Expecting a new addition to the family and want to know the baby name trends for 2024?
These are the baby names for boys and girls set to be huge in 2024 plus hundreds of name ideas to choose from!
We’ve got names that are sticking like glue to the top 10 most popular and names that are surging up through the charts from obscurity to become unique and stylish name choices.
I have trawled through baby names data for the UK (from the ONS baby names data) and US social security names database to find the baby names that will be popular in 2024, plus the cool names on the rise.
I’ve checked out both the trends in the top 100 baby names, as well as what names saw the biggest jump in popularity in recent years.
This gives us an insight into cool emerging trends, and I’ve picked out similar and related names that connect to those styles to help you find unique ideas for your own little one.
I think we will see fun and playful Disney names and Barbie names prove a hit with parents. This is inspired by names chosen by celebs and inpopular culture.
For example Love Island’s Molly Mae named her daughter Bambi. Presenter Stacey Dooley named her daughter Minnie. And then there’s the hit Barbie movie – Barbie, Ken and Margot may all be contenders. Margot is already a huge hit with parents and one of the fastest growing names of the last 10 years.
If you need more inspiration for baby names then check out the top picks by baby name themes.
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Popular names for boys and girls in 2024
Looking at the trends in names for the last few years, I would expect Olivia to lose the place on the top spot of the UK and US charts this year – possibly elbowed out of the way by Isla or Amelia.
More modern choices like Harper, Freya, Mia and Luna will also stay in the top 100.
For boys we will see Noah stay popular and I think see nicknames of traditional names also continue to chart, such as Charlie and Archie.
The latest data shows Harry remaining in the top 10 boy names – we suspect this may drop out of the top 10 due its association with the divide currently gripping coverage around Prince Harry and the rest of the British royal family.
Interestingly the name Harry is in the top 10 in the UK, but in the US it doesn’t even make the top 100! However Henry – which Harry is often a nickname for – is among the top 10 US baby names.
We suspect Henry (currently number 10) to leapfrog over the name Harry here in the UK.
The full top 100 baby names for the latest set of data can be seen in the graphic below.
Names for girls in 2024
What names will be the biggest in terms of the number of people choosing them for their baby? Based on the most recent data, these girl names will be stay popular in 2024:
- Amelia
- Ava
- Charlotte
- Emma
- Evelyn
- Evie
- Florence
- Freya
- Grace
- Harper
- Isabella
- Isla
- Ivy
- Lily
- Luna
- Maisie
- Margot
- Mia
- Olivia
- Sophia
- Willow
Names for boys in 2024
For boys we think these cute names will be among the most used in 2024:
- Archie
- Benjamin
- Charlie
- Elijah
- Ethan
- George
- Harry
- Henry
- James
- Leo
- Liam
- Lucas
- Muhammad
- Noah
- Oliver
- Oscar
- Theodore
- William
Top tip for preparing for a baby: Set up a Baby Wishlist with Amazon and share it with your friends and family so they can gift you with things you need!
Trending baby names in 2024
These trending baby names are on the rise! They aren’t necessarily in the top 10 biggest names, but these are the names that have seen the biggest jumps in popularity in recent years.
For example, we’ve got Olive. This cute girls’ name rose 25 places since 2020 to hit number 74 in the 2021 baby name charts for England and Wales. We suspect it will continue to be a hit!
Then there’s Brody. This cool boy’s name rose 36 places in the baby name charts for England and Wales, finally reaching the top 100.
We picked all of these names for UK and US baby names data, seeing which names have had the biggest increases in popularity in the last decade.
Trending girl names
- Ada
- Amelie
- Aurora
- Aria
- Beatrice
- Eden
- Elodie
- Harlow
- Harper
- Iris
- Lexie
- Luna
- Lyla
- Lyra
- Macey/Macie
- Maeve
- Margot
- Mila
- Miley
- Myla
- Olive
- Robyn
- Willa
Trending boy names
- Arlo
- Blake
- Brody
- Charles
- Chester
- Ezra
- Grayson
- Henry
- Hudson
- Hunter
- Jayden
- Jaxon
- Jenson
- Kai
- Kayden
- Logan
- Maverick
- Nathan
- Otis
- Reggie
- Riley
- Rocco
- Rupert
- Seven
- Tobias
Fastest rising baby names
These names for boys and girls have seen the largest change in popularity between 2021 and 2022, the most recent official names data available from the US SSA.
Boys
- Dutton – we suspect this is inspired by the hit TV show Yellowstone, set at the Dutton ranch!
