Gen Beta babies will have old money names
And people want to dress like a Hobbit.
Hello! My last trends report based on Google trends data was a hit, and I enjoyed writing it - so it only makes perfect sense that I write another one for you all because people might lie, but the data never does.
This month, I turned 22 and people are searching up how to dress like hobbits, obsessing over Janet Jackson again (who can blame them), and renaming their sourdough starters. There’s fashion, news, sports, and a lot of somewhat questionable baby names so as always, enjoy :)
It’s no surprise that “what does a purple lightsaber mean” spiked +190% in the past month, and “purple lightsaber” hit an all-time high the week of May the Fourth.
Style is maximal again but if you read this Substack, you already knew this.
“Camo cargo pants” up 120%. “Lowrise” is the most-searched style.
“Chunky bangs” and “pixie cuts” are both on the way up. I guess Emma Chamberlain was onto this already.
But the what the people REALLY want to know is how to dress like…
1. Kate Middleton
2. A Parisian
3. An Italian man
4. A 90s kid boy
5. A Hobbit (these could all be perfect for a guessing game).
Fruits are a nail trend now.
“Lemon nails design” up +130%. “Strawberry nails design” doubled. Summer and fruits baby.
And recent instalments on the colour which will define Summer 2025:
“Wes Anderson color palette” is up +190% . This is a colour palette where bright colours meet dark subjects. Think ‘Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)’.
“70s color palette” also had an insane growth spurt of +4,350% (the people want colour, and I fear we are well and truly reaching recession).
Could turquoise be back?! “Turquoise clutch” +180%, turquoise earrings too. The battle is on for Colour of the Year, as each hue aims to achieve the same iconic status Brat Green and Barbie Pink. But, I still believe orange is the new black, and Data But Make it Fashion has the data to back it up.
TOP TRENDS CORNER
Rod Stewart lyrics are blowing up again — “Forever Young” is up +110%. Also, “Hang on Sloopy” is making a comeback. Meanwhile, Harry Potter fans are all about the HBO cast, with Arabella Stanton stealing the spotlight as Hermione Granger.
Janet Jackson is trending hard. Searches for “Janet Jackson performance” are the highest they’ve been in 5 years - looks like everyone’s rewatching her iconic moves.
Covid is quietly creeping back into searches. “Covid 19 vaccines” shot up +1,800% this week. Guess people are checking in again, even if we try to ignore it, however, this has gone back down as of writing.
Florida’s on edge, prepping for storms. It’s the top state googling “tropical cyclone,” and “storm damage repair” searches jumped +200%.
In the US, Canned beans search interest is at an all-time high, and it was a top-trending product recall search in May.
It seems like wholesome trends are back. “Mint julep recipe” and “rhubarb recipes” dominated in May with search increases of 550% and “How to revive tulips” is up 180%. The girls are in their ‘Martha Stewart era’?
“Sustainable packaging” is also at an all-time high, especially in beauty, and people want to buy gifts for their teachers over their mothers in all states except for Michigan. Cute.
Papal conclave + “pope name” = all-time highs
Pope Leo was searched more than Pope Francis in the US, Australia, and 16 other countries.
Meanwhile, “chemical plant” is trending in Spain, driven by a breakout search for “incendio Sevilla.” Interest in “Kashmir” and the “India–Pakistan border” also reached all-time highs. Likely driven by renewed political tensions, humanitarian concerns, or a key anniversary tied to the region’s history. Whether sparked by conflict, global commentary, or a cultural moment, the surge signals growing international attention on one of South Asia’s most sensitive flashpoints.
What’s In a Name?
Google search trends always reveal how funky human nature is and I enjoyed reading the summary on baby names in 2025 based on search results. I am sure you’re dying to know what the top trending baby names for this year are:
Sutton
Theodore
Sadie
Amelia
Athena
Aria
Violet
Zion
Milo
Lincoln
Top “nicknames for” searches: Laura, Clementine, Adrian, Genevieve, Jeremiah.
Unisex girls names were searched 4x more than unisex boys, “classic girl names” are at an all-time high and “nature girl names” doubled.
Breakout search results came out for “Earthy girl names” and “Whimsical girl names”.
So far in the US, top trending names based on “earthy” categories are as follows:
Plant: Elowen
Celestial: Estelle
Ocean: Marin
Flower: Aster
Moon: Shashi
For boy names, Polish and Slavic names take the cake.
I commented earlier on how wholesome trends are back, but it seems like some of you are taking it a bit too far. In the US, so far for 2025, the top trending “what to name my” goes to:
Horse
Plant
Sourdough starter
Baby
Bird
Old money names are having a major moment, with search interest skyrocketing since 2023. “old money names” is now more searched than ever. Think names like Eleanor, Theodore, Clementine and James. Gen Z is manifesting generational wealth for their Gen Beta children, and they are setting them up for future success before their kids even enter the world!!
We’re still loving timeless names though. seeing steady climbs with names such as Emma, Henry, Grace and Leo.
Old people names are starting to make a comeback, despite people online claiming to hate them. I cannot wait to see a “Gertrude”, “Walter”, “Mabel” and “Hugo” who know how to use ChatGPT.
And it’s clear we are over crazy names for children because searches for “normal names” are also at their highest ever. In a world of chaos, “Ben” and “Emily” are clearly a breath of fresh air.
In a world of “Ben’s” and “Emily’s”, some folks want to spice up the way they spell their children’s names. In August of 2024, search interest online for “Jayden” surpassed “Jaden”.
And I guess inspiration for names really can come from anywhere because the one time “Arya” was searched more than “Aria” was during the Game of Thrones season finale back in May 2019.
To end of this trend report, a quick rapid fire:
TV + Movies
Grey’s Anatomy was the most-searched finale, followed by The Last of Us and The Rookie.
Met Gala = top-trending “best dressed” search in May 2025. I also love the Zendaya hat theory trend that went around.
Next to Normal is the most-searched musical.
Luke Skywalker beat Hermione in May searches… until the new Harry Potter series was announced.
Trending Songs
🎧Burning Blue – Mariah the Scientist
🎧 Gnarly – KATSEYE
🎧 Infinite Baths – Sleep Token
Trending Movie Summaries
🎥 Twilight
🎥 Final Destination
🎥 Of Mice and Men
Still Going Viral…
🌀 Holy airball
🦋 Butterfly effect
🧠 Toxic parenting phrases
🍞 What to name your sourdough starter
🔁 “Almost forgot this is the whole point”
And thanks to
I now know that Gen Z doesn’t know the definition of 2 things: collaboration and bucket lists. I hope to see these 2 trending as word searches next month.
Thank you for reading, let me know your thoughts. God bless x
The constant misuse of phrases on TikTok is one major reason to not get sucked in. The amount of people who don't know what butterfly effect actually means is astounding.
I enjoyed this. What are your date ranges for tracking increases and decreases in search interest?