The Most Popular Baby Names of 2019? Think Rare Gems!
As seen on the personalized blankets in your latest Pottery Barn Kids catalogue, Sophia and Jackson continued to be the most popular baby names in the U.S. this year, even if some parents thought farther outside the box (see: the California mom who named her daughter "Abcde," pronounced "Ab-city.") Next year, though, all bets are off, and things could get weird(er).
In 2019, Nameberry—the preferred baby name-brainstorming site of chic parents—predicts some of the trendiest baby names in the land will be inspired by rare gems like Amethyst, Peridot, Sapphire and Topaz. (This might make "push presents" nice and intuitive.) But Nameberry also forecasts that less sparkly, "muted hues" will creep on to birth certificates: "All color names for babies are, well, colorful, but we’re beginning to see a shift in tone as vibrant shades like Scarlett and Ruby and Poppy are giving way to softer pastels," the site says: Grey/Gray is growing in popularity, and Ash, Fawn, Mauve, and color/herbs like Lavender and Sage may follow.
There's hope the gender reveal party and its inherent obsession with a baby's sex might finally fade from prominence as Nameberry expects we will see an uptick in nonbinary names next year, including Briar, Campbell, Laken, and Story. "Parents who want to raise their children free of gender stereotypes are looking for names that are truly gender neutral," the site says.
Other baby name trends to be on the lookout for: three-letter names like Hal (Timothée Chalamet's middle name, NBD), Kit, Lux, and Rex; names emphasizing the letter "u" or its phonetic "oo" sound (potentially inspired by Prince Louis), like Hugo, Jude, and Luna; names rooted in what Nameberry calls "animalia," including Bear (Alicia Silverstone's son's name), Fox, Hawk, Wolf and Otter; and not just celebrity names but surnames—such as Beckham, Bowie, Ledger, Lennon and Hendrix. Those personalized Pottery Barn Kids blankies are about to get a whole lot more interesting....
