Names that Peaked in 2022
- Leonel
Origin:
Variation of LionelDescription:
A variation of Lionel that has made slow but steady gains in recent years, perhaps helped by the resurgence of Leo.
- Emersyn
Origin:
Spelling variation of Emerson,Description:
Parents of female Emersyns will say this Emerson variation's Y makes it more feminine -- and to some extent, it does. This, combined with the trendy Y, have flagged this name as on-the-rise. "Em" names have been hot for girls in recent years, from the classic Emma, Emily, and Emilia to the modern Emery and Ember — and both Emerson and Emersyn are no exception. Emersyn entered the charts in 2019 and has been rising since, all the way up to the Top 200.
- Crue
Origin:
Variation of Crew, English word nameDescription:
Crew x True = Crue. This on-trend name — short and punchy with popular sounds —is rising for a reason. Crue entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022, following in the footsteps of trendy Crew and Cruz.
- Shepard
Origin:
Occupational nameMeaning:
"sheep hearder"Description:
A phonetic variation of Shepherd, an occupational surname. Sam Shepard, the actor and playwright, is a notable figure to use this spelling for his last name.
- Mathias
Origin:
Spelling variation of Mattias, GreekMeaning:
"gift of God"Description:
Matthias is the ancient Biblical form of Matthew, widely used along with brother Mathias in the US for the past 20 years.
- Chaya
Origin:
Feminization of Chayyim, Hebrew,"life"Meaning:
"life"Description:
A life-affirming choice — just beware pronunciation issues among the goyim in your neighborhood.
- Karim
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"noble, generous"Description:
Kareem is the more popular form in the US, thanks to basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but Karim is right on his heels after being among the fastest-rising names of 2022. French soccer player Karim Benzema's recent success on the elite team Real Madrid may play in a part in the name's upswing.
- Osman
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"baby bustard"Description:
Its most famous bearer was Prince Osman the First, founder of the Ottoman Empire.
- Kanan
Origin:
Arabic, Sanskrit, Azerbaijani, HebrewMeaning:
"merchant; woods, grove; variant of Canaa; low, humble"Description:
Kanan is multicultural name with a number of different origins, making it a versatile choice that travels well. A Top 50 choice in Azerbaijan, Kanan also made a brief appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2022. Given to around 200 boys each year, it feels familiar and rare at the same time.
- Nalani
Origin:
HawaiianMeaning:
"calm skies"Description:
Evocative of tranquil island escapes. One of several Hawaiian (and pseudo-Hawaiian) names ending in "-ani" that's soaring in popularity, Nalani made its debut on the US Top 1000 in 2016.
- Sevyn
Origin:
American variation of Seven, number nameMeaning:
"seven"Description:
2019 was the year of seven, as both Seven (for boys) and Sevyn (for girls) broke into the Top 1000. Sevyn's use may be inspired by Sevyn Streeter, a singer and songwriter. She was born Amber Denise Streeter but chose Sevyn as her stage name — rather appropriately, since her birthday is July 7.
- Marcelo
Origin:
Spanish variation of MarcellusDescription:
Both the Spanish Marcelo and Italian Marcello would work well for children of any backgrounds.
- Jream
Origin:
Variation of Dream, English word nameDescription:
Families with a J-initial sibset may opt to spell Dream this way. While Dream has been climbing up the charts since its' entry in 2017 — attributed to the birth of a Kardashian baby by that name — alternative spelling Jream only just entered the Top 1000 for the first time in 2022.
- Khai
Origin:
Arabic or HawaiianMeaning:
"benevolence; sea"Description:
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik notably chose this name for their daughter in 2020, as a variation of Gigi's grandmother's name, Khairiah. In 2021, the name caught on for boys — Khai was a new debut on the Top 1000 and one of the fastest-rising names that year.
- Dilan
Origin:
Spelling variation of Dylan; TurkishMeaning:
"love"Description:
Dylan has become a go-to name for boys in the last generation, thanks to poet Dylan Thomas, musician Bob Dylan, and fictional characters like Dylan McKay of Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling variations include Dillon and Dilan. Alternately, Dilan is a feminine Turkish name meaning "love." Due to the ultra-popularity of Dylan, Dilan will likely be misspelled frequently.
- Kohen
Origin:
Spelling variation of CohenDescription:
Another name fallen to the plague of the K. Nonetheless, it has risen a bit in the charts since entering the US Top 1000 in 2011.
- Tadeo
Origin:
Spanish variation of ThaddeusDescription:
Has a lot of energy and charm, as does the Italian form, Taddeo.
- Elianna
Origin:
Variation of Eliana, Hebrew, LatinMeaning:
"my God has answered; sun"Description:
Eliana and her spelling variations are multicultural favorites that have been rising across the English-speaking world since the turn of the 21st century. Popular in Netherlands, the UK, Canada, France, and Brazil, Eliana and sisters come with in-built nicknames Ellie, Elle and Ana which makes them versatile and appealing
- Kamari
Origin:
Variation of Kamaria, SwahiliMeaning:
"moonlight"Description:
A melodic name that's taking off in the African-American community, along with sound-alikes such as Amari, Jamari, and Damari.
- Khaza
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"treasure"Description:
Khaza got a big boost when rapper Kevin Gates chose it for his son in 2014, and an even bigger boost with the release of his 2022 album of the same name. Gates' influence led to Khaza being one of the fastest-rising names of 2022, jumping 391 spots.