The top baby names for 2022

baby names

by Lorna White |
Updated on

There’s so much pressure around picking the perfect name for your baby, especially in this day and age where unusual names, Netflix inspired names and totally made up names are all the rage.

From the the mount up hype around celebrity baby names (we don’t know about you but those days leading up to Stacey Solomon’s name reveal were torture), to finding something truly meaningful and unique (like influencer Imogen Horton’s baby, who she made up the very pretty name Renaelia for), it’s never felt so important for parents to choose something extra special for their new arrival.

If you’re expecting and want to keep on top of all the latest baby name trends, we’ve rounded up some of next year’s biggest baby boy and baby girlname predictions according toNameberry, experts in the world of baby name trends and statistics. Alternatively, if you want to look even further into the future, we have the most popular names for 2023 too.

Nature names

Once again our love for nature has inspired the names we choose for our babies as it has in previous years. There are some lovely sounding names linked to the natural world, as well as some really cool options, many of which are gender neutral.

  • Ocean

  • Forest

  • Reef

  • Palmer

  • Capri

  • Bali

  • Dune

  • Bay

  • Koa

  • Lotus

Playful names

After all the negativity we’ve had to deal with in the past few years, it’s no surprise that more playful sounding names are gaining popularity. These names will bring so much joy and light to your life, and they’ll really suit your adorable new baby.

Boys

  • Teddy

  • Ziggy

  • Buddy

  • Bear

  • Sonny

Girls

  • Gigi

  • Baby

  • Pixie

  • Coco

  • Honey

Names inspired by Netflix’s Bridgerton

If you’ve binged some of the most popular shows on Netflix recently, you’ve probably fallen in love with some of the names you’ve heard. One show in particular that had us all swooning for the regal names (not just the Duke!) was Bridgerton.

Boys

  • Rupert

  • Simon

  • Theo

  • Benedict

  • Gregory

Girls

  • Daphne

  • Eloise

  • Penelope

  • Philippa

  • Hyacinth

Non-binary names

From gender fluidclothing lines to neutral nurseries, it’s becoming increasingly important for parents to not enforce gender norms on their children, and this extends to names too.

  • Blair

  • Sasha

  • Harlow

  • Nova

  • Echo

  • Wren

  • Indigo

  • Honor

  • Marlowe

  • Artemis

Retro names

We’re a sucker for a cute grandma or granddad sounding name for adorable little babies. Nostalgic names have been popular for quite some years now and they clearly stand the test of time.

Boys

  • Vincent

  • Bobby

  • Louie

  • Gus

  • Gene

Girls

  • Betty

  • Susie

  • Etta

  • Nellie

  • Mae

Musical names

If you think your tot is destined to become a musical genius, there’s never been a more fitting theme than a name inspired by a musical term. These names are set to be hugely fashionable in 2022, and we’re not surprised - they do sound rather cool.

Boys

  • Anthem

  • Brio

  • Solo

  • Drummer

  • Coda

Girls

  • Allegra

  • Caprice

  • Lyra

  • Jazz

  • Calypso

Spiritual names

Sometimes the most powerful names are those that come to us spiritually, and after all the uncertainty we’ve faced recently, a lot of us are looking for names that resonate with how we’ve been feeling.

Boys

  • Psalm

  • Amenadiel

  • Soul

  • Brave

  • Jericho

Girls

  • Kali

  • Dream

  • Promise

  • Irie

  • True

Names ending in S

There’s been names ending in O’s, R’s A’s and N’s and now for 2022, it’s all about S ending names. There’s something so cool about names ending with an S, and they’re predicted to be popular for both girls and boys.

Boys

  • Idris

  • Wells

  • Ignatius

  • Rivers

  • Rhodes

Girls

  • Lois

  • Jules

  • Hollis

  • Banks

  • Iris

Names beginning with R

While names ending in S are in fashion, names beginning with R are set to grow in popularity in 2022 (we think Rhodes will be the ultimate cool name). Taking inspiration from nature and European languages, here are some of the top R names.

Boys

  • Rome

  • Rowe

  • Rye

  • Reed

  • Ren

Girls

  • Rain

  • Rue

  • Rumi

  • Reign

  • Rox

Pretty baby names

30 baby names inspired by Shakespeare

101 places to name your baby after

20 baby names that mean ‘hope’ or ‘miracle’

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