It’s Elvis Presley’s birthday* — that means it’s time to kick off the annual Pop Culture Baby Name Game!
So how do you play the game? Simply brainstorm for baby names that could have gotten a boost in usage in 2018 thanks to the influence popular culture: movies, music, television, social media, video games, sports, politics, products, trends, etc.
Here are some names we can start with:
- Araminta – movie, Crazy Rich Asians character
- Astrid – movie, Crazy Rich Asians character
- Avicii – music/news, the late Swedish DJ Avicii
- Banks – celebrity baby (Hilary Duff)
- Billion – celebrity baby (Rick Ross)
- Braven – movie, Braven
- Canon – celebrity baby (Stephen Curry)
- Cardi – music, rapper Cardi B
- Carson – sports, Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz (particularly in PA)
- Carvena – TV, The Four: Battle for Stardom contestant
- Chadwick – movie, Black Panther actor
- Chevel – TV, The Voice contestant
- Chicago – celebrity baby (Kim Kardashian & Kanye West)
- Coco – movie, Coco
- Cress – TV, Black Lightning actor
- Crew – celebrity baby (Chip & Joanna Gaines)
- Cullinan – car, Rolls-Royce Cullinan
- Doria – news, royal wedding (Doria Ragland)
- Dua – music, singer Dua Lipa
- Elanese – TV, The Four: Battle for Stardom contestant
- Ella Mai – music, singer Ella Mai
- Garrix – music, DJ Martin Garrix
- Gio – celebrity baby (Adam Levine & Behati Prinsloo)
- Grayson – news, winter storm Grayson
- Havana – music, song “Havana”
- Hayes – celebrity babies (both Jessica Alba and Meghan King Edmonds)
- Joji – music, singer Joji
- Jumanji – movie, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
- Kaavia – celebrity baby (Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union)
- Kane – music, singer Kane Brown**
- Karamo – TV, Queer Eye expert
- Keala – music/movie, singer/actress Keala Settle (“This Is Me”)
- Kiki – music/dance, “In My Feelings” challenge
- Mahomes – sports, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
- Majeste – TV, The Four: Battle for Stardom contestant
- Maquia – movie, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms
- Meghan – news, royal wedding (Meghan Markle)
- Mera – movie, Aquaman character
- Miles – celebrity baby (John Legend & Chrissy Teigen)
- Nafessa – TV, Black Lightning actress
- Nakia – movie, Black Panther character
- Osaka – sports, U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka – suggested by elbowin
- Qira (Qi’ra) – movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story character
- Rami – movie, Bohemian Rhapsody actor
- Ramirez – video game, Fortnite character (female)
- Reileen – TV, Altered Carbon character
- Sharaya – TV, The Four: Battle for Stardom contestant
- Shuri – movie, Black Panther character
- Storm – movie, A Wrinkle in Time actress
- Stormi – celebrity baby (Kylie Jenner)
- Swae – music, rapper Swae Lee
- Takeshi – TV, Altered Carbon character
- T’challa – movie, Black Panther character
- True – celebrity baby (Khloe Kardashian)
- Tully – movie, Tully
- Velar – car, Range Rover Velar
- Venom – movie, Venom
- Villanelle – TV, Killing Eve character
- Wade – movies, both Ready Player One and Deadpool 2 characters
- Xolo – Web TV, Cobra Kai actor
- Yanny – news, the Yanny/Laurel audio clip – suggested by elbowin
- Zhavia – TV, The Four: Battle for Stardom contestant
- Zaytoven – music, producer Zaytoven
- Zaxai – TV, The Voice contestant
- Zazie – movie, Deadpool 2 actress
What other names should be on this list? Let me know by commenting below. And don’t forget to mention the pop culture influence!
I’ll post the game results in May of 2019, a few days after the SSA releases the 2018 baby name data.
If you don’t want to miss the results post, just subscribe to NBN so that you’ll be notified once it’s out.
*Elvis would have been 84 today.
**The first baby born in Richland County, OH, in 2019 was named after Kane Brown.
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