We've been independently researching and testing products for over years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. When it comes to baby names , there's a sweet spot between too popular and too unusual β but sometimes it can be hard to tell which names are poised to make it to the big time and hit the list of the most popular names put out by the Social Security Administration SSA each year.
And while it can be hard to predict the sudden explosion of a name like Kaeli or Emryn β two of the fastest-climbing girl names this year β it helps to keep track of the general baby-naming patterns to see what's getting hot. This year, experts say these are the trends driving 's baby girl names. What do we see in the year ahead? Think short, sweet and maybe even a little boyish. The idea that "you're not naming a baby, you're naming an adult" is holding less sway with today's parents.
It's not just Billboard β pop acts are taking over the baby-name charts as well. BabyCenter notes in its name trend report that names inspired by pop acts are experiencing a surge in interest.
Song titles, too, can have an effect. One trend we've seen for a while now is that every name is basically a gender-neutral name : Any name is fair game for any gender, no matter which one used it traditionally.
Look around to the other dads in your life for more inspiration for names like these. Nature-inspired names have been huge for a while now, but Nameberry predicts "landscape names" will be of particular interest in the next 12 months. Looking for more baby girl name inspiration? Parents finding themselves gravitating toward a traditional name but who want to add a modern twist to it seem to be flocking to one suffix, -lynn.
