Would you name your baby after your dog—or your best friend’s dad? In 2024, parents are doing just that (and then some). From quirky nods to beloved pets to Category : Baby Names, News, Pregnancy, Vir

According to BabyCenter, a leading digital parenting resource center, names that saw an uptick in popularity in 2024 for boys were Noah, Liam and Oliver. For girls, the top three are Olivia, Amelia and Emma — “mirroring last year’s trends.”

Kai — which, in Hawaiian, means “sea” — first emerged in the top 1,000 baby names in the United States in 1979 but didn’t crack the top 100 until 2019, according to BabyCenter. Now, however, a lot of people are finding this gender-neutral name has a nice ring to it — and that may be because there are quite a few famous people with it.

This year's most popular baby names are pretty similar to last year's, but there are still new trends emerging, including some pop culture references.

"Dog names are in, OK?" she said on a TikTok video she posted on Sept. 24. "That's a compliment now." "There are a lot of people who think that labeling something as a 'dog name' is an insult, a critique,

According to a baby name consultant, 'pet names' are becoming popular baby name choices for new parents as they opt for more casual monikers for their little ones