From Angelique to Zendaya: The Hottest Baby Name Influencers of 2022

Baby name influencers are the catalysts behind some of America’s trendiest appellations at the moment. No one really sets out to be a name influencer but they, nevertheless, bring visibility to certain names that had been flying below most new parents’ radars. In general, these names match with current baby naming trends and seem to feel like a right fit at this moment. Baby name influencers can be people who have a name that parents are finding attractive or they could be a celebrity who chooses a unique name for their baby that parents want to emulate.

Who are the biggest influencers today? The experts at Nameberry have pored over the data to uncover what names are extremely trendy right now and why. The “why” is key here because it points to the baby name influencer who has inspired many new parents to go for a certain appellation. They found celebrities and their children to be among the biggest influencers this year. Take a look below to see the movers and shakers who are changing the baby name landscape!

Celebrity Baby Name Influencers Whose Names Are All the Rage Right Now

Angelique

Angelique grabbed the prize for the third-fastest-rising girl name of 2021, in large part due to French-Mexican actor Angelique Boyer, who starred in the telenovela Imperio de mentiras, according to Nameberry. Hispanic and Latin American communities are often swayed by characters’ names and the actors who play them in telenovelas. Angelique is a French form of Angela and it indeed means “angelic.”

Arleth

We have telenovelas to thank for another one of 2022’s biggest baby name influencers, according to Nameberry. They have seen an uptick in the name Arleth which re-entered the US top 1000 in 2021 thanks to actor Arleth Terán. Her most recent role was in 2019 in the TV show La reina soy yo. Arleth is a Spanish form of the French name Arlette, meaning “noble.”

Billie

We have the young musical sensation Billie Eilish to thank for the resurgence of the name Billie today. Eilish brought it back with a big bang. Billie has been one of the fastest-rising girl names for six years straight, but 2021 was the first year it’s been back in the top 1000 since 1997, Nameberry notes. Billie is a short form of William/Wilma, a name that means “resolute protector.”

Charli

We bring you a transmission from the world of TikTok. In 2020, 17-year-old dancer Charli D’Amelio became the most-followed person on TikTok, with over 100 million followers! That’s a huge reach. It also explains how the Charli spelling has become the second most used spelling for girls behind Charlie. Charli is a short form of Charlotte and it means “free man.”

Drew

Gender-neutral baby names are the hottest trend right now with tons of parents choosing unisex names. No other celebrity has brought attention to a unisex name than the immensely talented Drew Barrymore. Drew rose over 100 rankings between 2020 and 2021 and the ratio of baby boys to girls named Drew is shrinking, Nameberry found. Drew is a diminutive form of Andrew and means “strong and manly” which is a touch ironic.

Elon

In the late 19th century, Elon was a popular name for boys as it is a Hebrew name that belongs to a biblical judge. It fell off the charts and went virtually unused for almost 140 years! We have eccentric tech billionaire, Elon Musk to thank for the return of this name to popularity in the US. It re-entered the top 1000 in 2018 and is on an upward trend today. Elon’s Hebrew root means “oak tree.”

Kylian

The name Killian and all of its many forms are on the rise today. One variant spelling that has taken the baby name world by storm is Kylian. According to Nameberry, Kylian Mbappé, a French pro soccer player, is who we have to thank for this delightful spelling. Killian and Kylian come from an Irish root that means “church.”

Zendaya

Zendaya‘s superstardom has propelled the popularity of her name into the US top 1000. Before she became famous, Zendaya was a rare choice in the US. The name is of Shone origin and means “to give thanks.” Nameberry expects this name to continue to grow in popularity. We’re thrilled about it!

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Archie

It turns out a royal baby is all it takes to rescue a baby name from disuse. Archie is one of the fastest-growing names for boys today. It had spent decades off of the popularity charts thanks to associations with Archie Bunker and an Archie in the Riverdale comics. It’s a top-500 name today and Nameberry predicts the name will only improve its standing in the coming years. Archie is a short form of Archibald, a name of Teutonic origin that means “truly brave.”

