From the moment your newborn arrives, they bring a sense of joy, love, and wonder that new parents will never forget. However, one of the most exciting aspects of preparing for a new arrival is choosing the perfect name. A baby’s name is more than just a label; it's a reflection of your hopes, dreams, and aspirations for your little one.
However, with so many baby names to choose from, finding the right one that you and your partner can agree on may feel like a daunting task. In this article, we'll explore the top 100 most popular baby names in the UK, as well as unique baby name ideas and traditional name ideas. Finally, we will also offer some tips for making the perfect choice for your little one. So, let's get started!
How do I choose the right baby name?
Remember that choosing the right baby name for your newborn is a highly personal thing, and as long as you and your other half are happy with the name, there are no right or wrong answers. However, there are a few factors that you might what to consider in the process of deciding on the perfect name.
- Firstly, start brainstorming names with your family and friends early on after you’ve found out what you are expecting. This gives you plenty of time to consider options, discuss with your partner, and narrow down choices.
- Seek inspiration from a variety of sources. From Googling ‘baby name ideas’ to looking in your favourite books and films, there are plenty of ways to discover new and interesting names that you might not have considered before.
- Spend some time thinking about what you like. Would you prefer a classic name such as James or Victoria, or do modern names such as Apollo or Luna feel like a better fit?
- How popular are the names on your short list? You may prefer a popular name so that your child blends in with their peers, or, you may prefer a unique name that helps them to stand out from the crowd.
- Ask around to see if there are any family traditions when it comes to first names or middle names. Some families often use the same names for different genders that are passed down through the generations. While you’re in no way beholden to this, it’s worth considering!
- Consider any potential negative associations with the names you’ve shortlisted. For example, are the names similar to the names of anyone disliked in your family, or perhaps a controversial or historical figure that you might not want them to be associated with?
- Say the name out loud to hear how it sounds (and not just in your head). Consider how it flows, its rhythm, and if it's easy to pronounce. Remember, your family and (eventually) your newborn will be saying this name for a lifetime, so you want it to feel comfortable and pleasant.
- Ask friends and family. Having a third-party perspective can be invaluable, as they may be able to point out new baby name ideas, or downsides to names on your existing list that you may not have already considered.
What are the most popular baby girl names?
So, what are the most popular baby girl names in the country? According to the most recent data from the Office of National Statistics, the most popular baby girl names in England and Wales are Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Ava, Ivy, Freya, and Lily. These are followed by the other baby girl names listed in the table below.
Rank | Name | Count |
1 | Olivia | 3,649 |
2 | Amelia | 3,164 |
3 | Isla | 2,683 |
4 | Ava | 2,576 |
5 | Ivy | 2,245 |
6 | Freya | 2,187 |
7 | Lily | 2,182 |
8 | Florence | 2,180 |
9 | Mia | 2,168 |
10 | Willow | 2,067 |
11 | Rosie | 2,028 |
12 | Sophia | 2,019 |
13 | Isabella | 2,010 |
14 | Grace | 1,992 |
15 | Daisy | 1,873 |
16 | Sienna | 1,869 |
17 | Poppy | 1,841 |
18 | Elsie | 1,840 |
19 | Emily | 1,797 |
20 | Ella | 1,756 |
21 | Evelyn | 1,729 |
22 | Phoebe | 1,678 |
23 | Sofia | 1,671 |
24 | Evie | 1,670 |
25 | Charlotte | 1,654 |
26 | Harper | 1,480 |
27 | Millie | 1,472 |
28 | Matilda | 1,437 |
29 | Maya | 1,433 |
30 | Sophie | 1,375 |
31 | Alice | 1,359 |
32 | Emilia | 1,353 |
33 | Isabelle | 1,304 |
34 | Ruby | 1,300 |
35 | Luna | 1,261 |
36 | Maisie | 1,229 |
37 | Aria | 1,202 |
38 | Penelope | 1,194 |
39 | Mila | 1,133 |
40 | Bonnie | 1,121 |
41 | Eva | 1,091 |
42 | Hallie | 1,070 |
43 | Eliza | 1,064 |
44 | Ada | 1,058 |
45 | Violet | 1,057 |
46 | Esme | 1,013 |
47 | Arabella | 1,012 |
48 | Imogen | 998 |
49 | Jessica | 997 |
50 | Delilah | 981 |
51 | Lottie | 954 |
52 | Chloe | 932 |
53 | Thea | 917 |
53 | Layla | 917 |
55 | Eleanor | 915 |
56 | Aurora | 910 |
57 | Margot | 892 |
58 | Mabel | 885 |
59 | Erin | 884 |
60 | Elizabeth | 862 |
61 | Emma | 860 |
62 | Scarlett | 858 |
63 | Harriet | 810 |
64 | Lola | 807 |
65 | Nancy | 797 |
66 | Orla | 794 |
67 | Ayla | 793 |
68 | Rose | 787 |
69 | Zara | 773 |
70 | Iris | 746 |
71 | Robyn | 739 |
72 | Bella | 730 |
73 | Molly | 729 |
74 | Olive | 691 |
75 | Maria | 682 |
76 | Lyla | 667 |
77 | Maeve | 654 |
78 | Ellie | 638 |
79 | Gracie | 632 |
80 | Lyra | 630 |
81 | Darcie | 623 |
82 | Maryam | 621 |
83 | Edith | 613 |
84 | Heidi | 610 |
85 | Lucy | 607 |
86 | Myla | 602 |
87 | Amelie | 598 |
88 | Amber | 594 |
89 | Hannah | 588 |
90 | Summer | 586 |
91 | Eden | 585 |
92 | Jasmine | 583 |
93 | Elodie | 576 |
94 | Clara | 574 |
95 | Holly | 568 |
96 | Lilly | 551 |
97 | Anna | 545 |
98 | Lara | 539 |
99 | Beatrice | 515 |
100 | Sara | 511 |
What are the most popular baby boy names?
So, what are the most popular baby boy names in the country? According to the most recent data from the Office of National Statistics, the most popular baby boy names in England and Wales are Noah, Oliver, George, Arthur, Muhammed, Leo, Harry, and Oscar. These are followed by the other baby boy names listed in the table below.
Rank | Name | Count |
1 | Noah | 4,525 |
2 | Oliver | 4,167 |
3 | George | 4,141 |
4 | Arthur | 3,766 |
5 | Muhammad | 3,722 |
6 | Leo | 3,465 |
7 | Harry | 3,089 |
8 | Oscar | 3,071 |
9 | Archie | 2,928 |
10 | Henry | 2,912 |
11 | Theodore | 2,889 |
12 | Freddie | 2,873 |
13 | Jack | 2,847 |
14 | Charlie | 2,674 |
15 | Theo | 2,514 |
16 | Alfie | 2,338 |
17 | Jacob | 2,319 |
18 | Thomas | 2,302 |
19 | Finley | 2,283 |
20 | Arlo | 2,154 |
21 | William | 2,093 |
22 | Lucas | 1,965 |
23 | Roman | 1,923 |
24 | Tommy | 1,901 |
25 | Isaac | 1,888 |
26 | Teddy | 1,875 |
27 | Alexander | 1,830 |
28 | Luca | 1,807 |
29 | Edward | 1,806 |
30 | James | 1,772 |
31 | Joshua | 1,737 |
32 | Albie | 1,729 |
33 | Elijah | 1,657 |
34 | Max | 1,650 |
35 | Mohammed | 1,619 |
36 | Reuben | 1,534 |
37 | Mason | 1,517 |
38 | Sebastian | 1,516 |
39 | Rory | 1,483 |
40 | Jude | 1,482 |
41 | Louie | 1,461 |
42 | Benjamin | 1,423 |
43 | Ethan | 1,398 |
44 | Adam | 1,367 |
45 | Hugo | 1,325 |
46 | Joseph | 1,307 |
47 | Reggie | 1,287 |
48 | Ronnie | 1,285 |
49 | Harrison | 1,254 |
50 | Louis | 1,240 |
51 | Ezra | 1,226 |
52 | Jaxon | 1,210 |
53 | Logan | 1,192 |
54 | Daniel | 1,150 |
55 | Zachary | 1,146 |
56 | Samuel | 1,123 |
57 | Dylan | 1,099 |
58 | Albert | 1,091 |
59 | Hudson | 1,069 |
60 | Hunter | 1,042 |
61 | Frederick | 1,017 |
62 | David | 961 |
63 | Rowan | 938 |
64 | Jesse | 929 |
65 | Frankie | 920 |
66 | Toby | 918 |
67 | Oakley | 908 |
68 | Grayson | 903 |
69 | Carter | 825 |
70 | Riley | 817 |
71 | Felix | 807 |
72 | Finn | 788 |
73 | Bobby | 772 |
74 | Blake | 771 |
75 | Sonny | 762 |
76 | Caleb | 758 |
77 | Gabriel | 749 |
77 | Michael | 749 |
79 | Jasper | 742 |
80 | Alfred | 739 |
81 | Otis | 737 |
82 | Stanley | 724 |
83 | Milo | 719 |
83 | Mohammad | 719 |
85 | Ralph | 692 |
86 | Liam | 690 |
87 | Chester | 680 |
88 | Ellis | 670 |
89 | Elliot | 664 |
90 | Brody | 645 |
91 | Charles | 639 |
91 | Kai | 639 |
93 | Rupert | 631 |
94 | Yusuf | 628 |
95 | Harvey | 627 |
96 | Ollie | 613 |
97 | Jackson | 607 |
98 | Tobias | 596 |
99 | Nathan | 595 |
100 | Myles | 592 |
Gender neutral baby name ideas
Increasingly, parents are considering gender neutral clothing, nurseries, and names for their children. If you’d prefer to give your newborn a unisex or gender-neutral name, then we have plenty of inspiration for you. While there are no official statistics on the most popular gender-neutral baby names, we’ve brainstormed and put together a list of our favourite 100 gender neutral baby name ideas for you to consider below.
- Addison
- Adrian
- Ainsley
- Alex
- Andy
- Ari
- Ash
- Aspen
- Aubrey
- Avery
- Bailey
- Bay
- Blaine
- Blair
- Blake
- Bobbie
- Bowie
- Brett
- Brook
- Caelan
- Cameron
- Campbell
- Carroll
- Casey
- Cassidy
- Charlie
- Chris
- Clay
- Corey
- Dakota
- Dale
- Dana
- Daryl
- Devin
- Dorian
- Drew
- Echo
- Eddie
- Eden
- Eli
- Elliott
- Ellis
- Emory
- Ezra
- Finley
- Frances
- Frankie
- Gabriel
- Glenn
- Gray
- Greer
- Harley
- Harlow
- Harper
- Hayden
- Indigo
- Jamie
- Jean
- Jesse
- Jordan
- Jules
- Julian
- Kaden
- Kai
- Kelly
- Kendal
- Kennedy
- Kit
- Lake
- Lee
- Logan
- Max
- Morgan
- Parker
- Pat
- Peyton
- Quinn
- Ray
- Reed
- Remy/Remi
- Riley
- River
- Roan
- Rowan
- Rudy
- Ryan
- Sage
- Sam
- Sean
- Shawn
- Stevie
- Tanner
- Taylor
- Teagan
- Terry
- Toby
- Tyler
- Val
- West
- Winter
What are some unique baby name ideas?
When it comes to sourcing the right name for your newborn baby, it’s important that you settle on a decision that both you and your partner are happy with. If you're not keen to follow the crowd, or are looking for something a little more unique, then you may be interested in our more modern or unique baby name ideas. These are listed below to give you some baby names inspiration.
- Aelin (Girls)
- Ajax (Boys)
- Alden (Boys)
- Allegra (Girls)
- Amberlyn (Girls)
- Amity (Girls)
- Arden (Boys)
- Arrow (Unisex)
- Aspen (Boys)
- Astraeus (Boys)
- Astrid (Girls)
- Atticus (Boys)
- Aurea (Girls)
- Aurelia (Girls)
- Baldwin (Boys)
- Bay (Boys)
- Berkely (Girls)
- Berlin (Girls)
- Billie (Girls)
- Blade (Boys)
- Blaze (Unisex)
- Blossom (Girls)
- Boaz (Boys)
- Bowie (Girls)
- Bram (Boys)
- Brendan (Boys)
- Bridget (Girls)
- Brioni (Girls)
- Bronwyn (Girls)
- Bryn (Boys)
- Bryony (Girls)
- Caius (Boys)
- Calantha (Girls)
- Calliope (Girls)
- Calloway (Boys)
- Caspian (Boys)
- Cedar (Boys)
- Celestino (Boys)
- Cerese (Girls)
- Clarke (Unisex)
- Codi (Girls)
- Colby (Girls)
- Cormac (Boys)
- Cove (Unisex)
- Crimson (Girls)
- Danni (Girls)
- Dashiell (Boys)
- Delphine (Girls)
- Dulaney (Boys)
- Dune (Unisex)
- Echo (Unisex)
- Electra (Girls)
- Elias (Boys)
- Ellington (Boys)
- Elowen (Girls)
- Emmanual (Boys)
- Emrys (Boys)
- Etta (Girls)
- Eulalie (Girls)
- Fable (Unisex)
- Finnian (Boys)
- Flynn (Boys)
- Forrest (Boys)
- Foster (Unisex)
- Fox (Boys)
- Francesca (Girls)
- Freya (Girls)
- Garner (Boys)
- Gideon (Boys)
- Grove (Unisex)
- Guinevere (Girls)
- Haven (Unisex)
- Hopper (Boys)
- Huxley (Boys)
- Indigo (Unisex)
- Isolde (Girls)
- Ivy (Girls)
- Jazz (Boys)
- Jeanne (Girls)
- Jett (Unisex)
- Jianna (Girls)
- Joss (Boys)
- Jovan (Boys)
- Juniper (Girls)
- Kaida (Girls)
- Kalliope (Girls)
- Katniss (Girls)
- Koa (Boys)
- Lark (Unisex)
- Leif (Boys)
- Linnea (Girls)
- Lucifer (Boys)
- Lux (Girls)
