Somewhere in a delivery room, a new parent is weighing a name that sounds like a Greek hero, a Montana ranch hand or a brooding hockey player from a streaming series. According to BabyCenter’s latest data, they’re far from alone.
BabyCenter, a digital parenting re 20 years, just released its annual lists of the most popular baby names of 2026 and the trends it expects to shape 2027. The findings, shared with NBC News, draw on more than 350,000 babies born this year to parents registered on the BabyCenter app. Because parents submit names in real time, the company can predict trends before the Social Security Administration releases its official list
At the very top, little has changed from last year. Noah and Oli
Just beneath them, though, one name is making a lot of noise. Eliana has shot up to No. 2 for girls, a remarkable climb from No. 14 in 2024 and No. 7 last year. BabyCenter’s baby name advisor, Steph Coffield, calls it the year’s most surprising trend and predicts that if the momentum holds, Eliana could take the top girls’ spot next year.
If there’s a theme running through this year’s data, it’s with that first letter E. E is the most popular starting initial for girls, making up 15% of the top 100 girls’ names. For boys, J leads, with 14% of the top 100.
The E-names are having a moment well beyond the top 10. Elsie rose 23 spots, Evangeline 50, Elodie 87, Elaine 143 and Esme a whopping 222. Among the boys, Josiah surged 33 spots to No. 21 and Jeremiah climbed 28 spots to reach No. 60, while Jaxon, Jaxson and Jasper all hold spots in the top 100.
Scroll further down the list and you’ll find some fresh faces. Magnolia is the only brand-new girls’ name. But on the boys’ side, Stetson, Archer and Milo all debuted, joined by Dean, which is making its first top 100 appearance this century after a heyday in the ’50s and ’60s.
Length is trending upward, too. Nearly three in 10 of the top girls’ names and 31% of the top boys’ names have seven or more letters. The longest name in the mix is Christopher, at 11.
Many of those longer, bolder picks are coming straight from the screen, and nowhere is that clearer than on the ice. In the same year ESPN logged its most-watched NHL playoff season, ice-rink TV dramas, including “Off Campus” and “Heated Rivalry,” sent names like Garrett, Allie, Beau and Jules climbing. The breakout star is Ilya, which rocketed up more than 6,000 spots to No. 2,197 for boys.
Trade the rink for the open range, and another small-screen hit is leaving its mark. The lingering pull of “Yellowstone,” with its cowboy hats, boots and line dancing, is carrying into the nursery. As mentioned earlier, Stetson rose 46 spots to No. 95, the first time it has ever cracked BabyCenter’s top 100. Walker (up 19), Callahan (up 88), Wilder (up 107) and Gunner (up 151) are riding the same wave.
But the cowboys have some competition from across the sea. Names from Greek mythology are washing ashore, boosted by the blockbuster movie “The Odyssey.” Boys’ names on the rise include Atlas (up 5), Orion and Troy (both up 9), Ares (up 32), Evander (up 128) and Perseus (up 249). For girls, Iris (up 18), Lydia (up 38) and Daphne (up 42) are climbing.
“The trends this year show parents are ready to dig into the archives with some modern appreciation for the ancient, the vintage, the classic,” Coffield said.
In some cases, that archive is a cozy Connecticut town. With a “Gilmore Girls” documentary newly announced, fall rewatches are sending Stars Hollow names soaring. Lorelai is up 12 spots and Rory up 31. Among the boys, Christopher is up 4, Luke up 7, Richard up 29 and Dean up 31, which helps explain that name’s return to the top 100.
Not every name is riding the pop culture wave, though, and one has had a rough year. Between Taylor Swift’s wedding, Taylor Farms’ lettuce recalls and a two famous Taylors welcoming a baby with Taylor as the middle name, BabyCenter says parents are over it. For girls, Taylor dropped 24 spots to No. 399. For boys, it plummeted 262 spots to No. 1,093, falling out of the top 1,000 for the first time ever.
So back to that delivery room. Whatever name new parents are landing on, whether it’s a mythic hero, a rugged cowboy or a Stars Hollow favorite, chances are it’s already climbing the charts.