Banks

Hilary Duff presented Banks to the baby name pool in 2018 when she welcomed her daughter and named her Banks Violet Blair. A weird thing happened with the name Banks, however. Most celebrity baby names tend to go to the same gender as the celebrity baby in question. The opposite happened with Banks. The following year, in 2019, Banks re-entered the US top 1000 names for boys for the first time since 1891. You won’t find it charting for girls. However, Duff’s nickname for her daughter, Banksy, has become a popular choice for baby girls. Banks is an English name that means “dweller on the riverbank.”

Capri

Vanessa and Kobe Bryant’s youngest daughter, Capri Kobe, was born in 2019. While names associated with all of the members of the Bryant family expanded in use after Kobe and Gianna’s deaths, Capri reverberated with parents in particular and rose over 600 spots on the charts in 2020, according to Nameberry. It’s still on the rise today! Capri is an Italian name that belongs to an island in the Bay of Naples.

Khai

Gigi Hadid welcomed her daughter Khai in 2020. The supermodel chose the name to honor her paternal grandmother, Khairiah. Khairiah is a name of Arabic origin with a winning meaning of “benevolence.” It’s a great alternative to the unisex Hawaiian name, Kai, which has been really heating up over the last few years. As with Banks, the following year in 2021 the name landed in the US top 1000 for boys. It has yet to rank for girls but that could totally change.

Lyra

Lyra was already a big hit in the UK and it was undergoing a very slow rise in the US until Ed Sheeran chose it for his daughter. In 2021, Lyra finally broke into the US top 500. However, her middle name, Antarctica, didn’t go over as well. Lyra is a name of Greek origin and means “lyre.”

Saint

Short, word names were already on the rise (we’re looking at you, Reign) before Kim Kardashian and Kanye (Ye) West chose the name, Saint in 2015. It was simply destined to be a hit and it turns out it really has been. Just a couple of years after Kardashian and West chose the name, it landed in the top 1000 for boys. Today, it’s a top-500 name and we expect to continue to climb over the next few years.

Rhodes

Emma Roberts named her son Rhodes in 2020 and new parents took note of the unique baby name. In 2021, Rhodes almost doubled in popularity. It was given to over 200 baby boys last year and surely has a spot in the top 1000 of 2022, Nameberry predicts. Rhodes is a name of Greek origin that means “where roses grow.”

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Wednesday

Rupert Grint transformed Wednesday from Addams Family camp to offbeat and chic after he announced the birth of his daughter in 2020. The baby name increased in popularity by over 47% over the course of 2021, Nameberry notes. Wednesday is the most popular English day name of the year, rocketing past Tuesday and just barely besting Sunday.

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Cielo

Michael Bublé welcomed his fourth child in April 2022, a daughter named Cielo Yoli Rose. Cielo is a Spanish word name that means “sky.” As interest in Spanish word names such as Rio, Soleil, Cruz, and Alma increases, heavenly Cielo is a name to watch as it will likely enter the top 1000 in the next year or so.

Cy

It was recently revealed in September that Jennifer Lawrence and her husband, Cooke Maroney, chose the baby name Cy for their son. Nameberry predicts that Cy is going to be the new Kai, and they expect to see it as a full name and a first syllable. Nev Shulman also has a son named Cy, and model Adriana Lima recently welcomed a son named Cyan. Cy is a short form of Cyrus, a name of Persian origin that means “sun.”

Jupiter

We’re circling back to Ed Sheeran again as he chose the name Jupiter for his second daughter who was born in May 2022. He is not the first celebrity to use the baby name for his daughter. Ashley Tisdale had chosen the appellation for her baby girl born in 2021. That’s a lot of star power behind this name that was already heating up. Expect this name to land in the US top 1000 most popular names for girls this year or the next.

Onyx

Onyx was a baby name already on the rise when it was chosen by Iggy Azalea for her son in 2020. It gave the name a further boost and it landed in the top 500 most popular baby names for boys in 2021. Now this year, Nick Canon chose the name Onyx for his daughter, making it likely that the appellation will be landing on plenty of girls’ birth certificates very soon.

