Surprising baby name trends have taken over in 2026, according to Nameberry.
The baby-naming blog listed 10 naming trends made popular in the lead up to the new year, with the top being ancient civilizations, as well as others that sound magical, mythical and nostalgic.
The top 10 baby name trends for 2026, according to Nameberry, are included below:
- Ancient civilizations
- Showgirl names
- Soulful names
- A-OK Boomer names
- Romantasy names
- Vowel Hiatus names
- Number names
- Straight out of Utah
- Anime names
- Brit Lit names
Nameberry's Sophie Kihm wrote that parents are finding "romantasy" and nostalgic names as a form of escapism from the dread of real life.
"Amid bleak headlines and growing uncertainty, parents are actively seeking names that remind them of anything but our current environment. When the news is too heavy to bear, they turn into their favorite forms of entertainment," Kihm wrote.
Parents are believed to have emerged with "fresh inspiration" from television and novels, giving their newborns names that are "full of hope," according to Kihm.
"Today's trendiest baby names may be influenced by invented worlds, idealized pasts, and imagined futures, but parents choose them with the hope that their bearers will help make the real world a better place," Kihm wrote.