Looking for popular and unusual baby name trends for 2022?
Whether you want a baby name that’s among the most used with parents or something more uncommon these cool, pretty and stylish trends will give you inspiration.
We’ve taken a look at baby names trends emerging for 2022 that are set to influence popular name choices as well as catch the eye of those looking for a more unusual name choice. You may be looking for future baby girl or boy names for 2022 or just trying to find inspiration amidst a sea of thousands of names!
Adorable baby name themes are being inspired by nature and popular culture in 2022. Parents are also drawn to names with a playful sound to them, but powerful, superhero names are also set to be big in 2022.
We’ve picked the top baby name trends for boys and girls plus some baby name ideas to help you choose the perfect baby name!
What names are popular in 2022
To discover what baby names will be a hit we can look at what has been in the baby name charts from the last couple of years.
Names like Oliver and Olivia have remained popular for the last few years, and were still the number one choices for boys and girls in 2020 for the UK according to ONS. We have also seen Freya and Lily grow in popularity too.
One survey of popular names now places Lily at number one.
Emma is also a growing name for girls in 2022, while Noah is proving big for boys – you can see Noah was in the top 5 for 2020, however Emma was the 60th most popular baby name in 2020.
Vintage names like Arthur have been rising up the charts quickly. We are still seeing names like George, Leo and Jack hold their place as the most popular boy names.
These names are traditional with a timeless feel, much like the names Sophia, Grace and Evie which are still in the top 20 baby names for girls.
Other baby names we can expect top see grow in popularity in 2022 are Harper, Nova, Gianna and Hazel for girls, and Mateo, Grayson, Kai and Logan for boys.
We can see more unusual names start to trend in the name charts alongside the more traditional names. Some unusual trending baby names include Aurora and Jaxon, which we can expect to see grow in popularity in 2022.
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Best baby names for 2022
Having taken a look at the charts and what we are seeing rising in the 2022 list of baby names it’s now time to look at some cool and trendy baby name themes to take inspiration from.
There are hundreds of baby name ideas here for you to pick from!
You can also try this baby names book with 100,000+ ideas.
Names with alliteration
Alliteration is where you have two words with the same letter or sound at the beginning.
A great recent example of a baby name with alliteration is Daisy Dove, which is what Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry named their daughter.
This is a super cute choice for a baby as it sounds great, really rolls off the tongue, and means you can choose not just one but two names that you adore.
You may decide to hyphenate the two names so they are clearly meant to be said together or simply have the second name as your baby’s middle name.
Baby girl names with alliteration
- Alice Amelia
- Daisy Dove
- Echo Evangeline
- Indigo Isobel
- Lara Louise
- Lydia Lark
- Madeline May
- Penelope Primrose
Baby boy names with alliteration
- August Auden
- Joseph James
- Logan Luke
- Matthew Mark
- Phineas Philip
Nicknames as first names
Baby name trends are often inspired by new members of the royal family and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have started a great trend with their moniker for their little girl.
The couple already showed their love for nicknames when naming their son Archie, which is a shortened version of Archibald. This has had an impact on the name’s popularity, with Archie replacing Charlie in the top 10 boys’ names for 2020.
Harry and Meghan chose to call their second child Lilibet, which is the nickname of the little one’s great-grandmother The Queen. Her first name, Elizabeth, was shortened to Lilibet by her father and later her husband Prince Philip.
It’s an adorable choice, and can be shortened further still to Lili which is another popular baby name. Expect a few Lilibets to be born in 2022!
Some other adorable nicknames which make great first names are included here for you to check out.
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Nicknames as first names for girls
Abby. Short for Abigail, which means cause of joy.
Addie. Short for Adeline. Meaning noble.
Annie. A diminutive of Anna. Hebrew name meaning gracious.
Bea. Short for Beatrice or Beatrix. Means pilgrim or she who brings happiness.
Betty. A nickname for Elizabeth. Means pledged to god.
Callie. A shortened version of Calliope or Callista. Meaning beautiful.
Coco. Meaning chocolate bean.
Charlie. Can be used as a girl or boy name – short for Charlotte or Charles. Meaning free man.
Ellie. Meaning shining light.
Evie. Meaning life.
Frankie. A shortened version of Frances or Francesca, meaning free or truthful.
Hattie. Meaning home ruler.
Kate. Shortened version of Katherine, meaning pure.
Lili. Meaning god is abundance.
Libby. Meaning pledged to god.
Lulu. Meaning pearl.
