I hope you’re ready, friends, because today, we’re taking a nice long look at the trendiest boy names of the year. These are the boy names that rise the farthest this year, and sometimes, they maintain this streak until they claim top ten. Of course, many just fade into the backdrop. But plenty of superstars started out among the trendiest names of their year, so we could be handling future name giants here. We see an even mix of classics that have dipped their toes in the water by becoming frequenters of forums and red hot choices that no one knew were coming. Cross your fingers that your favorite rarities don’t place or scour the list for a name that feels just perfectly current; either way, I hope you enjoy. Basic idea explained, let’s get into the analysis!
The Biggest Trend of the Year: Zyair
A country name with modern flair and a standout letter that adds a current and cool element, Zyair is the biggest hit of the year. He’s short and zappy, a name that pulls your attention with that unique and powerful Z initial. Last year, Zyair ranks at #1564, not too far from claiming top 1000, but not necessarily mainstream quite yet. His leap to #968 as of late isn’t Sekani level, as in last year’s winner who leapt 6159 spots in comparison to Zyair’s 590 spots. Obviously, Zyair’s jump pales in comparison. But Sekani is out of the top 1000 in alignment with my predictions (which you can find in last year’s trending boy names article) once more as of late, so perhaps Zyair will get the last laugh long-term. Even if he doesn’t remain in the top 1000, Zyair still has plenty going for him. He’s a geographical name, an alternate spelling of the former name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zaire. He capitalizes off the intense popularity of Zander, who follows roughly the same sound pattern, with an electrifying Z beginning and a classic er/ir boy name ending and the syllable in the middle part of the first syllable and part of the second combined. An African name that many parents may use to honor heritage, being a name that straddles paying tribute to culture and blending in with the mainstream, Zyair means “river,” a peaceful and sweet meaning that might have special significance to some parents. To be more specific, the name comes from the Congo phrase “the river that swallows all rivers,” perhaps hinting at strength or resilience for your little one. I think that Zyair won’t go any farther in the future, and that his other spellings might triumph in the end, though the name’s sounds are bound to be successful.
The Top Ten High Risers
Well who would’ve thought? One of the farthest fallers from last year, Jaxtyn, manages to chase after that escaping trend train fast enough and grab a ride, because he’s #2 on the boy names that climbed the most spots this year. With 575 spots under his belt, Jaxtyn can at last rest easy. Parents adore the sounds of Jackson, the vibe of Jaxon, but the popularity of neither. So Jaxtyn’s more attainable #585 popularity must’ve stuck out to those selecting Jaxtyn as opposed to his counterparts. What a redemption story! This most definitely demonstrates how the Jackson names have hardly lost their grip on today’s parents, that brilliant combination of classic and cool. And this -yn ending shows how -yn endings don’t just have to be for feminizations of unisex names anymore! As for #3, Jakobe, we see just how late basketball player Kobe Bryant has left his legacy behind on expecting parents. To many, the athlete, who tragically passed in a helicopter accident along with his daughter Gianna, was a role model and incredible inspiration, so his death left a lasting impact on growing families. The name Jakobe mixes some of Kobe Bryant’s legacy with a little J flavor. After all, J is our favorite boy name initial, so why not? The result is a wildly successful boy name. Jakobe went from #1382, only maybe a contender for the top 1000, to #838, quite a sizable leap. Another angle you could look at Jakobe from is an alternative spelling of Jacobi/Jacoby if you’d like a more traditional perspective on the moniker. Either way, we definitely owe it to Bryant for the rise of this as well as #11 Kobe.
A modern update to Kyle, Star Wars inspired Kylo takes the name from Kylo Ren, name of villain (kinda sorta? He switches sides a lot.) of the last three Star Wars films. With the boost from the sounds of Kyla, Kylie, and Kyle in addition to the hearts of Star Wars lovers around the world as well as that trendy, snappy, attention-grabbing -o ending, Kylo is destined for success. After a 483 spot jump, Kylo ranks at #449, and my bets are on his future gain. Next up, #5, is a recurring high-flyer from last year: Aziel. That -el ending continues to show up all over the trendiest of the trendy, and an engaging beginning with a sound as interesting and cool as Az- is very difficult to turn down. Aziel had the good fortune of going from #951 456 spots to land at #495, a beautiful sweet spot. With no alternative spellings deceiving parents on his popularity and the potential meaningful “God is my strength” meaning, something tells me that Aziel will stick around for a while.
Ander pulls a #6, a shortened version of surname Anderson that was lingering just outside the top 1000, just in the outskirts of victory and recognition, bounced 455 spots to #628. I hope that means that parents will get on board with Abner? Hmm...on a second note, maybe I want to keep that one to myself. Number seven is Dior, a name that used to be reserved primarily for baby girls, but is apparently getting a life as a boy name, the designer brand name jumping 434 spots in the past year. Truett (finally!) gets welcomed into the top ten. With the Kardashian influence of the name Tru and the Juliette-Everett-Emmett craze, I was just awaiting the day that stylish Truett would make his way into the ranks. At the moment, he ranks at #957, and I’m certain that it’s only uphill from here for Truett. Part virtue name, part stylish sounds, Truett has the perfect qualifications for success. Karsyn at #9 again proves along with Jaxtyn that the -yn ending can be just as cool and stylish for boys as it is for girls. An edgier and more modernized version of surname name Carson, Karsyn broke the barrier of the top 1000 to get to #694, and although I doubt he’ll go farther, he does add to the proposition of the -yn ending switching to more a unisex style than one reserved for girls (Kamryn, Emersyn). Finally, #10 Kenji pairs a cool K with a bouncy and lively -ji ending, climbing 320 spots to land at #920. A Japanese name that means “intelligent second son,” Kenji could be the perfect moniker for your second little boy.
Some Trends I’ve Spotted
Something I’ve noticed in both Celebabies and this list lately is the way that the boy-name-on-girl trend is beginning to slide both ways, which makes me much happier. Dior on a boy, -yn endings on sons, and Kenna and Aubrey on celebaby sons hint towards more truly unisex treatment of this trend. Personally, I don’t find BNOG or unisex name in general to be my favorite. But to see that the harmful stereotypes surrounding solely BNOG melt away as boys start to claim some traditionally feminine names as well is very comforting. In addition, I see a lot of names whose rise was fueled by TV and entertainment that parents today are consuming, from basketball games to Game of Thrones to Star Wars and Keeping Up With the Kardashians. That’s not much of a surprise, given that we’ve all been cooped up inside bingeing Netflix lately, but it’s still notable.
Alright folks, that’s all I’ve got for you today, but don’t worry too much! I’ll be out with the trendy names for girls in a couple days, and I hope you’ll join me. Thanks for reading, friends, and have a lovely rest of your day!
Sincerely,
-Delphina Moon
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