AI is taking over everything, from robocalls to baby names.
A baby name expert revealed that parents are picking names ending in “ai” — but not for the reasons you think.
Sophie Kihm, the editor-in-chief at Nameberry, which claims to be the world’s largest website devoted to baby names, recently shared the baby name trends she’s been noticing.
While it’s common for pop culture or parents’ interest to influence the names they choose for their children, the rise of artificial intelligence is not why the names being written on birth certificates end in “ai.”
The expert explained that “names that end in ‘ai’ are easily pronounced in many languages, including indigenous languages, European languages, Japanese, and African languages,” Kihm told Business Insider.
Kihm added that these names are typically “easy to understand and pronounce anywhere.”
“So many modern families are multicultural, which contributes to this trend,” she said.
America’s multicultural population increased 625% from 2005 to 2021, according to data from the American Community Survey, and is only expected to continue to grow.
Minority Americans are expected to make up the majority of the nation’s population by 2050, The Hill reported.
Popular names ending in ‘ai’
- Jakai
- Zakai
- Adlai
- Lorelai
- Mordecai
- Ozai
- Azakai
However, classic American names remain the most popular.
Liam and Olivia have together topped the list of baby names for boys and girls born in the U.S. for a fifth year in a row, according to the Social Security Administration.
Liam has been the most popular boy’s name for seven years in a row while Olivia has topped the girls’ list for five.
After Liam, the most common names for boys are, in order: Noah, Oliver, James, Elijah, Mateo, Theodore, Henry, Lucas, and William.
Behind Olivia, the most common names for girls are Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Ava, Evelyn and Luna.
But more parents are beginning to choose more unique names. The fastest-rising names for boys are Izael and Chozen, while Kaeli was for girls.
Kihm also shared that traditional girl’s names for boys, girly-girl names (such as Lulu), adult-sounding names (like Marjorie and Lionel) and sky and space-related names are also becoming more popular.
As parents are opting for more uncommon names, some people are trying to claim baby names and ban friends and family from taking the name they want for their child — sometimes before they’re even expecting.