Maddie. Short for Madeline. Means young.
Millie. Meaning gentle strength.
Pippa. Short for Philippa. Means friend.
Rosie. A nickname for Rose, Rosalie and Rosalind. Meaning rose or cheery.
Tori. Meaning winner or conquerer.
Winnie. Meaning fair one or white.
Nicknames that make great first names for boys
Archie. Short for Archibald. Means bold or brave.
Ace. Meaning unity.
Beau. Meaning beautiful.
Cam. Meaning crooked mouth.
Cory. Meaning from the hollow.
Dax. Meaning leader.
Dex. meaning right handed or fortunate.
Eli. Meaning high or elevated.
Ford. Meaning river crossing.
Fletch. Meaning arrow maker.
Gus. Meaning majestic.
Harry. Army commander or house protector.
Luca. Bringer of light.
Max. Meaning greatest.
Nate. A shortened version of Nathan, meaning to give.
Nico. People of victory.
Ollie. Elf warrior.
Sammy. God heard.
Teddy. Wealthy protector.
Walt. Commander of the army.
Xander. Defender of the people.
Whimsical baby names
A whimsical baby name captures the happiness of welcoming a new baby and captures the playful joy of childhood.
Whimsical is used to describe a person who is carefree, unusual or playful. So whimsical baby names often feel like they are straight out of a fairytale!
There’s something quite light and magical about whimsical baby names, and the theme can include names inspired by nature, flowers and magical characters such as fairies.
Whimsical girl names
Calliope. Meaning beautiful voice.
Clementine. Meaning merciful.
Clover. Meaning key.
Daisy. After the pretty flower.
Echo. Meaning reflected sound.
Everdeen. After the character in the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen.
Freya. Meaning noble lady.
Lark. Meaning playful or lighthearted songbird.
Maeve. Meaning intoxicating.
Peony. After the beautiful flower.
Persephone. Meaning bringer of death.
Story. Meaning tale.
Tallulah. Meaning leaping water.
Whimsical boy names
Arrow. A short and powerful choice for a baby boy!
Atlas. Meaning to carry.
Blade. Meaning knife or sword.
Finnegan. Meaning fair.
Florian. Meaning flowering.
Gulliver. Meaning glutton.
Huckleberry. Meaning sweet berry.
Huxley. Meaning Hugh’s meadow.
Loxley. Meaning glade by the lake.
Lucius. Meaning light.
Matteo. Meaning gift of god.
Othello. Meaning he has the sound of god.
Romeo. Meaning pilgrim to Rome, this is a very romantic baby name choice due to the story Romeo and Juliet.
Rune. Meaning secret.
Willoughby. Meaning willow farm.
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Names inspired by popular culture
Stars of the big and small screen along with the music world have always influenced the baby name charts.
The names of characters in Game of Thrones were some of the biggest risers on baby name charts when the show was at the peak of its success a few years ago.
Now we see young and trendy pop stars and top binge-worthy shows providing inspiration for baby names. Netflix and Amazon TV shows and movies will continue to influence the baby name charts in 2022.
Names that become big in popular culture are a mixture of themes – from traditional and vintage names to uncommon and unusual names.
Actors themselves also provide inspiration, as the name Cillian has been rising up the baby name charts in recent years, inspired by the actor Cillian Murphy star of the hit Peaky Blinders series.
And Bridgerton baby names will also be a big trend, especially as we are due to see the second series of the hit show arrive! The Bridgerton family children are named in alphabetical order so this is another possible inspiration for parents! Key names from the show include Cressida, Eloise, Daphne, Kitty and Simon.
We are also likely to see footballer names providing inspiration, such as Belgian player Eden Hazard.
Baby boy names inspired by popular culture
Benedict. One of the characters from Bridgerton. The name means blessed.
Connell. The BBC series Normal People was a huge hit in 2020 and we can expect to see the lead male character Connell continue to influence baby name choices in 2022.
Geralt. A second series of The Witcher is set to arrive on Netflix soon, which will lead many parents to pick the name of the lead character played by Henry Cavill.
Tiger. The hit TV documentary Tiger King could also inspired parents, plus this name plays into the trend of nature and powerful baby names.
Tommy. The lead character in the Netflix show Sweet Tooth is called Tommy. The show also has a character called Gus which is another name that will catch more parents’ attention.
Zayn. Although the boy band One Direction split several years ago, popular members such as Zayn continue to inspire baby name choices.
Baby girl names inspired by popular culture.
