What is the thought process that goes on in every parent’s mind as they decide what to name their child? Do they want to honor a relative that has passed away or they just want to keep the name going? Or name them after their favorite television/movie character or musician? Maybe they want their child to live up to the meaning of the name they have given them. Regardless of the reason, a name is one of the most important things you can give your child. Whether the name is good, bad, or indifferent, that name is your child’s identity for the rest of their life. There’s been a lot of recent research surrounding names and the effect it has on the person throughout their life.

What generation is currently procreating? The Millennials, or Generation Y, and Generation Z are in the age group, with the oldest being 36 years old currently. These generations are obsessed with social media, entertainment, and nostalgia about the old TV shows they used to like on Disney Channel; some of which are making a comeback.

I have compiled a list of 25 boy names we can expect to see in the future. Because Gen Y and Z are the ones making babies right now, I think it’s safe to assume that we will be seeing more…industry related names.

25 Noah

Noah was the number one name for boys in 2016. In 2013, Noah kicked Jacob out of the number one spot after Jacob had been the number one for 13 consecutive years. The name Noah comes from Hebrew and means “rest” and “comfort”. Noah used to be known as an older name, however parents have found a new youthfulness in it. The female alternative to Noah is Noa, which is the number one girls name in Israel. In the Bible, Noah was the man God chose to build an ark to save the animals when a huge flood demolished the world. Billy Ray Cyrus crossed the gender lines by naming his daughter Noah, inspiring people, so we can also see this name on the raise on the female charts.

24 Mason

Mason has been number three in the most popular name for a boy for two years now. In 2011 and 2012 it peaked at number two on the charts. The literal meaning of Mason is a French word coming from the German word meaning “stoneworker”. I don’t think the meaning of the name is why Mason is so popular; I think it’s contributed to Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick’s first born child, Mason Dash Disick. Keeping Up With The Kardashians, with the exception of it being some men’s guilty pleasures, has mainly a young woman following. The Kardashians themselves are mainly women so there’s only a small selection of male names to choose from which are Scott, Robert, and Mason. We can expect this name to stay in the top 10 for the future.

23 Jacob

Jacob was the number one most popular name for boys from 1999 until 2012. Recently, this name has taken a drop, debuting at number 4 in 2016 after a 13-year run at number one. Jacob has become a favorite because it gives an image of honesty and truth. Jake, the nickname for Jacob, is also being used by many parents as a first name. In the English translation, the meaning of Jacob is “holder of the heel”. In the Bible, Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebekah.

The name had a significant increase from 2008-2010, when the vampire love story book turned movie, Twilight, was popular. The attractive werewolf in the love triangle was Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner. Jacob "Jake" Gyllenhal and Jake T. Austin are a couple that have also contributed to this name once being number one. Recently, people have reported the name being way too overused.

22 Kanye

The name Kanye was almost unheard of until 2004 when 507 male babies were named Kanye when there were only 87 the year before. The fascinating rapper/producer, Kanye West, is credited with boosting this name to the top 900. In 2004, Kanye dropped College Dropout, which is still hailed as one of hip hop’s greatest albums. With as much of a splash as College Dropout made, it would make sense that the women would honor the creator of the album by naming their child after him. Kanye is Nigerian for “honor, tribute”. It is interpreted in Hawaiian as meaning “free”. Currently, with Kanye being in the forefront of the public eye and even claiming to run for president in 2020, this name will continue to gain popularity.

21 Liam

Since 2013, the name Liam has been number two for the most popular boy names. Liam is an Irish name, short for William, which means “resolute protection”. It is currently number two for the most popular baby boy names. Liam is also at the top in Sweden and Ireland.

In 2012, a the first of the Hunger Games trilogy was released and the Gale Hawthorne stole the hearts of many girls from Gen Y and Z. He was also the youngest Hemsworth brother, Liam. He was also dating his co-star from the 2010 chick flick, The Last Song, and a favorite for many Gen Y and Z females, Miley Cyrus. They are back together, much to the delight of their fans, will keep Liam at the top of the charts.

20 Alexander

Kids who are currently in kindergarten are the class of 2025. They have trendy and uniquely spelled names. A popular name among the class of 2025 is Alexander. Alexander is Greek for defender of the people. It is currently number 8 on the most popular baby boy name list and has been in the top 25 for the past 26 years. The Spanish version of Alexander, Alejandro, is also popular especially with Lady Gaga’s 2009 hit song, Alejandro. There aren’t many famous people named Alexander, except historic people such as Alexander the Great, Alexander Graham Bell, and the man that graces the $10 bill, Alexander Hamilton. However, with the recent success of the hip hop Broadway play, Hamilton, there will be a spike in this name in the future.

