The evolution of baby names in Australia has seen tradition now blended with invention, and names on the rise span out from many branches beyond the usual family tree. Whilst inherited names remain a strong practice in baby naming, here are some other factors influencing how we name babies today.

Shakespeare said: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. This may be true but alongside “Rosie” and “Rose” as a popular name in 2014 are a bouquet of other floral-inspired names for girls. Flower names are certainly sprouting up to gain popularity in the 2010s. Names such as “Lily”, “Poppy”, and “Daisy ” are likely to remain popular – whilst the more unusual varieties of “Violet”, “Coral” and “Pansy” have started to bloom.

Floral names, along with gemstone names, are likely to resurface following the “Hundred-Year Return” trend (being that names tend to come back into popularity every one hundred years or so). If we travel back in time a century from now, it’s the “Titanic Era”. Names popular in Edwardian times are floating up the naming charts. “Ruby” has reached its peak since popularity at the turn of the 20^th century – after falling deep into a trough throughout the 1950s-1970s. Other likely contenders for trending include the more common boys names of “Jack”, “William” and “Henry” but we may see a rise in less used names such as “Hudson”, “Ashby” and “Sidney”. Passenger lists for the Titanic are available online so if you’re seeking inspiration, trawl through those!

Another rising trend in Australia is using names that are “so now”. Hipster names emphasise using inventive or unusual names. Along with seeing skinny jeans and thick-rimmed glasses on tots, be prepared to meet kids called “Atticus”, “Thaddeus” and “Otis”, and their sisters “Esme”, “Luna” and “Hazel”. Hipster names, whilst different, can actually be quite refreshing, with many being names that are considered to be old, used in a kitsch but cool fashion.

Pop-culture also continues to be an influence, with names like “Arya” (from Game of Thrones), “Carrie” (from Homeland) and “Ivy” (both from Downton Abbey, and Beyonce’s new offspring) being used more this year.

Phonetics over convention proves to still be popular amongst parents. The inclination to spell names phonetically has seen a roaring surge in the use of the letter “y”, with names like “Jayson”, “Rylee” and “Kaydence” making their appearance in the ranks. Given near enough any traditional name can be tweaked to its phonetic equivalent, expect to see a continuing surge in normal names spelt abnormally. On one hand, it’s your child’s future teacher’s worst nightmare, on the other hand it’s making your child unique in their moniker.

Royal-inspired names continue to reign popular and with the recent arrival of two British Royal babies (the traditional “George” and the more-modern “Mia”) it’s not surprising that 12 top-100 baby names in the McCrindle List have royal influences. “Charlotte” (derived from “Charles”) has been crowned most popular name for girls for the third year running, and alongside her are appearing more and more boys named “Alexander” and girls named “Victoria” and “Elizabeth”.

So whether your choice in name follows recent fashion, is entirely of your own invention, or honours a relative of the distant past, your child’s name is likely to be socially accepted and “trendy” one way or another. With such an array to choose from, the hardest thing is finally deciding which!

How did you decide on your child’s name? Is there a special meaning behind it or did you just like it?