You Won’t Believe What Parents Are Actually Naming Their Kids In 2021

Naming an actual human being can be a daunting task. That's why parents-to-be often look to the internet for name suggestions. A website called Nameberry has been helping parents sort through potential names for several years now. Recently, they released a report of the fastest rising names of 2021.

These are the names that parents were searching for more this year than ever before. We have some theories as to why these names are getting more popular.

Bellatrix

10 month old baby girl eating a baby crisp, UK
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Photo by: Nik Taylor/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

If you're a Harry Potter fan, you know that this name doesn't represent the most kindhearted character in the series.

Even so, it seems like new parents like the sound of this unusual name.

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Danger

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Well, this one has us stumped. Have you ever met a kid named Danger? I feel like that would be an awkward name to shout at a playground.

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It's super confusing.

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Rain

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Photo by Larry Placido/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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The name "Rain" has been coming in and out of fashion for a while now.

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It's kind of a hippy sounding name that's timeless and trendy at the same time.

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Achilles

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Photo by: Pascal Saez/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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It looks like Greek names are on the rise this year.

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I'm not sure that I love the name Achilles for a baby boy, but hey, to each their own.

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Ox

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Photo by Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images
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Honestly, we're not sure why this name is getting more popular. I guess it falls into the sounds from the end of the alphabet trend.

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I've never met anyone with the name "Ox" before.

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Willow

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Photo by Lisa Wiltse/Corbis via Getty Images
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We all know that Willow is the name of Will Smith's daughter, but we've known her for a while, so she can't be responsible for this 2021 rise in popularity.

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We think this has a lot to do with the Taylor Swift song "Willow" which came out at the end of 2020.

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Rue

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Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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Fantasy names seem to be all over this list. Rue is a character in The Hunger Games series, but it's also the name of Zendaya's character in Euphoria.

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I'm kind of into this one.

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Daphne

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Photo by: Nik Taylor/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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We think Daphne is a beautiful name, and its recent popularity probably has a lot to do with the release of the Netflix show Bridgerton.

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There were a lot of great names in that series, but it seems like people are gravitating towards "Daphne" the most.

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Indigo

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Photo by: Nik Taylor/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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How do you feel about the name Indigo? Color names are becoming more popular, but we're more used to color names like Scarlet, Violet, and Ruby.

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Indigo could be a welcome addition to that trend.

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Dorothea

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Okay, we are certain that "Dorothea" is becoming more popular because of Taylor Swift's Evermore album.

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There's a song on that album called "Dorothea." It's a pretty good song. Highly recommend.

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Draco

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We have another Harry Potter name on this list, and again, it isn't the name of a super nice character.

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Draco isn't as evil as Bellatrix, but he's still involved in the Dark Arts.

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Kai

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Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik named their daughter Khai, so the rise in popularity for this name makes a lot of sense.

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It seems like celebrities often start naming trends.

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August

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Photo Credit: Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Could this be yet another Taylor Swift name? She did have a massive year in 2020 and "August" was a fan favorite song off of her album Folklore.

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Also, August is just an awesome name.

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Zephyr

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Photo Credit: Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty Images
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Names with Zs, Xs, and Ys in them seem to be growing in popularity this year. According to my dictionary app, "Zephyr" means "a soft, gentle breeze."

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I'm still on the fence about this one.

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Unique

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Photo Credot" Vyacheslav ProkofyevTASS via Getty Images
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If you want to give your kid a unique name, why not just name them "Unique?"

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But what happens when there are two kids named "Unique" in the class? It could happen.

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Rhodes

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Emma Roberts recently named her baby son Rhodes which is probably why we're seeing this name rise in popularity.

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We think it's a pretty cool name for a baby boy.