I’m a baby name expert – the most popular monikers based on locations, including one that rocketed thanks to Dani Dyer
NAMING your baby after a location has rocketed in recent decades, influenced by celebrities and a desire to be unique.
Paris Fury’s daughters Venezuela, Valencia and Athena were all inspired by the globe, while Paris Hilton called her little ones Phoenix and London.
And let’s not forget Victoria Beckham leading the charge with Brooklyn in 1999.
It’s clear that travel-inspired names are all the rage.
However, the most popular choices are not what you’d expect, according to new research by Givetastic.
Gone are the traditional location-esque names of Dakota, Austin, Dallas and Maddison.
There’s a new wave of Sofias, Cairos, Kobes and Viennas.
The current reigning most popular girl location name is in fact Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
In 2022, a whopping 1,860 British babies were given this moniker.
That same year, an impressive 7,254 baby girls were graced with the charming name in the US.
Roman takes the boys number one spot, with 2,064 little boys being named this in the same year.
Other global girl names that have seen a spike are Alba, the Scots Gaelic name for Scotland, and Athena, inspired by the capital city of Greece.
For boys, the name Phoenix is on the rise, with 351 British babies being named after the Arizona, US-based city.
Rio, inspired by the capital of Brazil, and Kobe, the name of a scenic Japanese city, also saw a spike.
Most Popular Baby Names of 2024
BabyCenter puts together a real-time list of the most popular baby names every year. Here's 2024 results so far...
GIRLS
- Emma
- Olivia
- Isabella
- Ava
- Sophia
BOYS
- Noah
- Ethan
- Jacob
- Liam
- Logan
But one particularly unusual name saw a spike after Love Island winner Dani Dyer bestowed it upon her son.
The daughter of British acting icon Danny Dyer called her firstborn son Santiago in 2021.
The name is the capital city of Chile – and it rocketed in 2022 after Dani’s unusual choice made headlines.
A cool 131 British parents named their son Santiago in 2022.
The name also garnered a remarkable 8,070 registrations in the US that year – and it ranked as the 48th most favoured baby boy’s name.