The 20 top Halloween costumes in the US, from witches and pirates, to vampires and fairies

With spooky season swiftly approaching, we're already thinking about Halloween outfits. 

Whether you're taking inspiration from a TV show like Stranger Things, a vintage Halloween film such as Hocus Pocus (take a look at the best Halloween movies for 2022 for more inspiration) or going back to basics as a witch, pirate, or even the infamous Chucky (terrifying!) the top Halloween costumes have been ranked by Freightgeist.

These are the top 20 fancy dress outfits, nationally. You can also check out which outfits are most popular in your local area, too, by clicking on 'Costume Map' on the link above, via this Freightgeist link.

What is the most popular Halloween costume?

1. Witch 
2. Spiderman 
3. Dinosaur 
4. Stranger Things 
5. Fairy 
6. Pirate
7. Rabbit 
8. Cheerleader
9. Cowboy
10. Harley Quinn
11. Clown
12. Vampire
13. 1980s
14. Hocus Pocus
15. Pumpkin
16. Chucky
17. Doll
18. Angel
19. Batman 
20. Bear

So why are these Halloween costumes so popular? 

Fashion expert Maria Loizou from Karen Millen unpacks some of the most sought-after - and often pop-culture-themed - Halloween outfits this year, many of which are inspired by the most memorable moments from 2022 so far.  

Eddie Munson from Stranger Things 

"Stranger Things has taken 2022 by storm, so we can anticipate many costumes inspired by the residents of the town of Hawkins this year and more specifically, new fan-favourite Eddie Munson," Maria Loizou explains. 

"Series four introduced us to the Metallica-playing, Dungeons and Dragons-obsessed Eddie, leader of the Hellfire Club. Eddie’s grunge look can easily be replicated with a Hellfire Club shirt, ripped black jeans and a denim vest. 

"Currently, the term ‘Hellfire Club shirt’ receives 41,000 average monthly searches across the globe."

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The Sanderson sisters from Hocus Pocus 

"Nothing says Halloween like watching the classic film Hocus Pocus, especially as the long-awaited sequel arrives on Disney Plus on September 30th," says Loizou.

"For friendship groups of three, the Sanderson sisters are the perfect trio to dress as this Halloween, especially as searches for ‘Hocus Pocus costumes’ have risen 317% over the past three months globally."

Other pop-culture costumes that Loizou is predicting will take Halloween by storm this year are:

• Wanda Maximoff from Wandavision: "Marvel’s Wanda Maximoff, otherwise known as Scarlet Witch, is another one of this year’s most sought-after costumes, with the phrase ‘Scarlet Witch costume’ receiving 50,000 monthly Google searches worldwide. All you need is a red cape and dress, along with a signature Scarlet Witch headpiece."
• Maverick from Top Gun: "Tom Cruise’s Maverick is one of the most popular men’s Halloween costumes we can expect to see this Halloween. This year’s box office hit Top Gun: Maverick reignited interest in the classic 80s film, sparking 12,000 average monthly searches for ‘Top Gun costume’ worldwide."
• House of the Dragon characters: "Arguably one of the biggest and most-anticipated shows of the year, House of the Dragon will likely be among the most popular Halloween looks this year. Dressed in a long black robe, white-blonde wig and equipped with a plastic sword, we are sure to see many Daemon Targaryen lookalikes this Halloween season."