Halo

Celestial and space-age, Halo is a contemporary choice that first appeared in the US stats for boys in 2008. Currently more popular for girls, it is nevertheless on the rise across the board.

One on hand, Halo is spiritual choice, associated with angels, holy people, and saints. On the other, it's connected to astronomy and science, where it's used to describe the ring of light around the sun or moon, created by refraction. But it could also be considered a pop-culture name, inspired by the Halo video game franchise in which Halo rings are huge structures used as weapons.

Actress Halle Bailey chose the name for her son in 2023 and her decision seems to have been influential. Halo appeared in the England and Wales Top 1000 for the first time the same year, while in the US, it was one of the fastest rising boy names of 2024. Given to 226 boys, it climbed more than 450 places.