NPR recently highlighted linguistics professor Dallin D. Oaks’s research on Utah name trends—something he believes is impacted by both politics and nature.
Utah residents are known for their creativity, particularly when it comes to baby names. Over the decades, popular Utah names have been accepted across the US, making names such as Kaden or Jaden, and most recently Oaklee, much more common. On May 12, 2025, NPR published an article on naming trends in the US and used Professor Dallin D. Oaks’s (Structure of English) research on popular Utah names to demonstrate how new baby names arise in conservative states—especially in Utah. Though Oaks’s research focuses mostly on Utah, NPR explains that his findings extend to the entire country.
Many researchers believe naming trends in Utah can foretell upcoming changes to those across the US, such as the rise of the name “Oaklee,” which has spread among red states. Oaks explained that “every one of the top ten red states had either an Oaklynne or an Oakley, or both, or something in the top 100 names.” Oaks first described this trend in his 2023 book, Perspectives on Latter-day Saint Names and Naming: Names, Identity, and Belief, which discusses the influences of modern-day naming trends in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how they compare to that outside of the Church. Using Oaks’s data, NPR explained that names derived from the word “oak” may have gained popularity in conservative states because of the symbolism behind a big, sturdy oak tree.
So, to stay ahead of the baby name curve, it may be best to look at your Utah-raised friends and neighbors—they’re where these trends start.
Click here to read NPR’s article.