2018's most popular baby names, so far: Will trendy upstarts dethrone

What’s in a name? Everything! New parents know just how important it is to give the right name to their baby girl or boy.

Like fashion or music, names tend to run in trends. According to Nameberry, the most popular baby girl and baby boy names in the United States so far in 2018 are the same ones that topped its lists in 2017: Olivia and Atticus.

Every spring, the Social Security Administration releases the top names for the previous year. But predicting which names will rise to the top is an imperfect science.

At Names.org and BabyCenter, the top five names for girls mirrors that of the SSA’s 2017 list, with Emma, Olivia, Ava, Isabella and Sophia, in that order, reigning supreme.

For boys, the lists diverge. Names.org puts Liam, Noah, Logan, William and Elijah in its top five; BabyCenter concurs with the first two names, but has Oliver, Mason and Lucas taking over the third- through fifth-place spots.

Nameberry has its own methodology. Its lists are determined by the number of views each name page receives on its website, which it says is both an indicator of future trends and name popularity.

And trends are changing, as proven by the popularity of the baby girl name Amara so far this year. It has vaulted to the number two position, even though it only entered the top 1,000 names this century. Amara is a multicultural name that is also popular in Germany and England.

On the boys' side, Milo rose to the second most popular spot, up from sixth place last year. Perhaps parents are inspired by one of the cast members of the hit drama "This Is Us," Milo Ventimiglia.

Pop culture likely influenced new additions to the list. Elio, the main character in the Oscar-nominated movie "Call Me By Your Name," landed in the top 100 boys' names for the first time, as did Thanos, the powerful villain in "Avengers: Infinity War." But other TV and movie names are fading; gone from the Top 100 girls' list is Khaleesi, a reference to "Game of Thrones."

Overall, vintage names seem to be making a comeback, with Florence, Cordelia and Beatrice rising on the girls’ side, while Otis, Otto and Lewis gain popularity on the boys’ side.

Here are the top 100 girls' names and top 100 boys' names in the U.S. so far in 2018, according to Nameberry: