The best baby names of 2022 hit all the hottest trend notes right now, blending a fashionable sound and style with influence from pop culture, current affairs and societal trends....CONTINUE READING
These top names run the popularity gamut from cool classic August — a recent royal baby name — to the as-yet-unheard-of Rhaenyra, heroine of the upcoming prequel to “Game of Thrones.”
And because 2022’s new parents will continue to find inspiration in pandemic escapism, the year’s biggest music, film and TV productions are central to the selection of today’s best names.
Arlo
Nameberry’s reigning top boy name is also one of the fastest rising across the English-speaking world, currently ranking in the Top 50 in Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, and England and Wales.
August
Already a fashionable choice, August has enjoyed plenty of time in the sun over the past year — featuring in high-profile birth announcements from Mandy Moore, Pete Buttigieg and the Queen’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie.
Aurelius
Sister name Aurelia is already hot, and Atticus and Augustus have paved the way for extravagant ancient boy names to make it back onto modern birth certificates.
Betty
Betty received a double boost recently when Taylor Swift’s song “Betty” revealed it as the name of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s youngest daughter. But we expect it to pick up even more momentum following the death of the iconic Betty White in December.
Blythe
Blythe is a sweet yet strong vintage up-and-comer with a joyful meaning perfect for these trying times.
Bridger
Despite its rarity as a name (currently at #925 in the U.S.), Bridger is a sound on everyone’s lips right now — from singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers to the hit period drama “Bridgerton.”
Bruno
Everyone’s talking about Bruno following the release of Disney’s latest animated musical “Encanto!”
Calanthe
Lovers of Callie and Calliope will appreciate this obscure yet wearable flower name, worn by a fierce queen in Netflix’s hit show “The Witcher.”
Chance
Ludacris and Eudoxie Bridges named their newborn daughter Chance in 2021, rebranding it as a fresh unisex word name with an optimistic meaning for our post-pandemic world.
Cleo
Christina Ricci surprised us all last month when she announced the name of her newborn daughter Cleopatra, who will go by Cleo.
Cosmo
Speaking of surprising celebrity birth announcements: no one saw the name of Scarlett Johansson’s second child coming! Cosmo is a fun and funky pan-European choice that finally feels ready to shake off its twin associations with cocktails and Kramer.
Daphne
“Bridgerton” gave this gentle vintage gem a slight boost in the latest official data, but a huge upsurge in pageviews over the past 12 months suggests that 2022 will be Daphne’s time to shine.
Draco
With demonic names such as Lilith, Loki, Mazikeen, Azrael and even Lucifer firmly on the baby naming map, Draco has emerged as an edgy O-ending possibility to be embraced by parents who grew up with Harry Potter and his classmates.
Eloise
This pretty yet sturdy traditional choice was Nameberry’s top girls’ name for 2021. Eloise feels both sensible and storybook, both feminine and tailored.
Emrys
Welsh Emrys is among the names moving from ancient myth and legend into the modern world.
Estella
Estella puts a fresh spin on contemporary classic Stella, with the same pretty yet steely international appeal.
Flora
Blending nature, mythology, and chic vintage charm, Flora hits so many style notes right now.
Forest
However you spell it, this ultimate woodsy boy name has serious appeal to parents dreaming of rugged pandemic escapism.
Imogen
Despite its popularity in the U.K., America is yet to embrace chic Shakespearean heroine Imogen — but that could be about to change.
Ivo
Like popular O-enders Leo, Hugo and Otto, this compact name packs a lot of punch into just a few letters.
Jonah
A gentle Biblical classic which has enjoyed a quiet resurgence in recent years as Noah starts to lose ground. Jonah’s peaceful and optimistic meaning of “dove” is a plus.
Kekoa
HBO’s “The White Lotus” was a runaway success in 2021, and its popularity could push the name of one of its young stars, Kekoa Kekumano, up the U.S. charts in the wake of contemporary Hawaiian hits like Kai and Koa.
Hollis
Snappy S-ending names are big business for boys, and we foresee this trend expanding across the gender spectrum in 2022.
Indigo
Another gender-neutral rising star — and this one comes with cool unisex nickname potential Indy.
