Today, more and more parents are trying to give their kids unusual names, says Laura Wattenberg, baby naming expert and founder of BabyNameWizard.com. But despite our quest to give our children unique monikers, there?s no denying that every year, some very clear trends pop up. Wattenberg told us what to expect in 2019.
1. Video game names are the new celeb names
With the video game industry now surpassing the movie industry in terms of profit, its impact on baby names is increasingly obvious. ?Every year the new crop of games gives us a new crop of names,? says Wattenberg, who adds that the more immersive, role?playing games tend to offer the most inspiration. In 2019, look out for babies named Noctis (from Final Fantasy), Corvo (from Dishonoured) and Xayah (from League of Legends). 2. Look To Wakanda
Black Panther was easily one of the biggest movies of 2018, so it?s not surprising that it?s also influencing baby names. With characters such as T?Chella, Okoye and Shuri, ?it introduced a whole new realm of names,? says Wattenberg.
3. Odd vowel combos
Spelling nerds, you?re going to want to shut your eyes for this one. ?Parents are using a lot of unconventional vowel combinations as a way for a name to stand out,? says Wattenberg. Right now, that means spelling girl names that end in an ?ee? sound with a pair of i?s (think Harmonii). Other unusual vowel combinations include ae and iy (think Maesyn and Aaniya). 
.related-article-block{display:inline-block;width:300px;padding...