19 Hunter

Hunter is becoming a more popular name. It's a perfect mix of macho imagery and softened masculinity. Brothers of Hunters are typically named Austin or Harley. Historically, it’s only hit #46 on the most popular charts but I see that going up. The meaning of Hunter literally means one who hunts. With the growing fondness of camouflage and fishing/sporting goods stores such as Guy Harvey and Bass Pro, many people are making fishing and hunting popular, especially making it “cool” for women to fish and hunt. This name is typically used among country women who like this lifestyle and that number is increasingly growing. The popularity of girls being named Hunter is also on the rise. The growing popularity of country singer, Hunter Hayes, also may have something to do with the increase.

18 William

William has always been a popular name, especially in England, but when Prince William married Kate Middleton in the huge televised celebration, the name William for baby boys skyrocketed. The name William comes from the German words, "wil" which means "will, desire" and "helm" which means "helmet, protection". It was a trendy name during the 1940s and '50s however still has not lost its appeal. William was the number five most popular name for baby boys in 2015; the same year as this wedding. William is the root word from where Liam comes from. Friends and families of Williams typically either go by the first half of the name, Will, or the last half of the name, Liam. William has consistently been the number five most popular name for boys.

17 Aaron

The name Aaron is Hebrew for strong. If you recall the Biblical character, Aaron, he and his younger brother, Moses, led the Egyptians to freedom after slavery. He was with Moses when he parted the Red Sea and performed his own miracle by turning his rod into a serpent. Expecting parents could want their children to be strong and keep fighting or maybe they are putting their strength in their children, hoping they will be the generation that “saves us”.

Aaron was the most popular it has ever been in 1989 with 15,385 baby boys. It since was on the decline, however in 2000 it made a significant jump from #52 to #41 on for the most popular boy names. In 2000, Aaron Carter had just released his second album and was on tour with the Backstreet Boys. With almost all their fans being teen girls, it is likely that seven years later, when his re edition of “I Want Candy”, originally by The Strangeloves, reigned the music charts they would have honored their favorite musician by giving their child his name.

16 Aiden

Aiden is an Irish name meaning little fire. Traditionally, studies have shown someone with the name Aiden typically has a brother named Caleb or Liam, and/or a sister named Olivia or Amelia. These names have strong Irish backgrounds that has tight family bonds and “warrior type” virtues. St. Aidan was a famous seventh century Irish saint who was known his kindness, generosity, and spreading Christianity. The typical Irish spelling is actually Aidan, however there are also several other ways to spell Aiden that make it trendy and appealing, especially to younger parents. In 1998, Aiden started growing fame and some contribute that to Aiden Shaw, Carrie Bradshaw’s boyfriend, from the popular television series, Sex and the City. Celebrities such as Rod Stewart and Tracey Gold have named their children Aiden.

15 Drake

Drake has always been a somewhat frequent name, however made a huge jump in 2000. Drake is an English word meaning dragon. In 2000, Drake Bell was all over Nickelodeon landing huge roles such as recurring characters in the Amanda Show and his own hit show, Drake and Josh. The next huge, and most significant, jump in the name Drake was in 2010. Generation Y and Z ladies first saw Aubrey “Drake” Graham in the famous teenage soap opera, “Degrassi: The Next Generation”, and then re-emerge a few years later as the most popular rapper. With the possible talk of a Drake and Josh reunion that Gen X and Y are super excited about combined with hearing nothing but Drake every time you turn on the radio would lead to this name reigning the charts in the future.

14 Jonathan

Jonathan is the extension of John, Hebrew for “gift of Jehovah”. John was super popular until about the 1950s when the playful, sensitive, and more modern Jonathan replaced it. In the Bible, Jonathan, the oldest son of King Saul, was the best friend of David, the future king of Israel. Their friendship coined a phrase, “Jonathan and David” and it was used to describe super devoted friendships. Jonathan has remained in the top 50 most popular baby names for baby boys. It was the most common during the 1980s when several comedians and actors named Jonathan were across people of all ages’ television sets. Typically, parents of Jonathans go for English originated names for their siblings such as William and/or Charlotte.

13 Ethan

Ethan has persistently been in the top 10 most popular boy names; ranking #6 in America. It is also extremely common in Australia and Israel. Ethan is Hebrew for firm and strong. Many parents who are fans of the name Ethan often go for other Biblical names for their siblings such as Caleb or Abigail. The name Ethan started the dramatic increase to being a popular name in the late 1990s and capping off in 2004 with the most popular it has ever been. Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible, made famous by Tom Cruise, first debuted in 1996. With the huge commercial success Tom Cruise was having at this time, and his looks being loved among the ladies, it would make sense why mothers would name their sons after the strong and courageous character Ethan Hunt was.

