 20 Boy’s Names for 2023:
We see Atlas rising fast, perhaps an alternative to Atticus which had been trending in the past 5-8 years. Irish/Celtic names like Finn, Declan and Liam are still on the top twenty but losing a bit of popularity. Expect names of gods and strength to rise on the charts like Atlas and Apollo!
- Asher
- Theodore
- Henry
- Oliver
- Noah
- Elijah
- Finn
- Gabriel
- Declan
- Felix
- Jasper
- Benjamin
- Silas
- Liam
- Sebastian
- Theo
- Atlas
- Isaac
- Arthur
- Alexander
Top 20 Gender Neutral Names for 2023:
Noun names are always very popular as gender-neutral baby names, because in English, we don’t give nouns genders. So you’ll see River, Raine/Rain, Willow, Sage, Echo and names from the natural world trending for gender-neutral names. Also surnames like Logan, Riley, Harper and Becket. We also see Nova and Ember which symbolize light, and the mythologically-based Phoenix!
- River
- Logan
- Orion
- Finley
- Kai
- Avery
- Raine
- Rowan
- Quinn
- Willow
- Sage
- Riley
- Echo
- Harper
- Beckett
- Nova
- Ember
- Cameron
- Phoenix
What influences baby name trends?
There can be many factors to name trends. One can be just a sound, like names that start with A or that have a V in them. Remember the Aiden, Brayden, Caden trend? That’s was based on phonics (sounds) of names that became popular.
Pop culture can also have a huge influence on baby naming, from beloved characters (think Twilight) to celebrity baby names.
And then there can be other influences, like the ability to dive into your family tree and see generations of names dating back hundreds of years. That could very well have influenced the popularity “old fashioned” or “grandma” names.
We do know that parents are avoiding more popular names, and because of this, the name trends are turning over more quickly. Once a name hits number one (like Liam) it will quickly fall out of favor. Parents are now looking for more unique baby names.
What names and/or trends do you think will be popular in the next year? Join us on our Facebook Group to discuss this and other name topics!
Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.
Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.
