While we’re still thinking everyone is either a Millennial or a part of Generation Z, we’re deep in Generation Alpha — and now, 2025 will birth a whole new generation. That’s right, babies born this year will be the first members of Generation Beta. It will take a while to shape our stereotypical perception of them (much in the way we’ve made fun of Millennials and their avocado toast, or Boomers and their Karen-esque complaints), but we do know at least a little bit about what to expect from them.
According to research group McCrindle, Gen Beta will make up 16 percent of the population by 2035: just one decade from now. Many of them will live to see — hold onto your chairs — the 22nd century. They are going to be shaped by a world that’s heavily reliant on tech, and the first generation to grow up with AI as a normal part of their lives. They’ll be true global citizens, having more means than ever before to connect virtually with friends and colleagues around the world. And being raised by Millennial and Gen Z parents, they will likely be very socially and environmentally conscious.
So what will we be calling Gen Beta besides, well, “Gen Beta?” Though many of our predictions for this up-and-coming generation won’t be realized for years yet, data from around the Internet is already showing what Gen Beta’s most popular baby names may be.
After searching through quite a few reports from BabyCenter, NameBerry, and more, we’ve discovered the three biggest baby name trends we may be seeing in 2025, and we’re obsessed. See the details below:
Sports & Music-Inspired
2024 was a big year for both music news and sports news, so it’s no wonder that BabyCenter predicts it’ll influence many parents with their Gen Beta baby name decisions.
BabyCenter discovered that popular figures from the Paris Olympics, NCAA basketball, and the Super Bowl would heavily influence Gen Beta, with the outlet noting Caitlin (a la Caitlin Clark), Louis and Louise from the Olympics, and members from the Kansas City Chiefs like Creed, Travis, and Isiah.
As for music, 2024 was all about the music drama and new artists. For instance, BabyCenter reports that after the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef, the name Kendrick will be at an all-time high next year, as well as names like Sabrina for Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell for Chappell Roan, and Billie for Billie Eilish.
The Letter “E” & “Z”
You wouldn’t think letters from the alphabet would become a trend, but here we are. BabyCenter noted that the letter “E” for boys will be majorly popular in 2025 since so many are jumping up hundreds of spots and in the top 1000 names (so think of names like Embry, Enrique, and Eleil.)
And Nameberry via Mental Floss said that “X” names are out, and “Z” names are in. Z names are popular as both the first letter (Zendaya and Zuri) and just in the name itself, like Ezra and Enzo. According to the site’s roundup of the most popularly-searched name from each state, several states’ top favorite names contain this unique letter: Ziva in Colorado, Khaza in Delaware, Fitzroy in Washington. (Some are on the “E” name bandwagon as well, like Evian in Pennsylvania, Eilis in New York, Ellery in Nebraska, Esai in Arizona, and the classic Ellen in Maryland.)
Celestial & Landscape Names
We’ve talked about both celestial names, and nature-inspired names, but for the babies of Gen Beta, there will seemingly be a big boom in those types of names. With the eclipse in April 2024 and a lunar eclipse coming in March 2025, it seems people are big on names like Orion, Sol, Aurora, Nova, and more, per BabyCenter.
Nameberry via Mental Floss noted that cottagecore names will be taking a new form into “Landscape” names that evoke powerful images of nature, like Canyon, Field, and Prairie.
There may be a lot of as-yet-unknowns about this brand new generation, but one thing’s for certain: their unique names alone will make quite an impression.
From Jupiter to Aurora, here are a few celebrity baby names inspired by the cosmos.
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