Trends in baby names are endlessly fascinating because they're always evolving: while some monikers become super-hip, helped by everything from Bridgerton to cottagecore, others slowly fall out of fashion. There's also evidence of a certain generational split when it comes to baby names: last year's list of Scotland's most popular baby names revealed that Gen Z parents are making rather different choices to millennials.
Naming website Babycenter has just released its first list of the most popular baby names of 2022 and it definitely makes for interesting reading. Several girls' names that have been especially popular in England and Wales in recent years – including Amelia, Olivia and Ava – clearly aren't going away any time soon.
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Harper – a name popularised by David and Victoria Beckham, who gave it to their daughter – also appears in the girls' top ten. Rising in popularity, too, is Luna, an Italian and Spanish name that means "moon" in Latin, and Nova, a beautiful name that means "new" in Latin.
Check out the most popular girls' names of 2022 so far below.
1. Emma
2. Amelia
3. Ava
4. Olivia
5. Luna
6. Mia
7. Sophia
8. Charlotte
9. Isabella
10. Ella
11. Nova
12. Hazel
13. Gianna
14. Harper
15. Sofia
16. Zoey
17. Aurora
18. Violet
19. Scarlett
20. Layla
2. Amelia
3. Ava
4. Olivia
5. Luna
6. Mia
7. Sophia
8. Charlotte
9. Isabella
10. Ella
11. Nova
12. Hazel
13. Gianna
14. Harper
15. Sofia
16. Zoey
17. Aurora
18. Violet
19. Scarlett
20. Layla
Among boys' names, familiar favourites including Noah, Oliver and Elijah look set to continue appearing on plenty of birth certificates in 2022. There's also space on the list for Maverick, a gender-neutral name that means "non-conformist", and Asher, a Hebrew name that means "happy" or "blessed".
Mateo – the Spanish equivalent of Matthew – also appears towards the top of the list, as does Grayson: a traditional surname that is now being fully embraced as a first name, too. Check out the most popular boys' names of 2022 so far below:
1. Noah
2. Liam
3. Elijah
4. Oliver
5. Mateo
6. James
7. Lucas
8. Grayson
9. Levi
10. Daniel
11. Kai
12. Asher
13. Luca
14. Sebastian
15. Maverick
16. Aiden
17. Wyatt
18. Carter
19. Jack
20. Mason
2. Liam
3. Elijah
4. Oliver
5. Mateo
6. James
7. Lucas
8. Grayson
9. Levi
10. Daniel
11. Kai
12. Asher
13. Luca
14. Sebastian
15. Maverick
16. Aiden
17. Wyatt
18. Carter
19. Jack
20. Mason