The Top Baby Name Trends For 2023 + Our Favorite Baby Names List

Baby names are more unique now than ever before, with a much smaller percentage of names occupying the top spots on the US name charts. In other words, even if you pick the country's most popular name for your little babe, that name is still much less common than the most popular name was 50 years ago... Liam, the country's most popular boy name in 2021 according to the SSA's data, was given to just 1.08 percent of baby boys, while Olivia, the most popular girl name, was given to just 0.99 percent of baby girls. Compare those figures to 1971, when the top names (Michael and Jennifer) were given to 4.2 and 3.2 percent of baby boys and girls, respectively.

Photo by Anna Shvets/Pexels.

While baby names are getting more and more varied, certain trends are definitely still at play. In recent years, some of the defining baby name styles have included vintage choices, nature inspired names, gender neutral (or gender bending) picks, and alternatively spelled versions of traditional names.

While some of those trends are sure to continue on into 2023, Nameberry thinks that some of the defining characteristics of the coming year's names will portray a focus on all things light and bright, a nod to our current need for optimism in the wake of the pandemic and many other difficult reckonings in our culture. They cite maximalism, light-inspired names, '80s nostalgia, cowboy-esque picks, and names containing the letter x as among the top trends for 2023. Here are some of our favorites:

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Featured photo by Karolina Grabowska/Pexels.