If you’re expecting a baby boy this year, coming up with a name will be one of your biggest decisions because it’s a pretty daunting task. You want to give your new bundle of joy a name that makes him stand out, but isn’t too trendy or weird.
Which points to how important it is as a parent to pick a name that will dominate the new year, and continue to gain popularity throughout 2018. We’ve put together a list of names that have continued to rise on the chart of Top 1,000 baby names for boys in the U.S. in the past year.
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The list will help those wanting to avoid giving their son a name in the Top 10 — Noah, Liam, Jacob, Mason, William, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, Jayden and Daniel — but still want to use a popular name.
Here’s a look at 15 boy names that are dominating 2018.
Atlas
Atlas is a name that skyrocketed to a prime slot on the list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. in recent years. In 2015, it ranked No. 490 and climbed to No. 403 in 2016. The name refers to the Greek mythological Titan who was condemned to hold the world on his shoulders for eternity.
Kingsley
Kingsley is a name that’s been taking leaps on the Top 1,000 baby names chart. In 2015, it was No. 747, but it jumped to No. 585 in 2016. It’s a name that can be used for both boys and girls. According to Baby Name Wizard, it only recently became popular in the past five yers.
Arlo
Arlo is a name that made a big comeback in 2015, notes Cafemom. It was No. 502 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names, but jumped to No. 349 in 2016. Clearly, Arlo Guthrie fans aren’t the only ones using the name.
Conor
Conor is a well-known name that’s experiencing renewed popularity. It jumped from No. 477 in 2015 to No. 323 in 2016. It’s a little twist on the more popular “Connor,” which stayed at No. 54 in 2015 and 2016. Perhaps Conor McGregor fans have been honoring the Irish MMA fighter by naming their sons after him.
Cairo
Cairo is another name that made a significant jump from 2015 to 2016. The name was at No. 941 in 2015 and climbed exactly 100 spots a year later. The name means “triumphant” or “victorious one” in Arabic, and is also the name of Egypt’s capital city.
Wilder
Wilder is typically thought of as a last name — like Laura Ingalls Wilder, Gene Wilder or Billy Wilder. But it is gaining steam as a first name. It was at No. 964 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. for boys, but jumped to No. 723 in 2016.
Wilder is also a common city name, with places in California, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Tennessee and Vermont all sharing the name.
Adonis
Adonis is another mythological name that’s gained popularity recently. The name was at No. 702 in 2015 but jumped all the way to No. 394 on the 2016 Top 1,000 baby names list.
In Greek mythology, Adonis was the son of Myttha and Cinyras. He inspired a cult that celebrated a harvest honoring his death and rebirth. Adonis Creed was also the title character of Ryan Coogler’s Creed, the Rocky spin-off starring Michael B. Jordan.
Matias
Matias jumped from No. 458 to No. 362 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. for 2016. The alternate Matthias is also on the list at No. 497. According to The Name Meaning, “Matias” means “Gift of God” and is a Biblical name. It is the Spanish and Finnish version of Matthew.
By the way, Matthew was at No. 15 on the 2015 and 2016 lists.
Lennox
Lennox made a slight jump from No. 488 in 2015 to No. 444 in 2016. The name is also popular for girls, where it was No. 716 on the list of Top 1,000 baby names for girls in the U.S.
The name means “From Levenach” and is of Celtic origin. There is also a Clan Lennox in Scotland and the name of a district there.
Sage
Sage is another name that’s both popular for boys and girls. The name jumped more than 100 spots to No. 546 on the list of Top 1,000 names for boys in the U.S. in 2016. It sits at No. 354 for girls.
The name means “From the spice or Prophet.” One famous Sage is Sage Kotsenburg, an American snowboarder who won a gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games.
Zayn
Zayn has gained popularity thanks to singer Zayn Malik, a member of One Direction. The name climbed from No. 644 to No. 421 on the list of Top 1,000 boys names in the U.S. The name means “God is Gracious.”
Zain is also No. 680 on the list of most popular boys names.
Cyrus
Cyrus has been popular for year thanks to Miley Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. The name is still climbing, reaching No. 427 on the 2016 list of Top 1,000 boys name in the U.S. The name is Iranian in origin and can be translated to “sun,” “lord” or “throne.”
Barrett
Barrett jumped from No. 313 to No. 263 on the list of popular boys names in the U.S. The name can be translated to “bear-brave” in English and German.
It’s more common as a surname. One famous Barrett is Barrett Strong, a Motown singer and songwriter. He famously co-wrote “Money (That’s What I Want)” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”
Kyrie
Thanks to Boston Celtics star Kyrie Irving, the name Kyrie is on the rise. It climbed from No. 334 in 2015 to No. 285 on the 2016 list of Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S. The name means “lord” or “master.” There is also a Christian prayer known as “Kyrie eleison,” or “Lord, have mercy.”
Theo
Theo can be short for “Theodore,” but is also a popular name itself. The name is at No. 354 on the list of Top 1,000 boys names in the U.S. Theodore is at No. 83. The name means “gift of God.”
Some famous Theos include Divergent actor Theo James and Luke Cage actor Theo Rossi. However, they were both born “Theodore.”
