10 Baby Name Trends of 2024

Updated Sun Apr 21 2024

Baby name trends for 2024 are less about the names and more about the namers.

Parents today are using baby names to express their values, aesthetics, and, of course, identity. Growing up with the internet, new parents are aware of the power of a name to create a brand, one that defines their children and themselves.

Parenting trends influencing baby naming trends include an emphasis on gender and racial diversity, the adultification of children's style, and a movement toward gentle parenting.

Parents are aware of naming not just babies but the grownups they will become. They're sensitive to their children's feelings and value both good taste and individuality.

"Today's parents are fixated on sending the right messages with the names they choose," says Nameberry creator Pamela Redmond. "The perfect baby name for 2024 is one that is ahead of the style curve, personally significant, and identity-defining."

Read on for 10 top baby name trends we’re watching for 2024 and the best 2024 names that illustrate them.

1. Girl Names for Boys

For generations, names have moved in a single direction: from boy to girl. Parents adopted traditionally masculine names for girls as a way to empower their daughters. But using a conventionally feminine name for a son was a surefire way to stigmatize him as weak and ineffectual.

Until now. This year, boy names are undergoing a seismic shift. Parents are reclaiming primarily feminine unisex names for their sons, as Chrissy Teigen and John Legend did for their son Wren. And they're going a step further, embracing traditional female names for boys, as with Rihanna and A$AP Rocky's son, Riot Rose.

It's tempting to chalk up this trend to society's increasingly progressive views on gender identity, but that's not the only reason parents are choosing girl names for boys. Feminine boy names often appeal for their symbolism, soft and sensitive image (more on that later), or connections to the past.

Dr. Brittany Johnson, mother of son Cleo Cruize, told us, "[My husband] and I had a lot of talks about African American naming, and [using the name Cleo, a traditionally Black masculine name that today is predominantly feminine] felt like reclaiming a part of that history."

Best Girl Names for Boys

2. Feminine Feminist Names

The Barbie phenomenon has taken over the world, including the world of baby names. The film sparked international conversations about gender and feminism, and the press jumped on stories about how Barbie will impact tomorrow's baby names.

There have been many headlines claiming we're going to see more babies named Barbie, but that's simply untrue. The influence of Barbie on baby names will be less direct but more important.

Barbie makes feminism feminine, and femininity feminist. The new feminist baby names are equally feminine in unexpected ways. Androgynous surnames like Conley and Malone remain feminist choices, but girly and elaborate names like Lavender and Dorothea now also feel empowering, along with once-slight diminutives such as Honey and Lulu.

The parents who name their daughter Conley are different from those who call their little girl Dorothea, but all of these names are united by Barbie's principles of feminism: feminine can be feminist, strength is attractive, and individuality should be embraced.

New Feminist Baby Names

3. Baby Men and Women

This popular refrain sprung up on social media in 2023: "You're naming an adult, not a baby".

At face value, the sentiment is neutral, but in practice, it is used to criticize parents who choose unconventional or "babyish" names for their children. Viral examples include Elsie, Mars, and Koazy, the name of TikTok influencers Connor and Liana's daughter.

Child-like nicknames and nonconformist names are here to stay, but at the same time, there's an undeniable shift towards more serious, indeed, adult names for babies.

In our original baby name book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason, first published in 1988, we called this style "Baby Men and Women". Back then, names like Ella and Olive, Felix and Gus made the list, revolutionary at the time but perfectly stylish and baby-appropriate today.

The new generation of Baby Men and Women names are buttoned-up, formal, and easy to picture on an adult — but not quite a baby. Parents are looking forward to their children growing into their "adult" names rather than growing out of their baby ones.

Adult Names for Babies

4. Atmospheric Names

Airy, sky-bound names will fly high in 2024. Names that evoke the open sky, like Aura, Cielo, and of course, Kylie Jenner's baby name, Aire, are poised to soar in the coming year.

The most evocative choices in this category are designed for the here and now. Intentionally transient, names like Lumi, Storm, and Zephyr represent the fleeting nature of the falling snow or a gust of wind.

But they're stylistically ephemeral as well. Atmospheric names are almost entirely modern, without the baggage of traditional names. A child named Aura or Ice gets to define exactly what that means.

Atmospheric names are on-trend, and that's the point. There's no pressure for these names to become the new classics, or family heirlooms passed down for generations. Atmospheric names are designed to soar with the people who bear them, and perhaps evaporate in 15 or 20 years when little Aire decides to change her name, a possibility today's parents accept.

In particular, this trend appeals to younger parents — those who were raised on the internet, where everything is ephemeral. Young Millennial and Gen Z parents understand that existence is as transient as a Snap or Instagram Story, so why not choose a name to match?

Sky High Names

5. Natural Glamour

If 2023 was the year of Quiet Luxury, 2024 will be the year of Natural Glamour.

Popularized by influencers such as Ballerina Farm, the natural glamour aesthetic promotes an unpretentious life, but edged with low-key subtle style. Picture an idyllic farm, half a dozen children, and freshly-baked sourdough cooling on a vintage French bread board.

