Bonnie has been named as one to watch by baby name experts at label company My Nametags, who predict it will climb into the top 50 girls' names in 2027. The experts believe its popularity will be boosted by renewed interest in late singer Bonnie Tyler and her music, particularly following the success of viral sounds on social media.
However, while the name may be gaining attention thanks to her music following her death in July, its history goes back much further. Bonnie is a Scots word meaning beautiful, attractive or pleasing and has been part of everyday Scottish language for centuries.
Scottish Roots and History
Anyone familiar with the phrase Bonnie Scotland will recognise its meaning, which is still used today to describe everything from a beautiful view to a particularly lovely person. You might even hear someone described as a bonnie lass or a baby as a bonnie bairn.
The word itself dates back more than 500 years, with its earliest recorded use appearing in the work of Scottish poet William Dunbar in 1513. Over the centuries, its spelling evolved through various forms, including bony, bonie and bonny, before bonnie became the more familiar spelling from the 18th century onwards.
The word comes from the Scots language rather than Scottish Gaelic, with its origins tracing back to the Middle French word bonne, meaning good and ultimately the Latin word of bonus. Its meaning gradually developed to describe something beautiful or pleasing in Scotland.
Pop Culture Influence
Although the word has been around for centuries, its use as a girls' name became more established much later. One literary character who helped bring it to a wider audience was Bonnie Blue Butler, the daughter of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in Margaret Mitchell's famous novel Gone with the Wind, and its film adaptation.
Now, the name is enjoying another moment in the spotlight, this time thanks to Bonnie Tyler. Her iconic 1983 hit, Total Eclipse of the Heart, experienced a remarkable resurgence during the total solar eclipse in August 2026, with Spotify streams in the UK jumping by 94 per cent.
The renewed interest helped introduce the classic track to another generation of listeners and is one of the reasons My Nametags expects the name to rise in popularity next year.
Other Predicted Names
Bonnie is not the only girls' name expected to gain attention in 2027, with Athena, Hannah, Persephone and Raye also featuring in My Nametags' predictions. Greek mythology is also expected to have a particularly big influence, with both Athena and Persephone taking inspiration from ancient stories brought back into the spotlight through film and theatre.
Athena is predicted to benefit from the success of Christopher Nolan's film The Odyssey, while Persephone could see renewed interest thanks to the popular musical Hadestown, which reimagines the Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone.
For boys, names tipped to become more popular include Damon, Michael, Troy, Percy and Joseph, with films, television and music also expected to influence parents' choices. Damon is expected to gain popularity due to Matt Damon's performance in The Odyssey, while Michael is expected to rise due to the release of the Michael Jackson biopic, which saw Billie Jean hit the No 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200.
