It's funny to think about the names we all have being influenced by trends, but that's reality. Just like the hairstyles that come and go or fashion choices that we question years later, baby names can be an indicator for the time you were born. Some generations stick to the familiar, others steer away from drama, and through it all, some classics remain.
There were a lot of trends for baby names in 2022. Some were formal, like the names on the 2022 Hottest Baby Name Trends report, which analyzed data from more than 415,000 babies born this year, and others were trends called by the top baby naming experts.
As we say goodbye to the interesting year of 2022, here are the top baby name trends that came and went through these 12 months.
Disney & Marvel Names
Big stories always drive baby name trends and when it comes to stories, no one does it better than Disney and Marvel. The two titles that inspired names in 2022 were Encanto and Spider-Man both of which were incredibly popular among parents and kids throughout the year.
Disney & Marvel Inspired Names for Girls
Encanto was a huge movie that inspired names for girls this year. Mirabel jumped 500 spots according to Baby Center, and Isabela, Julieta, and Alma also saw jumps among the baby name trends for this year.
Spider-Man inspired jumps in baby names like Zendaya, Parker, May, and Maryjane this year, with some rising more than 1,000 points.
Disney & Marvel Inspired Names for Boys
Boys' names were inspired by both Disney and Marvel stories as well. When we think of the movie Encanto, it’s probably fair to say a lot of us jump into thinking about Bruno (even if we don't talk about him!).
And that’s what the trends showed too with a spike in people choosing this name for their little one. Also, Spider-Man inspired names were big too, including Parker and Otto.
Celebrity Drama Names
Not all baby name trends go in the right direction, and that’s the case for celebrity drama baby names.
There was a lot of drama to follow throughout the year, too, between famous slaps, strange behaviors, and interesting court cases, and these had influence on baby naming trends. In this case, many of the names trended downwards, but there were a few that managed an upswing.
Celebrity Drama Inspired Names for Girls
The headlines were buzzing following the Oscars this year when there was a slap incident that centered, somewhat, around Jada Pinkett Smith, and this year, the popularity of that name fell a few spots, according to Baby Center.
In addition to Jada, Amber also saw a big drop in popularity, a trend where fewer parents were opting to give their little one the same name as Amber Heard.
Celebrity Drama Inspired Names for Boys
There was the Oscar drama where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock, and according to Baby Center that had an impact on the trajectory of the names, sending Smith, Chris, and Will down on the popularity list.
Another boys' name that saw a drop due to drama was Elon, after billionaire Elon Musk who bought Twitter, and the name Kanye dropped as well, as did the status of Kanye "Ye" West. Interestingly though, Johnny (for Johnny Depp) saw the name slightly rise from the year before.
The Wild, Wild West
According to Baby Center, names inspired by the wild west saw a rise in popularity through 2022, mostly inspired by the hit TV show Yellowstone. The TV show, which aired its fifth season this year, follows the Dutton family, and several character names jumped in popularity this year.
The Wild West Inspired Names for Girls
Cowboy-inspired baby names aren’t anything new. We’ve seen them used for decades for girls, even switching some typical boy names into gender neutral ones. This year, names inspired by states in the West were trending up, such as Arizona, Texas, and Montana.
The Wild West Inspired Names for Boys
Cowboy or wild west inspired baby names have almost always been reflected in the trends for boys. The names like Maverick, Wyatt, or Waylon have risen this year, according to the trends data.
But Yellowstone-inspired names gained popularity over more traditional names. These include baby boy names like Dutton and Rip.
Old & Familiar Names
When it comes to choosing a baby name, one of the more common sources of inspiration can be found within our own family tree. Following several years of preference of names going more unusual, 2022 saw the resurgence of classic, older names for boys and girls. Think grandma and grandpa vibes and those were the names parents were choosing for their little ones, and it’s been a welcome trend.
Old & Familiar Inspired Names for Girls
There are so many adorable names for little girls that we’ve not heard in several decades, or at least not often. Now, instead of names like North, Apple, or Bear, we’re seeing names like Betty, Beatrice, and Alice are now becoming more in favor. This is a trend we predict will continue because these names have a proven track record of never getting old.
Old & Familiar Inspired Names for Boys
Interestingly, old and familiar names for boys didn’t fall out of trend in the same way girl names did, but there were some that rose in the trends this year.
For example, Theodore has been steadily rising over the past two decades, last year landing in the top 10 list for the first time. Other older names for boys include Arthur, Chester, and Bernard.
Short & Sweet Names
This year was all about names that are short and sweet, think names under five letters with lots of vowels. Shorter names have been around forever and they’re often a favorite for girls, but this year we saw a trend up on the sweet, short names for boys, too.
Short & Sweet Inspired Names for Girls
Short and sweet names have always been a thing for girls, at least for the past few decades. We’ve seen names like Ella, Emma, Emily, and Rose on the rise and this year there is Xyla, Mae, Ada, and Alma that are trending upward, too.
Short & Sweet Inspired Names for Boys
Typically when we see short and sweet names for boys, they’re nicknames for a much longer, more traditional name. Things like Bob, Bill, Jed, or Greg. But this year we've seen a trend in names for boys that are short, but not because they're a nickname. Names like Leo, Ezra, Ace, and Eli are having their moment in the spotlight.