Billie. Last year pop star Billie Eilish inspired many parents of baby girls to choose this name, but we now also have the hit Netflix show Sex/Life featuring lead character Billie set to increase the popularity of the name.
Daphne. After the lead character in the Bridgerton show. The name means laurel.
Dua. Another pop star name, after Dua Lipa, which has grown in popularity since 2019.
Maeve. A strong girls name choice and Maeve is one of the lead characters in the Amazon show The Boys.
Elegant old fashioned baby names
Parents’ love for vintage and old fashioned names shows no sign of going away.
In the most recent popular baby name charts we are seeing a rise in older baby names like Chester and Mabel.
The return of names that had fallen out of favour is a great way to find unusual and beautiful baby names. Elegant and classy vintage baby names will be popular in 2022!
Old fashioned girl names
Ada. Meaning noble.
Audrey. Meaning noble strength.
Beatrice. Meaning bringer of joy.
Blanche. Meaning white or pure.
Camille. A French name meaning perfect.
Emmeline. Meaning work.
Harriet. Meaning home ruler.
Lucinda. Meaning light.
Maisie. Meaning pearl.
Posey. Meaning bunch of flowers.
Sylvia. Meaning woods or forest.
Old fashioned boy names
Abraham. Meaning father of a multitude.
Albert. Meaning noble and bright.
Amos. Meaning to carry.
Benedict. Meaning blessed.
Edison. Meaning son of Edward.
Ernest. Meaning serious.
Tobias. Meaning God is good.
Winston. Meaning joyful stone.
Nonbinary names for boys and girls
Unisex baby names have been a popular choice among parents for many years, with names such as Dylan and Quinn. Many previously male names such as Hunter and James have now become popular girl names too.
In 2022 we will see a shift to girl names becoming popular choices for boys as well.
Some stunning examples of names that will be perfect nonbinary choices include:
Blair. Meaning plain or field.
Echo. Meaning reverberating sound.
Harlow. Meaning pile of rocks or hill.
Honor. An old French name meaning honour.
Indigo. A pretty colour themed baby name meaning Indian dye.
Juniper. Meaning young.
Lux. Meaning light.
Marlowe. Meaning driftwood.
Nova. Meaning new.
Nyx. Meaning night.
Scout. Meaning to listen.
Sunny. Meaning bright and cheerful.
Winter. After the season.
Wren. Meaning small bird.
Powerful superhero names
Nature and magical names have an appeal because they have something mystical and unusual about them.
They are perfect if you don’t want names that are on the top 20 most popular but that will stand out.
You can take inspiration from the Marvel universe and the popular movie franchise, with characters such as Loki and Thor, or look to names that sound powerful such as Hawk and Stormy.
Superhero boy names
Arthur. The name means noble and courageous. Arthur is the real name of Aquaman.
Banner. After Bruce Banner – AKA The Hulk. The name means flag.
Bruce. After the wealthy businessman who becomes Batman. The name means thick brush.
Bucky. An unusual and rare baby name for a boy. This one means little buck. In the Marvel universe Bucky is Captain America’s best friend.
Clark. After Superman’s alter ego! This is an English name meaning clerk or scholar.
Clint. In the Avengers movies Clint is a master with a bow and arrow. The name means fenced settlement.
Logan. This name spiked in popularity after the X-Men movies first came out. It’s the real name of Wolverine. Meaning hollow.
Loki. Although Loki is a villain he’s actually a pretty popular character and now with his own TV show the name is likely to be a popular choice with parents. It means airy.
Odin. This character was the king of Asgard in the Thor movies. It means raging.
Parker. Meaning park keeper. Peter Parker is the real name of Spiderman.
Quill. After the character Star Lord – AKA Peter Jason Quill – in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
Remy. Another X-Men name, this one means oarsman.
Robin. After Batman’s sidekick. This means small bird.
Rocket. This character is a talking racoon in the Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a cool and unique name for a boy.
Xavier. Meaning new house or bright, Xavier is the leader of the X-Men.
Superhero girl names
Agatha. The name of a character from the Marvel universe, this also taps into the vintage baby name trend.
Aurora. Meaning dawn. Orora Monroe is the real name of the X-Men character Storm.
Diana. A pretty name that means divine. Diana is the real name of Wonder Woman.
Gwen. Spiderman’s love interest, or one of them, was called Gwen Stacey. The name means fair.
Ivy. Poison Ivy is a character in the DC Universe. The name is also after the climbing vine.
Lois. Meaning most desirable.
