The INSIDER Summary
• Gender neutral names have been growing in popularity.
• The name Alden means "old friend" in Old English.
• Bellamy, which means "beautiful friend" in French, is becoming a popular first name.
• No matter which baby name you choose, the list of gender neutral names keeps growing.
Giving children gender-neutral names has become a popular way to avoid reinforcing gender norms from a young age. And based on this year's most popular gender-neutral baby names, these types of names can also be really pretty. Look no further than Nameberry's "Hottest Baby Names of 2017" report for proof of that.
To determine which names are the most popular right now, Nameberry — an online database of baby names — analyzed which names on its site saw the greatest increase in traffic this January compared to last January. "A whole raft of hot new names signal a major cultural shift in 2017,"Nameberry creator Pamela Redmond Satran writes on the company's blog. Many of the most popular names were from places outside the United States, and many others were inspired by celebrities like David Bowie, celebrity kids like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' daughter Ines, and fictional characters like Moana. The gendered names that have risen in popularity the most compared to last year are Tatjana for girls and Kyd for boys.
Gender-neutral names were actually a bit less popular than they were last year, but there were still some good ones. Here are the year's most popular gender-neutral names so far.
1. Seren (+239 Percent)
Seren (which rhymes with "Karen") is a girls' name in Wales and a boys' name in Turkey. In Welsh, it means "star" and refers to the Gaulish goddess of the hot springs.
2. Sutton (+96 Percent)
This one's popularity might be inspired by Broadway and Younger actress Sutton Foster or New York's upscale street Sutton Place. The name is English and means "from the south farm."
3. Alden (+73 Percent)
We may have actor Alden Ehrenreich to thank for the growing number of people naming their boys Alden, although it works wonderfully for kids of any gender. It means "old friend" in Old English.
4. Quincy (+71 Percent)
Quincy means "estate of the fifth son" and is often given as a nod to John Quincy Adams.
5. Remi (+68 Percent)
This variation on the name "Remy"means "Oarsman" in French, though it's most common among German speakers.
6. Winter (+59 Percent)
This one has an obvious English translation and dates back to the 1600s. As Nameberry points out, it's the only season-based name commonly given to boys.
7. Bellamy (+58 Percent)
This name means "fair friend" or "beautiful friend" in old French. It's more often seen as a last name, but it's becoming more popular as a first name now, too.
8. Ellis (+53 Percent)
Also traditionally a last name, "Ellis" means "benevolent" and has become increasingly popular for girls over the past few years. It's the pseudonym Emily Bronte went by and the name of Meredith Grey's mom on Grey's Anatomy.
Of course, any name can be given to a child of any gender. But if you're looking for a trendy gender-neutral one, these might provide a good place to start.
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