Baby name inspiration can come from anywhere. Of course, my mom fervently believes babies should only ever be named after relatives, and only more recent ones because if we go further back in our family history, they have awesome names like Magdalena. (An actual ancestor of mine, and a name I would absolutely give to a child, but which my mom would 100% die over).
But in my opinion, baby names are like poems: Whatever inspires us, whether it's a news article or a novel or a favorite movie — or, yes, even an emoji — is valid and legitimate. Now, we don't have to necessarily tell our kids that their name was derived from an emoji. That we can keep to ourselves, or invent some amazing story for them filled with inspiration. It's a little white lie, after all. But it is kind of fun to have a kid it's easy to refer to through emojis when texting about them … and when they're old enough, to just enter into the phone as whatever emoji works for their name.
We're going to take a wild guess here and assume that the moms reading this story aren't super interested in naming their new baby-to-be the way that my mom thinks babies should be named (FAMILY NAMES ONLY), so y'all may be also interested in trendy names for 2019, to stay ahead of the curve. Or, choose a modern baby name that feels distinctive and are a little more hip, than, say, Ida. On the other hand, it's totally possible Ida is now a hipster baby name because that one really sounds like it's due for a hipster-baby comeback, doesn't it? For globally oriented moms-to-be, consider names trending in other countries.
Ferris
The Ferris wheel emoji is such a cute one, as is the name Ferris, like Matthew Broderick's character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The name is a common Irish and Scottish surname, but has become a given name, as well.
Rose
The single red rose emoji is often a sign of romance. It's also a common girls' name: Rose, coming from the Latin "rosa," has also given rise to several similar names, including Roseanne and Rosanna.
Belle
Bell is a surname derived from the Middle English, which in turn comes from the French "belle," meaning beautiful. Alexander Graham Bell, the American inventor, is a great namesake, as well. This is a cute name for a boy or a girl, and the variation Belle would be great for a girl.
Johnny Bear
Bear is an adorable name, and it's even better as a two-part first name, as is common in the South. We love the pairing of Johnny and Bear, but Bear on its own could be cool, too, as in the British adventurer who went by Bear Grylls.
Crystal
Crystal is a classic girls' name. Originally from the Greek word for ice, it refers to the clear quartz stone often used in jewelry-making, but has been a given name since the 19th century. It also connotes clarity and therefore truthfulness, as in the phrase "crystal clear."
Kitty
How cute are the cat face emojis? The name "Kitty" is a traditional Irish girls' name, often a diminutive of Catherine or Karen. Kitty is also one of the Bennett sisters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Clover
Clover is an English girl's name, often a nickname, but more recently used as a given name. It's associated with good luck, since four leaf clovers are perceived as lucky. It's also a bit more wild or natural-feeling than other floral names, like Rose or Lily.
Peach
OK, yes, "peach" in emoji tends to mean a butt. But we've always loved the Southern name Peach or Peaches for a baby girl, and when said out loud, it's totally not reminiscent of the emoji. Promise. It's just classic and adorable.
Robin
Robin is a great baby name for babies of either gender. Originally a nickname for "Robert," it has been its own name for many years, and is used as a name mainly for boys in Europe and girls in the US.
Stella
The name "Star" is an unusual one, but is great for girls — alternatively, we love the name Stella, which means "Star" in both Latin and Italian. "Estelle" is an Old French version of the same name.
Rocket
Rocket is such a cool and unusual baby name. We've heard of a couple of baby girls with the first name rocket and then a more feminine middle name, like Mae, or boys with a traditional boys' name like Jason as a middle name, in case they want to use something less original later on in life.
Oden
Yup, Oden is a Japanese skewer food similar to shish kebabs, but it's also extremely close sonically to the name "Odin," the Norse god who was the ruler of the Aesir tribes. What a powerful (and cool) name for a baby boy!
Honey
Honey is a girls' name more popular in the UK, but is cool in the US. It's the name of the cute and sweet neighbor in the popular sitcom Fresh off the Boat, and Jamie Oliver named his daughter Poppy Honey.
Leo
Leo is a great baby name for a baby boy. Traditionally short for Leon, Leopold, or Leonardo, Leo is a reference to lions (which is what it means in Latin) and implies that the baby will have all the bravery of a little lion.
❄️ Winter
❄️ Winter is a girls' name that's been rising in popularity in the US, but it's been used as a name since the 17th century. It may feel a little bit hipster-y as a baby name, but what's wrong with that?
Jackson Crown
Jackson Crown is a cool two-part name. Crown is a classic English surname and connotes royalty, while Jackson is a Scottish baby name which is also originally a surname, meaning "son of Jack."
Avivah
Avivah is such a beautiful Hebrew baby name, meaning "springtime." It's more common in Israel than in the US, but because it's easily pronounced by English speakers, it's a great choice here, too.
Jessica Bomb
Jessica Bomb is such a cool name for a baby girl who's going to grow up with hip parents. It sounds a bit like a roller derby name, but we love it for that — pairing a more traditional feminine name with something unusual.
Lyall
Lyall is a Scottish surname derived from an Old Norse word for "wolf." It's a common surname and is used less commonly as a first name, but is used as a first name sometimes in England. We think it's a great, strong name for a baby boy.
Aiden
Aiden is an Irish Gaelic baby name meaning "fire." In traditional pagan Irish mythology, Áed was the god of fire, and later, Aidan was the name of an important Irish saint from the seventh century.
