Top baby names for 2022: The bizarre trends predicted to take off next year

Experts predict nature and escapism will be popular themes when it comes to baby names. Photo / Getty Images

With just three months left of 2021, parents-to-be will be looking to next year for the newest baby name trends.

Names come in and out of fashion, with 2021 seeing the return of music-inspired and retro baby names - so what's in store for 2022?

Nameberry have predicted the different themed names set for a rise in popularity over the next year or so, reports Metro UK.

Adventure and escapism feature heavily as themes on the 2022 forecast for names, with parents looking to move away from the restrictions of the pandemic.

A number of gender-neutral names on the list reflect "a shift in the way the new generation of parents approaches traditional gender norms", according to the site.

So, these are the themes they predict will be the most popular with new parents next year.

Playful names

Months of boredom amid the pandemic will lead to parents swapping more formal names for playful ones, it's been predicted. These could include:

1. Bear

2. Birdie

3. Dovie

4. Iggy

5. Pixie

Escapist and nature names

Parents could be turning to wild landscapes and exotic locations for inspiration next year - here are the most popular picks:

1. Horizon

2. Koa

3. Lotus

4. Prairie

5. Woods

Bridgerton-inspired names

Netflix's hugely popular Bridgerton brought back a love for vintage and old-school names like these.

1. Benedict

2. Cressida

3. Daphne

4. Eloise

5. Francesca

Names ending in "S"

According to Nameberry, names ending in "S" "feel so much fresher in 2022 than N, R, A, and even O ... and not just for boys.

"Particularly trendy categories for S-ending names right now include snappy surnames, cool vintage names, and ancient and mythical names."

1. Ames

2. Emrys

3. Lois

4. Ozias

5. Wells

Retro and nostalgic names

Countless old-fashioned names made a comeback this year and look set to return in 2022, harking back to the nostalgia of the 1950s.

1. Betty

2. Bobby

3. Mae

4. Ned

5. Nellie

Next-wave musical names

While names that are tributes to musical legends like Marley and Bowie are as popular as ever, more instrumental musical names will pop up next year, it's predicted.

1. Calypso

2. Chord

3. Drummer

4. Madrigal

5. Rhythm

Punchy 'R' names

Shorter names are memorable and have more impact - and Nameberry forecasts that gender-neutral "R" names will rise next year.

1. Reeve

2. Revel

3. Reign

4. Rome

5. Roux