- Kayce – Another Yellowstone-inspired Western name
- Chosen
- Khaza
- Eithan
- Waylen
- Asaiah
- Karim
- Kaizen
- Zen
- Kylian
- Ezrah
- Amiri
- Jrue
- Kolson
- Kanan
- Colter
Girls
- Wrenlee
- Neriah
- Arlet
- Georgina
- Amiri
- Arleth
- Amayah
- Winona
- Love
- Inaya
- Isabela
- Jream
- Cielo
- Adalee
- Sol
- Wrenley
- Zhuri
- Scottie
Girl names for boys
In the above list you may have spotted the name Scottie for a girl! I love this boy name as a girl’s name, and it’s a trend that’s definitely on the rise.
This is possibly because parents have enjoyed delving into gender neutral names, and now borrowing names that were traditionally boy names is a good place to find more unusual choices.
- Ashley
- Billie
- Charlie
- Clay
- Ellis
- Evan
- Flynn
- Frankie
- Grayson
- Jack
- James
- Jordan
- Max
- Nico
- Wyatt
Unique baby names for 2024
Want a baby name that isn’t among the top 100 most popular? Something stands out, but also feels modern?
Maybe you want a unique baby name, but don’t want something that sounds too out there. These unusual and little-used baby names are perfect for your little one!
These names have real “lead character energy”, another popular trend that parents will be loving in 2024.
Unique girl names
- Ariel – meaning lion of god.
- Aura – meaning wind.
- Avalon – island of apples.
- Capri – Italian island.
- Everly – meaning boar or woodland.
- Ione – meaning violet.
- Joss – meaning the merry one.
- Kinsley – king’s meadow.
- Nola – fair shoulder.
- Ophelia – meaning aid or help.
- Rae – meaning ewe or female sheep.
- Winslow – meaning friend’s hill.
Unique boy names
- Everest – meaning dweller on the Eure River. Also refers to the tallest mountain in the world.
- Huck – a shortened version of Huckleberry.
- Huntley – meaning meadow hunter.
- Kit – meaning bearer of christ.
- Knox – meaning hill top.
- Nico – victory of the people.
- Massimo – biggest and greatest.
- Miller – one who grinds grain.
- Wylder – meaning wild animal.
Posh baby names
If we want to know what names the upper classes are favouring then the best place to look is the Telegraph’s baby announcements!
Understated elegance (Hugo and Cecily), vintage names (Frederick and Charlotte), and modern charm (Cosmo and Cleo) are the types of names we are seeing in this category.
During 2023, these were the most popular baby names in the Telegraph birth announcements section:
Posh boy names
- Frederick
- George
- Henry
- Max
- Oscar
- Charles
- Albert
- Alexander
- Alfred
- Cosmo
- Jack
- Theodore
- William
- Arthur
- Edward
- Gabriel
- Hector
- Hugh
- Hugo
- James
- Orlando
- Walter
- Christopher
- Felix
- Hamish
- Harry
- Kit
- Lachlan
- Laurence
- Leo
- Otis
- Otto
- Percy
- Rory
- Rupert
Posh girl names
- Clementine
- Eliza
- Cecily
- Charlotte
- Clara
- Cleo
- Harriet
- Lily
- Martha
- Matilda
- Olympia
- Ottilie
- Poppy
- Serena
- Alice
- Amelia
- Athena
- Beatrice
- Bonnie
- Cara
- Cecilia
- Constance
- Darcey
- Emilia
- Gracie
- Hebe
- Juno
- Kitty
- Lucy
- Miriam
- Octavia
- Olivia
- Penelope
- Phoebe
- Rosie
- Tiggy
- Winifred
Girl names ending in “lee” and “lynn”
Popular baby girl names are getting a new twist with “lee” and “lynn” being added to the end. Think Adalynn and Everleigh.
An extra dimension to the trend is that we are seeing this being used in particular with nature names – for example Oakleigh and Baylee.
Here are a few gorgeous examples for this pretty trend.
- Adelyn
- Avalyn
- Ashlyn
- Brooklyn
- Caitlyn
- Analeigh
- Ryleigh
- Ashleigh
- Amberleigh
- Blakleigh
- Foxleigh
- Bexleigh
Main character energy names
A baby name with main character energy stands out from the crowd. These names are either inspired by the books and movies that we love, or are names that are unique and strong.
It’s a great choice if you want a name with big energy, that’s unusual and full of character. Some of them are romantic and others are dramatic. They’re all stunning choices.
