Trending Baby Names
So you finally decided on which car seat to buy, whether you will go for co-sleeping or bassinet, and which pram will fit into the car with all the groceries. Or maybe not. Ok, let’s be honest here. You still don’t have a clue!
And on top of all that you still have to think about a baby name (as if you don’t have enough decisions pending).
It’s easy to get sucked into being overwhelmed, even more so when you are flushed with hormones. Not to mention the pressure of choosing the right name. After all, the name you give your child will be stuck with them forever. What if you accidentally pick one that ends up with a terrible nickname? Which one will be cute when they are young but strong and sophisticated when they are adults?
While we can’t decide for you, we can give you an overview of some of the popular naming trends for 2022. And who knows, perhaps one of them might just be “the one”!
Popular Trends in 2022
Before we get into the different lists of names, a few interesting trends are causing a stir in popular Australian baby monikers.
If you thought that babies have more “old” names than a few years back, you have already caught up on the latest trend.
There has been a great rise in monikers coming from popular historical eras. Some even ancient eras, like Roman, Norse and Greek names. Examples are the increase in registered names like Aurora, Athena, Maeve and Freya for girls, and Atlas, Atticus and Orio for boys.
Another popular era gaining popularity for baby names, is the early 20th century. So we will probably soon see Kindy classrooms fill up with girls named Violet, Charlotte, Hazel, Evelyn and Florence. The same trend applies to boys with names like Buck, Conrad, Harlan, Lionel and Otis gaining popularity.
This trend may be attributed to several factors, such as parents getting more informed about their ancestry and family names. And in other cases, there is a strong correlation between names registered and binge-watched TV series like “Bridgerton” and “Downton Abbey”.
As we enter into a “post-covide” era, we will probably also see a rise in names that are closely related to meanings such as “hope” and “courage”, or even the return of some 90s “badass” names like Mack or Wilder with the new release of Top Gun in the horizon. Who knows!
Girl Names
In 2022, popular names are all about how they sound. Names that feel light and vowel-driven are chosen over strong and explosive names.
Top girl names for 2022 are Charlotte, Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Mia, Ava, Grace, Willow, Harper and Chloe.
Boy Names
Without getting stuck in a stereotypical rut, the trends show that boys' names just haven’t gone “in” and “out” of fashion the same way girl names did. One trend that stands out, though, is that popular boy names most times relate to strong historical figures.
The top 10 boy names for 2022 are Oliver, Noah, Jack, William, Leo, Lucas, Thomas, Henry, Charlie and James.
Neutral Names
Unisex names have been around for a long time and are continually gaining popularity. Similar to binary names, “older” or “vintage” names are chosen more frequently.
The top 10 gender-neutral names for 2022 are Freddy, Charlie, Luca, Cody, Olly, Mikah, Addison, Stevie, Bobby, and Nikki.
Great Tips for Choosing a Name
If you still feel that you have no idea what moniker your little human will carry, don’t panic! Like any decision in life, your thoughts will go through a process.
Here are some tips you can consider to boost that thought processing.
● Don’t get swept away by popular trends. Choosing a name should work for you, not everyone else.
● Don’t discard family names or cultural/ethnic names too soon. You never know where inspiration will come from.
● If you can’t find a name that stands out for you, try looking at initials you like and work your way back from there.
● If you are a practical person, think about things like the ease of filling out forms or sticking with conventional spelling formats.
● If you are a social being, think about feel-good names or names with positive nicknames or shorter variants.
● Make a shortlist of the ones you like, and start using them during your day to see which one comes more naturally or just “feels” better. For example, if you are on your way to buy some rompers, say out loud, “I need to get some rompers for little Jade”. Don’t like the ring of it? Take it off the list. Comfortable with it? Keep it on.
● Don’t stress about it. Picking a name is not a box-ticking exercise. There is also nothing wrong with waiting until the baby arrives. Don’t wait too long, or you might be stuck with the name “Baby”. Just kidding, but make sure you stay within state regulations and laws for registering your newborn’s name.
Conclusion
Finding the “perfect” baby name may not be straightforward, but it doesn’t mean you can’t turn this headache into a fun activity. Ultimately you will get to a decision on your terms. The important thing to remember is that your little bundle of joy will be perfect, no matter which name you choose. Your love and nurturing will shape and define the type of person they become, not their name. So have fun, take the lid off and let the pressure out.
And if you are lucky enough to have the perfect name all figured out, why not look at the personalised knitwear from Little ZEMI while you’re here.