A baby naming expert has revealed what she predicts will be the biggest naming trends in 2026 and one Irish name makes the list.

Baby names go in and out of fashion, but one thing seems to remain true: Irish names are a popular choice, both here in Ireland and in other English-speaking countries around the world.

In fact, an Irish name has been the most popular choice in the US for the past seven years and in the UK, Irish names often make the top 10 lists too.

Baby naming expert SJ Strum told The Mirror about the baby naming trends and names that she predicts will be big in 2026 and some of them are just lovely.

When it comes to naming trends, whimsical names, gender neutral names, "Succession chic" names are all predicted to be popular, according to Strum.

She told the publication: “Baby names follow trends and always have since the Royals inspired names in the Regency era to Flower names which flew into society during Victorian Britain.

“Popular culture changes more rapidly these days, meaning we’re seeing a huge baby name boom with hundreds more unique names registered in the UK year by year.

“Our name trends are inspired by fashion, parenting styles and what we’re watching on TV – Netflix and naming is a thing!”

One gorgeous Irish name landed on the expert’s list of gender neutral baby name predictions and it would be such a cool choice for a boy or a girl.

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The name is Rowan and means "little redhead" or "little red one". How cute would that be for an autumn baby?!

In Ireland, the name Rowan isn’t yet very popular, so it could be a good choice for parents before it gains widespread recognition.

In 2024, the moniker did make the top 100 for boys, coming in at 91, with 61 baby boys given the name. For girls, on the other hand, it proved to be FAR less popular, coming in at number 504 with only seven babies being given the name.

The other names on SJ’s gender neutral baby name list were:

  • Shiloh
  • Sidney
  • Indigo
  • Blake
  • Dakota
  • Ellis

Would you choose any of these names?

* Originally published on Evoke.ie.