12 Baby Names No One Will Use In 2027

"What's in a name?" Shakespeare famously wrote. It's a question parents continually pose in the challenging quest that is naming a child. All babies have to be given a name, and while parents can't always agree on what to name their children, they can agree that coming to an agreement on the name is not easy. And while there's no way to know with certainty which baby names are going to be the most and least popular in the coming year, there is some data to support which way baby names are trending.

This list features a handful of names that are trending downward in 2027. Some names are dated, some are exiting their prime, and others just don't have the same appeal in the United States as they do in other places in the world. Whatever the reasons, here are 12 baby names that no one will use in 2027.

Apparently the world isn't watching "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" like they once were, because the baby name London is falling out of popularity. Sure, according to Baby Center, the name was a little more popular in 2026 than it was in 2025, but it's still steadily falling from its peak in 2013 when the name, inspired by the famous English city, was as popular as it's been in the past century. The name is used for all genders, though it's far more popular among girls.

One notable example of the name London being used in recent years is Paris Hilton's daughter, London Marilyn Hilton-Reum. It's easy to see the connection – Paris and London are both famous cities, and Hilton's son, her first-born child, is named Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum. "I've been planning my children's names for years and years," Hilton said in an episode of her podcast, "This is Paris," in 2023. "I knew when I was a little girl I always wanted to have a daughter one day named London, because London is one of my favorite cities in the world. I think it's such a beautiful name. It could work for a boy or a girl." Even with Hilton's influence, the name London is on the decline. But since the name Paris isn't on the rise either, we're guessing Hilton doesn't mind.

There just aren't that many babies these days with the name Harry. And there haven't been for a while. Harry was at its most popular in the year 1889, and since then, it's mostly been on a steady decline, aside from a peak in 2012. And who was likely the one responsible for that peak? In our opinion, it's none other than Harry Styles. In 2012, One Direction released their iconic album "Up All Night," which featured the song "What Makes You Beautiful," and no other band in the world had as much frenzy around it at the time. Styles was, and still is, the most popular member of One Direction, so it seems likely that he was responsible for the uptick in baby Harrys.

In the U.K., however, there will be plenty of babies named Harry in 2027. In the U.S., the name is only ranked #766 in popularity, but across the pond, it sits at #24. Styles is British, and he could certainly be lending to the name's popularity in the U.K., but it's more likely that people are naming their children after another very famous Harry, the Duke of Sussex. Royal baby names have always been popular there, and they still are. William, George, Louis, Charlotte, and Archie are all among the top 100 most popular names for their respective typical genders in the U.K.

In 2013, an animated Disney movie with a new set of princesses was released to wild success. The film earned over $1.2 billion at the box office worldwide, took home both of the Oscars it was nominated for (best animated feature film of the year and best achievement in music written for motion pictures, original song), and spawned both a stage adaptation and two sequels. The movie in question was "Frozen," and its cultural impact goes far beyond its aforementioned accolades and the thousands of Halloween costumes it creates each year. "Frozen" also impacted baby name trends, inspiring people around the nation to name their daughters Elsa after one of the main characters.

The name Elsa had already been steadily trending in popularity since the late '90s, but 2014 brought about an enormous spike in its use, nearly matching it with the all-time high (per existing records) in 1895. The name hasn't been used nearly as much since 2014, and it's fallen out of favor quite significantly in the past year, making it unlikely that we'll meet many new Elsas in the coming year. Sure, there was a small spike in the name's popularity corresponding with the 2019 release of the Disney sequel "Frozen 2" (which earned even more money at the box office than the original), and "Frozen III" is set to release in 2027, but if the third installment in the franchise does impact baby naming trends, it's unlikely to be as significant as the first film's impact, and it likely won't be felt until 2028.

You probably know an adult with the name Corey, but it's becoming less and less likely that you'll know a child or infant with that name. Corey is on the decline, and the name has dramatically decreased in popularity since the '90s. While the name saw some spikes in popularity in 1969, 1977, and 1989, those turn-of-the-decade peaks are no longer. And it's even less likely that you'll meet a girl with that name. And this goes for alternate spellings, too. Parents just aren't fans of this name anymore.

