Naming a baby is a complicated and involved process. Maybe some parents are jolted awake in the middle of the night, bolting upright to exclaim, âHoney, Iâve got it! Jasper!â but for the rest of us, itâs not that easy. For every friend we know who has had the name of her firstborn picked out since second grade (also the name of her first Cabbage Patch Kid, natch), there are two more with âName the freakinâ babyâ as the only item not crossed off on their pre-baby to do list.Â
There are so many elements to consider when naming a new family member. Would this name sound good with a Dr. in front of it? Do the initials accidentally spell out H-P-V or something that would equally prevent future monograms? Do I associate this name with any childhood bullies or exes? Has anyone in my life called âdibsâ on this name for future children? (Is that a thing? As long as we donât steal someoneâs babyâs name…)
OK, so we all agree that naming a baby keeps us up at night (and not in the âEureka! Iâve got it!â sort of way). Luckily, the Internet provides! There are millions of names and trends and celebrities who just had babies to consult. Luckily, this list mines the trends for the best up-and-coming trendy names for 2019. Weâve covered video game names and collegiate-inspired names, but that was just scratching the surface. According to Nameberry, rising trends in baby names include nods to nature with gem-inspired names, and names inspired by a color palette of muted tones. The latest vintage trend is old-school nicknames for boys.Â
Catfish host Nev Schulman and his wife, Laura Perlongo, jumped on the vintage nickname trend, naming their baby boy, born January 9, Beau. Another 2019 celebrity birth cashed in on the nature-naming trend, Venom star and all-around handsome man Tom Hardy and his wife, Charlotte Riley, recently welcomed a second son, whom they named Forrest. The actor recently commented that the baby was named after the titular character in Forrest Gump, but weâll just pretend that Tom is a nature lover. Phonic trends that are inspiring us in 2019 include names that begin with the letter "F" and names that feature the vowel "U." Hopefully one of these names will cause a Eureka moment! (Eureka does feature that trendy âuâ sound but it is more of a girlâs name.)
FELIX
Fashionable and fun, Felix is a baby name featuring the trendy letter âF.â Meaning âfortunate,â Felix is an early favorite name!
FINN
Finn is a fabulous first name starting with "F." It's also received a recent bump in popularity due to the Star Wars franchise.
FROST
Frost is an excellent name for babies born in winter. Frost is gaining popularity because it not only features the trendy âFâ as a first letter, but also it hits the trends of nature-inspired names and famous surnames, paying tribute to poet Robert Frost.
HAWK
Hawk is becoming a popular middle name choice as parents are gravitating toward animal-inspired, wilder middles. But taking the recent celebrity surname trend in mind, we think Hawk would make an excellent first name for anyone who grew up in awe of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk.
HUGO
Names like Hugo with a strong "u" song are coming into popularity. It's a name of German, Spanish, and Portuguese origin that means "intellect."
JUDE
Hey Jude! Jude has a Latin origin meaning "praised." Originally not a popular name thanks to the biblical connection to Judas, the Beatles song "Hey Jude" and actor Jude Law have raised the name's profile.
JASPER
Gem-inspired names are incredibly popular, and Jasper is one of the few gem names perfect for boys. Jasper is a type of quartz that is commonly red but also comes in blue, yellow, and purple varieties.
JET
Jet is another gemstone-inspired name. The black mineral serves as a fashionable and distinctive name that is rising up the baby name charts.
ACE
Three-letter names are rising in popularity for babies about town. The name Ace also is a perfect vintage-inspired name, which is another 2019 baby name trend.
HANK
Another name that aligns with the old-school nicknames trend is Hank. It's perfect for anyone who loved the name Henry but worried it had gotten too popular.
BUDDY
Another vintage nickname back on the scene is Buddy. This chummy appellation is also great for fans of Buddy Holly (or early career Weezer).
MOSS
Muted hues are the biggest trend in color-based names like Moss. The plant that gives its name to the subtle green hue would also be great for nature lovers.
BOWIE
Celebrity surnames have had a huge bump in popularity for baby names. Names like Bowie, inspired by David Bowie, are great for any music-loving family.
WILDER
Another popular name in the vein of celebrity surnames is the name Wilder. Whether attributed to Gene Wilder or Laura Ingles Wilder, it's a beautiful and unusual name.
LEDGER
Ledger is yet another name inspired by a celebrity surname. This time the name behind the inspiration belongs to the late Heath Ledger.
OSIRIS
Osiris is a boy's name that is ancient Egyptian in origin, named after the god/king who died and was reborn every year. The name is becoming popularity thanks to the rise of globally inspired names.
COLT
Nature-inspired names are always popular, but 2019's take is specifically animal-inspired with names like Colt. Colt is also the name of the newest star on The Bachelor, which could cause a surge in popularity (or not depending on if America agrees with his pick of fiancee).
HAL
Short and sweet three-letter baby names like Hal are all the rage. Hal is a classic name that is a nickname for Henry and Harold.
KOA
Another three-letter baby name is Koa. Koa is a Hawaiian name meaning "warrior."
CLYDE
Clyde is a popular name with a cowboy country vibe. Clyde's last surge in popularity was in the 1930s, so it's also a perfect vintage name.
