"What's in a name?", Shakespeare once asked, and when it comes to newborn babies, the answer is more complicated than it might seem. As the dust settles on the arrival of 2026, the list of ins and outs for the new year is almost complete - including trending baby names.
This year, expect to see the decline of 'IT factor' names in favour of more traditional, old-world monikers. Nostalgia and nods to the past are all the rage for parents in 2026 as we all continue to indulge our penchant for beautiful period dramas.
With social media influencing choices and a never-ending search for rarity spiralling out of control, the list of trendy names has done a 180-degree turnaround.
Prepare to be met with an entirely new list of popular titles as you begin your search for the perfect newborn name. However, with the pace of change in this category reaching record highs, HELLO! decided to enlist the help of celebrated naming experts to wade through the naming mud so you don't have to…
Girls' names that are going out of style
The UK's leading baby name expert and celebrity name consultant, SJ Strum, scoured data from the Office of National Statistics and compiled a list of girls' and boys' names that won't be popular in 2026. They are:
- Luna
- Willow
- Amelia
- Robyn
- Mila
- Chloe
- Sienna
- Evie
- Aria
Boys' names that are going out of style
- Teddy
- Tommy
- Ronnie
- Harrison
- Mason
- Hunter
- Logan
- Grayson
- Brody
How are the name tides changing?
Just like clothing, trends are flowing in and out faster than anyone can keep up with. Year on year, what's popular is changing drastically, making it almost impossible to follow a linear framework when browsing widely popular names ahead of your baby's arrival.
SJ explained: "The fast fashion cycle of baby names is speeding up with names gaining massive popularity for around five to 10 years, then falling out of favour as a new wave of unique names comes into style."
"I think this is due to the desire to choose a rare name, plus how exposed we are to a really wide circle of parents sharing names on social media," the expert continued.
She added: "Fifteen years ago, I’d only known my local friends' kids' names and some colleagues. Now with social media, it feels like 'everyone' is calling their daughter Luna or choosing Hunter, so we shift gears away a lot faster in the desire not to be seen as copying or for going for something overly trendy."
Sophie Kihm, baby name expert and editor-in-chief at Nameberry, the world’s largest website devoted to baby names, weighed in on what's shifting the trends.
She said: "Looking at the data in England and Wales, the biggest class of names being abandoned by 2026 parents is politically-divisive names - even those that are connected to American politics.
"Israel was the fastest-falling boy name last year on record, due to the war in Gaza. Other fast fallers include Kohen (a sacred surname in Judaism), Vlad (as in Putin), and Ewan (the name of one of JD Vance’s sons). Melanie (a la Melania) is dropping in use for girls, along with Sasha and Malia, the names of Barack Obama’s daughters, and Keira, possibly due to the similarity to Keir Starmer.
"India is also notable in this category, as it is now considered insensitive due to its colonial ties. Parents today are hesitant to announce, or even seem to announce, their political affiliations via baby name, so they are opting to avoid anything that could be construed as such." Sophie's comments indicated a shift away from place names reflects a modern parent's desire to be culturally sensitive.
Throwbacks are trending
While in recent years, we've seen a move towards more modern monikers, this year will see a return to the past as parents focus on nostalgic names originating from their favourite on-screen period dramas. With Bridgerton continuing to dominate screens in 2026, it's no surprise that Eloise (the show's intellectual rebel) is leading the charge for the vintage revival.
SJ revealed: "Parents are also in their period drama era, ditching the more modern monikers above for nostalgic names like Rosa, Nora, Hazel and Eloise, which are all rising.
"The uber popularity of Margot as the poster girl for this trend has seen a resurgence of these older classics. In a time when the past feels nostalgic and safe, parents are choosing to revive vintage gems. With Ralph, Rowan, Myles, Nathan, Elias and Yusuf following suit in the boy charts."
Sophie echoed a similar sentiment, adding that pop culture names are on the outs: "Names tied to Millennial-era pop culture, characters and celebrities, are also tanking in popularity. Hermione, Adele, Destiny, and Zendaya are dropping for girls, and Kendrick, Bear, Tyson, and Keanu for boys.
"As Gen Z makes up a greater share of today’s parents, the Millennial references are beginning to disappear from fashionable baby names."
She also revealed that mythological names, "the nouveau name trend of the 2010s," will also be left behind in 2026.
Names like "Artemis, Lilith, and Persephone for girls, Loki, Odin, and Leonidas for boys" will be seen less and less as parents nowadays feel that they are "oversaturated", according to the expert.