12 Milo

Milo is a name that was almost unheard of until recently, even though it is a super popular name in Ireland. It means soldier in English. Parents love the energetic sound of names that ends in the letter “o”. Names like Milo and Romeo sound romantic and strong and is a favorite of celebrities such as Liv Tyler and the Beckhams. Milo also sounds like smile, and is the brother to the name Miles. The name Miles is actually the male counterpart to Miley, which is also taking over the popular baby girl name charts due to pop sensation, Miley Cyrus. Milo Ventimiglia is the actor behind Jess Mariano in the award winning show, Gilmore Girls and Jack Pearson in the brand new critically acclaimed show, This Is Us. Due to the success of both of these shows, we can definitely expect to continue seeing the increase in the popularity of this name.

11 Benjamin

Benjamin is a name that just broke the top 10 for the most popular boy names. Benjamin is a strong Hebrew name meaning son of the right hand. In the Bible, he was the son of Jacob and Rachel, the full brother of the famous Joseph, and father of the tribe of Benjamin which was on one of the most powerful tribes of Israel. The other most famous Benjamin is the man on the $100 bill and inventor of electricity, Benjamin Franklin. From famous actors like Benjamin Bratt to fictional characters like Benjamin Button, the name has been extremely popular throughout the 2000s. With Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen and Kelly Preston and John Travolta naming their child Benjamin, I think we can expect to see this name in the top 10 for a while.

10 Michael

Michael is a name that has relatively always been a popular American name. Originating in Hebrew, Michael means “who is like God?” This is a question implying that no one is like God. In the Bible, Michael is the only archangel identified. He leads God’s armies against Satan and defeats him in the book of Revelation. The name Michael was #1 in 1957 and has continued to remain in the top 10. It is currently #9 for the most popular name in the United States and #8 in Austria.

Parents from every type of ethnic and religious background have taken a liking to this name due to its strength and sincerity. Singer/dancer Michael Jackson, basketball player Michael Jordan, football player Michael Vick, boxer Mike Tyson, actor Michael J. Fox, Mike Myers, and Michael Phelps are only some of the celebrities with this super well liked name. With the trendy nickname Mike, Michael will be a name we will be continuing to see appear often.

9 Gabriel

Gabriel is a name that has been a friendlier alternative than the serious Michael. It has been in the top 25 for the most popular names since the early 2000’s. Derived from the Hebrew language, Gabriel means “God is my strength”. Gabriel was the archangel that celebrated the news of Jesus’ birth in the Bible. He was the angel of mercy, life, joy, judgement, truth, and dreams. Gabriel is also having other responsibilities including governing Mondays and the month of January. Gabriel has been a substitute for Michael for parents that would prefer to have a more peaceful and calm name than the warrior Michael. Recently, people have been calling Michael a “dad” name so Gabriel is also associated with younger.

8 Asher

Asher was that was pretty much unheard of before the 2000s. Asher is a Hebrew name meaning “fortunate, blessed, happy one”. In the Bible, Asher was one of Jacob’s 12 sons. Asher had a significant jump for males increasing from 3,698 babies to 4,279 babies named Asher from 2013 to 2014. There was also a jump in females increasing from 44 babies to 74 babies. Parents are choosing this name because of the sensitivity and softness it exudes. In 2009, Asher Roth took over the airwaves and we couldn’t get “I Love College” out of our heads. There were also several television and movie characters named Asher. The popularity of this name in media will lead to this name climbing the charts.

7 Oliver

Oliver is the number one name in England, Australia, and New Zealand, but recently entered the top 100 names for baby boys in 2009. It is Latin for “olive tree”. This name is gaining popularity, and fast, is because it’s energetic and good natured and symbolizes peace and fruitfulness. Other countries have been their own exotic twist on it such as Olivero in Spanish and Oliviero. Oliver lost its popularity in the seventeenth century because of the rule of the infamous Oliver Cromwell, however has since made a comeback with huge movies, such as the character Oliver in Harry Potter, and the lovable Oliver Twist. With the youthful energy this name brings, we can expect to see a spike.

6 Blake

Blake is a popular unisex name that didn’t start out common in men, however there were 2,000 more male babies named Blake in 2014 than 2013. The name used to be a surname and was a nickname before parents started selecting Blake to be their child’s first name. Blake is English for “fair head, dark” and is a sophisticated choice that embodies strong masculinity, wealth, and power. A television character, Blake Carrington, was a rich, silver haired attractive man in the 1980’s show, Dynasty. It has been in the top 100 and with the success of country singer Blake Shelton and basketball player Blake Griffin, men that emulate what this name means, Blake will continue to grow in popularity.