Naming a baby is a monumental task. You want something unique and meaningful, and some parents seek inspiration from the weather. Yes, you read that right—naming your baby after the sky, storms, or even precipitation is a thing.
A study by Been Verified, did some digging into baby names inspired by weather and climate phenomena. They spotted trends over the last decade using data from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
What they uncovered is that “Sky” reigns supreme.
When it comes to baby names, Sky’s the limit—literally. Close to 40 different variations of sky-related names (think Sky, Skylar, Skyla, and yes, even Skylord) have been given to over 67,000 babies in the past decade!
| Rank | Name | Total Count | Girl total | Boy total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sky | 67,083 | 57,852 | 9,231 |
| 2 | Aurora | 47,678 | 47,642 | 36 |
| 3 | Hail | 38,355 | 38,298 | 57 |
| 4 | Jet | 15,936 | 418 | 15,518 |
| 5 | Rain | 8,378 | 7,204 | 1,174 |
| 6 | Sun | 7,033 | 5,824 | 1209 |
| 7 | Storm | 5,689 | 4,744 | 945 |
| 8 | Gust | 5,208 | 0 | 5,208 |
| 9 | Halo | 3,049 | 2,641 | 408 |
| 10 | Zephyr | 1,953 | 420 | 1,533 |
| 11 | Star | 1,633 | 1,633 | 0 |
| 12 | Ice | 676 | 642 | 34 |
| 13 | Snow | 625 | 570 | 55 |
| 14 | Gale | 582 | 17 | 565 |
| 15 | Breeze | 558 | 399 | 159 |
Almost 90% of these names are given to girls, but don’t count out the boys—Sky is still the second-most common weather-related name for male babies. Who knew “Skylar” could soar so high?
Coming in second place is Aurora. It has just one variation of this stellar name, compared to the 40 sky-related ones. It’s almost exclusively given to girls, with just 0.07% of boys bearing the name (shoutout to those brave few).
Meanwhile, Star shines on as a girls-only name—sorry boys, this one’s out of reach. Even with 12 sparkling variations like Starla and Starlette, it doesn’t crack the top 10 baby names.
Jet dominates the male names. The shorthand from Jetstream zooms into the top five weather-related names. With 12 variations like Jett, it’s primarily used for boys (97%).
On the other hand, Storm—including variations like Stormy and Stormie—has a more feminine twist, with 84% usage among girls. Meanwhile, Breeze has barely stirred the naming world with only 500 babies given this name. So,
One of the most common weather-related words, Rain, has drenched over 8,000 babies in its cool, drizzly essence. Mostly used for girls, Rain is one of the few weather names with notable male representation, unlike Snow—which has only been sprinkled on 600 babies, predominantly female.
And then there’s Hail—not exactly the first weather condition you’d think of for a baby name, but surprisingly, it’s the third most popular weather-related name! Less than 1% of Hail babies are boys, though. So if you’re looking for an icy, edgy name, Hail might just sleet its way into your heart.
Sun names like Sunny and Sunshine mostly shine on girls but do have some boys soaking up those rays. And for those wanting something with a little more glow, Halo is mostly used for girls, though about 13% of the time, it’s given to boys—because every little angel deserves a golden crown, right?
So if you’re feeling the urge to name your child after a thunderstorm or a light breeze, now you have the data to back it up!