The Most Popular Baby Names of 2022 So Far

The most popular baby names of 2022 so far have been released, giving an insight into the most on-trend names parents are choosing for their little ones this year.

Choosing a name for your baby is something most parents-to-be will spend time thinking about long before the arrival of their new family member – and there are a lot of things to consider (not to mention the nursery essentials and an endless supply of nappies and wipes!). You may choose names with family ties, or you may prefer a name simply because it sounds nice. Some parents prefer gender-neutral names, and some prefer names with strong meanings.

With a wealth of names to choose from, we have compiled a list of 20 of the most popular baby names to date. We have also included a list of names chosen by us for our little ones if you’d like some more inspiration!

Starting off with the girls, Lily has knocked Olivia off the top spot for the first time in seven years! Olivia is now down to number three behind Sophia who stayed at number two. Further down in the girls’ top 10 Aria and Ivy were new entries at numbers eight and nine after Ella and Rosie dropped out. For the boys, Jack soared six places to take third place from Oliver, which dropped to number six. Freddie and Harry dropped out of the top 10 to make room for new entries Ethan and Oscar at numbers eight and nine.

But whilst some names dropped out of the top ten altogether, others went up in light of the jubilee, which saw some royal-inspired names climb up the list.

Elizabeth went up two places in the top 100 while William climbed 12 places from 41 to 29. Lily – the shortened version of the queen’s nickname Lilibet as well as Harry and Meghan’s baby girl’s name, was crowned number one. This is a perfect opportunity for some baby name inspiration if you are expecting a new arrival this year, or just want to have a nosey!

The popularity of a name can largely depend on what it can be associated with

According to data released by Office for National Statistics (ONS), the girls’ name Alexa decreased in popularity from 2016 after the introduction of Amazon Alexa in the UK, when there were 332 girls named Alexa, to just 39 girls with the name in 2019.

In contrast, popular culture continues to influence the popularity of baby names. One name that has seen a rise in popularity is the girls’ name Dua. The English Popstar Dua Lipa had her first UK number one single in 2017, during which there were 63 girls named Dua. This figure doubled to 126 in 2019 following her rise to fame!

Variations and adaptations

Other options to look at are shortened or adapted versions of popular names such as Theo, Evie, Freddie and Tilly. It looks as though these shortened versions are on the rise, establishing a modern twist to more traditional, classical names.

Whether you prefer timeless names like Arthur and Amelia, or more contemporary names like Luna or Leo, the below list covers a variety of names sure to inspire you.

Top 20 Boy Names

1. Muhammad

2. Noah

3. Jack

4. Theo

5. Leo

6. Oliver

7. George

8. Ethan

9. Oscar

10. Arthur

11. Charlie

12. Freddie

13. Harry

14. Zayn

15. Alfie

16. Finley

17. Henry

18. Luca

19. Thomas

20. Aiden

Top 20 Girl Names

1. Lily

2. Sophia

3. Olivia

4. Amelia

5. Ava

6. Isla

7. Freya

8. Aria

9. Ivy

10. Mia

11. Elsie

12. Emily

13. Ella

14. Grace

15. Isabella

16. Evie

17. Hannah

18. Luna

19. Maya

20. Daisy

We have also included a list of our own Mum & You Mumployee baby names!

Girls:

Ava

Caitlin

Camila

Evelyn

Isabella

Jessica

Lucia

Martha

Nandini

Rose

Sophie

Tilly

Boys:

Ben

Bharat

Leo

Lewis

Reuben

Ross

Simon

We hope this list of baby name predictions for 2022 has inspired you. Let us know what name you have chosen for your 2022 baby in the comments below, we love to hear from you!

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