Every generation's got a set of names that are super popular.
Even though your parents may have thought they were crafting a name that was so you,
you still might have ended up being one of three Sarahs in your class.
So which names are gonna be crazy trendy in the coming years?
We've got the Social Security Administration's official stats and Wiki-trend expert Daniel
Levine weighing in!
Reign
Of the 477 female names that increased in popularity from 2015 to 2016, many were plays
on the theme of nobility.
The name Reign, or forms of Reign with varied spellings, have all jumped up the charts.
Similarly, noble names like Royalty, Princess, and Heavenly also saw an increase.
Children are our future — and also our monarchs.
Aria
Surprisingly, Aria is currently the 23rd most popular name for baby girls, and it's rising
in popularity along with spelling variations like Ariah, Ariyah, and Arya.
So the question is, are parents naming their little bundles of joy after the vengeful Stark
sibling on Game of Thrones or the savvy teenage conspirator on Pretty Little Liars?
Whatever the reason, this name is all over pop culture and baby cribs right now, and
is only set to become more popular in the future.
Sloan
Many of the girls' names that are rising in popularity aren't associated with any particular
gender.
Sloan, Sloane, Harlee and Frankie are all becoming more common.
The name Landry is even increasing in popularity for both boys and girls.
Levine says, "This trend is directly connected to the greater acceptance of gender fluidity…
Many parents are opting to wait to name their babies until well after they are born in order
to see what fits."
Adeline
While the most popular girls' names for the past few years have been short and simple
(like Emma, Ava, and Mia), the names now rising in popularity are longer, with more complicated
spellings.
One such name is Adeline.
Variations, including Adelina and Adelaide are also on the rise.
Kehlani
This was by far the girl's name that spiked most in popularity last year, jumping 2,487
spots to land in the 1000 most popular names.
Similar picks Kaylani, Ailani, and Nalani were also in the top 12 names that jumped
in popularity.
Levine says "uniqueness" and "customization" are current "megatrends," and that "having
something original and personalized is the ultimate in brag-ability."
Kylo
On the boy's side, the name that surged the most in popularity in 2016 was Kylo.
Yes, like Kylo Ren, the villain in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The name jumped 2,368 spots to become the 901st most-popular boy's name.
Levine notes, quote, "These days, with the enormous popularity of superheroes and graphic
novels, it's no surprise that we are seeing children named after fictitious heroes and
anti-heroes.
Other names from the dark side, for both boys and girls, include Ajax, Lex, Atlas, Kang,
Jadis, Jareth, Loki, Match, Sylar, Faora, Hela, and Siryn."
Zayn
Speaking of names from the dark side, a lot of new little humans share a name with the
famous bad boy, formerly of One Direction.
Whether you love him or could really care less, there are going to be a lot of new Zayns
around town.
Zayn was in the Top 10 boy's names that rose in popularity last year and is now the 421st
most popular name.
Shepherd
Sick of hipster references yet?
Too bad!
While Mason — as a baby name, and a jar — have been extremely popular for years,
some new variations on this style of name are on the rise.
Shepherd rose 242 spots in 2016, and Denver, where lots of young people now move after
college, rose 60 spots.
Levine jokes, "Perhaps we should start looking for babies with names like Artisanal, Organic,
and Spirulina."
An ironic mustache just perked up somewhere.
Joziah
The traditional name Josiah has been upgraded with an edgy "z," and it's currently climbing
to the top of the 1,000 most popular boy's names.
Other cool new spellings of names you know and love include Jaxon, the 41st most popular
boy's name, and Jayceon, which is 249th most popular.
Levine points out, "Some families are choosing new spellings to make their children easy
to find in crowded online spaces like Facebook [or] choosing new spellings of old names because
the URL is still available."
Hey.
It's never too early to go viral.
Finn
Boy names Finn, Finnley, and Finnegan are all on the rise, and Finn is currently the
175th most popular name.
The Irish name is taking over the U.S., but could it break the top 100 next year?
Maybe with one more TV heartthrob named Finn, it would be a done deal.
Put a name on it
So what kind of names are really popping?
Intricately-spelled, royal-inspired, gender neutral, villainous, hipster ones.
But one thing to consider: down the line when there are lots of middle-aged dudes named
Darth Z and Jar, it will probably seem shocking to simply name your kid Michael.
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