From Nursery Rhymes to No. 1 Hits: Pop Stars Rule Baby Name Lists

Why the cradle sounds like a concert: How music superstars now dictate US baby name trends

Move over, tradition—today’s babies in the US share their names with stars of Spotify, not ancestors or key religious figures. The latest baby name trends show parents have replaced heritage names with pop legends, Grammy-winners, and viral performers. If you think you’re seeing more little Olivias, Taylors, and Lennons at the playground, you’re not imagining things.

We analyzed recent Social Security records to see how deeply modern pop icons are influencing not just our cultural tastes but also family traditions.

Chart-topping names: How music’s biggest stars influenced baby name trends in 2024

As celebrities like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, John Legend, Olivia Rodrigo, and John Lennon rose to fame, there was a surge in babies named after them.

Here are the most popular picks from 2024:

Rank (Here)	Name	SSA 2024 Rank	Gender	Births	Popstar/Music Association
1	Olivia	1	Girl	14,71	Olivia Rodrigo
2	Charlotte	4	Girl	14,71	Charli XCX (real name Charlotte)
3	Jade	84	Girl	14,71	Jade Thirlwall (Little Mix), Jade (K-pop)
4	Legend	157	Boy	14,71	John Legend
5	Lennon	237	Girl	14,71	John Lennon (The Beatles)
6	Hendrix	296	Boy	14,71	Jimi Hendrix
7	Cash	316	Boy	14,71	Johnny Cash
8	Kali	294	Girl	14,71	Kali Uchis
9	Sabrina	357	Girl	14,71	Sabrina Carpenter
10	Taylor	667	Girl	14,71	Taylor Swift

Some names like Olivia, Charlotte, and Taylor have always been popular, but now their numbers have seen a further boost as their namesake celebrities have become cultural icons.

“Taylor” has gained widespread prominence thanks to pop artist Taylor Swift’s global influence with a string of record-breaking albums, sold-out tours, and one of the most passionate fandoms ever seen.

Names that people wouldn’t really consider earlier, like Cash and Kali, have also become popular choices now, with parents moving away from heritage names to more unique, “cool” names, often borrowed from foreign cultures and based on people taking over our social media feeds.

Taylor Swift: Why America’s Favorite Pop Icon Keeps Her Name at the Top of the Charts

No artist has redrawn the lines of pop culture quite like Taylor Swift. Hundreds of sold-out stadiums, a battalion of diehard “Swifties,” and a near-constant streaming presence have guaranteed that Swift’s influence extends far beyond Spotify playlists—it’s personal enough to show up on birth certificates.

The name “Taylor” has always been a crowd-pleaser, straddling genres as easily as Swift herself. Over the years, its popularity among girls has remained steady. But in the age of the Eras Tour and Grammy sweeps, Swift’s own star power has injected new energy into the name, giving it a real edge with a fresh generation of parents. Choosing “Taylor” in 2025 doesn’t just nod to the catchy hooks and unforgettable bridges—it taps into Swift’s reputation for creativity, vulnerability, and sheer resilience.

Parents today aren’t just naming daughters after an A-list celebrity—they’re channeling everything she stands for: independence, unapologetic self-expression, and a knack for turning adversity into art.

Why parents choose chart-toppers to name their kids

In today’s pop-culture-saturated world, it’s no surprise that the Billboard Hot 100 doubles as a baby name inspiration board. For many parents, it’s about giving their child a name—and an identity—that feels modern, aspirational, and instantly recognizable.

There’s also the emotional factor. Songs have a way of deeply influencing our lives, and when an artist’s music hits during a key life moment—like pregnancy or a relationship milestone—it’s easy to see how their name becomes more than a label. It becomes a memory.

Plus, these days, standing out and building a brand has become an important consideration. While older generations may have leaned toward timeless classics, today’s parents are often chasing originality, with just enough familiarity to avoid spelling bees at every Starbucks order.

Unlike past celebrity baby name crazes that fizzled, today’s star-powered names have staying power as they’re tied to artists with long careers, strong social media presence, and massive fan following.

Social media has intensified this trend as platforms like TikTok and Instagram give us an inner peek into celebrities’ lives, building a parasocial relationship. Fans don’t just admire artists; now they emulate their entire aesthetic, and naming a child becomes part of that aspirational identity.

What will be the next viral baby name?

As tomorrow’s parents look to the 2025 charts, the hottest names may be dropped in song lyrics on Friday and inked on birth certificates by Monday.

Yesterday’s legacies have made way for tomorrow’s icons, and the Spotify playlist may turn out to be the baby name book for the upcoming generation.

Now, the question isn’t just “What’s a good name?”

It’s: “Who’s the next superstar?”

Methodology

To explore how pop stars are influencing baby name choices, we used data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for the year 2024. The SSA provides yearly rankings of the most popular baby names in the United States, listing how many babies received each name, separated by gender.

We focused our research on names ranked within the Top 1000 that are connected to well-known pop singers or music celebrities. Each name’s connection to a current or recent pop star was confirmed using information from popular music charts, official artist profiles, and media coverage. The number of babies named after these music stars was compared to each name’s national rank, allowing us to highlight and analyze which pop star names are most popular with new parents today.