New parents often struggle to find the perfect baby name. With so many lists out there – from the luckiest baby names (opens in new tab) to the most ‘beautiful’ baby names (opens in new tab) according to science – it’s no wonder that many are turning to more unique monikers for their little ones.
Apparently, this year will see a huge rise in ‘main character energy’ baby names (opens in new tab) (think Thor and Villanelle), while food and drink inspired baby names (opens in new tab) are also gaining traction – so you might start hearing ‘Kale’ and ‘Strawberry’ being called in the playground over the next few years.
But if you consider yourself a bit of a jet setter, you might want to think about travel-inspired baby names for your bundle of joy.
Online travel agent Eshores (opens in new tab) decided to investigate which location-based names are topping the lists at the moment. They used data from Baby Center to determine which popular 2022 and 2023 names also happen to be countries, states, cities and towns. They then compiled a list of 40 monikers that are proving very desirable right now – and there are definitely some surprises in there.
A number of unique geographical baby names made the list – including Ireland, Bristol, Berlin and Camden – with favourites like Brooklyn and Savannah retaining their popularity.
And which name came out on top? It turns out that there was a surge of baby Austins in 2022.
While Austin is the capital of Texas, USA, it could also be down to a certain BAFTA-winning Austin Butler (opens in new tab) and his stellar performance in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.
Interesting!
Travel-inspired baby names
If you’re keen to know which travel-inspired baby names made the cut, take a look at the most popular monikers below.
For anyone who considers themselves a bit of a jet setter, this one’s for you.
What are the most popular travel-inspired baby names right now?
- Austin – 543,200 babies
- Brooklyn – 337,960 babies
- Savannah – 241,360 babies
- Dakota – 192,500 babies
- Adelaide – 188,720 babies
- Phoenix – 148,120 babies
- Paris – 144,760 babies
- Camden – 98,700 babies
- London – 96,460 babies
- Rhodes – 49,280 babies
- Everest – 49,280 babies
- Devon – 49,280 babies
- Milan – 49,280 babies
- Cali – 48,160 babies
- Nola – 48,160 babies
- Florence – 48,160 babies
- Sydney – 48,160 babies
- Bronx – 48,020 babies
- Kent – 48,020 babies
- Rio – 47,460 babies
Want even more location-inspired baby names? Take a look at the names that also made the top 40…
- Geneva – 47,180 babies
- Alaska – 47,180 babies
- Denver – 46,620 babies
- Bristol – 44,520 babies
- Sierra – 41,020 babies
- Rome – 239,760 babies
- India – 33,180 babies
- Vienna – 31,360 babies
- Egypt – 29,680 babies
- Holland – 29,680 babies
- Boston – 25,900 babies
- Asia – 25, 340 babies
- Raleigh – 16,520 babies
- Arizona – 15, 680 babies
- Ireland – 11,340 babies
- Kenya – 10,360 babies
- Oslo – 5,180 babies
- Berlin – 3,360 babies
- China – 1,680 babies
- Cyprus – 1,680 babies
So where exactly does this emerging trend come from?
Michelle Giordano (MS), a Community Counsellor with a background in sociology, explains: “People often name their children after places they have a personal connection to, such as a favourite vacation destination or a city they lived in. Naming a child after a place can also reflect a family’s cultural heritage or a desire to pay homage to a specific place or culture.
“Over time, travel-name trends have evolved to reflect changing cultural influences and travel experiences. For example, popular names like Paris and London were once associated with sophistication and glamour, but in recent years, names inspired by exotic and far-flung destinations have become more popular. This reflects the increasing availability of travel and a growing desire to experience new and unique cultures.”
What do you think of these cute monikers?