Exclusive: Fastest-Rising Names of 2022 So Far 📈

Special behind-the-scenes insights for Nameberry subscribers

Writing this newsletter is one of my favorite parts of working with Nameberry. I love the flexibility of the subject matter, from IKEA-inspired names to names through the eyes of a two-year-old (he gets it!) 

I love that it feels so much more personal and informal than the main Nameberry blog. 

And I love that you – our wonderful readers – are always game for extra name talk, above and beyond what we write about anywhere else.

Case in point: while crunching the numbers for this week’s blog post on the 16 Wild Baby Names You’re About to Hear a Lot More Of – Jupiter, Calypso and Wednesday, we’re looking at you! – I ended up with a ton of extra data on Nameberry’s fastest-rising names of 2022 so far.

These are the names that have seen the biggest percentage increase in pageviews on our site over the past six months. And it’s a really fascinating mix!

There are uncommon names that spiked due to a specific association or event during that time. 

There are stylish names that were already trending but have all of a sudden really hit their stride. 

There are intriguing international names on the rise, giving an exclusive insight into what our visitors around the globe are watching or reading or thinking about.

And then there are the total mysteries 🤔

Readers, if you can offer any additional explanations for any of these rapid-rising names, please share!

Fastest-Rising Girl Names

1. Non (+2185%)

Nameberry’s highest-rising girl name of 2022 is this simple Welsh classic, borne by the mother of St David, patron saint of Wales. British triathlete Non Stanford won gold at the European Championships in August, prompting a flurry of interest in her unusual name.

2. Niharika (+1853%) 

Popular YouTuber Niharika NM won Youth Icon Entertainer of the Year at Cannes in May, boosting her beautiful name. Around the same time, a new Bengali film called Niharika from renowned director Indrasis Acharya was announced for release later this year.

3. Kitty (+1809%)

Netflix’s upcoming reboot That ‘90s Show will reintroduce audiences to characters from the original That ‘70s Show, including Kitty Forman. Related name Kit is already booming for both sexes, so it makes sense that a bit of publicity would set this cutesier version rising too.

4. Shivani (+1368%) 

In July, Miss India contestant Shivani Rajashekar made headlines when she pulled out to focus on her college exams. And celebrity “wardrobe fairy godmother” Shivani Dhillon was also featured in Hello! in August.

5. Cleo (+997%)

Enter mystery #1! Cleo is one of our favorite cute yet sassy names for girls. It reentered the Top 1000 in 2019 and has been climbing rapidly since then. But just what has prompted such a rapid rise in recent months, we don’t know!

6. Inaya (+755%)

Glide names for girls – those with that vowel-Y-vowel pattern – are one of the most defining sounds of the current generation. Inaya feels it could be the next Aaliyah/Aliya, with international appeal and a cool musical namesake in Inayah, who released two new songs this year.

7. Janae (+706%) 

We were surprised to see Janae, which was at its peak in the late 80s to early 00s and as such doesn’t feel quite ready for a comeback yet. But it saw a big spike in interest around the time of Janai Norman’s appointment as the new Good Morning America co-anchor.

8. Kamala (+689%)

The final episode of Ms Marvel in July saw some big revelations about the series’ central character Kamala Khan, prompting lots of fan debate and a big uptick in searches for her name.

9. Jessamy (+672%)

Netflix’s fantasy drama The Sandman premiered in August, with its first episode revolving around the fate of the raven Jessamy. We’ve long championed this lovely vintage gem, perhaps this is finally its time to shine!

10. Oonagh (+659%)

Model and actress Amber Heard chose this impactful Irish name for her daughter, born in 2021. As the Depp v. Heard court case ground on earlier this year, and the coverage for several weeks after that, the name got a lot of increased attention from our visitors.

Fastest-Rising Boy Names

1. Royal (+2296%)

Sci-fi Western Outer Range propelled this rugged-grandpa-meets-modern-virtue name to the top of the Nameberry charts in April.

2. Vivaan (+1733%)

Mystery #2! Sound and style seems to be playing a big part in the rapid rise of Vivaan and his soundalikes Vihan and Vihaan, but what can have happened to give them all such a big boost in 2022? Any insights, Berries?

