The Fastest-Rising Baby Names of 2024 Are In—and You Probably Haven't Heard of Some of Them
The Social Security Administration released the fastest-rising boy's and girl's names of the year. We're expecting them to climb the popularity charts soon!
Fact checked by Sarah Scott
There’s something to be said about giving your baby a popular name. These monikers are classic, well known, and won’t have your little one standing out from the crowd. But while some parents prefer the traditional route, others choose to go in the opposite direction, seeking out unusual or rare baby names.
We’re all familiar with the Social Security Administration’s annual list of the most popular baby names for boys and girls. But here’s a fun fact: they’ve also compiled a list of the fastest-rising baby names.
These picks might be relatively obscure today, but they’ve all got something special that’s making more and more parents take notice. Maybe it’s a wow factor; maybe it’s a similarity to a wildly popular name with a cool spin. In any case, these names are totally up-and-coming.
Check out our analysis of the SSA’s fastest-rising baby names for both boys and girls.
Fastest-Rising Baby Names for Boys
These five baby boy names might sound similar to existing names that get a lot of use, but they’re each decidedly different. And that’s just what parents love about them. Move over Noah and Liam, these cool baby boy names are poised for an eventual takeover!
Izael
This Biblical-sounding boy’s name might remind you of Israel or Ezekiel, but it’s becoming popular on its own. It’s the biggest rank-changer for boys this year, jumping a whopping 860 places from 2022 to 2023.
That said, Izael still hasn’t hit the mainstream, ranking only 806th last year. That means your little boy has a good chance of being the only Izael in his kindergarten class. But maybe not for long!
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: He who struggles with God
Famous Namesakes: None yet!
Peak Popularity: 2023
Chozen
An alternative spelling of the name Chosen, which could be given as a moniker for either a boy or a girl, the addition of the “z” in this name has a bit of a trendy feel. Perhaps that’s why it’s ticking upward in recent years.
While Chozen hasn’t broken the top 500 baby names, we expect to see more and more parents bestow this name on their little ones.
Origin: English
Meaning: One who is the object of choice or of divine favor
Famous Namesakes: Chozen Toguchi is a character from Karate Kid II
Peak Popularity: N/A
Eiden
If you’re a fan of the wildly popular -ayden names (like Jayden, Hayden, Ayden, Brayden, or Kayden) but you’re looking for something a little bit different, try Eiden on for size.
The cool thing about this spelling is that it lends itself to two pronunciations. It could sound like the classic “Aiden,” or you could pronounce it “eye-den” for a unique, slightly sophisticated twist. That could be part of the reason why this name jumped 590 places from 2022 to 2023, making it the 890th most popular baby boy name.
Origin: Gaelic
Meaning: Little fire
Famous Namesakes: American actor Andrew Eiden
Peak Popularity: 2023
Cassian
This rare baby boy name has quietly been moving through the ranks over the past decade. In 2017, it was barely on the charts, only given to a small handful of boys each year. But in 2023, we saw Cassian (pronounced “cash-un”) knocking on the door of the top 500 most popular baby names, at 533rd.
Beautiful and strong as either a first or a middle name, we’re expecting to see a lot more of this baby boy moniker.
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Hollow
Famous Namesakes: British film producer Cassian Elwes, writer Nina Cassian
Peak Popularity: 2023
Kyren
Here’s another cool baby name that can be pronounced two different ways (we’re sniffing a trend here!). Pronounce it like the wildly popular Kieren of recent decades, or opt for something a bit different by accentuating the first syllable to make it sound like “Kai-ren.”
This baby boy's name is still quite rare, but it jumped in rank quite a bit this year, moving from 1331st to 940th.
Origin: Persian; Irish
Meaning: King, ruler, little dark one
Famous Namesakes: American football player Kyren Lacy, American baseball player Kyren Paris
Peak Popularity: 2023
Fastest-Rising Baby Names for Girls
These five pretty baby girl names were the ones breaking rank in 2023. Maybe it’s because of a cool meaning (who can’t get behind a name that literally means “rainbow lady”?) or a pretty sound that’s just a bit different. In any case, we’re expecting to see more little ladies sporting these unique monikers in the coming years.
Kaeli
The fastest-growing baby girl name is Kaeli, a pretty spin on the classic girl name Kaylee. Thanks to social media influencer Kaeli Mae, more people will likely be sporting this name in the coming years.
Origin: American variation of Kayla
Meaning: Laurel, crown
Famous Namesakes: Kaeli Mae
Peak Popularity: 2023
Alitzel
At first glance, the baby girl name Alitzel may not appeal to you. But when you learn that it’s the Mayan word for “rainbow lady,” perhaps your opinion might change. It’s hard to imagine anything less than a fierce female when you learn this name's meaning!
Does that mean more parents will bestow this beautiful name on their daughters? We think so, given that it jumped a whopping 1,512 ranks from 2,383rd to 871st.
Origin: Mayan
Meaning: Rainbow lady (some sources say “smiling lady”)
Famous Namesakes: Mexican actress Alitzel Díaz, Mexican model and beauty queen Alitzel Cervantes, Venezuelan singer and composer Alitzel Perdomo, Saint Alitzel
Peak Popularity: 2023
Emryn
Almost non-existent only a decade ago, this simple name is a variation of the gender-neutral moniker Emrys. It sounds similar to the popular Camryn, which can also be used as a gender-neutral name. Emryn jumped almost 1,300 ranks this past year, from 2,175th to 888th.
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Immortal
Famous Namesakes: None yet!
Peak Popularity: 2023
Adhara
This unique baby girl name certainly hasn’t hit the mainstream yet, but with its pretty sound and simple spelling, we think it’s on the way. It’s similar to popular girl names like Zara and Samara, and jumped to 769th in popularity this past year.
Origin: Persian
Meaning: Virgin
Famous Namesakes: Adhara Perez, a Mexican student said to have an IQ higher than Einstein
Peak Popularity: 2023
Azari
The beautiful girl’s name Azari has been a real mover and shaker this year, jumping 715 spots to become the 695th most popular girl’s name. It’s a contrived variation on the name Azariah, which originated as a boy name, but has seen increasing popularity as a gender-neutral moniker in recent years.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Helped by God
Famous Namesakes: None
Peak Popularity: 2023
For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on Parents.
