Rising baby names that experts ‘never saw coming’ revealed

The ones you might not expect (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Whether it’s pop culture (like Barbie or the Kardashians) influencing choices, to certain old-school favourites making a comeback, there are a whole host of factors that can switch-up the ‘most popular’ and trending baby names lists.

However, there are still some wildcard names that catch us off-guard – even for the experts. 

Sophie Kihm, the editor-in-chief at Nameberry, has lifted the lid on some of the baby names (and trends) that she and the team ‘never saw coming’ for 2024.

These are some of the rising choices that you may hear being called in the playground over the next few years…

Chosen

Chosen is a fast-rising word name, but experts weren’t expecting it to grow so quickly recently, explains Sophie.

She tells Metro: ‘NFL quarterback Cam Newton used the name for his son back in 2015, which introduced Chosen to the name pool. 

‘But it remained dormant for almost a decade before really taking off. Chosen is a new favorite among modern spiritual names – a trend that has been picking up steam in the 2020s.’

Kayce

Another one rising (Picture: Getty Images)

Sophie adds: ‘We knew that Yellowstone favorite Dutton was going to be a big hit, but totally overlooked Kayce. 

‘Why? It’s a spin on a dated name, Casey, plus, is confusing to spell and pronounce (it’s said like Casey, not Case). But parents proved us wrong – they’ve embraced Kayce almost as much as Dutton.’

Love

Sophie says: ‘Straightforward virtue Love seemed like a shoe-in for top middle names of the year, but we were surprised to see it rapidly rising as a first name. 

‘Parents, well, love Love’s amorous imagery and the ever-stylish V sound.’

Perhaps the character from Netflix’s You has something to do with it?

Neriah

An unlikely biblical name is rising (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

This is another rising name that’s baffled experts.

Sophie says: ‘We were puzzled to see Neriah – a minor male character in the Old Testament – among the hottest choices for baby girls. 

‘Blame the mononymous indie singer Neriah, who is inspiring parents to use her name for their daughters.’

Anime Names

Trend-wise, Sophie says anime names have surprised the Nameberry team the most.

She says: ‘Names from anime and manga tend to be invented choices with character-specific meanings – not the most likely source of inspiration for naming a baby. But parents are increasingly inspired by their own niche interests when naming a baby, including anime.

‘Anime-related choices like Kenji, Kaisen, and even Jiraiya are on the rise.’

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