Baby name predictions for 2035.
A baby name expert has revved up her time machine and gone a whole decade into the future. What she found is genuinely wild - okay, if not wild, at least pretty fun! Sophie Kihm, an editor for nameberry.com, has compiled a list using a "proprietary formula to find upcoming trends she predicts will be next decade's popular child names.
In a New York Post article, they reveal Kihm's thoughts: "Millennial names and Gen X names are unfashionable right now. Ashley, Heather, Megan, Ellen - names that were popular with this generation of moms. For boys, Clayton, Justin, Preston and Danny feel a bit older."
However, as time marches on, she claims "Fia" is a name to look out for. "We're seeing that as a rising trend around the world that parents are more interested in going back to heritage." She also lists Yuna and Laith as "very hands-on name(s)."
@nameberry.com Replying to @youwontfindmenowhahaha These names aren’t in the Top 1000 yet, but expect to see them on the charts in 2035! #nameberry #babynames #nameinspiration #girlnames #boynames #nametok #babynameideas #babynameslist #babynametrends #popularbabynames #popularnames #uniquenames #uniquegirlnames #uniqueboynames #rarebabynames #rarenames #greenscreen #substack
Other predictions for the next decade? "Icelynn is going to be a fast riser. Ice has become a cool syllable."
For boys, she says that although "it feels really extreme, Chozen (yes with a Z) was a fast-growing name in the US last year because of the pop culture anime character."
She also predicts the popularity of bird names, with Pipit being one. "I think it's really cute. P's have a lot of energy and it combines that energy with a bird name."
While listing many more names, she notes "names go in roughly 100-year cycles. Once a generation with a certain name dies, it starts to be used again." As for 2035, she predicts for girls, "Areli, Arden, Vida, Poetry, Viola and Ripley" will be a handful of people we meet. For boys, "Tiago, Townes, Woods, Casper, Kit, Booker, and Cosmo" to name a few.
Casper the friendly ghost takes a stroll. Giphy
Though, her list reveals "classic" names, Charlotte and Oliver, as the number one spots on the 2035 lists.
Redditors have their own predictions as well. On the subreddit r/namenerds, the OP asks, "What names do you think will be trendy that are not currently on our radar? I think the trend will continue towards more formal, unusual names. I think 'Townes' or 'Collins' are popping up more, and I wonder what other names seem 'edgy' now but will be common in 2034?" (They used 2034 as the set date, because this was posted in 2024.)
They add, "If I was trying to best describe my vibe on 2034, I think it will trend towards old-money cool being common (like our modern 'Emma’s' and 'Liam'). Not in a bad way, but I could see there being multiple Sinclair’s in a class, for example."
This person echoes some of the names on Kihm's list, though the post was written before the nameberry predictions. "Simple multicultural names: Tala, Kai, Yuna, Dara."
One person added the idea that names are cyclical, though suggested they reappear every decade or two. "I think maybe 10 (more like 20) years from now 80s/90s names will rise in popularity again. Gen Z is heavily influenced by the early 00s. I see names like Lauren, Brooke, Jenna, Jamie, Erin, Nicole and Allison rising in popularity again." They edited to add "Lindsay, Britney and Paris too… although these names have felt a bit off-limits since they are so associated with certain celebs."
Britney Spears gives a strange look. Giphy
In the same realm, this person posits, "With names like Hazel, Evelyn and Theodore coming back around now, I'm thinking names like Nancy, Diane, Keith and Mark coming back in 10 years along with more made-up names." (Note: aren't ALL names "made up?")
Lastly, this person jokes, "I'm waiting for the Karen revival," followed by, "That will be NEXT century."