The top ten baby name predictions for 2023 are out and they’re more unusual than ever before
THE last few years have been very eventful to say the least and many people's lives have changed in small (or large) ways.
And it turns out that the uncertainty is also having an effect on the names people are choosing for their babies too.
Pam Redmond, who is the founder of , which is one of the biggest baby naming sites worldwide, gave her predictions for baby names in 2023.
She claims that many people are approaching uncertain times by opting for names that are either hopeful, fresh or mythical.
She said: “There’s a pop, upbeat, bright, 1920s/1960s vibe around.
“The feeling of a new world, dancing as fast as we can. A complete reinvention of mood and style.”
More on baby names
Here are her top predictions for 2023…
1. Golden era
Many people are seeking to call their kids “shining” and “golden” themed names for 2023, to promote positivity.
While some names like Goldie, which was in the top 1,000 names last year, may follow this theme literally, others are more subtle.
Other names we may see rise are Sunshine, Marigold, Halo, Aurelia, Lux, and also sun god names like Apollo and Helios.
Most read in Fabulous
2. Maximalist names
While many people are cutting back on their living and bills, they are predicted to channel the opposite vibe with their kid’s names.
Pam said people are leaning towards names that indicate “opulence, decadence and drama.”
She expects we could see more “extravagant” names like Amadeus, Astrophel, Myfanwy and Mazikeen, which are fast rising this year.
We could also see an increase in Regency and mythology-inspired names like Cleopatra, Morpheus and Lazarus.
3. Grandad names for girls
One trend that is predicted to boom is grandpa names for baby girls.
Pam said that new parents are reinventing old trends in fresh ways, so we could see names like Max, which has gained popularity thanks to the female character on Stranger Things.
Other ones we could see are Scottie, Teddy, Lou, Ozzie, Billie, Bobbie and Drew.
4. The 80s are back with a bang
Thanks to Stranger Things, the likes of Kate Bush are back in the charts and mullets are making a strong comeback.
And this also links to names too.
Pam said we are expecting to “see the start of a revival of 80s inspired names by ahead-of-the-curve admirers of this retro style.”
Look out for names like Ferris, Marty and Sloane, and also ones from Stranger Things itself like Dustin and Billy.
5. Mix and match names
Many parents are shaking it up when it comes to trying to be original, and we could see them mashing together parts of names.
This could mean kids have names made up of different sounds, like Kai, Cy, Beau (or Bo) and Mae, Oak and Ice.
And when it comes to popular endings, these could include -aire, -ett, -iel, -lani, -land and -wyn
6. Biblical names are out
Forget names inspired by religion, the ones that are set to be big are unique ones like Khairi, Larose, Maebry, Novarae, Rhyett, Romer, Woodson and Aziel.
7. Cowboy names
As well as other-worldly names, rugged outdoorsy ones are set to make a comeback.
Look out for cowboy-themed names in 2023 like Hawkins, Foster, Brando, Beck, Tex.
Pam said that Western shows have helped to motivate this too, like Outer Range causing Royal to spike in the charts this year.
8. Cross-culture names
It is also thought that names that aren’t too strongly tied to one culture could be a popular choice.
These monikers follow a “very specific formula” of being four letters, two syllables and end in “i”.
Examples include Gigi, Bibi, Rani and Rumi, Nori, Suki, Joni, and Lili.
One celebrity who has followed this trend is fitness star Joe Wicks, who called his new daughter Leni.
9. X-tra Names
For many parents, X marks the spot.
We are likely to see a spike in parents using X in names, and this is following Elon Musk and Grimes naming their kid X Æ A-Xii (known as X).
While most names won’t be these extreme, we could see ones that have an X featured, such as Beaux, Calix, Huxley, Onyx, Abraxas, Xerxes, Bellatrix, Hendrix, Felix and Pixie.
Read More on The Sun
10. Blue and green themes
People are heading straight to nature for inspiration and settling on names with a green or blue theme.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
These include deep green names like Forest, Emerald, Fern and Moss, as well as brighter blues like Lazuli and Cyan.
We’ve seen a number of stars follow this trend, like Michael Bublé calling his daughter Cielo, Darren Criss calling his Bluesy, and Camilo and Evaluna Montaner picking Indigo for their baby girl.