Here are some gorgeous ideas for you to pick from!
Main character energy girl names
- Andie
- Bronwyn
- Isolde
- Lyra
- Stella
- Summer
- Wednesday
- Wynter
Main character energy boy names
- Atlas
- Dash
- Dax
- Eros
- Kane
- Maverick
- Westley
Cool baby names
Want a name that epitomises style and cool? These stylish baby names are perfect choices for 2024 babies.
Cool boy names
- Axton
- Creed
- Griffin
- Hendrix
- Jackson
- Kai
- Kylo
- Levi
- Loki
- Mateo
- Poe
- Riggs
- Rupert
- Ryder
- Tobias
- Wyatt
Cool girl names
- Elowen
- Ember
- Liberty
- Marlowe – This beautiful name has been on the rise up the baby name charts but remains quite rarely used so it’s a wonderful choice for something stylish and familiar yet not too common.
- Nova
- Ottilie
- Raya
- Romy
- Sierra
- Stormi
- Thea
- Valentina
- Zara
Whimsical baby names
A whimsical name conjures up magic and fun. Names what are whimsical tend to be playful and fanciful.
They might be connected to nature or to word baby names. Here are a few perfect 2024 whimsical baby names.
Whimsical names for girls
- Aster
- Cadence
- Echo
- Eden
- Juniper
- Love
- Lux
- Nevaeh
- Noelle
- Nora
- Rowan
- Royal
- Sonnet
- Wylda
- Wynter
Whimsical names for boys
- Abel
- Atlas
- Augustus
- Blaze
- Caspian
- Cassius
- Corbin
- Emerson
- Hawk
- Huxley
- Orion
- Thorn
- Tobias
- Whitaker
- Wolf
Alternative spellings of traditional and popular names
These names will be familiar to you in terms of how they sound, but the spellings add a nice twist to well-known names.
We’ve seen a good mixture of old fashioned and modern baby names in the top 100 over the last few years. These names are a great mixture of those two, with the alternative spelling making them feel unique.
Alternative spelling names for girls
- Adalynn (Adaline)
- Arya (Aria)
- Blakely (Blake)
- Emelia (Amelia)
- Khloe (Chloe)
- Lilah (Lila)
- Lili (Lily)
- Londyn (London)
- Norah (Nora)
- Rylee (Riley)
- Sara (Sarah)
- Sofia (Sophia)
- Taytum (Tatum)
- Zoey (Zoe)
Alternative spelling names for boys
- Ayden (Aiden)
- Jakob (Jacob)
- Kayden (Caden)
- Luka (Luca)
- Markus (Marcus)
- Matteo (Matthew)
- Mayson (Mason)
- Nikolas (Nicholas)
- Trystan (Tristan)
Word names
A word baby name tends to be a great standout choice. It’s perfect if you love the idea of giving your baby a name attached to certain attributes, such as Poet.
It’s set to become an even bigger trend after singer Rihanna has chose a word name for her baby boy – Riot Rose.
It’s also great if you love nature baby names, like Blossom and Coast, or names with power – such as Hunter and Marvel.
Girls
- Arbor
- Ballad
- Blossom
- Cherry
- Diva
- Domino
- Echo
- Halo
- Hope
- Journey
- Lilac
- Marvel
- Meadow
- Mercy
- Navy
- North
- Poet
- Promise
- Raven
- Sage
- Sonnet
- Summer
- True
- Valentine
- Whimsy
Boys
- Axel
- Blaze
- Coast
- Cruz
- Dart
- Gunner
- Horizon
- Hunter
- Jet
- Jupiter
- King
- Kingston
- Ledger
- Lore
- Oak
- Ocean
- Orion
- Rio
- Riot
- Robin
- Roman
- Slate
- Wolf
- Zephyr
- Zeppelin
- Zion
Girl names ending in -ya
Many popular modern baby names end in “-ya” and we can see this trend only getting bigger. Here are a few examples for girls:
- Anya
- Arya
- Sonya
- Freya
- Maya
- Aaliya
- Lilya
- Raya
- Kaya
- Zoya
- Katya
- Mya
- Dalya
Popular culture-inspired baby names
The world of movies, TV and music always inspire parents. It’s a wonderful way to find unusual names, and often celebrity parents revive old names or introduce brand new ones!
For example singer Meghan Trainor called her newborn son Barry in 2023. Could this inspire parents in 2024 to bring that the name that’s fallen out of favour with parents in recent decades?
And Kylie Jenner called her new baby son Aire – a name that’s bound to catch some parents’ attention as it taps into the trend for elemental names plus it means strength and courage which is a popular name meaning.
Speaking of elemental names, I think the new Pixar movie Elemental may inspire some parents – with the lead character names of Wade and Ember being particularly appealing.
And on the subject of movies, the Barbie movie is set to be huge and we may see a few little Barbies and Kens being born in 2024!
Looking forward to hits of the future, the Harry Potter TV show is set to be huge news in 2025 – as we get previews of that in 2024 we may see parents opting for big character names such as Harry (already a popular choice), Hermione and Ron (or Ronnie).
The tragic death of Matthew Perry has been heartbreaking for Friends fans around the world. Will this inspire a new generations of Chandlers as a homage to who was many viewers’ favourite Friend?
Boys
- Aire – after Kylie Jenner’s baby
- Atlas – Colleen Hoover’s hit book It Ends With Us is being made into a movie starring Blake Lively and Atlas is one of the main characters in this romantic story
- Barry – Meghan Trainor gave her baby this old-fashioned moniker
- Chandler – A tribute to the character Chandler Bing in Friends
- Elio – it means sun and there’s a Pixar movie out in 2024 of the same name. I think this name will be big! A great alternative to Arlo.
- Ethan – the new Mission Impossible movies are set to be a hit at the box office, and Tom Cruise’s character is bound to influence parents looking for baby names
- Ezra – after the singer George Ezra
- Tatum – Khloe Kardashian named her newborn son Tatum which we think will inspire fellow parents
- Wade – from a lead character in Elemental
Girls
- Alix – Alix Earle is a hit on TikTok and I suspect some fans/parents will love the unusual spelling of the name Alex!
- Aurora – a pretty Disney baby name meaning dawn.
- Bambi – a Disney baby name and also the name chosen by influencer Molly Mae for her daughter.
- Barbie – following the movie that has everyone talking! At present Barbie doesn’t even appear in UK or US baby names data, although Barbara is at number 1351 in the UK. Could this change! Margot may also see another surge in popularity – it is already a hit with parents – thanks to Barbie star Margot Robbie.
- Elle – after Eleven in Stranger Things, back for its final season in 2024
- Ember – after the lead character in Elemental
- Indie. The new Indiana Jones movie may lead parents to pick this unique Indiana nickname that works for girls and boys.
- Mabel – after the singer
- Minnie – A cute Disney baby name!
- Max – another key female character in Stranger Things
- Wednesday – Inspired by the hit Netflix series Wednesday
Gender neutral names
A gender neutral baby name can be given to either a boy or a girl. They tend to be quite unusual and bold as well as a little whimsical, such as Arrow, Wren and Sloan.
- Arrow
- Aspen
- Bear
- Cove
- Dylan
- Ember
- Ever
- Fable
- Fox
- Henley
- Indigo
- James
- Journey
- Jordan
- Lyric
- Monroe
- Onyx
- Phoenix
- Quinn
- River
- Royal
- Sawyer
- Scout
- Sloan
- Wilder
- Wren
Old Money Names
Old money names are classic and timeless. They have a stylish feel to them and a sense of wealth, without being too ostentatious. They’re classy, not tacky!
This trend has been big on TikTok and I think we will see parents picking up on it as there are so many gorgeous vintage and bold choices in this theme.
Here are a few ideas – check out more old money name ideas here.
Girls
- Addison
- Adele
- Aubrey
- Chanel
- Eloise
- Martha
- Mathilda
- Sloane
- Valentina
- Winnie
Boys
- Charles
- Digby
- Earl
- Frederick
- Phineas
- Rex
- Vernon
- Winston
Quiet Luxury names
A quiet luxury name is similar to an old money name, in that it conveys style and class without being too gaudy.
However quiet luxury names are a little more modern than old money names.
We suspect to see this trend taking off as it has been making the headlines in style magazines – and many parents may take inspiration for their baby’s name from their own personal tastes when it comes to styling themselves and their home!
Girls
- Angelica
- Cecilia
- Meredith
- Penelope
- Romilly
- Sabine
- Theodora
- Vivienne
Boys
- Atticus
- Barnaby
- Calloway
- Darwin
- Gabe
- Hudson
- Jacoby
- Peregrine
- Soren
Final thoughts
I hope this has given you some inspiration for what to call a baby due in 2024!
When planning for your lovely baby’s arrival, you may also like these baby essentials and to check out these baby name themes.
This is the fourth year of our baby name trends predictions! You can check out previous articles right here: