The Biggest Baby Name Trends of 2025
Baby name trends shift every year, influenced by pop culture, social media, and generational cycles. Here's what's shaping the baby name landscape in 2025 — whether you want to ride the wave or deliberately avoid the crowd.
Nature Names Keep Growing
The nature name trend shows no signs of slowing down. Parents are going beyond the classics (Rose, Lily) and choosing more adventurous picks:
- For girls: Wren, Juniper, Marigold, Iris, Clover, Briar, Soleil
- For boys: River, Forrest, Jasper, Rowan, Atlas, Sage, Cliff
- Unisex picks: Ocean, Sky, Elm, Reed, Ember, Winter
Celestial names are a hot subcategory — Luna continues to dominate, while Stella, Nova, Orion, and Celeste are climbing rapidly.
The Vintage Revival
Names that felt "old-fashioned" a decade ago are back in a big way. The 100-year cycle is real — names from the 1920s and 1930s feel fresh again:
- Girls: Hazel, Eleanor, Maeve, Beatrice, Ivy, Josephine, Pearl, Ada
- Boys: Theodore, Arthur, Felix, Hugo, Jasper, Silas, August, Ezra
The nickname factor drives many vintage picks. Parents love that Theodore gives you Theo, Teddy, and Ted. Eleanor offers Ellie, Nora, or Nell.
Short and Strong
Punchy one-syllable and two-syllable names are trending hard, influenced by an era of short attention spans and clean branding:
- One syllable: Wren, Jude, Kai, Quinn, Blake, Sloane, Sage, Beau
- Two syllable: Mila, Luca, Aria, Isla, Nico, Milo, Nora, Leo
Global Influences
As the world gets more connected, parents are increasingly drawing from diverse cultures:
- Japanese: Hana (flower), Kai (ocean), Sora (sky), Yuki (snow)
- Scandinavian: Freya, Astrid, Leif, Soren, Ingrid
- Arabic: Zara, Layla, Omar, Amir, Yasmin
- Italian: Luca, Matteo, Gianna, Enzo, Valentina
- Irish: Saoirse, Niamh, Cillian, Declan, Aoife
This trend reflects a desire for names that are both meaningful and distinctive — a name with cultural roots feels more intentional than a randomly invented one.
Gender-Neutral Names
Unisex names continue to grow in popularity. Some of 2025's most popular gender-neutral picks:
- Rising fast: Avery, Riley, Emerson, Rowan, Sage, Ellis, Finley
- Newer entries: Arden, Marlowe, Lennox, Sutton, Haven, Remi
Pop Culture Impact
Entertainment always influences naming trends. In 2025, watch for names boosted by:
- Streaming hits: Characters from popular series often spike name popularity within months of release.
- Music artists: Artist names and song titles regularly cross over — Billie, Dua, and Kendrick all owe some popularity to their famous bearers.
- Mythology and fantasy: With fantasy content booming, names like Artemis, Caspian, Persephone, and Thalia are gaining traction.
Names to Watch
Based on current trajectory, these names are poised for big jumps in 2025:
- Girls: Wren, Maeve, Iris, Eloise, Cleo, Margot, Thea
- Boys: Arlo, Jasper, Silas, Soren, Kit, Nico, Bodhi
- Wildcards: Cosmo, Clementine, Cove, Rune, Ember, Zephyr