Some similar baby names that are far more popular include Cameron, Carter, and Cooper for boys, along with Charlotte, Claire, and Caroline for girls, all of which cracked the top 100 most popular baby names in 2025. There aren't many celebrities named Corey, either. In recent years, some of the most popular famous people named Corey include the late Corey Monteith of "Glee" fame and Corey Gamble, best known for his age-gap relationship with Kris Jenner.

In the year 1901, the name Vada was about as popular as a name could be. It had been that way for decades, and it remained that way until it really started to drop off in popularity around 1935. Then in 1991, after the name was featured in the film "My Girl," the name Vada surged back into popularity, and it's been slowly climbing up until hitting a new peak in 2023. It is starting to fade again, so it's unlikely that there will be many Vadas born in 2027, but there are still plenty of Vadas walking around today who weren't born in the 20th century.

And what is it about naming kids after characters that's so appealing? It happens all the time. The name Rachel was popular in 1994 and 1995, coinciding with the premiere of "Friends." As noted, the name Elsa surged with the release of "Frozen." Maybe not all the Rachels and Elsas and Vadas born in the last three decades were named directly after the famous characters, but characters are certainly influential here. As baby naming expert Pamela Redmond Satran told The Atlantic, "The overarching influence on baby names in our era is meaning. People are looking for names that have strong personal meaning to them," and characters are very meaningful to lots of people. Another potential explanation for the phenomenon? "One reason people are really attracted to names like this is because there is an illusion that you can make your child into who you want them to be," Satran said.

Don't expect to see too many Zaylees in 2027. There aren't many people with that name to begin with as it was only first recorded in the United States in the late '90s. The name was on a gradual incline until soaring to new heights in 2018. Its popularity has plateaued a bit since then, but it could easily see a steep drop-off that kicks it out of the 1,000 most popular baby names in the country. Similar names that are more likely to be used in 2027 include Layla, Riley, Lainey, and Lyla.

But perhaps it's your goal to use a name that's on the unique side of the spectrum. Influencers Aubree and Josh Jones out of Utah have a daughter named Zaylee, and they purposely chose it with the hope that other children wouldn't share the name. "We want our children to be different — we want them to stand out," Aubree said in an interview with Today. "When people ask, 'Why don't you give them regular names?' I'm like, 'I don't want my children to be regular,'" she added. The family's other children are named Trendy, Sunny, Truly, Journey, and Rocky.

Jaxton is a name that didn't show up on record until the tail end of the 20th century. Jaxton, a twist on the names Jackson and Paxton, doesn't hold a traditional meaning like many names do, especially ones of antiquity, and it has fallen out of favor in recent years. This may surprise some, as some consider it trendy to give children names that are unique or completely made up, but Jaxton hit its peak in the late 2010s. Since then, it's waned so much in popularity that it's almost as unlikely as it was in the early 2000s that a baby born in 2027 will be named Jaxton.

And why did the name Jaxton become popular in the first place? Well, for the past several decades, people across the globe have been slowly but surely moving toward using more uncommon names for their children. As baby naming expert Pamela Redmond told the BBC, "The baby boomers were the first parents who wanted to be cool, and who wanted their children to be cool as well." When baby naming statistics were first published in the 1990s, parents started steering away from names on the list, which coincided with a desire for children to be more individualistic and led to an increase in brand new names. "Parents have the instinct that choosing a distinctive name will give their child an advantage in life," Laura Wattenberg, founder of namerology.com, told the BBC. "It's a loving impulse, but in practical terms it's not clear that it works that way,"

In some ways, the name Jedidiah is the opposite of the name Jaxton. It's been around since biblical times, and it's got meaning — "beloved of the Lord (via Baby Center). And the name Jedidiah isn't a variation of another name; rather, there are names, such as Jed, that are offshoots of it. Jedidiah and Jaxton have, however, followed a similar trajectory in popularity. Although it's ancient, the name Jedidiah didn't become popular in the United States until the late '90s when it showed up on the Social Security Administration's list of popular names for the first time. Since then, the name has slowly climbed in popularity, reaching its zenith in 2020 and a second highpoint in 2025 before seeing a steep dropoff. 

