What’s in a name? Well, naming trends can reflect a culture’s interests and values, and one takeaway from a just-released list of the most popular baby names for 2018 is this: Millennial and Gen Z parents are so into the trend toward healthier eating that they’re giving their newborns names inspired by fruits, veggies, herbs and spices.

Jackson and Sophia topped BabyCenter’s annual lists of popular baby names for boys and girls (for the sixth and ninth straight year, respectively), but Jackson and Sophia may want to watch their backs: Names associated with foods are on the rise.

The number of parents who named their baby girls Kale rose 35 percent in 2018, while Kiwi, Maple and Clementine climbed 40 percent, 32 percent and 15 percent, respectively, according to BabyCenter. The number of baby girls named Saffron rose 31 percent, while 20 percent more girls were named Rosemary and 15 percent more boys were named Sage in 2018 than in the previous year.

"Parents are inspired by the things they love as well as the sound of a name," Linda Murray, BabyCenter's senior vice president of consumer experience and global editor in chief, said in a press release. "In the past, we'd look to the Bible or royalty for name inspiration. Today's parents turn to other sources.” Like, say, their kitchen pantry, countertop or crisper.

Murray contends this tendency toward unusual monikers is part of a long-term trend.

“We've had two decades plus of 'unique' names, and anything goes,” she said. “It's not like the days when every other baby was named Jessica, Jason, or Jennifer."

Tasteful or not, food-inspired names are not the only trend spotlighted by BabyCenter. Names inspired by the popular game Fortnite (Ramirez, Leviathan, Bunny, Rogue) and the Kardashian-Jenner clan (Stormi, Dream, Saint, Reign) are also on the rise.

Hmmm. Maybe it’s time to bring back Jessica and Jason after all?

Photo: iStock