So It Turns Out Birds And '90s Nostalgia Are Influencing Baby Names In 2025
What do birds, loud luxury and ’90s nostalgia have in common? Apparently they’re playing into many parents’ baby name choices this year.
According to a new report from BabyCenter, names that evoke richness – like Lux, Manolo, Bentley, Treasure, Tiffany and Cash – are having a moment in 2025. The online parenting community shared the top names and a list of trends for the year so far based on data from the hundreds of thousands of parents who’ve registered their newborns’ names on the site.
“At a time when we’re seeing widespread economic uncertainty among parents, it’s really interesting to see how they’ve embraced luxurious names,” Rebekah Wahlberg, a baby name trends specialist at BabyCenter, told HuffPost. “Obviously no parent wants their child to worry about money – and using a baby name that signals wealth is a way of manifesting a better future.”
She noted that “rising costs due to tariffs” was a top financial concern for 29% of parents surveyed by BabyCenter in May – more than double the 13% who gave that response in January.
“So this turn toward names that have a loud luxury vibe gives us some insight into many parents’ thought process when it comes to choosing a baby name,” Wahlberg said. “Parents are wondering, ‘Will my baby have everything they need – and more? Will they have a better future than me?’ And we’re seeing parents’ desires for their babies play out in the names they’re choosing.”
Another interesting trend identified in the report is the rise of bird names, with Raven, Dove, Robin, Mavis and Jay getting popularity boosts this year. In 2024, actor Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden welcomed a son named Cardinal – who notably has a cousin Sparrow.
Nostalgia for the ’90s is not just limited to fashion, as names like Kelsey and Briana – as well as pop icon monikers Shania and Britney – are also jumping up the BabyCenter charts. The names on Academy Award winners Kieran Culkin and Adrien Brody (plus nominee Cynthia Erivo) are similarly on an upward trajectory. And Anora is also rising, perhaps due to the influence of the Best Picture winner.
According to BabyCenter’s data, boy names ending in -y are sharply declining, with big drops for Finnley, Huxley, Harry, Kingsley and Corey. But dictionary words are experiencing the opposite – see the ascent of Wisdom, Loyal, Sincere, Knowledge, Praise, Adore, Queen and Miracle.
“Our biannual report shows parents what trends are happening with names right now,” Wahlberg said. “The interesting part is that the most popular birth months – when the most babies are born according to our research – are right around the corner, so a lot of parents are looking for name ideas and can find them right here.”
Keep scrolling for the 10 baby names for girls and for boys according to BabyCenter’s data. Visit the website for more findings and information about the report’s methodology.
Girls
- Olivia
- Amelia
- Sophia
- Emma
- Charlotte
- Isabella
- Ellie
- Ava
- Mia
- Aurora
Boys
- Noah
- Liam
- Oliver
- Elijah
- Mateo
- Lucas
- Levi
- Ezra
- Asher
- James