You’ve probably read the top 10 most popular names given to newborn babies in the United States last year. But unless you’re a true baby name geek, you might not have scrolled all the way through the Social Security Administration’s massive report on the 1,000 most popular names for boys and girls in 2024. Well, don’t worry. we don’t have to do that. Some interesting trends have emerged, from rhinestone cowboy names to modern new virtue names. And another category of names is rising up the charts, what the baby name experts at Nameberry call safe names.
Safe Haven names are all words that mean a safe and calm natural sanctuary, a refuge from the crazy storms of life. “As a direct result of all the conflict and unrest in the world, parents are actively choosing names that evoke peace and security for their children,” explains Nameberry Editor-in-Chief Sophie Keim. Whether it’s a real place like a river, meadow, or ocean, or something more conceptual (heaven or dream, for example), all of these names sound like easy places to land.
eden
Who wouldn’t feel safe in a lush garden where nothing bad can happen and food is plentiful? “Eden” has steadily grown in popularity since 1986, when it first entered the top 1,000 baby names list. As of 2024, the award ranks 72nd and last year was presented to 659 boys and more than 3,000 girls.
dream
While this certainly sounds like a celebrity baby name, Dream was given to about 850 baby girls last year as well. It definitely has an ethereal, otherworldly quality to it. It’s not a name for everyone, but if it suits your family, I think it’s fine.
forest
“Forest” and “Forest” both ranked in the top 1,000 most popular baby names in 2024, with a total of 1,149 boys receiving the names. If you want to give your little boy a strong, nature-inspired name, this is a lovely option.
heaven
You probably haven’t heard of the Heavens and Neveahs of the world, but the name Heaven feels like a more unique, non-religious name. In fact, Haven is the 201st most popular baby name in 2024, which ranks much higher than most of us would imagine.
grassland
This is a very “safe haven” option for baby girls. In fact, it was administered to 946 newborns last year alone. It rose 24 places on the popularity charts from 2023 to 2024, but this is not a huge change, but rather a continuation of Meadow’s upward trend, which has been steadily rising since 2017.
Safer Haven Baby Names
- Arcadia — “A place of peace and contentment”
- Avalon — “Apple Island”
- Bliss – “Joy, energy, intense happiness.”
- Cove — “a small cove along the coast” or “bold and brave”
- Delta — “an island at the mouth of a river”
- Ford — “Crossing the River”
- Foster — “Guardian of the Forest”
- Glen – “Narrow Valley”
- Harbor — “Protected Harbor”
- Heaven — “God’s Abode”
- Islay — “Island”
- lake — “body of water”
- Leland — “Meadow”
- loch — “lake”
- ocean — “sea”
- river — “flowing body of water”
- Shiloh – “Quiet”
- Comfort — “a source of comfort or consolation”
If you want your baby to feel safe no matter where they are, gifting them a safe space name will remind them that they are always safe and valued.
