Malibu, Maple, and Tex: Celebrity Names of the Recent Past

Are these celeb baby names still in the spotlight?

The latest US baby name data dropped last week, and over on the blog, Sophie has been taking a look at how popular culture has influenced the names parents chose in 2024. Along with films, TV shows, and books, celebrities played their part in shaping how Americans named their babies last year.

When it comes to famous babies, those in the spotlight are notorious for choosing memorable monikers, especially ones that get people talking – for better or for worse. While many of these wilder names do remain in “celeb-only” territory – think Apple, X Æ A-Xii, and Midnight – there are a select number of distinctive choices that have risen up the charts since they were chosen by famous parents.

From to Nevaeh, Stormi to Saint, celebrities can sometimes shift a name from unheard of to completely familiar, just by choosing it.

But what’s the longevity of celebrity-inspired names? Are they mostly of the moment or have recent celebrity choices become future favorites?

Today, we’ll reflect on some of the most noteworthy (or eyebrow-raising) celebrity names of 2022, to see how they’ve really fared in the latest US data drop. By comparing their pre-celebrity-usage with the stats from 2023 and 2024, we’ll get a sense as to whether parents were influenced to use them at the time and if the names have remained memorable two years on.

Memorable Celebrity Names Of The (Recent) Past

Note: The names below were all used as first names, and the numbers refer to how many babies were given the names in the US that year. For the full names and parent names, click here.

Still in the public eye

These are the celebrity names that have caught the attention of the public in a positive way and are either climbing the charts or continue to be used in larger numbers since they were chosen by famous parents. While many are only being used in small numbers at the moment, these might be names to watch out for in coming years.

Truett: 2021: 250 | 2023: 380 | 2024: 426

RZA: 2021: unranked | 2023: 7 | 2024: 10

Bronze: 2021: 9 | 2023: 15 | 2024: 15

Marigold: 2021: 252 | 2023: 392 | 2024: 406

Maple: 2021: 138 | 2023: 184 | 2024: 199

Lovely: 2021: 77| 2023: 103 | 2024: 92

Halo (g): 2021: 385 | 2023: 520 | 2024: 598

Goldie: 2021: 385| 2023: 422 | 2024: 453

Cyan: 2021: 17 | 2023: 43 | 2024: 41

Cy: 2021: 45 | 2023: 75 | 2024: 60

Cielo: 2022: 192 | 2023: 309 | 2024: 347

Aire: 2021: unranked | 2023:20 | 2024: 34

Pace: 2021: 39 | 2023: 38 | 2024: 51

Monaco (g) : 2021: unranked | 2023: unranked | 2024: 10

Trending Down

Sometimes an association with a celebrity is the last thing parents want and these names have been declining in use since their were chosen by those in the spotlight.

Ryden: 2021: 85 | 2023: 74 | 2024: 49

Royce (g): 2021: 44 | 2023: 39 | 2024: 33

Jupiter (g): 2021: 130 | 2023: 120 | 2024: 94

August (g): 2021: 327 | 2023: 289 | 2024: 290

Aoife: 2021: 107 | 2023:88 | 2024: 84

Pixie: 2021: 13 | 2023: 12 | 2024: 7

The not so influential

Whether they’re too out there for non-famous parents, or just haven’t grabbed any attention (yet), these celebrity baby names from 2022 have had little impact on the way US parents named their children. Some did see a small gains use in 2023, but have now returned to their 2021 popularity levels, suggesting parents are using them because they already liked them, rather than because they were influenced by famous babies.

Tupelo: 2021: unranked | 2023: unranked | 2024: unranked

Sweetie: 2021: unranked | 2023: unranked | 2024: unranked

Slim: 2021: unranked | 2023: unranked | 2024: unranked

Rise (b) : 2021:12 | 2023: 11 | 2024: 9

Malti: 2021: unranked | 2023: unranked | 2024: unranked

Koazy: 2021: unranked | 2023: unranked | 2024: unranked

Kalista: 2021: 41 | 2023: 37 | 2024: 40

Jackson (g): 2021: 18 | 2023:19 | 2024: 20

Delphine: 2021: 41 | 2023: 42 | 2024: 42

Brando: 2021: 26 | 2023: 24 | 2024: 26

Shai: 2021: 199 | 2023: 219 | 2024: 200

Old news?

While these names might have seen increased use in 2023, it hasn’t been maintained in 2024. Of course, this could all change if the bearer enters the spotlight in the future, but for now, their influence has been but brief.

Glorious: 2021: unranked | 2023: 7 | 2024: unranked

Tex: 2021: 20 | 2023: 37 | 2024: 20

Malibu: 2021: 8 | 2023: 27 | 2024: 16

Legendary: 2021: 13 | 2023: 22 | 2024: 14

Do you see any of these names sticking around or becoming big in the future? Would you use any of them? Have you ever been inspired by a celebrity baby name choice? Let us know in the comments!