The surprising baby names taking on the classics

Every year we see the baby name lists coming through with a stable list of names leading the charge. In recent years parents have largely favoured a handful of front-runners when it comes to naming their precious bundle. From Oliver, Noah and Leo for the boys and Charlotte, Olivia and Amelia for the girls – the top 5 have barely seen much movement. However, Nameberry has recently released their list of the most searched baby names so far for 2021 – and there are some surprising monikers making a name for themselves.

The top 5 most searched for baby boy names:

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1. Arlo
2. Hugo
3. Oscar
4. Leo
5. Theodore (Theo)

For the boys, Arlo topped the list, a name that has links to both Celtic, British and Italian heritage. Arlo came in at 35 on the top 100 boys names of 2020. The name also forms part of a wider trend for the boys which sees names ending in ‘o’ surging in popularity.

The top 5 most searched for baby girl names:

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1. Luna
2. Isla
3. Aurora
4. Mia
5. Maeve

For the girls, Luna is currently the most searched for girl’s name for 2021. It has likely surged in popularity thanks to Hollywood power couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend whose daughter is called Luna Simone.

Luna placed at number 49 out of the top 100 f0r 2020 however it has been marked as a name to watch, solidly jumping up the list over the last 3 years.

Time will tell whether these names actually make it onto the most-popular list of the year – let alone cracking the top 10.

To help refresh your memory, here are McCrindle’s top 10 baby names in 2020…

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Top 10 baby names for boys in Australia in 2020:

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1. Oliver (2,206)
2. Noah (1,825)
3. Jack (1,717)
4. William (1,688)
5. Leo (1,414)
6. Lucas (1,348)
7. Thomas (1,323)
8. Henry (1,319)
9. Charlie (1,197)
10. James (1,176)

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Top 10 baby names for girls in Australia in 2020:

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1. Charlotte (1,609)
2. Olivia (1,575)
3. Amelia (1,494)
4. Isla (1,397)
5. Mia (1,386)
6. Ava (1,353)
7. Grace (1,132)
8. Willow (1,129)
9. Harper (1,095)
10. Chloe (1,038)

Choosing a baby name can be hard unless you are one of those people that has had your names picked out forever. Some of us like to use these lists as inspiration – and some prefer to use them for the names best to avoid! It all comes down to personal preference, but either way, it’s nice to see some new names coming into the mix.

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