The Social Security Administration’s baby names database is a reliable place to look when it comes to how trends have changed with parents naming their newborns. It dates back to the 1880s, showing what names have thrived for more than a century and those that never made it past a few decades.
Some of the popular names from 100 years ago include Mary, Betty, Dorothy, Helen, and a few more for girls, while parents preferred to name their sons Robert, John, William, Richard, Donald, and the like.
What are the best baby names of 2025?
A century later, names like James, William, Elizabeth, and Evelyn have remained popular, likely due to the influence of the British Royal Family, while others like Mildred, Lois, Ralph, and Doris do not seem to make the cut anymore.
Other baby names of this era, especially the novel ones, seem to be inspired by the most bizarre things, such as pop culture, TikTok trends, famous people, Hollywood, and the parents’ interests. French-inspired names like Remi and Arlette are reportedly on the rise, especially after the Paris Olympics of the previous year.
Are British names becoming less popular in 2025?
Reports say parents are starting to ditch British monikers, and girl names ending in “a” are taking center stage. Names like Margot and Gabriella are also becoming popular as families visit the bottom of the charts to reselect rarer names. Topping the list for 2025 is Amelia for girls and Muhammad for boys.
According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), there is a rise of unique, gender-agnostic monikers, proving that the liberal all-inclusive trend is also influencing what children will be called going forward. The Names Arthur, Elliot, Finn, Isabelle, and other Disney-inspired ones are also getting dropped by parents for less traditional names.