This Is Not a Drill: Parents Are Now Naming Their Kids After Instagram Filters
In the constant search to find a name that’s unique but that doesn’t include several random vowels simply thrown together (we’re looking at you, Kaelayn and Jaydaen), Millennial parents are now turning to unlikely places for naming inspiration—specifically, Instagram.
Yes, you read right. According to BabyCenter.com, which just released its annual list of the most popular baby names for 2015, we saw plenty of newborns being named Lux (up 75 percent since 2014), Ludwig (up by 42 percent), and Amaro (up 26 percent).
For girls, popular names include Juno (up 30 percent, though we think the 2007 movie of the same name could play a factor here), Valencia (up 26 percent), and Willow (up 13 percent, though, again, we’d like to think the fact that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming on Netflix has something to do with the spike in popularity).
Whatever the actual reason, using Instagram as baby name inspiration is a first, but it’s not entirely unexpected. “Photo-sharing is a daily and emotional part of Millennials’ lives, and those two ingredients can trigger love for a name,” said Linda Murray, BabyCenter global editor in chief, in a release to coincide with the release of the most popular baby names of 2015.
Also seeing a surge in popularity this year? Royal baby names. But these aren’t inspired by little Prince George or Princess Charlotte, per se. Instead, parents are naming their kids Royalty (up nearly 90 percent in popularity) and Duchess (up 75 percent).
Other trends include gender-neutral names like Wyatt, Piper, and Lincoln, showing that super girly, gender-traditional names are maybe finally on their way out, though the top 10 names for girls show names like Sophia, Emma, and Olivia are still going strong.
To recap: In 30 years, you may be working for an Amaro, Valencia, or Royalty, and in 50 years, we may have a President Juno. What a time to be alive!
Here are the top 10 baby names of 2015 for both boys and girls:
Girls:
1. Sophia
2. Emma
3. Olivia
4. Ava
5. Mia
6. Isabella
7. Zoe
8. Lily
9. Emily
10. Madison
Boys:
1. Jackson
2. Aiden
3. Liam
4. Lucas
5. Noah
6. Mason
7. Ethan
8. Caden
9. Logan
10. Jacob
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