Major Blockbusters and Reality TV Stars set to have the biggest influence on Baby Names in 2024
Big-budget films and famous faces from the nation’s most loved reality shows are most likely to influence baby names in 2024, following a year of record-breaking movies and unique celebrity name choices dominating Google searches as expectant parents look for inspiration.
2023 was huge for Hollywood, with the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day causing the ‘Barbenheimer’ cultural phenomenon to take social media by storm. Barbie, which became the highest-grossing Warner Brothers movie of all time, is set to inspire some of the biggest baby name trends this year, including the comeback of Ken.
Whilst just three babies were named Ken in 2022, experts are predicting a sharp rise in popularity following Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of the character in 2024.
Other Barbie-related names are also expected to spike in popularity. Whilst Margot has become increasingly fashionable in recent years, climbing 23 places last year alone, it is expected to reach the top 10 in 2024 in tribute to the Stereotypical Barbie actress, Margot Robbie. Sasha, after the character played by Ariana Greenblatt, is also expected to rise in the name rankings after placing only 594th last year.
The second most popular film of the year, Oppenheimer, is also pipped to provide name inspiration in 2024.
The name Cillian, after the leading Irish actor Cillian Murphy, has been growing in popularity since the star’s most well-known TV show, Peaky Blinders, first debuted in 2012. Google searches around the name peaked again during the press tour for Oppenheimer last summer and have remained high ever since.
According to British name label manufacturer mynametags.com, it isn’t just big screen characters that will impact the names of newborns in 2024. Since the launch of Netflix’s Sex Education TV series in 2019, the name Maeve has increased in popularity, ranking in the top 5 consistently since January 2020.
After the highly anticipated final series of the show, the name is likely to remain a firm favourite in 2024. The popularity of the name Otis, after the show’s main character, has tripled since the show first aired and is set to climb even further up the charts this year.
The Netflix documentary, Beckham, is anticipated to spark a new generation of David’s, after the football legend.
The name David climbed the charts in 2006 after Beckham’s headline making run in the FIFA World Cup. The release of Beckham’s tell-all show where his sporting achievements were revisited at the end of 2023 sparked a second wave of ‘Beckham fever’, causing David to be back in the minds of expectant parents in 2024.
It’s not just stars of the big screen that are set to inspire namesakes for children in 2024. Reality TV stars’ have had a significant impact on baby name trends over the years. For example, the name Saint rose in popularity following the birth of Kim Kardashian’s son in 2015. 2024 is no exception. With the Kardashian family announcing several new additions to the family last year, Aire, Tatum and Rocky are all likely to inspire parents looking for non-traditional names.
Meanwhile, Love Island stars Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury were at the centre of a media storm last January after welcoming their daughter, Bambi. The name divided opinion, receiving thousands of comments online. But with Google searches for Disney-inspired baby names increasing by 50% last year, the Fury’s may have inspired a generation of unusual baby names.
Lars B Andersen, Managing Director at mynametags.com, comments: “Naming a child can be an agonising decision to make as a parent.
“With thousands of beautiful and unique names, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. So, it’s no surprise that Brits are taking inspiration from their favourite films, TV series, and reality shows.
“With Barbie and Oppenheimer being the talk of the summer, names relating to the movies will be at the front of expecting parents’ minds. What’s interesting this year is the breadth of inspiration parents are pulling ideas from.
“From ultra-traditional names, such as Ken, to unique, almost unheard of names like Bambi, parents are finding inspiration in all streams of popular culture.”
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