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The 25 celebrity names most likely to inspire baby name trends

From Alden to Zendaya, here are 25 celebrities whose unusual names are most likely to inspire baby name trends, according to Nameberry.com.

/ 26 PHOTOS

By Linda Rosenkrantz, Nameberry

Elvis did it. So did Isla Fisher, Liam Neeson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kellan Lutz, Ashton Kutcher AND Mila Kunis.

And now there’s a new generation of celebrities who are making their unusual names famous, not only with audiences but with parents searching for cool, stylish names for their babies.

From Alden to Zendaya, here are the 25 hot celebrities whose names are most likely to inspire baby name trends of the future. 

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Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures' \"Beautiful Creatures\" - Red Carpet

ALDEN Ehrenreich

In his short career Alden Ehrenreich’s already worked with such iconic directors as Francis Ford Coppola, Woody Allen and the Coen brothers, and next he’ll be starring as the young Han Solo in a "Star Wars" spin-off.  A surname dating back to Pilgrim days, Alden became one of the hottest names of last year, up 73 percent, partly due to this dreamy dude.

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Image: Stella McCartney Autumn 2016 Presentation - Arrivals

AMANDLA Stenberg

Sometimes it can just take the addition of a single letter to make a name seem brand new, as is the case of this actress, best known for portraying Rue in "The Hunger Games." Amandla is actually a name that means power or strength in two South African languages, IsiXhosa and Zulu. A rallying cry for anti-Apartheid activists, Amandla was also the title of a Miles Davis album after which Stenberg was named.

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Build Presents Ansel Elgort And Edgar Wright Discussing \"Baby Driver\"

ANSEL Elgort

This hot young star has been featured in such hit movies as the "Divergent" series, "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Baby Driver."  The son of a photographer, Elgort’s  name was inspired by that of famed Western photographer Ansel Adams. (BTW, his middle name is Marie.)  Ansel is a German name that had some popularity a century ago, and is ready for a comeback.

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\"FREE FIRE\" Premiere - 2017 SXSW Conference and Festivals

ARMIE Hammer

Born Armand, Armie Hammer has, since 2010, starred in films ranging from "The Social Network" to "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."  He is the namesake of his oil tycoon/philanthropist great-grandfather Armand Hammer. While Armie now seems like a one-person name, it could catch on a la Archie and Alfie.

Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for SXSW
The Cinema Society Hosts A Screening Of \"The Space Between Us\"- Arrivals

ASA Butterfield

British-born Asa Maxwell Thornton Farr Butterfield was acclaimed as Young British Performer of the Year at the age of 11 and has had major roles ever since. He’s brought new attention and a more youthful image to his short but strong biblical name, which now ranks at Number 518, the highest it’s been since 1910, and we predict it will move even higher.

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Image: 31st Annual Lucille Lortel Awards - Arrivals

DAVEED Diggs

This charming actor-rapper originated the role of Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson in the smash musical "Hamilton," for which he won a Tony and a Grammy. His parents named him the Hebrew pronunciation of David because his father “liked the look of it” and we think other parents might too.

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89th Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals

DEV Patel

Best known for his roles in "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Lion," Dev Patel was born in London to Indian parents. Dev — also the lead character name in "Master of None" — with its appealing simplicity, could well catch on in the U.S. Three other young male stars making their international names famous in America: Aziz Ansari ("Master of None"), Riz Ahmed ("The Night Of") and Rami Malek ("Mr. Robot").

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Beautycon Festival NYC 2017 - Portraits

DOVE Cameron

She began as a Disney Channel teen star, playing both parts in Liv and Maddie.  She traded her birth name of Chloe Celeste for the soft, sweet symbol of peace. Dove, along with Lark and other bird names, is poised to take flight.

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\"The Circle\" Premiere - 2017 Tribeca Film Festival

ELLAR Coltrane

In the real-time film "Boyhood," we were able to watch the actor evolve from a 6-year-old to the age of 19.  Ellar is a rare name with Scottish roots that is also used for girls.  But with the El- beginning so trendy (Eli, Elijah, Elliot, Elvis), Ellar has some potential to rise.

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Image: Gal Gadot

GAL Gadot

A sensation as the latest "Wonder Woman," this actress was born and raised in Israel.  The name Gal means "wave" in Hebrew, is pronounced to rhyme with ball, and is unisex in its native habitat, but we can see it more as a powerful inspiration for girl babies here.

Evan Agostini / AP
Anna Sui - Runway - February 2017 - New York Fashion Week: The Shows

GIGI Hadid

Named British International Model of the Year, the high profile Hadid dropped her birth name of Jelena Noura in favor of the spunky nickname Gigi, remembered as the heroine of a classic Hollywood movie, based on a novella by Colette. Gigi is well liked on Nameberry, ranking at Number 469.

