What do you think names will be like in 30 years?
I’m working on a project set in the future. I’m trying to imagine how people would be named going ahead.
What trends do you think will be present? What do you think will have gone out of style? What names would be circling back?
I’m trying to think futuristic without being cartoonish. Specific examples or general ideas are all helpful!
I think mid-century names will be making a comeback - [name_f]Susan[/name_f], [name_f]Pamela[/name_f], [name_m]Mark[/name_m], Kenneth…
And that word names will be super popular, though I doubt the ones that are currently used will still be really popular. Instead, I can see people looking at more abstract terms; instead of [name_u]Story[/name_u] or [name_u]Poet[/name_u], perhaps [name_f]Anaphora[/name_f] or [name_u]Verse[/name_u]?
Maybe not [name_u]River[/name_u] and [name_u]Lake[/name_u] but Stream and Drop?
And I can also see names from science fiction / fantasy books getting more popular, especially those that already sound familiar… so maybe not [name_u]Arya[/name_u] & [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] anymore, but perhaps Erlia, Verua & Feveks instead?
Definitely a revival of mid-century and other “dusty” names such as Gregory, Stanley, Herman, Sherwin, Eugene, Clarence, and Harvey for males with Karen, Pauline, Phyllis, Irma, Veronica, and Gertrude for females. Bible names will probably have moved on to Saul, Melchior, Nichodemus (males), Ruth, and Keziah (females). Ancient names might still be trending: Caius, Phineas, Tycho, Justus (M) and Phaedra, Irene, Helen, Isolde (F). Nature names like Creek, Spruce, Cyprian, Wulf (M) and Delphinium, Otter, and Dale (F). Place names will be more exotic like Zimbabwe, Maui,(M) or Nairobi (F). Word names are all over the place, so I won’t attempt to predict this trend. Surnames and Occupational names could be anything from Fisher, Renolds, and Barton to Miller, Cox, Denison, even Brewster. Of these Reynolds and Miller are probably the most likely to be seen as feminine. I think names ending with -leigh or -lee for girls will be less popular as well as boy names rhyming with Jaxon, Baxton, Payton and Aidan, Brayden, Jaidon losing steam. Girls names like Madeline/Madelyn might still be a thing, but might not be as common. Names ending in -son will probably remain stable. Other ideas; Kelly and Robin go back to being boy names. Feminine versions of male names come in vogue.