Sorry, Grandma Barbara and Aunt Margaret, today’s newborns are more likely to be named after a social media star than a beloved relative. While parents used to honor family members by using their names for babies, or use name books to find them, new research suggests moms and dads are turning to reels and posts to decide what to call their kids.
- According to a new study from online information platform BeenVerified.com, more parents are turning to TikTok and Instagram for baby name inspiration.
- BeenVerified used Social Security Administration (SSA) data on the 1,000 most popular baby names in the U.S. to find the names linked to influencers, popular Internet personalities and celebrities with big online followings.
- Then they ranked the names based on the number of births in the year.
The 10 Most Popular Social Media/Influencer Inspired Baby Names
- Nova - Trending at number 39 for girl names in the SSA rank, it’s a favorite on social media.
- Kai - It’s number 76 for SSA boy names and is linked to surfer and influencer Kai Lenny.
- Rowan - This gender-neutral name is popular on both charts. It’s 71st for boys and 266th for girls.
- Addison - Landing at 68, it’s been popular for a few years, maybe thanks to Addison Rae, a TikToker turned pop star.
- Sage - It’s more popular for girls (146th), but also works for boys (413th), and it’s a popular choice among wellness influencers.
- Arya - Inspired by social media and TV stars, it’s climbed to number 162 for girls.
- Zara - TV presenter Zara McDonald, who has more than 2-million Instagram followers, may be part of the reason this name has climbed to number 234 for girls.
- Saint - The Kardashians are known to affect pop culture trends and Kim’s son, Saint West, is probably behind the name reaching number 282 on the SSA’s list of boys popular names.
- Charli - This trendy name continues to rise in popularity (number 524), thanks to TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and singer Charli XCX.
- Stormi - Landing at number 790 on the SSA girls list, the name owes its popularity to Kylie Jenner’s Insta-famous baby Stormi Webster.
Source: Parents⠀