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2017 FOX Upfront

HALSTON Sage

The name of an iconic 1970s fashion designer is now equally associated with a young, up-and-coming TV actress.  Halston has many qualities that could lead to baby name success as a classmate of Hadley, Harper, Harley and Harlow.

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Colossal Clusterfest - Larkin Comedy Club - Day 2

HANNIBAL Buress

Yes, Hannibal is the real name of this stand-up comedian and actor, named for the legendary ancient military leader; he called his first album "My Name is Hannibal."  Let’s hope these two positive references will be able to finally overcome the memory of Hannibal Lecter.

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Christian Dior S/S17 Cruise Collection Show

KIERNAN Shipka

We watched her grow up as Sally Draper on "Mad Men" for nearly eight years from child to teen, and fans of the show have had an emotional attachment to the young actress. The unusual boyish Irish surname Kiernan could be a successor to such currently popular choices as Riley and Finley.

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Premiere Of HBO's \"Game Of Thrones\" Season 7 - Arrivals

KIT Harington

The British have long used Kit as a nickname for Christopher, and in fact this "Game of Thrones" heartthrob has Christopher on his birth certificate, named for Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was also called Kit. Another plus: Kit is what Benedict and Sophie Cumberbatch are calling their first son Christopher.

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Sports Illustrated 2017 Fashionable 50 Celebration

KYRIE Irving

The name of the basketball star with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the U.S. Olympic team, Kyrie is a unisex Greek name used in the church refrain "Kyrie Elieson."  Thanks to the popularity of this athlete, it has risen to Number 285 among boys’ names.

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House Of Fraser British Academy Television Awards 2016 - Red Carpet Arrivals

MAISIE Williams

This young actress who pays Arya in the iconic "Game of Thrones" has propelled her charming nickname name into the Top 600 in the U.S. and the Top 60 in the U.K.

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2017 Los Angeles Film Festival - Premiere Of Netflix's \"You Get Me\" - Arrivals

NASH Grier

From the exploding world of alternative media comes wildly popular, sometimes controversial, internet teen star personality Nash Grier (born Hamilton Nash), known for his online Vine videos starting in early 2013. The name Nash has been steadily climbing and has now reached Number 286.

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2017 iHeartRadio MuchMusic Video Awards - Arrivals

NIALL Horan

This Irish singer is one-fourth of the popular band One Direction. Niall (pronounced NEE-al) was the name of a legendary Irish king of Tara and is currently very popular in both Ireland and England.  

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2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter - Arrivals

REBEL Wilson

If ever there was a self-defining badass word name, this is it, and outspoken, uproarious Australian actress-comedian fits it to a T. Rebel fits right in with other names with attitude rising through the ranks, such as Harley, Wilder, and Maverick.

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Premiere Of Hulu's \"The Handmaid's Tale\" - Arrivals

SAMIRA Wiley

Two key roles have brought this actress to public attention—Poussey in "Orange is the New Black" and Moira in "The Handmaid’s Tale."  Her Arabic name, meaning "companion in evening conversation," is one that could easily catch on with potential parents.

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2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter - Arrivals

SAOIRSE Ronan

Before her breakthrough appearance in "Brooklyn," Ronan spent much time and energy explaining the pronunciation of her name (“rhymes with inertia”), but now Americans have fallen in love with this Irish name enough to bring it into the Top 1000 this year.

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\"How To Be Single\" New York Premiere

TAVI Gevinson

Tavi Gevinson became a sensation as a widely read fashion blogger at the age of 11 and now, at 21, is a feminist writer on pop culture, a magazine editor and Broadway actress.  Her lively name feels like an appealing blend of her Jewish and Norwegian roots and could be a short form of Octavia, another unusual name brought to wider attention by Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer.

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Clive Davis' and the Recording Academy's 2017 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons Honoring Debra Lee - Arrivals

ZAYN Malik

Niall Horan’s former One Direction band mate goes by his first name only. Though this — and his birth name Zain — appear to be alternative spellings of Zane, both are Arabic names meaning beauty and grace. Thanks to this Zayn, his name has zoomed up the popularity charts in the past three years, now at Number 421. 

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Image: Premiere Of Columbia Pictures' \"Spider-Man: Homecoming\" - Arrivals

ZENDAYA

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Colman, who goes by just her first name, got her start on the Disney Channel. Her African name means "to give thanks" and thanks to her popularity, plus her parents’ love for the initial Z and the intriguing nickname Zen, Zendaya’s unusual name has been in the U.S. Top 1000 for the past three years.Read more baby name stories here!

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