Babies born in 2022 will come into this world already with a story to tell. Predictably out of the ordinary—and leaning hard into escapism and a thirst for calm—you can find the pandemic’s fingerprints all over Nameberry’s Best Names of 2022 List.
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They’ve identified 50 names most likely to catch on in 2022 by studying the year’s biggest music, film and TV productions, as well as celebrity birth announcements, international popular names data and their own intel on what names are getting the most attention right now.
Betty, for instance, is a sweet and sassy vintage nickname that peaked in the 1920s and 30s, but which has recently cropped up in a Taylor Swift’s song by the same name, as the name of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s youngest daughter, and is certain to gain momentum following the death of the iconic Betty White in December.
And while Noah is slowly losing ground, Nameberry predicts Jonah—a gentle Biblical classic which means “dove”—is likely to appeal to parents as we enter the third year of pandemic-induced uncertainty. And, we’ve eaten our share of Dove chocolates during the pandemic, so there’s also that.
Looking for a nonbinary name? Lux, with its sharp, punchy sound and heavy dose of optimism (Lux means “light”), is bound to be a star.
—Shelley Massey
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