Choosing a short baby name like Leo or Emma? That’s 2025

Does the phrase “short and sweet” fit with baby names? This happens to Gen Alpha. From the mid-2010s to the early 2020s, baby names declined as parents flocked to three- or four-letter names such as Leo, Mia, Levi, and Ava.

But in the past few years, that trend has started to make a comeback, BabyCenter’s data analysis shows. Now, longer names are expected to make a comeback as Gen Beta – babies born between 2025 and 2039 – enter.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re in the middle of choosing a baby name, and which names will be very popular soon.

For ten years, boys’ names were shortened

Boys’ names have dropped from 5.76 to 5.63 letters from 2015 to 2023, according to an analysis of the top 100 names that BabyCenter parents wrote in the last 10 years. That’s a drop of 0.13 characters, which is small but reasonable for naming.

Longer, more traditional names like Alexander, Benjamin, Christopher, and Jonathan fell to the bottom of the top 100 while shorter names like Liam, Noah, Ezra, Luca, and Jack took their place.

Several naming preferences led to the long-term decline, said BabyCenter baby name consultant Steph Coffield.

“Many expectant parents are looking for names that are easy to pronounce and pronounce, and short names often provide that,” she explains. “Names as they are called have also contributed to this change because many parents are choosing to use the name they want to call their child instead of giving them a long ‘government’ name.

The girls’ names also changed

At the same time, the names of girls also decrease. They dropped from an average of 6.03 letters in 2015 to 5.67 in 2023.

Three and four girl names made up 24% of the top 100 in 2023, up from just 15% in 2010. At the same time, names with six letters declined, from 30% to 25% of the top 100. Effectively, Emma, ​​Ella, and Mila replaced Alyssa, Taylor, Taylor

“There’s something about a short name,” explains Coffield. “For example, Ella feels a little more outgoing than Isabella.”

It is worth noting that long names have not completely disappeared; Fewer names with eight or more letters remained among the top 100, meaning parents who really like longer names still have them. If you’re the type of person who has Josephine or Serenity at the top of your list, a one- or two-syllable name may not have the same ring to it.

Long names are about to make a comeback

After years of abbreviated names dominating the Gen Alpha crowd, the diminutive style is finally making its way into the mainstream. The length of the top 100 baby names reached an all-time low in 2023, when 24% of the top baby names were three or four letters long. These are 47 names out of 200.

Since then, the length of the name has started to creep up. Top boy names average 5.70 in 2025, and popular girl names return to an average of 5.80.

“The pendulum always swings back,” says Coffield. The more parents get used to seeing the same names, the more they crave something different and new.

Some of the most recent high-rises lean further and further. For girls, travel favorites like Eleanor, Eliana, Amelia, Isabella, Gianna, Evelyn, and Penelope are climbing the charts. For boys, syllable-leavy names like Sebastian, Alexander, Julian, Elias, and Theodore are at the top.

These names still have the soft, vowel-leading sounds that parents have been loving lately, but they have more length and texture than the shorter names that dominated the past decade. Plus, many of them have naming conventions, giving parents (and kids) the flexibility to go long or short. Think: Eliana’s Ellie, Theodore’s Theo, or Sebastian’s Seb.

If you want to get ahead of the curve… here are our favorite long names

There are a few things to keep in mind when trying to find a long name. “Consider all options before making a decision,” says Coffield. “A short name sounds relaxed and fun, while a long name can make a bold statement.”

If you’re leaning too far, here are some letter-filled names that are feeling the moment:

Long girl names are about to become popular

Tall boy names are about to become popular

This combines soft, rich sounds that elevate the character of the name, but also brings height and weight – perfect for a modern baby name. And if you’re a regular leaner, BabyCenter also has some great options to support this.

The way

BabyCenter analyzed its annual lists of the top 100 baby names for boys and girls from 2010 to 2025, based on names shared by parents using the BabyCenter app. Each year, we calculated the average number of letters for each name and saw how the length of names changed over time. The analysis includes 200 names per year (100 boys’ names and 100 girls’ names). Because these data reflect rankings rather than total births, the findings reflect popularity and structure in top names, rather than total births.