Want to know what the biggest baby name trends of 2023 are going to be?
If your due date is in 2023 and you’re looking for baby name inspiration you’ve come to the right place!
Do you love the top modern baby names of the moment? Or prefer to find something a little more unusual and uncommonly used?
Whatever you gravitate towards when it comes to baby names, we’ve got pretty, stylish and cool trends to give you the ideas you need!
Every year we comb through the popular baby name charts to see what’s on the rise.
We also see what parents are searching for or discussing on baby name forums to identify modern, unique and unusual baby name trends.
Then we give you tons of baby name ideas based on those trends!
This year we expect to see Top Gun baby names battling it out with aesthetic trend baby names for parents’ attention!
We also expect the new Game of Thrones show House of the Dragon to have an influence on the name charts, as its predecessor did.
Expecting a baby in 2024? Check out the baby name trends for 2024?
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The vintage names trend will once again hugely influence parents choices. But we think parents will be turning away from the cutesy, frilly names and looking for more solid choices, such as Malorie, Winnie, Orson and Leonard.
This is going to be an exciting year for baby names, with parents branching further out when it comes to their search for the perfect moniker for their little one!
Read on to find help picking out your perfect baby name!
Still need help with baby name inspiration? Try this fab baby name book filled with over 100,000 ideas.
You may also like: Baby name trends for 2022
What names will be popular in 2023?
Oliver and Olivia had previously reigned over all the other names for several consecutive years as the most popular boy and girl names in England and Wales.
However this year we have seen a shift for the boys, with Noah knocking Oliver off the top spot for boys. Olivia is still the most popular girl’s name – as it has been for six years – but I think we may see this shift in 2023.
Noah will remain a big contender for 2023, and may well hold that top spot.
It’s a similar story for Ivy for girls, which soared six places to enter the top 10 girls names for England and Wales in recent years. It’s currently sitting pretty as the fifth most popular girl’s name.
Going forward, we won’t see those popular names simply disappear, but we may see big risers such as Maeve – which has climbed 124 places since 2019 according to ONS baby names data – start to crowd out some of the big names that have dominated the top 10 like Isla and Ava.
For boys the name Arthur has been steadily rising up the ranks in recent years. It’s already in the top 5 baby names according to recent ONS data. Could it climb further to take one of the top three spots?
New arrivals to the top 100 most popular baby names include Blake, Brody, Kai, Rupert, Tobias and Nathan. This is a mixture of traditional and more unusual, modern names, so parents can be expected to look for more names along those lines.
For boys we expect to see names such as Jesse, Arlo and Albie – which have been hugely popular with parents in recent years – continue to climb the baby name charts.
Jesse has grown in popularity since the arrival of the character Jesse Pinkman in the hit TV show Breaking Bad. This is a gender neutral baby name, and although its currently favoured for boys we may see it become a bigger deal among girls too as parents increasingly love to pick names from the non-binary trend.
For girls, Harper, Luna, Aria, Willow and Arabella will continue to be strong contenders in the top 100 baby names. Willow entered the top 10 most popular names, according to the latest ONS data.
This year Lara, Beatrice and Sara became new entries to the top 100, and we expect those to stay popular.
And at number 60 Elizabeth is potentially set for a big climb following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. This may prompt parents to pick the name as a way to honour the British monarch.
Variations of the name could also become popular, such as Lilibet – which was the Queen’s nickname – as well as Eliza and Beth.
Check out the most recent top 100 baby names for boys and girls in our graphic – the latest data is for 2021. Do any of these catch your eye?
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Top Gun baby names
We expect to see the name Maverick climbing up the charts in 2023 thanks to the Top Gun sequel Maverick starring Tom Cruise. This was one of the biggest movies of 2022, and we think the buzz around it will carry through to baby names of 2023!
The name barely scrapped into the top 500 in the most recent baby names data for 2020, however we expect it to be a hit with parents.
Names similar to Maverick, which is Tom Cruise’s character’s call sign in the movie, may also grow in popularity including Striker, Phoenix, Wolf and Ace.
These are particularly great middle name options for parents wanting to mix it up a little. They add something a little unusual to a baby name without being too uncommon by using it as a first name.
The name Maverick means unorthodox or independent minded, which makes it a perfect strong baby name choice! It can also be shortened to Mav which is super cute.
House of the Dragon names
Game of Thrones had a huge impact on baby name charts. The hit show introduced names such as Khaleesi – an invention of the author of the book on which the show is based – to the list.
Arya, Sansa and Daenerys also soared in popularity thanks to the show’s appearance.
The follow up to the show was released in summer 2022, and we think House of the Dragon will also inspired parents.
Here are some of the names of the big characters which we think could prove a hit with parents.
Note the use of the “ae” spelling in many of the names – providing an unusual twist to some common names like Helena – and how a lot of the girl names end in “a”.
The baby name chart is already dominated by names ending in “a”, such as Lila, Luna, Ava, Eva and Mila, and we think these names could tap into that interest.
House of the Dragon boys names
- Aegon – A Germanic name meaning struggle.
- Daemon – A Greek name meaning guardian spirit.
- Harwin – A name of English origin meaning friend or brave.
- Otto – Meaning wealth and prosperity.
- Tyland – This word has its roots as a surname.
- Baelon – Meaning Scottish king.
House of the Dragon girls names
- Baela – We can’t trace a meaning for this baby name, however in the Game of Thrones books her character is wild and fearless.
- Rhaenyra – Meaning female royalty.
- Helaena – The name Helena, which closely resembles this, means shining light.
- Laena – Meaning lane.
- Rhaena – We can’t trace a meaning for this baby name, but the character is of royal blood in the Game of Thrones universe.
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Strong, uncommon vintage names
The love for vintage baby names isn’t going away. They’re classics for a good reason!
We’ve seen a lot of cutesy old fashioned baby names growing in popularity, such as Daisy, Alice, Etta and Margot over the last 10 years.
However we predict we’ll see parents digging through more older names to find unusual classics that are strong and bold choices.
We’ve already seen solid, classic names like Maeve on the rise – in fact Maeve rose 124 places in the England and Wales baby name charts for 2020.
So following that trend we may see Betty, Thelma, Nora and Leonard start to make a comeback!
Vintage girl names
Agnes
A name of Greek origin meaning holy.
Betty
A name of Hebrew and English origins meaning oath of god.
Cora
A name of Greek origin meaning maiden or daughter.
Dorothy
From the Greek name Dorothea, this pretty name means god’s gift.
Estelle
A French name meaning star.
Malorie
French name meaning unfortunate or ill-fated.
Minnie
This cute girl’s name means intellect or of the sea.
Nora
A French name meaning light.
Penelope
A Greek name meaning weaver.
Primrose
A British name meaning first rose.
Sybil
A Greek name meaning oracle.
Sylvia
Name of Latin origin meaning spirit of the wood.
Thelma
Meaning will or volition.
Winnie
A Welsh name meaning smooth and happiness or fair and pure.
Vintage boy names
Alden
Meaning old friend and wise.
Bennett
Meaning blessed.
Leonard
Meaning lion strength.
Orson
Meaning bear cub.
Percy
Meaning one who pierces the valley.
Quentin
Meaning the fifth.
Walter
Meaning commander of the army.
X-tra names
Bold and edgy names with an X are eye-catching and have had a growing impact on the chart. Popular names such as Felix have been around for a while, but in the last decade we’ve seen names like Dexter grow in popularity.
Jaxon has surged 148 places in the last 10 years to reach number 52 in the boy names chart.
So for boys and girls we will see this edgy trend continue, with examples including Alexa, Beaux, Calix, Hendrix, Moxie and Braxton.
Girls names with X
Alexa
Meaning defender of man.
Alix
A cute version of the name Alex, which parents have been favouring increasingly for girls as part of the traditional boy names for girl names trend. Meaning noble.
Beatrix
Meaning voyager or traveller.
Dixie
Meaning ten.
Lexie
Meaning man’s defender.
Maxine
Meaning greatest. A name also likely to be popular for girls thanks to the hit show Stranger Things and its strong female character Maxine, also known as Max.
Moxie
Meaning energy.
Nyx
Meaning night.
Boys names with X
Bronx
After the borough of New York City.
Dax
Meaning leader.
Dexter
Meaning right handed or fortunate.
Hendrix
Meaning estate ruler.
Knox
Meaning round hill.
Lennox
Meaning many elm trees.
Paxton
Meaning peace town.
Phoenix
This name also works for girls and means dark red.
90s baby names
Vintage baby names have been a huge hit with parents. But you don’t need to dig all the way back to the early 1900s to find inspiration!
With big 90s stars such as Britney Spears back in the headlines and Winona Ryder being introduced to a whole new audience thanks to Stranger Things, we reckon 90s names are set for a comeback.
People may draw inspiration from stars of their favourite 90s TV shows, characters in 90s movies and their favourite musicians from the decade – Backstreet’s Back, anyone?
Here are our top picks for nostalgic 90s baby names.
90s girls names
Angela
This was the name of the lead character in the hit TV Show My So-Called Life, starring Claire Danes and Jared Leto. It is a Greek name meaning messenger.
Blossom
Remember the TV show Blossom? The American show was probably something you watched in the early 90s. The pretty, feminine name of the lead character taps into the nature baby names trend.
