Are you looking for the best name for your little boy or girl? Get some new ideas from our top 10 most popular baby names. Through these two lists you can discover the origin and meaning of each of them, and also find out if one of your favourite celebrities has it. So, let’s see!
Baby girl names
1 Amelia: emerged as the top name in Britain a few years ago, and it is still number one on the list. Variant of Amalia, the name comes from the Germanic word amal which means “work” and “fertile”.
2 Olivia: derived from the Latin oliva -in English “olive”- this name became very popular due to Shakespeare, who gave it to one of the main characters of his play Twelfth Night.
3 Isla: a short and simple name derived from the Scottish word for island Islay and very common in Scotland. Used in the past for both genders, it is now used predominantly for girls.
4 Emily: derived from the Roman family name Aemilius, this name has many literary associations, including the British writer Emily Bronte and the American poet Emily Dickinson.
5 Poppy: from the English word for the red flower, this name cropped up in the early 1900s and became popular again at the end of that century. Variants include Poppie and Poppi.
6 Ava: a variation of Eve, this name became increasingly popular in the 1990s, when the American actress Ava Gardner died and many celebrities chose this name for their daughters.
7 Isabella: Latinised form of Elizabeth, Isabella is a very popular Italian baby name. Its meaning is “God is my oath”. Other possible variations are Isabelle or Isabel.
8 Jessica: Coined by Shakespeare for one of his characters in The Merchant of Venice, Jessica is also very common in America. Famous actresses with this name are for example Jessica Simpson or Jessica Alba.
9 Lily: From the Latin lilium, this is also the name of a flower, which symbolises purity and innocence in Christianity.
10 Sophie: French form of Sophia, a Greek name used to represent the personification of wisdom.
Baby boy names
1 Oliver: this name of Old French origin became very common in the 19th century when Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist was published, and it is still the first name on our top 10 list for boys!
2 Jack: derived from the more formal name John, it started to be used in the Middle Ages and is still a popular and modern name.
3 Harry: Medieval English form of Henry, probably derived from the Greek Haris meaning “grace”. This is also the name commonly used to refer to Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales.
4 Jacob: a biblical name, coming from the Old Testament, in which Jacob was one of the most important patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
5 Charlie: derived from the more serious and classical Charles, this name which can be used both for boys and girls, brings to mind many celebrities, as for example the famous Charlie Chaplin.
6 Thomas: another biblical name which has been one of the most classic baby names for years. In England it became very popular due to some Saints and philosophers, such as Thomas Becket, Thomas Aquinas and Thomas Hobbes.
7 George: derived from the Greek georgos meaning “farmer” and “earthworker”, the popularity of this name is due to the veneration of Saint George, Patron Saint of Britain.
8 Oscar: derived from two Irish words, os meaning “deer” and cara meaning “friend”, the name is usually related to the famous Irish writer and poet Oscar Wilde.
9 James: the English form of Jacob, and biblical name of two apostles in the New Testament, James was also borne by several kings both in England and Scotland.
10 William: derived from the German Wilhelm, this name means strong-willed warrior. It was the name of many British royals and it is now borne by Prince William, the future King of England.
We know that finding the perfect name for your baby can be a very difficult task, especially when you have a huge range of options to choose from, but we hope that our top 10 most popular baby names was useful in some way!