I’m a pro namer & using surnames as first names is so cool – Fisher is set to be 2024’s biggest moniker
A PROFESSIONAL baby namer predicts using "surnames as first names" will be a popular 2024 trend - and gender neutral monikers will continue to be popular.
Steph Coffield, 40, is a consultant for parents to be and said more people are choosing one name pre-birth, which works for a girl or boy.
The stay-at-home mum from St Paul, Minnesota, USA, says Cameron and Carter for boys will continue to be popular, as well as Maddison and Spencer for girls.
But she reckons parents will become "more adventurous" with their choices, and predicts Fisher, Huxley and Ridley will be big in 2024.
She says these names also conform to the growing gender neutral trend which she thinks will continue next year.
The mum-of-three said: "I'm seeing a lot of whimsical, gender neutral surnames being given as first names.
More on baby names
"We're seeing girls' names becoming more masculine and boys' names becoming softer too.
"Some parents will come to me asking for one that works for a boy and a girl ahead of time, then they can stick with it, whatever the gender."
Some increasingly popular surname-style first names include Carter, Campbell and Cameron.
Steph explained these are particularly popular examples as "everyone loves a C name."
Most read in Fabulous
Surname-based predictions for 2024 include Adley and Dawson as well as Fisher, Huxley and Ridley - following in the footsteps of Cooper and Spencer, now often seen for girls.
Steph said gender neutral titles for both women and men will still be popular as society continues to embrace gender fluidity.
She said: "The way things are going, with more acceptance of non-binary people, parents aren't afraid to give boys softer more feminine names.
"We're already there with girls being more masculine and that will continue."
'Masculine-sounding' titles predicted to be popular for girls in 2024 include Collins, Juniper and Sloane.
More 'feminine-sounding' names for boys in 2024 are predicted to include Colter and Waylon - western-style names, but "softer".
Another trend which Steph reckons will be a hit for 2024 are "classic" names that everyone knows, but that have fallen out of circulation.
These include titles like Harrison, Nathaniel and Vincent for boys, and Annie, Cecelia and Margaret for girls.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
She added: "I'm seeing this more and more - parents want a classic name, but one that's out of the top 100.
"They want a name that feels familiar and that everyone has heard, but they don't want their child to have five other kids in their class with the same name."