Lark
Lark is the most fashionable new middle name for girls, taking over for Wren which took the place of Rose.
Lavender
The Pantone Color of the Year for 2022 is “Very Peri”: a bold bluish-purple, bright yet cottagecore, reminiscent of sunny Mediterranean borders in full bloom.
Lilibet
Interest in the Queen’s childhood nickname was first piqued by “The Crown,” but then Harry and Meghan shocked the world by choosing Lilibet for their daughter in June 2021.
Lux
Another nonbinary name par excellence, Lux is a sleek and lively choice that’s rising for both sexes — while remaining evenly gender-balanced.
Maeve
The “Mae” sound is huge in girl names right now: think Mabel, Maisie, Esme, and of course Mae itself. But Irish import Maeve is surely the biggest winner of all.
Magnus
Magnus is a rare yet established Scandi chic choice in the U.S. — a cool and quirky route to Gus for those who want something cooler than August.
Mirabel
Mirabel Madrigal is the beautifully named heroine of Disney’s “Encanto,” and the name has a beautiful meaning too: “wonderful.”
Oona
A fun and funky choice that puts the super stylish “oo” vowel sound from names like Luna and Juno right up front — in spelling as well as in sound.
Oren
Amazon’s eagerly anticipated “Lord of the Rings” reboot is shrouded in secrecy, but one character name that has been aired is that of the series’ main antagonist: Oren.
Otis
Cute retro Otis vaulted into the British Top 100 last year as the fastest rising boy name, boosted by Asa Butterfield’s character in “Sex Education.”
Ottilie
Ottilie recently enjoyed several months as Nameberry’s #1 girl name, following a high-profile birth announcement from British influencer Zoe Sugg. Ottilie is already a hit in the U.K., ranking in the Top 100.
Perrin
Despite only premiering in November, “The Wheel of Time” quickly became Amazon’s most watched original series of 2021 — and hero Perrin Aybara’s smart and upbeat moniker feels like it has serious baby name potential.
Prairie
With its sweet sound, nature meaning, and literary connection to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s classic “Little House on the Prairie,” Prairie’s time may finally have come!
Rhaenyra
The name of the heroine of upcoming “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” looks likely to be 2022’s answer to Daenerys, Khaleesi and Arya.
Rhodes
Scholarly and cosmopolitan, Rhodes is one of the most stylish of the new S-ending names making their mark on the American namescape.
Romy
Fashion-forward French parents are skipping long forms like Rosemary or Ramona and putting sparky nickname Romy straight onto the birth certificate — it currently ranks at #14 there.
Rue
Blending parents’ love of short, sweet middles and gender-neutral names, Rue is cropping up as a middle name in more and more high-profile birth announcements of late.
Shiloh
Shiloh is a stylish successor to Eden poised to break into the Top 500 for both sexes in the coming years.
Sienna
The most recent royal addition is Princess Beatrice’s daughter Sienna, whose name is a modern favorite in Britain and a “sweet spot” name in the U.S. — not too out there, not too popular… for now.
Sire
We’ve seen recent celebrity sons named Saint and Sir, and now Usher has welcomed baby Sire! It’s exactly the sort of bold, powerful, aspirational word name that has big baby name potential in 2022.
Taika
We’re entering the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Taika is one of the coolest names meaning “tiger,” and it’s enjoyed plenty of time in the limelight lately thanks to New Zealand actor and filmmaker Taika Waititi.
Theo
As Theodore cements its status as a popular modern classic, parents will feel increasingly emboldened to skip straight to cool short form Theo — already a Top 20 choice in nickname-loving Britain.
Vander
Netflix’s record-breaking “Arcane,” based on the popular “League of Legends” video game franchise, could push this cool character name up the charts — hot on the heels of rising star Evander.
Vincenzo
All of the Enzo names are trending — including the strong short form itself. Vincenzo has the benefit of two spiky consonants and an edgy new South Korean crime series to give it an extra shot of cool.
Wells
S-ending surnames with a watery connection — Brooks, Banks, Rivers, and Wells — are all nature-meets-surname choices set to take the U.S. by storm.
Wilhelmina
With Willow, Willa and Winnie already trending in a big way, we think extravagant vintage pick Wilhelmina is ahead of the curve.
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