Expectant parents are looking (much) further afield for baby name inspiration after a year of turbulent political news has made them want more for their children than this world has to offer.
The biggest baby name trend of 2018 will be space names, predicts parenting site ChannelMum.
A small-scale survey of 1,517 of their readers revealed 51% of parents-to-be have names inspired by things beyond our planet, including Luna, Stella, Nova and Orion, on their list.
“Space names are a good way to look to the heavens and remind us all that there is more to life than the events happening on earth,” said ChannelMum founder Siobhan Freegard.
Gender-neutral names continue to be popular and parents are also increasingly considering gender crossover names for their newborns - ie. names that are more commonly given to babies of the opposite sex.
For example, among the most-popular choices are Teddy, Robin and Noel for girls, alongside Carol and Aubrey for boys. Almost two in five (37%) of the young parents surveyed are considering using a gender crossover name.
Space names are not the only sign that parents are focused on their children’s future - rather than the present - when considering baby names.
Celebrity and popular culture inspired names are falling out of favour with parents saying their most disliked baby name trends include children being named after music stars, films and sports teams.
More than a quarter (26%) of expectant parents are also considering ‘modern virtue names’ for their babies, in the hope of shaping a better future - these include Felicity, which means good fortune and happiness, and Verity which stands for truth and honesty.
“Choosing a modern virtue name is the ultimate in virtue signalling, showing you believe children really are the future,” said Freegard.
“Many of the modern virtue names are absolutely beautiful and picking a positive name will hopefully carry your child through life with confidence and charm.”
And those rattled by uncertain financial times are hoping to bring their child fortune with a name related to wealth or money.
One in eight families are thinking about picking money monikers including: Ottilie, which means riches, wealth or prosperity; Elodie, meaning foreign riches; Rafferty, meaning abundance; and even Cash.
The Top 8 Baby Name Trends Predicted For 2018
1. Space names, eg. Luna, Stella, Nova, Orion - 51%.
2. Gender crossover names, eg. Teddy, Robin and Noel for girls, Carol and Aubrey for boys - 37%.
3. ‘Bad’ boys and girls names, eg. Harley, Quinn, Ronnie, Reggie, Kato - 31%.
4. Bird names, eg. Wren, Phoenix, Paloma, Birdie - 28%.
5. Virtuous names, eg. Saint, Hope, Faith - 26%.
6. Botanical names taking over from flower names, eg. Ferne, Bay, Basil, Sage - 24%.
7. Names meaning wealthy or money, eg. Ottilie, Elodie, Rafferty, Cash - 12%.
8. Shakespearian names, eg. Hero, Balthazar, Ophelia, Juno - 11%.
Most Disliked Name Trends
• Double-barrelled names (e.g. Lacey-May, Tyler-Joe) - 51%.
• Children names after sports teams - 40%.
• Unusual spellings - 40%.
• Families using the same first letter for all their children (e.g. Kim, Khloe) - 28%.
• Surnames as first names - 27%.
• Children named after music stars - 22%.
• Children names after films - 20%.
• Giving a child more than two names before the surname - 14%.
• Tough names - 14%.
Names Predicted To Begin To Fall Out Of Fashion
• Donald (Trump effect)
• Maisy
• Kia
• Olivia and Oliver for being too popular
• Alfie
• Amelia
• Isla
• Jack
• Arlo
• Lily
Whether you’re looking for a name that is ‘cool’, ‘cute’, ‘pretty’, or ‘unique’, our Baby Name Generator is here to inspire you. Discover the meaning of your favourite name, browse the 100 most popular baby girl names and baby boy names in England and Wales, or let our Random Name Generator throw up an unusual suggestion.