In 2027, it's likely there won't be too many baby Jedidiahs. Anyone hoping to encounter the name can turn to pop culture. Jedidiah has been used as a name in a number of popular movies. For example, in "Night at the Museum," Owen Wilson played a cowboy action figure named Jedidiah, and in "Citizen Kane," Joseph Cotten played the titular character's best friend, Jedediah Leland.

Okay, yes, someone out there is going to name their child Abby in the year 2027. It's inevitable. The name Abby, a shortened version of the name Abigail, is of Hebrew origin, and people have been bestowing it upon their children since biblical times. That's not going to stop any time soon. But the name Abby is becoming less popular than it has been in recent years. The name experienced a major boost in the '90s, hitting its popularity peak in 2003. Since then, it's remained relatively popular, but it's decreased in popularity pretty significantly almost every year. It's far more likely that babies are going to be named Ava or Ameila in 2027 than Abby.

Still, it's rather remarkable that the name Abby has stayed consistently relevant for so long. And there might be a science to it. Sure, the name, "a father's joy," is lovely, but its staying power could be explained by phonoaesthetics, the study of the pleasantness of sounds. Research shows that English speakers are more partial to words with multiple syllables and a variation of vowels, both of which the name Abby has. Whatever it is, there's something about the name Abby that has appealed to millions of parents in the past.

The name Crue didn't come about in the United States until the 1980s, coinciding with the most famous example of the name being used: the formation of Mötley Crüe. The heavy metal band officially started in 1981, and by the end of the decade, their music had inspired fans across the nation to use part of its moniker as a name for their babies. Oddly enough, as the band has faded into legendary status rather than active chart topper, the name Crue has only gotten more popular. In 2024, it was as popular as it's ever been since a serious uptick around 2018.

In 2027, however, it's unlikely that Crue will be used much as the name has faded into the background over the past couple of years. What's more likely to be seen next year is the name's alternate spelling, Crew. Although it's also declining in popularity, the name Crew historically ranks higher than Crue, and there are no signs that trend will change any time soon.

Payton is one of the most popular gender neutral names, and its alternative spelling, Peyton, is even more popular. The name has been part of baby name lists for decades, and there are loads of famous people, characters, and even a hit TV show that use the name. Do Peyton Manning, Hilarie Burton's Peyton Sawyer from "One Tree Hill," or "Peyton Place" ring a bell?

Despite all those examples, the popularity of both Payton and Peyton is waning, especially for baby girls. Since about 2009, the name Payton has has steadily decreased, and it looks like, barring any unexpected resurgence, that decrease will continue in 2027. The only indication of the name increasing in popularity is among baby boys, specifically with the Payton variant. And while the name was up 188 spots in 2026 from 2025, it's still not even close to one of the top 1,000 names for boys. There probably won't be more than 1,500 babies given the name Payton or Peyton in 2027.

While there aren't many people named Atharv in the United States to begin with, there likely won't be many babies assigned the name in 2027. The name, which has Hindu origins, is a slightly shortened version of the name Atharva, meaning "knowledgeable" or "knowledge of God," per The Bump. There are many people in other countries named Atharv, but it wasn't until the late '90s that the name started to be gain popularity in America. And while it's never been particularly common, it saw a peak in popularity in 2021 and has been on a steady decline since then.

It's more probable that Americans will encounter this name in books and TV shows than in real life. For example, there's a graphic novel called "Atharva — The Origin" that features the name from which Atharv originates, and in the Amazon Prime original series "The Family Man," child actor Vedant Sinha plays a character named Atharv Tiwari.