Choosing a child’s name can feel overwhelming, especially with so much else to consider once the baby arrives.
To help parents prepare, jewellery retailer Pandora UK has partnered with baby name consultant Colleen Slagen to reveal her predictions for the biggest baby naming trends of 2026, from nickname-style names to the celebrities set to inspire British parents.
Here are the baby boy names she thinks will be hot over the next 12 months.
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1. Jude
The trendiest name for 2026 is predicted to be Jude - with "short, three to four letter boys names effortlessly cool and all the rage right now".Jude is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning 'praised' or 'to be praised'. | Canva/Getty Images
2. Arlo
Second spot when it comes to on-trend baby boy names for 2026 goes to Arlo. It is a name with English and Germanic origins and means 'fortified hill'. | Canva/Getty Images
3. Levi
The final podium spot for cool boy baby names for 2026 goes to Levi. It's a Hebrew name meaning 'joined to', 'attached', or 'united'. | Canva/Getty Images
4. Kai
Next up in the names the coolest babies will be called next year is Kai. It's a name popular around the world and, depending on where you're from, can mean 'sea', 'victory', 'rejoice' or 'warrior'. | Canva/Getty Images