These are the baby names tipped to be popular in 2017… and they’re VERY unusual

IF YOU'RE expecting a baby and are hunting for some inspiration for newly popular names, read on.

Online forum Netmums has released the names that are predicted to be extremely popular in 2017 - and many of them may not be what you’d expect.

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One moniker that is becoming a rising success is Aria, with many parents no doubt getting inspiration from Game of Thrones character Arya Stark.

Many of the names on the forum are gender-neutral - such as River, which is the name of Jamie and Jools Oliver's son, River Rocket.

Other popular names listed that can be used for both girls and boys are Nova and Arlo.

For boys, names that will be seen more often in classrooms include Fox, Otis and King, meanwhile for girls, Maya, Nora and Sylvie are also proving to be preferred among parents.

And many monikers have taken inspiration from nature, with Willow becoming a favourite.

The name has become more widely used since Willow Smith, daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, was born.

Some of the names, such as Axl, comes from Scandinavian roots, with the meaning being “father of peace.”

Currently, the top names for girls are very traditional, with Olivia taking the top spot, following by Amelia and Charlotte.

And for boys, Asher and Atticus are the most searched-for this year.

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While these names are flourishing, experts from Nameberry have come up with a list of names that no one is currently using.

Using the complete list of names in their database, they ran this against all the baby names recorded in the US last year, according to the Social Security Administration.

This revealed the names that didn't get given to any children in 2016. Not one.

The styles range from deeply traditional, historic and often Shakespearean, to wildly futuristic and downright odd.

Several also appear to have been invented - inspired by everyday words and nature, like West, Christmas, Story, Remember, Season and Trout.

Names you may recognise (but probably would have never thought to use for your child) include Kermit, Roald, Puck, Jocasta and Oberon.

Earlier this month we shared the most searched baby names of the first half of 2017… and there’s a new king of boys’ names.

We recently revealed the top baby names for every city on the UK.

Another survey identified the once popular names, such as Ian and Karen, which could become extinct in Britain.