3. Smoke (+1731%) 

With video game names becoming more popular generally, it’s perhaps no surprise that Mortal Kombat character Smoke is rising. A movie based on the franchise was released last year. But this is a huge increase! Mystery #3?

4. Grisha (+668%)

Speculation has been swirling around the second series of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, slated to air later this year. It centers around powerful characters known as Grisha. This name also features in the popular dark fantasy anime Attack on Titan.

5. Cielo (+587%)

In an interesting turn of events, the birth of Michael Bublé’s fourth child – daughter Cielo Yoli Rose – last month gave her sweet name a huge boost… for boys. Cielo is a perfect summery choice which could certainly see more usage for both sexes.

6. Dacre (+553%)

It was almost inevitable that Stranger Things would influence name trends as well as our tastes in music and fashion. Interestingly, it’s an actor and not a character name that has seen the biggest increase on Nameberry. Dacre Montgomery plays Billy Hargrove in the hit series.

7. Sachin (+536%)

An Instagram video posted by cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar went viral last month, along with his lovely name! It showed him having a traditional pheta tied for a family member’s wedding.

8. Rishi (+504%)

The Britberries among us will be only too familiar with this attractive Sanskrit name, borne by one of the two candidates to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister. Ultimately, Rishi Sunak lost out to Liz Truss, but his name attracted the lion’s share of the attention.

9. Rhodes (+341%)

Already trending in a big way, particularly after actors Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund chose it for their son in 2020. But WWE fighter Cody Rhodes has prompted renewed interest this year.

10. Khaza (+287%) 

The name of a new album released this summer by rapper Kevin Gates, who first put it on the baby name map in 2014 when he named his son Khaza Kamil.

Fastest-Rising Unisex Names

1. Jream (+888%) 

This creative respelling of fashionable word name Dream has been trending on Nameberry thanks to positive publicity surrounding NFL player Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Jream Foundation for underprivileged youth.

2. Beaux (+750%)

We’re seeing so many names containing that striking letter X climbing our charts at the moment, but Beaux has seen a particularly big rise lately. The catalyst seems to be up-and-coming British singer-songwriter beaux, who has released several new tracks in recent months.

3. Sevyn (+631%) 

Another unconventional spelling with a musical bent, this on-trend name is climbing on our charts thanks to singer-songwriter Sevyn Streeter.

4. Stiles (+266%)

Harry Styles is an obvious influence here, but this spelling in particular is getting extra interest due to the upcoming Teen Wolf revival movie, out later this year. The announcement that popular character Stiles Stilinski would not feature generated a lot of buzz among fans.

5. Nori (+230%)

As Kim and Kanye’s eldest daughter’s star rises – both in person and in hilarious parody form – so too does her cute and cool nickname.

6. Arden (+194%) 

One of the most stylish unisex names of the moment, we’re not surprised to see Arden finally getting the appreciation it deserves. Teen Wolf actress Arden Cho might also have a hand in its increased popularity.

7. Aquila (+189%)

This eye-catching name checks so many boxes: nature meaning, celestial namesake, Biblical connections. But it really took off on Nameberry after the announcement of the Pope’s visit to the Italian city of L’Aquila in August.

8. Salem (+158%)

Mystery #4? Salem is definitely a rising star right now, with its sleek gender neutral sound and its peaceful meaning. It also has cross-cultural credentials as an Arabic male name with separate derivation.

9. Nox (+156%)

Another of the strong X names rocketing up our charts, Nox is the Roman goddess of the night, and a male character in the French video game and anime series Wafku. It’s also a streamlined alternative to celebrity favorite Knox.

10. Mika (+149%)

Another video game moniker generating a lot of buzz right now is Mika, the name of a new character in the latest version of Genshin Impact, released last month.

New: Bonus Perks for Paid Subscribers ❤️

Exciting news! We’re launching a paid subscription model later this month which gives you exclusive access to even more great Nameberry content – plus the chance to ask us questions, give advice, and more.

You’ll still receive our regular newsletter as normal, but paid subscribers will get some extra perks!

• Ability to ask name help questions to be answered by our experts

• Commenting privileges on consultation posts

• Bonus posts (inside Nameberry knowledge, personal stories, live AMAs, and more)

Stay tuned for more info on this over the next couple of weeks 👀