Bridey Pearson-Jones For Mailonline
12:00 14 Oct 2023, updated 12:03 14 Oct 2023
A quirky weather-related nickname could be among the top 100 most popular baby names of 2023, an expert has said.
Pamela Redmond, naming expert at Nameberry, says Lightning is likely to become popular among parents next year.
She says the popularity of weather-related names is skyrocketing.
The zipper is gender neutral, although it is more often used for newborn girls.
Other weather-related names may also be popular, including Sky, Rain and Zephyr, especially among new parents.
Weather names are becoming increasingly popular with celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, whose children are named Stormi and Aire.
It has become popular in the UK, according to leading maternity agency BabyCentre.
“Formerly popular name Harry, which dropped from 13th place to 23rd, appears to have sparked a backlash from parents this year,” the site reports.
“Megan and the alternate spelling Megan also saw a decline in registrations.”
Previously, the names of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were extremely popular among young parents. But it appears the names may now have a negative connotation amid ongoing rows with the royal family.
Since stepping down as senior members of the royal family in early 2020, the couple have expressed their dissatisfaction with Harry’s family in several public forums, including their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Last year, the couple released a Netflix series documenting their exit from the royal family, in which Prince William and Princess Catherine were held accountable for several heated disagreements.
More recently, Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare discussed his drug abuse, losing his virginity in a pub and killing people while serving in the armed forces.
The popularity of a baby name is largely influenced by celebrity controversies. And Harry and Meghan are not the only couple whose popularity is declining.
Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield have also seen their names fall out of favor with expectant parents.
In fact, registrations for both names have plummeted and they are no longer in the top 100.
The presenters caused a stir when they skipped the queue at the Queen’s funeral and Philip’s secret relationship with a younger colleague was revealed.
According to BabyCentre, Muhammad continues to lead the boys category, while Lily overtook Sophia to take first place among the girls.
Flower names are particularly popular, with Lily topping the chart, followed by Jasmine, up 28 places to 67, and dahlias doubling in number.