Britney
Britney’s most definitely back. The singer has been in the headlines a lot in the last year and so we think the Hit Me Baby singer will inspire some parents to pick up this 90s name. It means “from Britain”.
Melanie
Anyone else love All Saints as teen? Melanie was one of the singers in the Pure Shores band and we think this name could be due a revival. It means blackness.
Louise
Another name inspired by British singers from the 90s pop era. It means renowned.
Sabrina
Sabrina the Teenage Witch was a big hit in the 90s, and the show was revived in 2018 bringing it to a whole new audience. The name means from the border or legendary princess.
Tiffany
Singer Tiffany had huge hits in the 90s and 80s, especially with her song I Think We’re Alone Now. The name means manifestation of god.
Winona
The actress Winona Ryder made some seriously huge movies in the 90s – Reality Bites, Mermaids, Edward Scissorhands, Girl, Interrupted! We could go on and on. Now that the star is appearing in the hit Netflix show Stranger Things we think we may see a whole new generation of Winonas. The name means firstborn daughter.
90s boys names
Banks
The show that made Will Smith a huge star was Fresh Prince, and the auntie and uncle he moved to live with in Bel Air in the show were called Banks. This cool name means one who lives on the hillside.
Howie
One of the singers from the Backstreet Boys is called Howie, and the band is still together and performing to this day! The name means noble watchman.
Justin
Another boyband inspired name here, this time it’s Backstreet Boys rival NSync! Justin Timberlake went on to huge success in movies. The name means righteous.
Keanu
He’s a hugely popular Hollywood actor still making big budget movies today! But it was his 90s movies – Speed, Point Break, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure – that really sealed the deal for Keanu Reeves’ fame. The name is Hawaiian and means cool breeze.
Pacey
The last episode of Dawson’s Creek still makes me cry, however the name Pacey makes me smile! This cute baby boy name is an adorable choice and is connected to a place in France.
Robbie
Another 90s pop hero name now! Robbie Williams is still performing today, but it was his singing with Take That in the 90s that propelled him to stardom. The name, appropriately, means famous.
Zach
Saved By The Bell was a staple of teen TV in the 90s. The lead characters name was Zach, which means god remembers.
Word names
Words that we use every day have become big news as names! Maverick, already mentioned above, is among these names.
A word name can be based on any type of word – verbs, nouns and adjectives. It could be based on a flower, an animal, a descriptive word and more.
Some notable examples include Melody, Sage, Baker and Meadow. We love this trend because it’s full of unique and special baby name ideas, plus some lovely whimsical names.
Word boy names
- Archer
- Arrow
- Cobalt
- Crew
- Hunter
- Legend
- Navy
- Ranger
- Ransom
- Rocket
- Teddy
- Tiger
- Wilder
Word girl names
- Autumn
- Ballad
- Briar
- Flair
- Mercy
- Peony
- Poppy
- Reader
- Royal
- Scout
- Snow
- Story
- Summer
- Whimsy
Long, elegant names for girls
We still see a lot of three and four letter names in the popular baby names charts.
However we think parents will be increasingly looking at longer, fancy girl names.
Those that can be shortened to cute nicknames may be particularly popular, for example Primrose can be shortened to Prim.
Aurelia
Meaning the golden one.
Clementine
A pretty girl name meaning merciful.
Cordelia
Meaning heart or jewel of the sea.
Emmeline
Parents love names which they can easily shorten, with Emme and Emma being good options for this name. It means work.
Evangeline
Meaning good news.
Francesca
Meaning the Frenchman.
Josephine
Meaning god shall grow.
Magnolia
Meaning a flower.
Margaret
Margot has been popular for some time and we think Margaret is a lovely alternative name. It means pearl.
Marigold
Meaning golden flower.
Primrose
Meaning first rose.
Rosalie
Meaning rose.
Seraphina
A name of Hebrew origin meaning burning ones.
Victoria
A name of Latin origin meaning victory.
Boho boy names
The hippie boho trend has been going strong for a few years but we think parents will be looking for more unusual options in 2023.
We adore these cute and unique boy names with a boho twist.
Aalto
A Finnish name meaning wave.
Charlton
An English name meaning settlement.
Cosmo
Meaning order, decency and beauty.
Darwin
Meaning dear friend.
Devereaux
A French name meaning from the Eure River.
Dune
A cool baby name meaning brown-skinned soldier, but also connected to mystery and fantasy thanks to the movie Dune. With the sequel to the remake of this hit movie in the pipeline, we expect this name to catch people’s attention.
Emrys
A Welsh name meaning immortal.
Foxley
A surname of English origin meaning wood or clearing.