If it sounds aspirational, that's because it is. At first glance, the aesthetic appears to be effortlessly chic, but it requires ample time and money to achieve, placing natural glamour squarely under the umbrella of the old money aesthetic.

In the first iteration of old money names, we saw preppy, Ivy League choices like Sloane, Holden, and Blair, followed by a renewed interest in "quiet luxury" classics such as Rose, Wesley, and Graham.

The natural glamour names coming into fashion are earthier, clunkier choices with patina. These names are classy but in a subtle way — they feel at home on the homestead or at a five-star hotel.

Naturally Glamorous Names

6. Main Character Energy

In the age of social media, there's increased pressure to choose a baby name that screams, "here I am". Parents are on the hunt for eye-catching names that pack a punch — the kind of names that set their children (and themselves) apart from the crowd.

This main character energy is found in names of actual characters from inspirations like movies, mythology, or anime series. Particularly those with a fantastical element — pop culture powerhouses like Naruto, One Piece, and the upcoming Disney film Elio are primed to be some of the biggest baby name influencers in 2024.

Even names without a pop culture connection can capture main character energy. Bold and dramatic names that draw attention through strong sounds and ambitious imagery have the same effect, and will be rising alongside names in the zeitgeist.

Names That Command Attention

7. Gentle Parenting Names

Each generation has a dominant parenting philosophy, and gentle parenting is the emerging favorite among today's new parents.

Gentle parenting espouses calm and curious responses to a child's feelings in place of punishments. This soft, sensitive approach is said to lead to high emotional intelligence and the ability to regulate one's emotions.

We're seeing a direct correlation with gentle, soft-sounding names. Parents are favoring names with calm auras and mellow sounds. Vowels feature prominently in these names, along with fluid consonants like C, F, L, and S. Girl names that end with A are both popular and gentle.

Many of the top gentle parenting influencers have children with soft names, such as Laura Love's son Jonah and N'tima Preusser's daughter Anabel. But we expect these fresh choices to rise among the children born to gentle parents in 2024.

Soft and Sensitive Names

8. STEM Names

Nerdy parents, this is your year! 2024 will see an influx of names inspired by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Parents with an interest in STEM fields are turning their passion into baby name inspiration. But as botanical names like Rowan and Hazel start to plateau, fresh nature names with scientific connections are coming in hot. Less Magnolia, more Meridian.

Leading the charge on science and technology names are, astonishingly, Grimes and Elon Musk. While the names of their oldest children, X Æ A-XIII and Exa Dark Sideræl, are out of reach for most baby namers, their youngest son goes by the accessible nickname Tau. The Greek letter — used as a variable in physics, math, and more — will see wider use in 2024, along with other alphanumerical names such as Una and Octavia.

We're also predicting an, ahem, astronomical rise in STEM last names as first names, from Darwin to Kuiper. Among STEM enthusiast parents, using a scientific surname is a way to pay homage to a personal hero and share their passion with the world.

Names From Math and Science

9. -ai Names

Blame it on Kai. The multicultural mini-name, which joined the Top 100 in 2019, has left a trail of -ai names in its wake. The new parents of 2024 will still embrace the OG Kai, but many will turn to fresher, lesser-known options.

Celebrities and pop culture have introduced -ai names like Khai and Sai, Ozai and Azakai, while vintage choices like Adlai, Lorelai, and Mordecai have received a new lease on life.

Names that end in -ai come from diverse backgrounds, making them particularly attractive to parents raising multicultural or multilingual children. Found in the Bible, along with Japanese, Shona, Hawaiian, European, and Indigenous cultures, -ai names are easily translated across languages and cultures.

And when none of the traditional -ai names appeal, parents of 2024 will invent their own. Nouveau creations like Jakai and Zakai have taken off in recent years, and there are plenty more in the pipeline. The beauty of -ai names is that they can be reinvented ad nauseam, so parents will build combinations that resonate with their families.

Best -ai Names

10. Musical Icon Names

Elvis is back in the building! Until recently, Presley's distinctive given name was too singular to use for anyone else. But the passage of time — and recent celebrity musings — has put Elvis and other musical names back on parents' lists.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Scott are rumored to be considering Elvis for their baby boy, due later this year, and the upcoming film Priscilla, centering on Presley's wife, will shine a fresh light on her classic biblical name.

Rock and roll icon names like Cobain, Joplin, and Bowie are an edgy way to get in on the last names as first names trend, and names inspired by songs or bands — think Nirvana, Rhiannon, and Zeppelin — have that badass baby name image that modern parents covet.

Iconic Music Names

This piece was originally published on September 26, 2023

About the Author

Sophie Kihm

Sophie Kihm's Personal Website

Sophie Kihm has been writing for Nameberry since 2015. She has contributed stories on the top 2020s names, Gen Z names, and cottagecore baby names. Sophie is Nameberry’s resident Name Guru to the Stars, where she suggests names for celebrity babies. She also manages the Nameberry Instagram and Pinterest.

Sophie Kihm's articles on names have run on People, Today, The Huffington Post, and more. She has been quoted as a name expert by The Washington Post, People, The Huffington Post, and more. You can follow her personally on Instagram or Pinterest, or contact her at sophie@nameberry.com. Sophie lives in Chicago.

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