Experts say new parents love these 4 baby name trends

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

You and everyone else.

Couples struggling to find the perfect name for their baby have numerous resources to help them compile a list of possible names, from blogs and databases to the Social Security Administration itself. But as luck would have it, many of these parents-to-be are searching for the same 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 larger pool of names for consultants to examine and suggest, even in many of the currently popular categories. However, parents should know that some of their preferred names may not be so uncommon on the playground in a few years, especially given 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 example, Slagen cited Millie and Hazel as two names that were popular in the 1920s (Mildred was the 19th most popular female name that decade, while Hazel was 44th) and both of which are rising in the rankings again (Millie was the 102nd most popular girl’s name in 2023, and Hazel was 19th).

Jessie Paquette, who advises expectant parents on her TikTok account @DreamBabyNames, is a fan of this trend.

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

Last names come first

In her recent consultations, Paquette said parents are increasingly considering surnames as first names for their child.

“It’s really booming,” says Paquette.

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

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

“They are the New Age versions of Peyton,” says Slagen.

Gender-neutral names

The name Murphy mentioned above is a great example of a topic that experts say is increasingly of interest to parents: giving a female baby a traditionally male-sounding name.

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

This trend is also on the rise. Names.org estimated, using data from the SSA, that 17% of babies born in 2023 would be given gender-neutral names. But even in previous years, the trend was increasingly adopted by expectant parents, including Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, whose daughter James was born in 2014, and Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who had their daughter Wyatt that same year.

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

Hello, little partners

A little less common (but common enough to mention) are parents-to-be who come to Slagen looking for “cowboy”-style names. “Like Maverick or Rhett or the names from ‘Yellowstone,'” she says. “It’s a big trend.”

The idea of ​​using a nickname – as a first name – is also trending right now, she says. (Think Charlie, Leo, the aforementioned Millie, etc.)

However, some parents always strive for the exact opposite, warns Paquette.

“Clients tell me, ‘I want a name that can’t be used as a nickname,'” says Paquette. “That’s definitely something that’s being talked about.”

Whatever the request, it’s ultimately a consultant’s job to suggest names that suit a client’s tastes — not simply repeat the most popular names in a particular “genre,” the experts say. This sometimes means looking for a less common “cowboy”-sounding name, or compiling a list of names that are similar to a name the client likes but just can’t use for some reason.

“Sometimes I hear that a friend or sister has already taken (their favorite) name,” says Paquette.

In other cases, a couple simply wants a name that honors their family tree without naming the child after anyone in the family.

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

Slagen and Paquette also admit that they are often called in to provide an impartial opinion when parents simply cannot agree.

“People just need help,” says Paquette. “They were desperate for an unbiased, impartial person as she and her partner were choosing a name.”

In these cases, counselors try to weigh the pros and cons of each option or discuss their meanings or etymologies to see if they resonate with their clients. Sometimes it’s enough to simply weigh the popularity of each choice and see if that influences the couple’s decision.

“Some people don’t care if the name is fashionable or trendy,” says Paquette, who tells Nexstar that she rarely turns down her clients’ top choices, especially if they’re dead set on a particular trend.

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