Heath
Meaning moor or heath.
Hemsley
A name originating in Devon in England. Can also mean deer keeper.
Hollis
Meaning the holly tree.
Huck
A shortened version of the name Huckleberry. This name is of English origin and means corner.
Ivo
A name of German, Irish and Dutch origin meaning archer or yew.
Jericho
Meaning city of the moon.
Keats
Meaning shed worker.
Ripley
A name of British origin meaning clearing in the woods. Also made famous by the character played by Sigourney Weaver in Alien.
Rollo
A super cute boy name meaning wolf.
Soren
Meaning stern or strict.
Valentine
A loving baby name meaning strong and healthy.
Willard
Meaning strong desire.
Zephyr
Meaning west wind.
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Earthy names
Nature baby names are beloved by parents as they have a cool and mellow feel to them.
We think parents will be loving earthy nature names in 2023, especially names that refer to a place, for example Prairie and Forest.
Earthy names for girls
Amaranth
A Greek name meaning unfading or flower.
Fern
Meaning green plant that loves shade.
Flora
A cute name meaning flower.
Juniper
A name of Latin origin after the juniper tree, means young.
Prairie
Meaning meadow or grassland.
Rain
A cool name meaning abundant blessing.
River
This name has been making great strides with parents for a few years. It is a unisex name and is perfect if you love nature baby names.
Senna
Meaning brightness and also the name of a flowering bush common in the tropics.
Sorrel
Meaning reddish brown, also the name of a herb.
Earthy names for boys
Briar
Meaning thorny bush of wild roses.
Caspian
Meaning white.
Clay
An English name meaning clay soil.
Forest
Meaning woodsman or woods.
Moss
An English name meaning born of god and also after the green soft vegetation that grows on the ground of woodland.
Oriel
A gender neutral name meaning golden.
Terran
Meaning earth-man.
Unique non-binary names
A gender neutral name has lots of positives going for it, especially for parents wanting to pick a baby name without know the gender of their baby ahead of the birth.
We also think there are lots of unique baby names to be found in this genre, for example Onyx and Bright tap into the short and bold trend.
Alex
A shortened version of Alexander or Alexandra. Meaning helper or defender.
Arbor
Meaning tree.
Avery
An English and French name meaning ruler of elves.
Bright
A very cute nonbinary baby name meaning fresh-faced.
Halo
Meaning divine aura.
Haven
An English name meaning state of safety.
Jesse
This sweet baby name means god’s gift.
Lark
Meaning playful and lighthearted songbird.
Legacy
Meaning inheritance.
Lennon
Meaning lover or blackbird.
Lyric
Meaning songlike.
Magic
Meaning full of wonder.
Onyx
A Greek name meaning black gemstone.
Romantic aesthetic trend baby names
The aesthetic trend refers to names that are beautiful and artsy. There are some simply stunning names that fall into this category.
We think romantic aesthetic baby names will be a big hit with parents, tapping into both the love for unique monikers and also names that sound a little mystical and fairytale-like.
Aesthetic girl names
Aminah
Meaning honest and faithful.
Antiquity
A rare name meaning ancient past.
Aura
Meaning glowing light.
Calliope
A Greek name meaning beautiful voice.
Crescent
A French name meaning increasing or growing.
Eidothea
A Greek baby name meaning sea nymph.
Ferelith
Meaning true sovereignty.
Hyacinth
meaning blue larkspur flower.
Khepri
An Egyptian name meaning morning sun.
Lorelai
A German name meaning alluring.
Liliwen
A Welsh name meaning white lily.
Poema
A pretty girl name meaning poem in Spanish.
Ximena
Meaning heroine.
Aesthetic boy names
Acacius
Meaning thorny or innocent.
Aeron
Meaning mountain of strength.
Alwyn
Meaning elf friend or wise friend.
Auden
An English name meaning old friend.
Caspian
Meaning white.
Davion
An English name meaning beloved.
Emerick
Meaning industrious leader.
Hayden
Meaning hay field.
Jagger
Made famous by Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones, and meaning peddler.
Kais
Meaning wise.
Laszlo
A Hungarian name meaning glorious ruler.
Lyon
A French name meaning lion or brave.
Puck
The name of a character in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Meaning mischievous.
Salinger
Meaning man of peace.
Soren
Meaning stern.
Truett
Meaning river bend.
Final thoughts on baby name trends 2023
I hope these baby name ideas have given you some inspiration for what to call your baby in 2023!
When it comes to making such a big decision remember to take your time, this is a big decision and you can wait until after the baby is born to narrow down your choice to the final one.
If you’re getting ready to welcome your baby you may also like my article about preparing your home for a baby and this final trimester checklist.
