Top baby names heading into 2027 inspired by ‘The Odyssey,’ ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Heated Rivalry’
NBC News • • entertainment
Key Points:
- BabyCenter's 2026 baby name data, based on over 350,000 births, shows Noah and Olivia remain the most popular names for boys and girls respectively, with Eliana making a significant rise to No. 2 for girls.
- Names starting with E dominate the girls' list, accounting for 15% of the top 100, while J leads for boys with 14%, with notable rises in names like Elsie, Evangeline, Josiah, and Jeremiah.
- New entries include Magnolia for girls, and Stetson, Archer, Milo, and Dean for boys, with a trend toward longer names, nearly 30% of girls' and 31% of boys' top names having seven or more letters.
- Pop culture influences are strong, with NHL-related names like Ilya and Yellowstone-inspired cowboy names such as Stetson and Gunner gaining popularity, alongside Greek mythology names boosted by "The Odyssey" movie.
- Some names are declining, notably Taylor, which dropped significantly for both girls and boys, possibly due to overexposure in recent events and media.
