Vintage Baby Names for 2022 | Blog

What's in a Name?

Naming your child can feel hugely exciting but also a huge responsibility too. As parents-to-be you’ll often question your choices, rack your brain for anyone with a name you’d rather avoid, put it together with your last name to make sure it works and of course ensure there are no rude rhymes that could crop up in the schoolyard. It can also feel like an opportunity to consider honouring those people who have had an impact on your life and in those moments, we see can see a return of old names and if predictions are correct, 2022 may be the year where more vintage baby names are popular from days gone by.

The ‘100 year rule’

Even Vintage baby names come and go but they can have a timeless quality. It’s predicted that names come back into fashion every 100 years and if that’s anything to go by then we are in for a treat with 2022 vintage baby names. Who couldn’t look back at the ‘roaring 20’s’ and instantly be filled with excitement? The booming economy, women’s emancipation, fabulous fashion and images of the Charleston being danced with great enthusiasm. Who couldn’t be romanced by the Gatsby sized parties Champagne flowing and the decadence of stars like Coco Chanel. Names in this era have and will last a lifetime. James, for example is one name seen in almost every generation but dig a little deeper and you will find names that are well overdue their comeback.

Alongside ‘the 100-year-rule’, Cosmopolitan suggests that the rise in vintage baby names was actually due to popular TV shows such as Peaky Blinders. Of course, at the end of the day, you want to give your child a name that you, personally like. So, when you find characters in dramas, films and books it’s natural for them to pop up in the ‘big name’ conversation and you could be hearing a lot more of Tommy, Grace and Ada as the new year goes on.

Vintage versus Dated

On the other hand, these old-fashioned baby names could be making a comeback in these strange times as we keep our families close to our hearts. An article on Baby Centre, showed people value the idea of keeping names in a family but struggle looking to their parents’ generation for inspiration. The names of our parent’s era can still feel a little dated to us (no offence mum and dad!) but move that generational gap one or two steps further and we see names that feel more exciting as the 100-year-rule comes into play. Enter of course the 1920’s. Finding vintage baby names with the romance of the roaring 1920’s may be a beautiful way to remember those who may have inspired us and had a positive impact on the lives of our generation.

Nameberry have suggested that following two years of turbulence on a global scale, parents look for those positive, inspirational names. The same may go for having time to reflect, remembering those that are no longer with us and the influence they had on our generation.

Decisions, Decisions

Of course, the choice of your baby’s name is yours, but a vintage baby name is certainly worth exploring. Whilst outside influences may sway you one way or another, it’s important to stay true to yourself and go with what you feel will best fit your child. Children are very good at finding a way of owning their name and putting their own stamp on it but if you’re still needing some inspiration and grandparent’s names aren’t quite hitting the mark or you’re not a Peaky Blinders fan, we have a few vintage baby names from the ‘roaring 20’s’ that might just inspire you…