Malibu

YouTube star Trisha Paytas went and did a thing when she named her baby girl Malibu Barbie. While we do not see that name combo becoming a popular one, perhaps there is room for Malibu. Considering that sun-filled place names are hot right now (we already mentioned Capri), but also Savannah and Rio are popular choices. Only time will tell if Malibu takes off but it’s totally within the realm of possibility.

Rise

Nick Canon has fathered a dozen children to date which means that he has had (beyond) ample opportunity to influence baby name trends. In late September, he announced the birth of his tenth child, a son named Rise Messiah. He has since welcomed another child, Zen, but we’re not touching that one yet. Rise is a modern Christian name as made evident by Canon’s choice of middle name for his son. Keep an eye on this name as we see it taking off for both boys and girls thanks to its positive, progressive vibes.

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Wave

Cardi B and Offset welcomed their son, Wave, in 2021 but did not reveal his name until this past April. It’s an extremely rare choice, only given to seven baby boys last year, according to Nameberry. Beachy word baby names are poised to be a major trend, with names like Coast, Cove, Sunny, and Dune heating up. Are parents ready to ride this wave? You bet!

There you go! Now you know the biggest baby name influencers at the moment. From celebrities bringing visibility to their own names to those choosing unique options for their children, there is no shortage of baby names to be on the lookout for. If you liked learning about these appellations, take a look at the supermodels who are also shaking things up with their baby name choices!

Neva

Russian model Natalia Vodianova has five children in total: Lucas, Neva, and Viktor with her ex-husband Justin Portman, and Maxim and Roman with her current husband Antoine Arnault. All of Vodianova’s children have wonderful names but we found the name of her daughter, Neva, to be very appealing. The name is of Spanish origin and means “white snow.” Neva is also the name of a river that runs through St. Petersburg.

Tobin

Czech model Karolína Kurková and her husband Archie Drury have sons Tobin Jack and Noah Lee and daughter Luna Grace. Noah and Luna are both wildly popular choices today. It was their son, Tobin’s name to be the most colorful choice. It is a name of English origin, related to Tobias, meaning “God is gracious.” The name was only mildly popular in the US from the late 1950s through the 1970s. It could be time to bring this name back, new parents!

Flynn

We have Miranda Kerr and her ex-husband, Orlando Bloom to thank for the rise of the name Flynn. In the same year (201) they chose the name for their son, it entered the US top 1000 most popular names for boys. It’s more popular than ever before today, resting just outside the top 500.

Hart

Kerr is now married to Evan Spiegel and they share sons Myles and Hart. Myles is a variation of Miles and both are wildly popular today. The names mean “soldier.” We found Hart to be the more intriguing name. Hart is a boy’s name of English origin that means “stag.” It was last a popular choice in the US way back in 1888!

Aleksandra

Russian supermodel Natasha Poly named her oldest child Aleksandra Christina in 2013. Aleksandra is the Slavic, Russian, and Ukrainian form of the name Alexandra. The name originated in Greek and means “defender of men.”

Adrian

Poly’s other child, Adrian Grey, got an internationally beloved name of Greek origin that means “man of Adria.” The name is popular across Europe as well as in Australia and at home, here in the US.

Nash

Nash Hollis is the name of Hilary Rhoda‘s son. Nash has emerged as a favored name for boys with it ranking just outside the top 200 last year. The name is of English origin and means “dweller near the ash trees.”

Kirra

Gemma Ward gave a particularly Australian name to her youngest daughter, Kirra. According to Nameberry, the name is of Aboriginal origin from the Kabi or Yuggera languages. The meaning of the name is unknown but there is no denying its beauty.

Naia

Ward’s other daughter, Naia, has a multicultural name that can be found in Greek, Basque, and Hawaiian naming traditions. Thus, the name has a variety of possible meanings including “sea foam,” “dolphin,” “to flow,” and “wave.”

