A startling new trend has emerged in the UK's baby naming charts for 2025, with parents increasingly selecting monikers linked to notorious serial killers, true crime celebrities, and scandalous public figures, often without realising their dark origins.
The Power of Pop Culture and Repetition
According to data experts at BabyCentre, which compiles the annual top 100 names list, the nation's feverish appetite for true crime documentaries and podcasts is directly influencing parental choices. The trend, which began earlier in the year, has ramped up significantly and is predicted to continue into 2026.
Faye Mingo, Chief Marketing Officer at BabyCentre, stressed that parents are not consciously naming their children after criminals. Instead, she explained, it's the "power of repetition". Names that are repeated across binge-worthy series and social media become familiar and comfortable, which is a key predictor of naming popularity.
Timeless Names with Dark Associations
The experts highlighted several specific names that have risen or entered the charts with notable true crime links. The name Anna has made a notable return, potentially tied to the cultural obsession with Anna Delvey following the Netflix series Inventing Anna.
Alexander is a new entry for 2025, gaining widespread attention from Robert 'Alexander' Murdaugh, the central figure in The Murdaugh Murders documentary. Similarly, Maya is rising steadily, reflecting the impact of the emotional Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya.
One of the most notable climbers is Gabriel, a name given additional visibility from the heartbreaking documentary The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.
The Full List of True Crime-Inspired Names
Baby naming expert SJ Strum noted that widespread media coverage raises overall awareness of a name, even if parents choose it for its positive qualities. The trend is particularly potent when the names are already classic or stylistically on-trend.
True crime-inspired names featured in BabyCentre's top 100 for 2025 include:
- Anna – After the 'Fake Heiress' Anna Delvey.
- Arthur – Linked to Arthur Lee Allen, a Zodiac Killer suspect.
- Bella – Inspired by wellness scammer Belle Gibson.
- Erin – After Erin Patterson, dubbed 'The Mushroom Cook'.
- Freddie & Rose – Echoing the story of killers Fred and Rose West.
- Joseph – A nod to 'Joe Exotic' from Tiger King.
- Luca – From the viral documentary Don't F** with Cats.
- Teddy – A soft spin on serial killer Ted Bundy.
- Ruby – From the viral doc Devil in the Family about Ruby Franke.
- Ronnie & Reggie – The infamous Kray twins.
This pattern underscores how deeply intertwined UK naming culture and media consumption have become. While true crime's influence on name familiarity is likely to persist, it continues alongside more positive, traditional trends like celestial names and quiet-luxury classics.
