Choosing a baby’s name is always exciting. If you’re expecting a bundle of joy in 2020 and are already writing a shortlist of monikers, you’ll be glad to know that “baby name” experts have already predicted what will trend for the next year.
Baby name trends for 2020
According to Nameberry, a popular name database website, next year’s babies will use a “host of names that went virtually unused a generation ago.” These include newly-minted names, rediscovered antiques, and imported names around the world. Some were also inspired by celebrities and pop culture.
The site made its forecast by calculating which names saw the biggest increase in interest this 2019, compared to 2018. Here are their top baby name predictions for boys and girls:
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Trending baby names for girls in 2020
Adah
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: ornament
Reese
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: ardor
Mika
Origin: Japanese
Meaning: beautiful fragrance
Paisley
Origin: Scottish
Meaning: church
Amina
Origin: Arabic
Meaning: trustworthy, faithful
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Teagan
Origin: Irish or Welsh
Meaning: a little poet or fair
Nova
Origin: Latin
Meaning: new
Aura
Origin: Greek
Meaning: soft breeze
Pearl
Origin: Latin gem name
Meaning: pearl
Billie
Origin: English, diminutive of Wilhelmina and Wilma
Meaning: resolute protection
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Trending baby names for boys in 2020
Austin
Origin: English, a shortened form of Augustine
Meaning: great, magnificent
Alva
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: his highness
Acacius
Origin: Greek
Meaning: thorny; or innocent, not evil
Tate
Origin: English
Meaning: cheerful
Diego
Origin: Spanish variation of James
Meaning: supplanter
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Easton
Origin: English
Meaning: east-facing place
Lucius
Origin: Latin
Meaning: light
Cash
Origin: Word name; also diminutive of Cassius
Meaning: hollow
Ash
Origin: English, diminutive of Asher
Meaning: ash tree
Luca
Origin: Italian variation of Luke and Lucas
Meaning: a man from Lucania
Many of the trending names were likely inspired by famous people — Reese, Mika, and Billie were chosen because actress Reese Witherspoon, journalist Mika Brzezinski, and singer Billie Eilish were all popular in 2019. Meanwhile, the naming website predicts Alva, which is also the middle name of the great inventor Thomas Edison, to rise in popularity because the names Alma and Alba have become a stylish choice for girls.
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Apart from baby names specifically for boys and girls, unisex baby names have also become increasingly appealing to parents, especially for those who want to keep their little one’s gender a secret until they are born. Nameberry also released their predictions for gender-neutral names that will trend next year:
Trending unisex baby names for 2020
Ellis
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: benevolent
Phoenix
Origin: Greek
Meaning: dark red
Remy
Origin: French from Latin
Meaning: oarsman
Marlowe
Origin: Variation of Marlow, English
Meaning: driftwood
Shea
Origin: Irish
Meaning: the stately, dauntless one
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Zephyr
Origin: Greek
Meaning: west wind
Darcy
Origin: Irish or French
Meaning: dark one, from Arcy, or from the fortress
Rowan
Origin: Scottish and Irish
Meaning: little redhead
Quinn
Origin: Irish
Meaning: a descendant of Conn, chief leader, intelligence
Emerson
Origin: German
Meaning: son of Emery
How do you know if the name you chose is 'The One'? Click here for ways you can "test-drive" your baby's name!
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