For over 20 years, parents have registered their little ones’ names in BabyCenter, which then compiles common patterns into a monthly, mid-year, and annual report.
In 2025, classic, vintage names with “spiritual roots” and “cottagecore” vibes like Olivia, Amelia, Noah, and Liam were all the rage.
But according to BabyCenter’s 2026 mid-year report, things have taken a different turn. Rather than the literary, folks are inspired by ’90s nostalgia, K-pop mania, and, perhaps most surprisingly, the cosmos.
Huntrix-themed names are golden
KPop Demon Hunters dominated the pop culture zeitgeist last year, so it makes sense that parents would be inspired not only by character names from the show, but by the actresses who played them.
The names Rumi, Zoey, Jinu, and Celine are all going up, up, up. Not to mention Arden, after Arden Cho, who voiced Rumi.
Year of the Fire Horse-themed name
In addition, names associated with fire and light—like Phoenix, Apollo, Leo, Elio, Kasai (a Japanese name said to mean “flame”), Ember, Elaine (a French form of Helen meaning “ray” or “sunbeam”), Marisol, Sol, and Blaze—are having their day in the sun.
The general hypothesis behind this is that parents are inspired by 2026 being the year of the Fire horse in the Chinese zodiac.
What’s the deal with sitcom-themed names?
Because Millennials are gonna Millennial, many ’90s and early 2000s hits, which have found new life on streaming, are becoming name fodder.
Monica and Ross, alá Friends, have jumped spots. The show also happened to release on YouTube last year. Coincidence? We think not.
Meanwhile, Scrubs and Malcolm in the Middle, both of which got reboots, have influenced more parents to use names like Carla, Dorian (J.D.’s last name), Reese, and Lois.
While not sitcoms, Grey’s Anatomy and High School Musical made 20-year milestones in 2025. This, in turn, put the names Gabriella, Troy, Zeke, Martha, Callie, Derek, Miranda, and Arizona in better favor. Thankfully, parents know better than to name their kids Sharpay.
BabyCenter also noted an incoming “soft era” for both boys and girls
By “soft,” the company is referring to “names that start or end with vowels and have soft consonants.” We see this in the aforementioned names Leo, Elias, Rumi, and Carla. Some other examples: Ariel, Isa, Alonso, and Milo.
A preference for soft names could be why there’s a simultaneous drop in girl names starting with “Ad-.” Ada, Adelyn, Adalee, Adira, Adina, Adilene, Adhara, and Adele have all dropped.
That’s not to say that long-reigning champs have totally lost their mojo. Olivia, Sophia, Charlotte, Noah, Liam, and Elijah, for instance, are still going strong. But a lot of things can change between now and when BabyCenter releases their full annual report. Either way, it’s always interesting to see what patterns pop up, what cultural aspects are staying on people’s minds, and, most importantly, which customized name bracelets are going to sell out the fastest in a few years’ time.
If you’re curious, here are the Top 10 girl and boy names so far
The top 10 girl names:
- Olivia
- Amelia
- Eliana
- Sophia
- Charlotte
- Isabella
- Emma
- Aurora
- Ellie
- Evelyn
The top 10 boy names:
- Noah
- Liam
- Oliver
- Elijah
- Mateo
- Levi
- Lucas
- Ezra
- Elias
- Leo
