If you are looking for a baby name or considering future options, you might find the latest baby naming trends interesting. BabyCenter has released its 2026 baby name report along with predictions for 2027. For this analysis, BabyCenter gathered data from 350,000 names of babies born between January 1 and October 5, 2026, who registered on its app.
In 2026, the name Eliana continued to gain popularity, ranking as the second favorite for girls, rising from 14th place in 2024 and 7th in 2025. Evelyn made a comeback into the top 10, landing at 9th after dropping out in 2024. Other popular names starting with “E” include Emma at 7th, Ellie at 11th, Ella at 19th, and Eleanor at 23rd. Names like Elsie, Evangeline, Elodie, Elaine, and Esme also saw significant increases in their rankings, with “E” leading as the most common first letter for girls’ names, making up 15% of the top 100.
For boys, names starting with “J” are trending, accounting for 14% of the top 100 names. Josiah jumped by 33 spots to 21st place, while Jeremiah rose 28 spots to 60th. Names like Jaxon, Jaxson, and Jasper have remained stable but are lower on the list, with only James and Josiah appearing in the top 10. The top five boy names have not changed for three years, and they are Noah, Liam, Oliver, Elijah, and Mateo.
Longer names are becoming more favored, with 29% of the top girl names and 31% of the top boy names having seven or more letters. Christopher stands out as the longest name on the list.
Looking ahead to 2027, various trends are shaping baby names. Pop culture influences many of these changes. Shows like Prime Video’s Off Campus and Heated Rivalry seem to be boosting names such as Garrett, Allie, Beau, Jules, and Ilya, which has jumped significantly in the rankings.
Names from Greek mythology are also gaining traction, possibly due to the influence of The Odyssey. Odysseus saw a rise in popularity, and boys’ names such as Atlas, Orion, Troy, Ares, Evander, and Perseus are moving up the list. For girls, names like Iris, Lydia, and Daphne are also increasing in popularity.
The resurgence of Western-themed names can be linked to shows like Yellowstone. Stetson entered the top 100 boy names for the first time, and other cowboy names like Walker, Callahan, Wilder, and Gunner are also on the rise. For girls, Oakley returned to the top 100, while Sadie, Tatum, Sutton, and Cassidy have moved up in rankings.
Meanwhile, the name Taylor has declined for both boys and girls. For girls, it dropped 24 spots to 399, marking its lowest position in BabyCenter’s 22 years of naming data. For boys, it fell 262 spots to 1,093, exiting the top 1,000 for the first time.
Interestingly, names containing the letter “X” are becoming popular, with Bexley among those on the rise. What baby name trends do you find most interesting?
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Source: Upworthy, by Annie Reneau