If new parents in 2017 were limited to only 100 possible baby name options, what should they be? Nameberry is attempting to answer this question.
We’ve whittled down the thousands of possibilities to find the 100 baby names that we believe are most emblematic of our times ― while also being both somewhat timeless and forward-facing. The names here are perfect for a 2017 baby yet will serve him or her well into the turn of the next century (now there’s an amazing thought).
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Of course, there are hundreds of other baby names that potentially fit these criteria. But if we are limited to only 100, these are our picks for the very best of the best ― and our reasons why.
- Alden ― May unseat the popular Aiden, thanks to actor Ehrenreich, the new young Han in “Star Wars”
- Amity ― Friendly update for Hope and Faith
- Amos ― A biblical boy that could follow the newly successful Abel
- Araminta ― British classic fresher than Arabella
- Arcadia ― Heavenly name for the optimistic
- Archer ― Fresher than Hunter, cooler than Arthur
- Arrow ― Shooting upwards
- Ash ― Cool short form of Ashton or Asher, or full name on its own
- Astrid ― Scandinavian import with lots of style
- Auden ― Poetic surname chosen by Kelsey Grammer for his son
- Aviva ― Vivacious palindromic choice
- Baxter ― Could Bax be the new Max?
- Bea ― Beatrice or Beatrix short form that stands alone
- Benno ― Ancient saint name makes Ben special
- Birdie ― Nature name taking flight
- Booker ― Iconic hero name with literary and musical associations
- Bowie ― The late idol inspiring baby namers
- Briar ― New unisex nature name in the Top 000
- Calliope ― Love child of Cadence and Penelope
- Cassius ― Ancient Roman name that couldn’t be cooler
- Celeste ― Ladylike name with heavenly associations
- Clara ― Clearly the most stylish Claire-related name today
- Clark ― Old-time heartthrob and superhero returns
- Corin ― The Bard gave us this distinctive yet straightforward boys’ name
- Cressida ― Posh British possibility with a Shakespearean pedigree
- Cyrus ― Celeb choice with historic Eastern roots
- Daisy ― Perennially-fresh and charming flower name
- Dashiell ― Literary name with lots of dash
- Delphine ― Chic French twist on floral name
- Dylan ― Rebel Nobel poet name turned modern classic
- Echo ― Three trends ― mythological, o-ending word name ― in one modern choice
- Eliza ― Classic revival keeps gathering steam
- Ember ― Emma meets Amber
- Emilia ― Khaleesi gone classic
- Esme ― Charming Salinger name that means beloved
- Esther ― Biblical heroine name weds ancient and feminist appeal
- Felicity ― “Rogue One” star Felicity Jones adds strength to this name
- Felix ― Ancient saint turned cartoon cat turned happy modern baby name
- Fiona ― Romantic Scottish favorite moving on from “Shrek”
- Forrest ― Nature name with buttoned-down appeal
- Frank ― Frank Ocean updates this name from the Sinatra era
- Frankie ― Boyish nickname for girls
- Geneva ― Cool Swiss place name destination
- Gideon ― Biblical boy name on the rise
- Goldie ― One nickname name that’s both rich and fun
- Greer ― Tailored Hollywood name, fresher than Harlow or Ava
- Gus ― Friendly, informal Gus is the new Max
- Indigo ―- Bright blue unisex choice
- Ines/Inez ― Spanish-inflected variation of Agnes with starry new gloss
- Iris ― Elegant floral that’s also the name of the goddess of the rainbow
- Isadora ― The new Isa girl in town
- Keziah ― Biblical name that feels sleek and modern
- Lachlan ―Scottish choice finding wider favor
- Lark ― Bird name that sings sweetly in the middle
- Lionel ― Jazzy name with stylish leonine associations
- Louise ― This year’s nominee for how can it NOT be in the Top 1000?
- Loxley ― Popping on Pinterest
- Loyal ― One virtue name that works for boys
- Lucian ― Male spin on the popular Lucy and Lucia
- Lula ― Retro girl name on the upswing, and Liv Tyler’s new daughter
- Lux ― As simple as it is luxurious
- Marguerite ― Cooler than Margaret, more classic than Margo
- McCoy ― The real thing
- Mirabelle ― The new Isabelle
- Monty ― British favorite feels fresh here
- Osiris ― Name from Egyptian mythology that feels powerful today
- Otis ― Bluesy choice that’s the epitome of cool
- Otto ― New old O name for boys
- Ozzie ― Adorable O nickname for Ozias, Oswald, etc; Oz works too
- Pearl ― The most stylish middle name of the moment
- Persephone ― Now that Penelope is a top name, Persephone is rising
- Posey ― Sweet update on Poppy and Rosie
- Quincy ― Unusual Presidential choice that works for boys and girls
- Ray ― Sleek, simple name right for both genders
- Reeve ― A successor to celebrity surname name Reese
- Remy ― French, simple, lovely for either sex
- Reuben ― Hot biblical boy name
- Roman ― Celebrity favorite with noble pedigree
- Rosamund ― Elegant rose family member
- Ruth ― Rich biblical name finding new fans
- Sadie ― The fastest-rising girl name on Nameberry
- Sage ― A name marrying wisdom and nature
- Sasha ― Unisex name re-embraced for boys
- Saskia ― Dutch treat with artistic vibe
- Sayer ― More eloquent than Sawyer
- Simone ― Gold medalist times two
- Snow ― Fresh, winter white choice
- Soleil ― Sunny French name shining here
- Sybil ― A not-done “Downton Abbey” name
- Sylvie ― Sweet French-accented choice
- Tallulah ― Dramatic name favored by celebrities, but still distinctive in the real world
- Thea ― Newcomer to the Top 1000 that feels both classic and modern
- Thor ― Powerful superhero choice
- Vera ― Fresher than Cora or Ava
- Wilder ― Prepster name with an outdoorsy vibe
- Winnie ― Winning nickname-name finding new fans, including Jimmy Fallon
- Winston ― Churchill makes it a hero name, but Winston feels wearable for a child, too
- Yara ― Spanish favorite slowly being discovered by the wider world
- Zelda ― New series based on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald soon to debut on
- Zinnia ― Exotic floral choice