2016’s Hottest Baby Naming Trends
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photo Courtesy of Laura Izumikawa
Yesterday we weighed in on the most popular baby names of 2016 (according to Babycenter), and, because we really can’t get enough of this stuff, now we’re taking a dip into what the site points to as the hottest baby-naming trends of the year.
Perhaps not surprisingly, with Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the presidency, the concept of girl power was a big one for new parents in 2016, with the name Hillary rising 64%, Nancy (Pelosi) 46%, Amal (Clooney) 21%, Venus (Williams) 26%, Elizabeth (Warren) and Tina (Fey) up 8%, and Rihanna 6%.
STEM-inspired names like Cloud (increasing 76% for boys), Apple, Newton, Edison, Albert, Benjamin, Franklin, Elon, Darwin, Pascal, Blaise, Ada, Siri, Cortana, Watson, Dot, and Alexa are also on the rise.
The year’s hottest TV shows also played a big role in naming trends, with Game of Thrones moniker Arya (also spelled Aria) skyrocketing into the Top 10 most popular girl names, while Sansa is up 46%, and Brienne up 4%. American Horror Story aided names like Iris, Donovan, Tristan, Lee, and Elias. Meanwhile, cult hit Stranger Things helped classics like Nancy, Dustin, Lucas, and Joyce rise in the ranks. Walking Dead (Carol, Hershel, Walker), Brit show Peaker Blinders (Moss, Cillian, Riley), Orange is the New Black (Dayanara a.k.a. Daya), and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Kimmy) were also big influencers. (Sidenote: If babies + pop culture mash-ups are your thing, you need to check out the now-viral Instagram account of new mom Laura Izumikawa and her 7-month-old daughter Joey. O.M.G!)
Other hot baby naming trends include superheroes (Banner, Harley, Harleen, Quinn, Captian, Marvel, Kal-el, Grayson, Diana, Bruce, Wayne, Floyd, Lawton, Wade, Wilson, Lex), fashion references (Chanel, Dior, Armani, Donatella, Calvin, Cartier, Tiffany), luxury cars (Tesla, Royce, Lexus, Bentley), and beloved booze brands (Hennessy, Jameson, Martell, Remy).
Have a baby in 2016? We’d love to hear what you named them and why in the comments below.
In the meantime, check out Our Predictions For The Hottest Baby Names Of 2016, 75+ Feminist Baby Names, and What 60+ Fashion Designers Named Their Kids, for more inspo.
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