The name Caitlin peaked in popularity in 1988, but after more than three decades, it’s seeing a resurgence – likely due to Caitlin Clark. Mid-year baby name trends show that the WNBA star isn’t the only person influencing names; so are other athletes, actors, and movie characters, according to BabyCenter, which has analyzed naming trends for the past 20 years. The popularity of the name Caitlin had steadily declined since 2000 and hasn’t been in the top 500 since 2014. However, the name nearly doubled in registrations so far this year, according to BabyCenter.
When Caitlin Clark was born in 2002, the name was 123 on the list. But after her record-breaking college basketball career and move into professional sports, it appears the Indiana Fever point guard is helping to boost the popularity of Caitlin. The name has risen 1,599 spots on the list in 2024. Her last name is also becoming more popular, with the name Clark for boys being pulled out of a decline for the first time since 2015, according to BabyCenter. In April, South Carolina won the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and this year, their star player Kamilla Cardoso saw her first name rise 247 spots on the list, to number 1,213.
Zendaya’s impact on baby names
Other names are also spiking due to pop culture. The name Zendaya is up this year and has been steadily increasing since the release of “Dune: Part Two” in March. The actress’ name is now at number 588. The last time her name spiked was in 2021, after the release of “Dune: Part One” and it continued to rise throughout 2022. Zendaya plays a character named Chani in the fantasy franchise, and that name has also seen a bump since the second film’s release – rising 3,300 spots.
TV shows and celestial events influence baby name trends
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” – a young adult book that has been turned into a TV series – is also an inspiring name. The name Percy jumped 296 spots on the boys’ name list and 700 spots on the girls’ name list. His full name, Perseus, also rose 206 places on the boys’ list. Historical dramas are among other TV shows that have influenced baby name trends. The name Peggy skyrocketed 4,934 spots, which BabyCenter attributes to Denée Benton’s character in “Gilded Age.” The siblings in “Bridgerton” may have also contributed to the rise in popularity for Anthony (up five spots), Eloise (up 20), Francesca (up 84), and Gregory (up 40) this year. Names inspired by eclipses are also gaining popularity.
Following April’s total solar eclipse, seen by 31 million people in the U.S., names like Aurora and Sunny became more popular. Although rarer, the name Eclipse ranked for girls for the first time since 2021.