We’ve lived through a lot in the last few years and it’s affected everything from what we wear to what we watch and, it turns out, what we name our babies, too. Pam Redmond, founder of Nameberry, a baby naming website, says the uncertainty and turmoil we’ve gone through has inspired a big shift in the mood and style of names that will be popular next year. She explains, “There’s a pop, upbeat, bright, 1920s/1960s vibe around.”
Nameberry predicts these will be the hottest baby name trends for 2023:
- Maximalist names - Forget “less is more,” and expect to see more names full of “opulence, decadence and drama,” like Amadeus, Mazikeen and Lazarus.
- The 80s are back - Kate Bush is topping the charts once again, mullets are mainstream, so it’s no surprise that 80s-inspired names like Ferris, Marty, Sloane and Dustin are back.
- Golden names - Nameberry says parents want golden, shimmering, gilded names, like Goldie, Halo, Sunshine, Marigold, Aurelia and Lux.
- Neo-cowboy names - The baby name experts say “rugged, outdoorsy, back-to-basics” names are booming, as are cowboy-esque names like Hawkins, Foster, Rhett, Beck and Tex.
- Cross-culture names - According to Nameberry, parents like names that can be pronounced in multiple languages, which follow a “very specific formula of four letters, two syllables and end in i. Expect to see more babies named Lori, Leni, Gigi, Rani, Suki, Nori and Lili.
- X-tra names - Blame Elon Musk and Grimes for X being in after they named their kids X Æ A-Xii (known as X) and Exa Dark Sideræl. Beaux, Hendrix, Felix, Huxley and Pixie are expected to become more popular as a result.
- Adjective names - Nick Cannon has sons Golden and Legendary and Khloe Kardashian’s daughter is True, so if this trend catches on, we could see names like Wavy, Legendary and Heavenly go mainstream.
- Grandpa names for girls - Nameberry predicts retro names like Max, Ozzie, Billie, Drew and Lou could be big for baby girls in 2023.
- Blue-green names - Pulled from nature, names like Emerald, Fern and Sapphire are trending.
- Mix and match names - In a quest to be original, parents are inventing or combining names, so we’ll be seeing more like Icelyn, Maebry, Novarae, Emberly and Rhyett.
Source: Nameberry