We’ve been tracking baby name trends for more than twenty years and one trend we see over and over again is expectant parents’ choices being influenced by the media and pop culture.
Films have always been a strong indicator, but this year we have seen signs of a rise in names influenced by Greek-inspired stories, as parents look for more unique monikers.
Whether you are a book or film lover, prefer sports, or like to keep up with the official music charts, we’ve shared some baby name ideas that we predict will be popular in 2027:
Greek inspired:
- Troy – Inspired by the ancient city of Troy, famous from Homer’s Iliad and the Trojan War, and a symbol of strength, ancient times, and heroism.
- Percy – After the main character Percy Jackson, named after the Greek hero Perseus, and the Percy Jackson & the Olympians Disney+ series, with season three streaming in November 2026.
- Athena – Currently ranking 90th in the top 100 girls names, and inspired by the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, played by Zendaya in Christopher Nolan’s 2026 film The Odyssey.
- Persephone – The Greek goddess of spring and queen of the underworld, and a lead character in the popular musical Hadestown, which retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
TV and film:
- Damon – Inspired by Matt Damon, the actor who plays The Odyssey’s main character, Odysseus.
- Rupert – Paying homage to Rupert Campbell-Black, played by Alex Hassell in hit TV series Rivals, based on the Rutshire Chronicles by Dame Jilly Cooper, who passed away last year.
- Thomas – A nod to Tom Holland, star of Spider-Man, The Odyssey and Avengers: Doomsday, the more traditional name Thomas is expected to grow in popularity next year.
- Joseph – Influenced by Joseph Zada, newcomer star of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest instalment in the franchise expected to deliver another billion-dollar box office hit.
- Daisy – Currently ranking 18th in the top 100 girls names, and inspired by Daisy Edgar-Jones, star of Sense and Sensibility, Normal People, Twisters and Where the Crawdads Sing.
- Sadie – Inspired by Sadie Sink, the Stranger Things star who joined the Marvel universe this summer as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
- Hannah – Sparked by Off Campus, which drew 36 million viewers in 12 days with its love story between a music student and the university’s star hockey player, and by Disney’s Hannah Montana 20-year anniversary special featuring Miley Cyrus.
Music:
- Justin – Back on the list thanks to Justin Bieber’s Coachella set, which sent Beauty and a Beat, his 2012 hit song with Nicki Minaj, rocketing up the global charts this year.
- Michael – Inspired by the biopic Michael, starring Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, which saw Billie Jean hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200, Spotify Global and Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales.
- Bonnie – Currently ranking 48th and paying homage to Bonnie Tyler, whose 1983 single Total Eclipse of the Heart surged on the charts and streaming platforms during the total solar eclipse on 12th August.
- Dolly – A tribute to Dolly Parton, who died aged 80 on 25th August, after which 9 to 5, Jolene and Islands in the Stream all reached new peak positions on the UK Official Singles Chart.
- Sienna – Already ranking in the top 20 girls names and inspired by Sienna Spiro who won Best New Artist at the VMAs and topped the Official UK Singles Chart for multiple consecutive weeks.
- Raye – Inspired by singer-songwriter, Raye, whose hit Where Is My Husband! was the first official UK No. 1 single of 2026 and peaked at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Sporting heroes:
- Lando – Influenced by F1 driver Lando Norris, who claimed back-to-back wins at the Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix in this year’s Formula 1 season.
- Jude – Currently ranking in the top 20 boys names, and inspired by England star Jude Bellingham, who scored seven goals at this summer’s World Cup where the Three Lions finished third.
- Alysa – After Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, one of 2026’s standout stars, who shot to fame for her viral choreography to Zara Larsson’s song Stateside.
