From family traditions to pop culture: New poll reveals where parents-to-be are getting baby name inspiration in 2025
Any parent – or parent to be – knows how hard it can be to decide on the perfect name for your baby.
And while deciding it can be hard enough to even come up with a shortlist, so it's no surprise that parents are looking to a lot of different places for inspiration.
New data from the US baby name website, BabyCentre, has uncovered the unique ways parents are finding baby name ideas.
A close-up of an adorable baby girl, 4.5 weeks old, yawning. Getty
Turns out inspiration is really everywhere, with mums and dads to be looking at everything from popular TV shows to family trees and even places they've been.
BabyCentre polled mums who had a baby over the past year and found that this is where they had found their name inspiration:
It turns out 23 per cent of mums kept it in the family, taking family traditions of names for their little one. This was either names passed down from grandparents, or honouring loved ones. Strong traditional names for boys like James, William and Henry are constants in the Top 10.
Naming apps and books were a popular choice too, with 15 per cent of mums turning to these for inspiration. Curated lists and online platforms make sifting through all of the possibilities easier.
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While family traditions are still the main way people look for names, parents-to-be are turning to new inspiration. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Then there are 12 per cent of mums who named babies after places they've been. From charming towns to road signs, unforgettable holidays and even just location based names, there's plenty of inspiration here.
For some parents, it might be a way to add a tribute to a special place, like where you fell in love or somewhere significant to your family or relationship.
Place names like London, Adelaide, Aspen and Brooklyn are examples of this and great choices for this trend.
And for 11 per cent of parents, they're looking to pop culture.
Think about most popular TV shows, books and movies right now and you'll notice an emerging trend of baby names.
For years Game of Thrones inspired names were big, with names like Arya and Daenerys making their way into the charts, proving it's not a new trend.
Even celebrities have influence, with what stars name their kids sparking trends like the Kardashians and Nara Smith opening parents into a whole new world of name ideas.
So, with inspiration really everywhere, it's going to be interesting to see which names start climbing up the top charts for 2026.
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