Having a child? These are the popular baby-naming trends to know — or avoid

(NEXSTAR) – Looking for a baby name that isn’t too traditional, but still feels classic and timeless in a unique kind of way?

You and everyone else.

Couples struggling to find the perfect name for their baby have plenty of resources to help them gather a list of possible choices, from blogs and databases to the Social Security Administration itself. But as it just so happens, many of these parents-to-be are seeking the same types of names, according to professional baby name consultants who spoke with Nexstar.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to these consultants. These days, there’s a wider pool of names for consultants to study and suggest, even among many of the currently popular categories. But parents should know that some of their preferred names may not be so uncommon on the playground in a few years’ time, especially considering the cyclical nature of naming trends.

Everything old is new again

“Some people say there’s something called the 100-year rule,” says Colleen Slagen, the baby name consultant behind NamingBebe.com. “They say the names [from 100 years ago] are coming back.”

For instance, Slagen called out Millie and Hazel as two names that were popular in the 1920s (Mildred was the 19th most popular name for females that decade, while Hazel was 44th) that are both rising in the rankings once again (Millie was the 102nd most popular name for a girl in 2023, and Hazel was 19th).

Jessie Paquette, who consults with expecting parents via her TikTok account @DreamBabyNames, is a fan of this fad.

“Theodores, Eleanors, Silases, Henrys. Whenever they come up, I picture a little old accountant,” Paquette says. “I love it.”

Surnames come first

During her recent consultations, Paquette says parents are more often considering surnames — as their child’s first name.

“That’s really booming,” Paquette says.

It’s not hard to find evidence to back up her claim. Names including Rhodes, Palmer, Miller, Foster, Fletcher and Baker are among the fastest-rising names in terms of popularity, each jumping up dozens of spots (and sometimes hundreds) in the Social Security Administration (SSA) rankings between 2022 and 2023.

Perhaps even more popular, Slagen says, are Celtic or Scottish surnames, such as Callahan (460th for boys in 2023), Collins (237th for girls) and Murphy (896th in popularity for baby boys in 2023, and 519th for girls).

“They’re the new-age versions of Peyton,” Slagen says.

Gender-neutral names

The name Murphy, mentioned above, is a great example of a theme that parents are increasingly interested in, the experts say: Giving a traditionally male-sounding name to a female baby.

“Boy names for girls. That’s one of the trends that’s really booming,” Paquette says, pointing to “Scottie” as one of the most popular female baby names in the genre. (It was the 10th fastest-rising name for girls between 2022 and 2023, according to the SSA.) In fact, there were more female Scotties (481) born in 2023 than there were male Scotts (471), the data shows.

This trend has been on the rise, too. Names.org, using data from the SSA, estimated that 17% of babies born in 2023 were given gender-neutral names. But even in previous years, the fad was increasingly being embraced by parents-to-be, including Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, whose daughter James was born in 2014, and Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who welcomed daughter Wyatt the same year.

“People love a gender-neutral,” Slagen says. “They want their daughter’s name to be either exactly gender-neutral, or just a name you’d choose for a boy. Like Logan, Noah, Dylan.”

Howdy, li’l pardners

Somewhat less common (but common enough to mention) are expecting parents who come to Slagen they’re looking for “cowboy”-type names. “Like Maverick or Rhett, or the names from ‘Yellowstone,’” she says. “That’s a big trend.”

The idea of using a nickname — as a given name — is also having a moment, she says. (Think Charlie, Leo, the aforementioned Millie, etc.)

Some parents, though, are always seeking the complete opposite, Paquette warns.

“Clients tell me, ’I want a name that can’t be nicknamed,’” Paquette says. “It’s definitely a thing that is talked about.”

Whatever the request, it’s ultimately a consultant’s job to suggest names to suit the tastes of a client — and not just repeat the top-ranking names in any given “genre,” the experts say. This sometimes means searching for a less-common “cowboy”-sounding name, or compiling a list of names that feel somewhat similar to a name the client loves, but, for some reason or another, just can’t use.

“I sometimes hear that a friend or sister took [their favorite] name already,” Paquette says.

Other times, a couple just wants a name that would pay homage to their family tree — without actually naming the child after anyone in the family.

“Let’s say their grandma is Susan,” Slagen says. “OK, so I know Susan actually means ‘lily of the valley.’ So how about Lily? Or Lillian?”

Slagen and Paquette also admit that they’re often called in to give an impartial opinion when the parents just can’t agree.

“People just need help,” says Paquette. “They were reaching out … desperate for an unbiased, impartial person, when they and their partner were choosing a name.”

In those cases, the consultants do their best to weigh the pros and cons of each option, or discuss their meanings or etymologies, to see if it sparks something in her clients. Sometimes, it’s enough to just weigh the popularity of each choice, and see whether that affects the couple’s decision.

“Some people don’t care if the name is in fashion, or trendy,” says Paquette, who tells Nexstar that she rarely shoots down any of her client’s top choices, especially if they’re dead-set on a certain trend.

“If you love a name, use it,” she says.

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