A recent study from My Nametags revealed that 2025’s best-selling novels are predicted to have the biggest influence on baby names in 2026. Parents will be taking inspiration from fictional characters, with traditional names such as Violet or Ophelia, set to become very popular next year.
Violet, a classic and beautiful name inspired by the main character in Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, is expected to be one of the most popular names in 2026, according to experts. For boys, the name Rhys, inspired by the character Rhysand in A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, is also expected to rise in popularity. According to parents.com, Violet is a name of Latin origin that evokes “beauty, grace, and nature”. It’s a vintage name “that had its heyday in the early 20th century but regained popularity in the early 2000s; it combines the classic sound of an old-fashioned name with both a flower and colour name”.
According to the study, music will also influence future parents with the name Ophelia, from Taylor Swift’s single The Life of a Showgirl, set to become very popular in 2026.
Singer Alex Warren is set to inspire the next generation of children named Alex, after his album You’ll Be Alright Kid. The name is expected to rise significantly next year.
Films will also inspire baby names in 2026, with one of the most popular being Lilo, after Disney’s adaptation of Lilo & Stitch. The name Maysilee, after the character in Sunrise on the Reaping, the Hunger Games prequel, will also influence expectant parents who are fans of the franchise.
Lars B Andersen, Managing Director at mynametags.com, said: “We’ve been tracking name trends for over 20 years and see how time and again parents’ choices are influenced by the media and pop culture. 2025 has been the year of escaping reality and leaning into the whimsical and otherworldly. Fiction has always been a strong indicator of baby name trends, but with younger parents more active on social media than ever before, ‘BookTok’s obsession over fantasy novels has taken it to new heights.”
