Baby name experts at Nameberry have shared some of the biggest trends they are predicting for 2026 - and it's safe to say they've divided opinions. According to baby name expert Sophie Kihm, the trendiest names of 2026 are influenced by escapist media - which is the books, music, films and more parents turn to when they feel like the real world feels to uncertain and bleak.
Think romantasy series, historical novels or reality TV shows. They are influenced by idealised pasts and imagined futures - giving them a slightly magical and hopeful feel.
Some of the names you'll see on the lists are inspired by ancient civilisations, such as Adhara, Agastya or Cassander. There are also some 'showgirl names', including Azura, Caliana and Elodie. Parents are also opting for soulful names, including Cedar, Dove and Jubilee.
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The baby name experts have also classed one of the categories as A-OK Boomer names, which includes Beverly, Bruce and Darla. Some of the romantasy names include Bronwen, Cordelia and Elspeth, and another category is 'vowel hiatus' names, including Amael, Aya and Deia.
Some names, such as Billion, Cinco and Four are inspired by numbers, while others are classed as 'straight out of Utah', such as Brighton, Bronson and Coast. Some names, such as Aura, Issei and Jinu are inspired by Anime, while Briony, Bronte and Conrad are 'Brit lit names'.
Sonya, a baby name consultant from New Zealand also known as the BB Namer, recently reacted to the names on her @thebbnamer TikTok account. Some of the names she was "obsessed" with, including showgirl names Ophelia, Roxie and Farrah. Although they aren't her cup of tea, she was intrigued by the soulful names Vera and Kyrie.
She also loved the A-OK Boomer names Bonnie, Bruce and Ginny, but wasn't keen on the romantasy names Azlan and Lilivere. Sonya liked "more of the number names than anticipated" - but only two - Ivy and Octavia. She also loved some of the anime names, including Mira, Rinji and Rumi.
The name list also split opinions in the comment section. "Some of these are soo rogue," said one person. However, others loved them, with another saying: "My Cordelia is 14, crazy to see her name on a list. But I never understood why it wasn't more common it's such a beautiful name."
See Nameberry's full list of top 10 baby name trends for 2026 below.
Ancient CivilisationsNameberry explained these names "connect children back to history".
The baby name experts predict names from Taylor Swift's latest album The Life of a Showgirl will trend in 2026, as well as real-life and fictional starlets.
"Soulful names reference spirituality but are not biblical or overtly religious", according to Nameberry.
These names are the "latest iteration of clunky-cool, counterculture baby names favoured by trendsetting parents".
These names "sound like they could be the hero or heroine of a romantic fantasy novel".
The "vowel hiatus is the enunciation of two distinct adjoining vowels". These contain "one (at most, two) consonants, and sometimes none at all. The consonants that are used tend to be soft and glide-enhancing, like common choices L, M, N, and R."
According to the experts, the recent cultural obsession with all things Utah has led to a fascination with the state's distinctive baby names.
Nameberry said: "Anime names are fuelled by a surge of travel to Japan and the proliferation of anime on streaming platforms like Netflix."
Next year will see several TV and film adaptations of British literature classics, which will renew interest in "quintessentially English stories," including iconic character names.
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