- Lyra (Girls)
- Magnus (Boys)
- Maximillian (Boys)
- Mesa (Unisex)
- Min-soo (Boys)
- Mireille (Girls)
- Monet (Boys)
- Moon (Boys)
- Moxie (Girls)
- Naveen (Boys)
- Nebula (Girls)
- Niamh (Girls)
- Nova (Unisex)
- Nyx (Boys)
- Oberon (Boys)
- Olive (Girls)
- Ondine (Girls)
- Onyx (Unisex)
- Orelia (Girls)
- Orion (Boys)
- Paxon (Boys)
- Persephone (Girls)
- Quilla (Girls)
- Rain (Boys)
- Rakesh (Boys)
- Rayne (Boys)
- Rebel (Boys)
- Reyes (Boys)
- Rhiannon (Girls)
- River (Unisex)
- Ronan (Boys)
- Rosalinda (Girls)
- Rowan (Boys)
- Rune (Boys)
- Sage (Unisex)
- Salome (Girls)
- Shepherd (Boys)
- Sonnet (Girls)
- Stellan (Boys)
- Stevie (Girls)
- Storm (Unisex)
- Thisbe (Girls)
- Thorn (Boys)
- Ulric (Boys)
- Vadim (Boys)
- Vale (Unisex)
- Valkyrie (Girls)
- Vandelia (Girls)
- Vashti (Girls)
- Vesper (Girls)
- Vivianne (Girls)
- Wilder (Boys)
- Willow (Unisex)
- Winslet (Girls)
- Wisteria (Girls)
- Woody (Boys)
- Xanthe (Girls)
Traditional baby name ideas
If you prefer more traditional baby names, there are plenty of classics to choose from, such as James, Victoria, Edward, Thomas, David, and Elizabeth. We’ve provided a fuller list of our favourite 25 classic baby name ideas for you to choose from below.
- Elizabeth (Girls)
- James (Boys)
- Katherine (Girls)
- William (Boys)
- Margaret (Girls)
- Thomas (Boys)
- Victoria (Girls)
- Edward (Boys)
- Charlotte (Girls)
- Henry (Boys)
- David (Boys)
- Rebecca (Girls)
- Jacob (Boys)
- Abigail (Girls)
- Tobias (Boys)
- Lucy (Girls)
- Benjamin (Boys)
- Nathaniel (Boys)
- Gabriel (Boys)
- Aaron (Boys)
- Isaac (Boys)
- Leah (Girls)
- Daniel (Boys)
- Anna (Girls)
- Mary (Girls)
When do babies recognise their own name?
One popular question that new parents have about their baby’s name is how long it will be before they are able to recognise it. Some research suggests that this is often around 6 to 7 months of age, however, this will vary from baby to baby. Each newborn will develop at their own pace. That said, by about 9 to 12 months, most babies will be able to consistently respond to their own name.
Are you looking for the perfect gift with your baby’s name on it?
At Bumbles and Boo, we understand the importance of choosing the perfect name for your little one. That's why we offer a range of adorable, soft, and high-quality gifts for babies, including blankets and toys that you can customise with their name. These personalisable baby gifts are not only practical but also make for a thoughtful and meaningful present for new parents. Whatever you decide to call your baby, the most important thing is that it's special to you and your family.
Take your time, consider your options, and choose a name that you and your little one will love for years to come. Enjoy the process and happy baby naming!