Anaca

South African supermodel Candice Swanepoel chose two unique names for her sons. The first, Anaca, is the most unusual. It is of Portuguese origin and names a “red-fan parrot.” The bird can be found in the Amazon rainforest.

Ariel

In the US, Ariel is considered by most to be a name for girls. But, it is indeed a unisex option. You won’t even find it in the top 500 for boys. This Hebrew name has a beautiful sound and a tough meaning in “lion of God.”

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Dusty

Behati Prinsloo is a mother to two daughters and they both have extremely unique names. Dusty Rose sounds like a beautiful color name. Dusty was once mildly popular in the US for girls in the 1970s. Today, it is given to a handful of babies each year. Prospects for the name could very well change in the coming years.

Gio

Gio Grace is Prinsloo’s other daughter and she has an even rarer name than her sister. Gio is related to Gia and means “gift of God.” The name is of Italian origin. It has never been as popular as Gia but new parents might be attracted to it.

Athena

Angolan model Maria Borges chose the time-tested name Athena for her daughter born in 2021. It is a Greek mythology name belonging to the goddess of wisdom. Athena is more popular than ever before in the US. It’s in the top 100 most popular names for girls.

Phyllon

Dutch model Doutzen Kroes chose some fantastic names for her two children. Let’s start with her son’s name, Phyllon. The name is of Greek origin and means “leaf.” It is the male counterpart to Phyllis. The name is virtually unknown in the US so it would be a really unique option. Now on to her other child’s name.

Myllena

Kroes chose a name for her daughter that is much more popular in Europe than in the US. Myllena is a variant form of Milena. The name is of Slavic origin, and means “love.” The Milena spelling of the name is mildly popular in the US. It has been in the US top 1000 names for girls since 2012 but it has not improved its standing much over the last few years. We think it is so beautiful!

Saphir

Slick Woods has a fantastic name so it should not be surprising that she chose something very cool for her son born in 2018. She chose Saphir which is found in two different naming traditions. Its Norse meaning is “sapphire.” But, it is also a form of the Arabic name Safir, meaning “ambassador.” We think both are pretty great!

Levi

Sometimes models know when to keep things timeless and steadfast. This was the case for Karlie Kloss who went the traditional route with her son’s name, Levi Joseph. Levi is an extremely popular name today. It was the 12th most popular name given to boys last year. It is of Hebrew origin and means “joined.”

Sylvester

Emily Ratajkowski gave her son, Sylvester Apollo, born in 2021, two fantastic names. Sylvester had fallen from fashion but Ratajkowski is helping to resurrect it from disuse. The name is of Latin origin and means “forest.” Apollo is a name from Greek mythology that went virtually unused in the US until 2012. It entered the top 500 in 2019 and has continued to rise since then.

Cali

Model Chanel Iman chose nickname names for her two daughters: Cali Clay and Cassie Snow. Are these some winning first and middle name combinations or what!? We find Cali to be a real standout and we’re not alone. Since the 1990s, Cali has been climbing the popularity charts. It’s a top 500 name for girls today. Cali is a shortened form of Calliope that has a Greek root meaning “beautiful voice.”

Cyan

Brazilian model Adriana Lima has three children; daughters, Valentina and Sienna, and a son named Cyan. Valentine and Sienna are beautiful names but we found the name Cyan to be the most unique. This color name is technically unisex and can go to any baby. It is of English origin and describes the “bluish-green color.”

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Khai

Gigi Hadid welcomed her daughter Khai in 2020. The supermodel chose the name to honor her paternal grandmother, Khairiah. Khairiah is a name of Arabic origin with a winning meaning of “benevolence.” It’s a great alternative to the unisex Hawaiian name, Kai, which has been really heating up over the last few years.

We hope you enjoyed these super stylish baby names that were chosen by fashion’s elite models. They sure know how to pick them! If you would like to learn about even more dapper baby names, keep reading. We have rounded up names for boys and girls inspired fashion icons.