Pop Culture Influences Rising Baby Names
Each year, a new crop of pop culture names bursts onto the scene. Some will go on to reach massive heights — former Top 10 name Madison was introduced by the movie Splash in 1984 — while others will fade (remember Sekani and Kovid?)
The pandemic years cemented celebrities and popular culture as essential forms of escapism. Despite being able to socialize freely again, streaming services, video games, and social media networks have thrived post-COVID, as we continue to crave those forms of entertainment.
So it’s no surprise that many of the fastest-rising names of the year were inspired by popular culture — TV and movies, music and sports, and celebrities themselves.
These were the biggest pop culture influences on baby names in 2023.
Barbie Names
Summer 2023 was the height of Barbie mania, and press outlets around the world predicted it would have a massive effect on American baby names.
But did it? Barbara and Barbie did rise — Barbara by 12.5%, and Barbie by 18.5% (a modest jump from 27 to 32 baby girls — we contend that Barbie is still a mostly Amish name). Meanwhile, Ken dropped by almost 25%.
The real Barbie effect was on the names of the actresses in the film — Margot jumped 45 spots in the rankings and Robbie increased in popularity for girls. Hari — as in Hari Nef, Dr. Barbie — debuted on the charts, and Rhea rose substantially.
A Court of Thorns and Roses Names
The fantasy romance novel series A Court of Thorns and Roses — referred to by fans as ACOTAR — was the breakout pop culture baby name influence of the year. Author Sarah J. Maas's book House of Sky and Breath, released in 2022, features ACOTAR's Cassian as the protagonist. His name was the fourth-fastest-rising for boys, jumping over 400 places into the Top 600.
Prominent character names Rhysand, Azriel, Morrigan, and Lucien rose in popularity as well, while Amren and Kallon — created by Sarah J. Maas — joined the charts in 2023.
- Amren
- Andras
- Azriel
- Azriel
- Bron
- Cassian
- Clare
- Deirdre
- Emerie
- Eris
- Fionn
- Kallon
- Lucien
- Miryam
- Morrigan
- Neve
- Nolan
- Nuala
- Rhysand
- Viviane
Instagram and TikTok Influencer Names
The fastest-rising girl name of 2023, Kaeli, was boosted by the Instagram influencer Kaeli Mae, who boasts over one million followers. As a group, Kaylee and co. are falling from their peak in the early aughts, but this spelling appeals to modern parents with its I ending and "ae" vowel cluster.
Other influencers, ahem, influencing their names' statuses include Sariyah Panton, Wyatt Eiden, Nashly Vasquez, and Ghaith Marwan.
Soccer Star Names
Who says Americans don't like soccer? Hot off the heels of a World Cup year, internationally beloved players like Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Iker boosted their first names, and French footballer Kylian Mbappé's name rose over 150 spots.
Boy names Virgil, Karim, and Endrick increased in use thanks to soccer players, and Brazilian player Alisson Becker popularized his name for girls this year.
- Alisson
- Aurelien
- Ederson
- Endrick
- Erling
- Evani
- Florian
- Georgina
- Granit
- Iker
- Karim
- Kylian
- Lionel
- Lisandro
- Nahomi
- Riyad
- Sanad
- Virgil
- Xavi
- Yassine
A Song of Ice and Fire Names
If you thought Game of Thrones names were a relic of the 2010s, think again. Names from George R. R. Martin's book series A Song of Ice and Fire and the latest television series, House of the Dragon, are soaring in popularity once again.
The biggest riser among them was Rhaenyra, which increased in popularity by over 300% between 2022 and 2023. Keep an eye out for more babies named Asha, Lyanna, and Daemon as well — each were given to over 100 babies last year. Alicent and Viserys were new debuts.
- Aemon
- Aeron
- Alicent
- Arianne
- Arys
- Arys
- Asha
- Benjen
- Beric
- Bran
- Brienne
- Daario
- Daemon
- Elia
- Ellaria
- Jaime
- Lyanna
- Margaery
- Ned
- Oberyn
- Olenna
- Pate
- Renly
- Renly
- Rhaenyra
- Sansa
- Shae
- Tully
- Tully
- Viserys
Anime Names
Anime is one of the top pop culture baby name influences of the decade, with names like Jiraiya and Kenji comfortably in the Top 1000. Many more are just under the surface, making the list of the top unique names — ranking between 1000 and 2000 on the popularity charts.
Aura, Sayori, and Armin are among the most popular anime names of 2023. New to the charts this year are Raphtalia, Hanami, and Megumi.
- Anya
- Armin
- Asahi
- Aura
- Bond
- Conan
- Envy
- Hanami
- Ichigo
- Jiraiya
- Kasumi
- Kona
- Makoto
- Megumi
- Naruto
- Nezuko
- Raphtalia
- Roronoa
- Rukia
- Sayori
- Tanjiro
- Yuki
Music Names
Country singer Lainey Wilson is the top musical influence of the year. Her sweet vintage nickname jumped over 100 spots and landed in the Top 100. Alternate spellings Laney, Laynee, Lainie, and Lainee also increased in use, along with full form Elaine.
Other musical influences of 2023 include Tobechukwu, based on a viral Christian song by Nathaniel Bassey and Mercy Chinwo Blessed, Miley, inspired by Miley Cyrus, and Mazi, connected to hiphop artist Mazi GA.
Other Pop Culture Names
These media, starbaby, and celebrity names are among the top risers and most notable debuts of the year. Included here are names of fashion houses (Amiri, Armani), TV protagonists (Wednesday, Chozen), celebrity babies (RZA, Esti), and stars themselves (Dania, Swayze).