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When thinking through possible names for baby, parents may look to a host of deciding factors, ranging from traditional naming conventions like family names to a more modern approach like naming a child after the place they were conceived.
Recently, the BabyCenter in the USA released their top 100 baby names of 2018 based on thousands of entries the website receives from across the country.
This year the top girl and boy names were Sophia and Jackson. Sophia has been the BabyCenter's number one girl's name for the past 9 years, while Jackson has topped the boys list for the past 6 years.
Formerly enjoying a place in their top 10 of girl's names, Logan and Zoe this year lost out to Olivia and Layla, and the names Everly, Isla, Leo, and Carson have been named the fastest climbers of the year. See the full list by scrolling to the bottom of the page.
Interestingly, the site also provides names outside of the top 100 that have spiked so fast they deserve a mention.
Is your child's name part of the top 100? Did you regret the name you chose for your child at all? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your letter. If you'd like to remain anonymous, let us know.
Analysing this data, the BabyCenter has identified these key influencers in baby naming trends for 2018:
Woosah: More Hippie than Hipster in 2018
According to the BabyCenter, for mom and dads who welcomed their bundles in 2018, one of the biggest influences was a Zen lifestyle, with names like Peace, Harmony and Hope gaining in popularity as girls names. Shanti (the Sanskrit word for peace) was found to be 34% more popular in 2018 for boys.
In keeping with the tranquil inspiration, nature was another big contributing factor, with the site seeing spikes in names like Dawn, Aurora, and Rainbow for baby girls. Sons weren't spared from the nature trend, names gaining in popularity as boy's names include Ocean, Fern, and Sky.
- Also see Parent24's popular 100 baby names inspired by nature
Fortnite: Inspiring a generation
From obsessively played game to baby name inspiration, Fortnite has been named a key influencer for parents in 2018.
Increasing by a huge 57% in popularity, the name Ramirez, one of the feature characters of the game, was a big name for boys.
Other Fortnite-inspired baby boy names included Leviathan, Rogue and Dakotaz. The names Rogue and Dakotaz also trended as girls names, rising by 47% and 13%, respectively. While the name Bunny (sadly) saw a 30% increase in use as a girl's name.
Reality, reality: Is there anything the Kardashian-Jenner clan hasn't influenced?
Shocking absolutely no one is the fact that Kardashian-Jenner offspring have been named as influencers in the baby naming game. The unique moniker Kylie Jenner chose for her baby girl, Stormi, has seen a 63% increase in popularity. Saint and Dream, the names of Kim and Rob's children, are up by 42%, while Kourtney's son, Reign, is up by 27%.
For the love of food
In keeping with the Hippie line of thinking, parents have also proven their commitment to all things natural by naming their children after food, clean food that is. Names like Kale, Kiwi, Maple and Clementine are all gaining traction.
And in a bigger twist, parents are also taking inspiration from herbs and spices, with names like Saffron and Rosemary rising in popularity for girls, and Sage favourited for boys.
Chip and Joanna Gaines: Reality TV strikes yet again
From setting trends in furniture and home design to baby naming trends, Chip and Joanna Gaines, a reality TV couple formerly of Fixer Upper fame, have been named this year's dark horse(s) of baby name influencers.
The name of the couple's business, Magnolia, rose by 21%, while the couple's children's names Emmie, Ella, Drake, and Crew are also trending in the US.
Here's a peak at the BabyCenter's top 10 names of 2018.
Girls names:
1. Sophia
Meaning: Wisdom, skill
Origin: Greek
2. Olivia
Meaning: Olive tree
Origin: Latin
3. Emma
Meaning:Whole, universal
Origin: German
4. Ava
Meaning: Bird
Origin: Hebrew
5. Isabella
Meaning: God is perfection
Origin: Hebrew
6. Aria
Meaning: Lioness of God
Origin: Italian
7. Riley
Meaning: Valiant
Origin: Irish Gaelic
8. Amelia
Meaning: Industrious, striving, defender
Origin: Latin
9. Mia
Meaning: Mine
Origin: Italian
10. Layla
Meaning: Dark beauty
Origin: Arabic
Boy's names
1. Jackson
Meaning: son of Jack
Origin: Scottish
2. Liam
Meaning: Guardian
Origin: Irish
3. Noah
Meaning: To comfort
Origin: Hebrew
4. Aiden
Meaning: The fiery one
Origin: Gaelic
5. Caden
Meaning: Companion, Warrior, Spirit of Battle
Origin: Arabic, English, Welsh
6. Grayson
Meaning: Son of the grey-haired one
Origin: English
7. Lucas
Meaning: Light
Origin: Latin
8. Mason
Meaning: One who works with stone
Origin: English
9. Oliver
Meaning: Olive tree planter
Origin: Latin
10. Elijah
Meaning: My God is Yahweh
Origin: Hebrew
See the full list here.
Is your child's name part of the top 100? Did you regret the name you chose for your child at all? Tell us by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your letter. If you'd like to remain anonymous, let us know.
Read more:
- What your favourite soccer stars named their children
- From Aisha to Khalid and Walid: 200 Arabic baby names and meanings
- One-of-a-kind vintage baby names for boys and girls
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