Zen, Onyx and Journey: The wellness-inspired baby names you'll be seeing in 2019

This year parents will take baby inspiration from spirituality, nature and muted hues
Photo by Colin Maynard on Unsplash

While traditional names like Olivia and Amelia for a girl and Oliver and Harry for a boy continue to reign supreme among parents​, with the rise of wellness and non-binary ideals, people are expected to get a little more creative with baby names this year.

That's according to baby name website Nameberry, which released a list of baby name trend predictions for 2019. The site says parents will be finding baby name inspiration from nature, spirituality and cultures around the world – and there are some rather unusual suggestions.

Think rare gems, soft pastel shades, short, three-letter names and celebrity surnames as first names.

If you're keen for your baby's name to stand out, scroll down for some more alternative options predicted to be big in 2019.

Spiritual names

Rather than the traditional Biblical names, parents are expected to choose spiritual names derived from Eastern religions and non-European mythology, according to the site.

  • Asherah
  • Bodhi
  • Kali
  • Lakshmi
  • Manu
  • Osiris
  • Raiden
  • Rama
  • Tanith
  • Zen

Muted Hue names

Move over Scarlett and Poppy, parents are expected to pick softer and more subtle shades come the new year.

  • Ash
  • Fawn
  • Grey/Gray
  • Ivory
  • Lavender
  • Lilac
  • Mauve
  • Moss
  • Olive
  • Sage

Rare gem names

Rather than sticking to the traditional jewel names such as Ruby, Pearl and Amber, parents are expected to go for more unusual gem names for both boys and girls come the new year.

  • Amethyst
  • Emerald
  • Garnet
  • Jasper
  • Jet
  • Onyx
  • Opal
  • Peridot
  • Sapphire
  • Topaz

Three-letter names

Minimalist names will prove short and sweet with parents.

  • Hal
  • Ida
  • Jem
  • Kit
  • Koa
  • Liv
  • Lux
  • Rex
  • Rio
  • Van

Names beginning with the letter 'F'

'F' as a first initial is expected to be très chic in 2019.

  • Faye
  • Felix
  • Fern
  • Finnian
  • Flora
  • Florian
  • Frances
  • Frankie
  • Frederick
  • Frost

Names with the vowel 'U'

Possibly inspired by Prince Louis, names featuring the vowel 'U' or an 'ooo' sound in them are predicted to be popular come the new year.

  • Eulalie
  • Hugo
  • Jude
  • Juniper
  • Louise
  • Luca
  • Luna
  • Reuben
  • Tallulah
  • True

Animal-inspired middle names

Cheryl surprised people when she named her new son "Bear" in 2017 and, perhaps in a nod to this, some parents are expected to give their children animal-inspired middle names to add a touch of individuality in 2019.

  • Bear
  • Falcon
  • Fox
  • Hawk
  • Koala
  • Lion
  • Lynx
  • Otter
  • Tiger
  • Wolf

Celebrity surnames as first names

Parents have long-since named their offspring after their favourite singers and footballers. In 2019 that's expected to step up a gear and people will instead use the surnames of their idols for babies' first names, interesting.

  • Beckham
  • Bowie
  • Ellington
  • Hendrix
  • Jolie
  • Ledger
  • Lennon
  • Lennox
  • Monroe
  • Wilder

Non-binary names

More and more parents are opting to raise their children without the confines of gender stereotypes and are increasingly looking to gender-neutral baby names.

  • Briar
  • Campbell
  • Finley
  • Journey
  • Justice
  • Laken
  • Revel
  • Robin
  • Royal
  • Story

International names

Parents will go for some original and exotic names with "deep roots," according to the site. Think Maori, Xhosa, ancient Greek, South American, Indian, Korean and Israeli names.

  • Acacius
  • Aroha
  • Cyrene
  • Jedda
  • Kiran
  • Lautaro
  • Lior
  • Niabi
  • Sena
  • Walken

Old-school nicknames for boys

Nameberry predicts a revival of old school favourites like Billy and Buster that used to appear on comic strips and TV shows, among 2019's hipster parents.

  • Ace
  • Billy
  • Buddy
  • Buster
  • Hank
  • Ike
  • Jimmy
  • Johnny
  • Sonny
  • Spike

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