Celeb Baby Names Shaping 2025 Name Trends ✨

Sorry, Jack Blues doesn't make the cut

I got my start with Nameberry nearly ten years ago (!) when I wrote a monthly column predicting celebrity baby names.

While the column is no longer — you can find my periodic starbaby name predictions on TikTok — my fascination with celebrity baby names remains.

I keep meticulous records of the latest celebrity birth announcements, adding each of them to our celebrity baby names database throughout the year. Every December, I publish my annual roundup of the top celebrity baby name trends — this year’s addition went live this weekend.

Starbaby names like Jack Blues, Whimsy Lou, and Méi June might be among the most notable picks this year, but will they be the most influential on 2025 name trends? And do they get the Nameberry seal of approval?

I asked my colleagues to share their picks for the best and most trendsetting celebrity baby names of 2024:

Nameberry’s Favorite 2024 Celebrity Baby Names

Anne (Mindy Kaling)

Mindy Kaling was already a master of understated classic names, as evidenced by her older children, Katherine and Spencer. But Anne just tops it all. So elegant, so full of history, yet in 2024 actually quite a bold, counter-cultural choice. — Clare

Indy Roy (Lindsay Hofman & Scott Speedman)

I enjoy the symmetry of the two names together, the unisex feel of Indy, and how it has cool, yet gentle vibes, and I like the way both names feel colourful without being too much. — Grace

Joan Almond (Cayley & Brandon Jenner)

I’m all in for a Joan comeback, and I love the pairing of more traditional first names with fun, nature middle names. — Madison

I never thought a Kardashian/Jenner baby name would be a favorite of mine, but Joan Almond is utterly adorable. I think Joan is so ready for a comeback, as well as Joni! — Brynn

Louise Everett (Mandy Moore & Taylor Goldsmith), Ford Fitzgerald (Katherine Schwarzenegger & Chris Pratt)

My taste is more sedate than the usual starbaby name! — Pam

Rhiannon Lee Kathryn (Jenna Dewan & Steve Kazee)

Rhiannon was the only celebrity baby name this year that really made me go “wow” (in a good way). I thought Jenna Dewan would choose something more mainstream, since her older children are Everly and Callum, but I love that she chose the extravagant, musical, feminist Rhiannon. — Sophie

The Most Influential 2024 Celebrity Baby Names

Which celebrity baby names will have the biggest impact on mainstream baby name trends in 2025? Here’s what our editorial team had to say:

Benny Marie (Jaci Marie Smith)

I think Jaci Marie Smith’s choice of Benny Marie will spark a trend. Benny fits the trend of boyish names for girls and playful, cutesy nicknames. Just like Jerry and Toni were once popular for girls, Benny may be next! — Madison

Kova (Emily & Baker Mayfield)

This was given to only 17 girls (and 6 boys) in 2023, but it's exactly the sort of sound that might appeal to parents who like modern unisex(ish) names like Nova, Cove, and Koda. Baker Mayfield has had a huge impact on his own name in the charts, so it wouldn't be surprising if his cool baby name choice also influenced parents. — Clare

Townes (Hilary Duff & Matthew Koma, Lauren & Alexander Ludwig)

Townes is this year’s Rhodes, which was last year’s Banks, which was the year before’s Brooks. — Pam

Townes fits into lots of pre-existing mainstream trends: a surname style name, a plural / -s ending name, a word name, a currently gender-neutral option (that's on the rise), with a slightly preppy feel about it too. — Grace

Hilary Duff is a baby name tastemaker (see: Banks) so Townes will almost certainly crack the boys’ Top 1000 for 2025. — Sophie

Whimsy Lou (Nara & Lucky Blue Smith)

While I think Whimsy will definitely catch on as a name of it’s own, Nara and Lucky Blue Smith’s name choice more literally captures what many of today’s parents are looking for: whimsical. We see this in top names Luna and Aurora, fast risers Elowyn and Meadow, and now Whimsy opens the gates for names like Story and Fable, Echo and Snow. — Brynn

What Do You Think? 🍓

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