Marvel. Why not borrow inspiration from the name of the entire comic book universe? The name means to be filled with wonder and astonishment. This is a unisex baby name.
Natasha. Black Widow is a powerful female character in the Avengers movies. Her real name is Natasha, which means Christmas.
Raven. Another character from the X-Men movies. Meaning dark haired or wise.
Scarlet. After the Avengers character. The name means deep red.
Wanda. After a character in The Avengers, this name means wanderer.
Names inspired by exotic and trendy places
There hasn’t been much opportunity to travel the world in the last year. However with exploration of new places finally opening up again we will see parents take inspiration from beautiful and faraway lands.
Beautiful and mythical place names make pretty and unusual baby names! Many place names can be unisex options, which is often a popular choice for parents.
These are some cool names inspired by exotic destinations and beautiful sights associated with travel:
Acadia. Meaning place of plenty.
Aragon. The name of a place in Spain.
Avalon. A Welsh name meaning island of apples.
Bali. An island in the Indonesian sea.
Brooklyn. After the borough in New York. Also means beautiful brook.
Caledonia. Meaning the Scottish highlands.
Capri. An island in Italy.
Dune. This name may also get a boost from the new remake of the movie Dune. Means soldier, but is also connected to the desert and sand dunes.
Everest. After the highest mountain in the world.
India. After the country, which takes its name from the river Indus.
Indio. A modern name inspired by a Californian town.
Ireland. After the emerald isle.
Lotus. Meaning flower.
Nile. After the longest river in Africa.
Odessa. Meaning long journey.
Olympia. A Greek town. This was also the name of the Mountain of the Gods.
Oslo. A city in Norway.
Palmer. Meaning pilgrim to the holy land.
Persia. Another name for the country Iran.
Reef. After the rock or coral found on the seabed.
Reno. A city in Nevada. The name also means born again.
Rio. Meaning river in Spanish.
Roma. A name referring to the capital of Italy, Rome.
Valencia. A city in Spain.
Verona. A city in Italy.
Cool bird names
Names inspired by nature have been popular among parents for decades, they can have a hippy style to them as well as be powerful and even feminine. There are some great names to be found in the natural world!
Bird names can be playful and also rare. Names such as Wren have seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Here are some bird names that are rarely used that make amazing choices if you love this type of name.
Bird names for girls
Aderyn. Meaning bird in Welsh.
Astor. Meaning hawk.
Birdie. Meaning bright, famous or little bird.
Branwen. Meaning blessed raven.
Koko. Meaning stork.
Lark. Meaning lighthearted song bird.
Mavis. Meaning song thrush.
Paloma. Meaning dove.
Raven. After the black bird, this is a powerful name and also has links to the superhero name theme after a character in the X-Men movies.
Sora. A type of bird in North America.
Sparrow. A unisex baby name after the small bird.
Bird names for boys
Altair. Meaning falcon.
Falcon. After the powerful bird of prey.
Hawk. A cool and short baby name after the bird of prey.
Lonan. Meaning blackbird.
Manu. Meaning bird of the night.
Peregrine. Meaning traveller.
Phoenix. Meaning dark red.
Swift. Meaning fast and rapid.
Talon. Meaning large claw of a bird of prey.
Wren. Meaning small bird.
Unusual and uncommon baby names
Rare baby names that you don’t see in the top 100 baby name charts will stay trendy in 2022.
Parents may often refer to old fashioned baby names to find names that are cute but have fallen out of favour over the years.
However modern baby names also fall under this trend and there are some seriously cool choices to find.
Unusual names for girls
Nellie
Elodie
Anastasia
Margot
Aubrey
Ayda
Remi
Alena
Aurelia
Winnie
Dorothy
Kyla
Maeve
Dottie
Liyana
Addison
Blossom
Adeline
Avery
Nola
Unusual names for boys
Chester
Levi
Hudson
Eddie
Myles
Rio
Vincent
Otis
Abel
Coby
Travis
Robbie
Idris
Monty
Raphael
Barney
Osian
Dante
Troy
Playful names
Parents will want to have some fun in 2022 and be positive with cheerful and happy baby names.
These playful baby name ideas are a wonderful combination of unusual – you won’t see many others in the classroom with them – and joyful.
Bear
Bee
Buddy
Coco
Cricket
Gigi
Honey
Lucky
Moxie
Ozzy
Pixie
Sonny
Teddy
Trixie
Skye-Marie
Tuesday 23rd of August 2022
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