One of the most exciting, fun and meaningful things about having a baby is choosing a name. So, what are the top baby names for 2020? And is their meaning something to love or hate? We’ve got the info for you! But first, some background.
Unique Baby Names with Meaning
For years, parents in the United States have sought to give unique baby names that will stand out in a crowd. In 2020 the trend continues, and they’re not just weird names or based on popular celebrity baby names. Parents are returning to traditional sources, such as the Bible, ancient cultures, and classical texts for
The Global Baby Name Search
The search for unique names rooted in tradition has taken parents on an etymological journey around the world. Traditional European-rooted baby names have fallen out of favor and choices from Israel, Korea, India, South America, Africa, and New Zealand are now more mainstream than ever. Also, the popular trends of meditation, yoga, and similar practices have led to parents drawing inspiration for meaningful names from Eastern spirituality.
Celebrity Surnames
Celebrities have always had a significant influence on baby names, but the current trend is for parents to appropriate celebrity surnames for new babies rather than given names. The trend honors living celebrities (Jolie, Beckham) but also commemorates those who have passed on (Lennon, Hendrix, Bowie, Monroe). Perhaps the most poignant tribute from this list is to actor Heath Ledger, who passed away almost nine years ago at the age of 28; parents are now naming new babies “Ledger” in his honor.
Three-Letter Baby Names
Short names consisting of only three letters are seeing a surge in popularity. These can be traditional names like Liv, Hal, or Jem or more contemporary names like Rio and Lux.
Gender-Neutral Baby Names
As notions of gender become more fluid and society becomes more accepting of a non-binary concept of sexuality, parents are increasingly reluctant to pigeonhole their children into restrictive gender roles by saddling them with an arbitrarily gendered name. Rather, parents are opting for abstract gender-neutral baby names, such as Story, Justice, and Journey.
We have a whole story on gender-neutral baby names here.
Baby Name Predictions
Names.org released predictions for the most popular baby names of 2020. The rankings were determined by analyzing the most recent data from the Social Security Administration, trends from the past five years, and current user interest from millions of visitors to their site.
Check out their predictions on the next page.
