Remember when 2020 seemed so far away? Between iPhones and Amazon Alexas it sometimes really seems like the future is upon us, but in other ways — Hello! Where is my hover car? — it's not quite what The Jetsons promised. And that goes for baby names, too. Current popular names are reflective of the cultural trends, attitudes, and pop culture that have seen us through the last half of the 2010s. But if we had a crystal ball all we really want to know is what names are going to be trendy in five, or even 10, years.
First let's reflect on the past; the 2010s brought us a lot of baby name trends that have dominated the last decade — including names beginning with the letter A, vintage names, Southern names, and unusual hipster-y names. But as we take a turn into the next decade we can't help but wonder: What's coming next?
In our imagination, it seems like by 2030 baby names should seem futuristic — Zorp, Xip, Gleep Glopp, or Zimpf. But, really, names will look more similar to current trends than like something out of a sci-fi movie. And we don't need a space laser or high-powered machine to be able to predict which baby names are going to become popular. Using data compiled from Nameberry we can look to statistics of what's popular now and use that to help us time travel into the future.
More from CafeMom: 29 Baby Boy Names Expected to Dominate the Next Decade
According to Nameberry's data, often the names that will dominate a decade are the names found at the bottom of the Top 1,000 list. Of course, that doesn't mean that every name at the bottom will one day rise to the top, but it has worked for names in the past like Ava, Ella, and Peyton. So what does the future hold for baby name trends? Well, take a look at these 20 names we think will be trendy in 10 years.
STELLA
Stella is a name that has gone in and out of popularity several times throughout the last 100 years, but we think that it will continue to rise in popularity well into the 2020s. Derived from Latin, Stella means "star" and there is evidence that shows the name has been around since the 1300s. It is also the shortened version of Estelle.
CAIN
A name derived from the Bible, Cain was one of two sons born to Adam and Eve. But in recent years Cain has risen in popularity because it's a short, clean-sounding, one-syllable name. Since 2010, Cain has been on the ascent and we see no signs of that stopping. A similar spelling is Cane, if parents are looking for a less religious version.
PATIENCE
For a long time, Patience fell off the charts in terms of popularity, but within the last 20 years, its steadily started to climb its way back up. The name comes from the virtue word, which means "waiting without complaint, forbearance, and calm endurance." It's also derived from the Latin word pati, which means "to suffer."
LENNON
Boy names that are derived from last names have been popular for the last 10 years and we think that this trend will continue well into the next. Lennon is often a reference to Beatles musician John Lennon, but we like that is can be a name for both boys or girls. As of now, Lennon is positioned towards the bottom of the top 1000 names list, but that will most likely change for the better.
AURORA
Disney fans will most likely be to blame for this one, as any fanatic worth their salt will know that Aurora is the real name of Sleeping Beauty. In real life, Aurora comes from the Latin word meaning "dawn" and also comes from the mythological goddess of dawn. In 2017, Aurora was the 51st most popular name in the US and we only see it going up from there.
SEAMUS
Pronounced SHAY-mus, the name Seamus has two things going for it. One, it was the name of a classic Harry Potter character, Seamus Finnigan, and two, it's an Irish name that has an old school charm. According to Nameberry, Seamus means "supplanter" and is the Irish variation of the name James.
RAELYNN
A modern name, Raelynn follows two huge trends that bubbled up in the last decade. The first is the suffix -lynn, which has slowly but surely seeped into more baby names and the second is that it's a compound name, which has also just started to become trendy. In 2017, Raelynn was the 127th most popular name in the US and most likely it will keep going until 2030.
DECLAN
A boy's name that is SoCal cool, Declan has become increasingly more popular in the 2010s — in fact, in 2017 it was the 115th most popular boy's name. An Anglicized variation of the Irish name, Deaglán, it's not clear what the name means. However, we do know that the name was created by a sixth-century saint who was baptized by St. Colman.
HADLEY
Hadley is a sweet Southern girl's name that has recently taken off. Nameberry states that the name means "heather field" and has English origins. Hadley follows other popular names like, Hailey, Hayden, or Hayden, but has the staying power to keep being popular in the future and could most likely be the next generations version of Hailey.
RHETT
Finding the name Rhett on our list shouldn't be a surprise to regular YouTube watchers. Popular YouTubers, Rhett and Link have been popular for years. But outside the computer screen, Rhett is a Dutch name that means "advice." It also is the name of Rhett Butler, character of the classic southern novel (and movie) Gone With the Wind.
GENESIS
Genesis bridges the divide between futuristic names and names that have religious connotations. The first book of the Bible is Genesis and the name can be the spark for many nicknames and variations like Genny, Gene, or Sissy. Given its biblical significance, we also think this would be a cute name for a first-born boy or girl.
NOLAN
Nolan has stayed mostly under the radar for the past couple of years, but we think that's soon going to change. Following the trend of boy's first names that are derived from last names, Nolan was originally a Gaelic last name from Ireland, O'Nualláin, which means "descendant of Nuallan" and Nuall means "shout."
KENNEDY
The name Kennedy has always stood for progress, forward-thinking, and youth — just like the 35th president who sparked the trend, John F. Kennedy. As a baby name, Kennedy is an Anglicized form of the Irish name Cinnéidid, which means "helmeted head" and "ugly head" — but don't let that be a deterrent. Kennedy is a simple, sweet name.
ROMAN
Another name with religious connections, Roman cracked the top 100 most popular baby names in 2016. The name is derived from the Latin Romanus, which means "a Roman" (surprise!) and came about to identify people who came from Rome, which is the capital city of Italy.
INDIA
India has just started to become a trendy baby name due to a growing affection for the country and Indian culture. And when we looked at the numbers it seems like that affection is only going to grow. India slipped in popularity after the '90s, but has just started to pick up steam again the late 2010s.
DESTIN
A boy's name with its eyes toward the future, Nameberry explains that Destin has Latin origins and means "destiny." The name has recently started to gain traction with parents who liked the name Justin or Dustin, but wanted something that felt a little more fresh and modern.
AZARIA
Azaria is an uncommon name that has only recently started to pick up with expectant parents. Azaria is derived from a Hebrew name, Azariah, which means "help of God." The name was created by a king of Judah in the Bible and we like that it is an undiscovered gem. Cute nicknames include Ari, Zaria, Aria, and Zari.
BODHI
Bodhi is a Sanskrit name that means "enlightenment." Bodhi also relates to the Buddhist concept of Nirvana or being from hate, greed, or ego. The Bodhi tree was a large fig tree where the Buddha received enlightenment. We like the name because it has a happy, upbeat vibe.
ADELINA
Adelina is another name that fell out of favor towards the middle part of the 20th century, but as recently as 2010, the name has become popular again. The name is a diminutive of Adele, which is bound to also be a popular name due to the famous singer, and will most likely gain favor due to its unusual -ina suffix.
LEANDRO
A Portuguese name, Leandro is destined to be the next big boys' name. Nameberry explains that the name is a Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian variation of Leander. Leandro combines Latin words, Leo, which means "lion" and Andra, which means "man," but don't let these manly vibes be a deterrent — also seems like a romantic name for boys, too.
