From gender-neutral to nature-inspired, check out our original suggestions for girls and boys
One of your biggest parental responsibilities begins before your little one has even entered the world – choosing their name.
It requires some serious thought… just ask comedian Amy Schumer. She changed her son’s name from Gene Attell to Gene David several months after he was born, once she realised the unfortunate resemblance to certain body parts!
Will you regret it?
Amy Schumer’s not the only one who has backtracked. In fact, 73% of parents admit they thought of a better name for their child later down the line, with Hunter and Aurora at the top of the ‘regret list’ (why? we love ‘em!).
4 ways to get your baby’s name right
1. Give your child a back-up
Keep your options open. ‘Be brave and bold if that’s what you want, but just in case you get it massively wrong, you might want to give your child a simpler middle name so they can switch to that instead,’ suggests Eleanor Turner, author of the Baby Names book series.
2. Consider the consequences
In one large survey, people thought the names Mia and Jack belonged to naughty children, while Isla and Arthur were the best-behaved! No pressure, then…
3. Add a twist with a hyphen
There’s no need to go totally OTT to conjure up something special. Hyphenation can transform a name. Mae or May, Rose and Leigh work well when added to girls’ names, as in Lily-Mae or Ava-Leigh. Or try adding James or Lee to the end of a baby boy’s name, as in Tommy-Lee or Tyler-James.
4. Don’t listen to other people
‘Sometimes grandparents and friends offer baby-naming advice, which may not always be welcome. If you’ve got your heart set on a name, keep it a secret until after the birth to avoid any unnecessary criticism,’ advises Eleanor.
Ready for inspiration? Read on for our pick of the best original names for your little one…
Names inspired by nature
For a truly beautiful name, why not take a leaf out of Mother Nature’s own book? Recent research found that three quarters of Brits would consider an earth-inspired name.
Autumn
Skye
Flora
Wren
Coral
Bear
Blossom
Flint
Lynx
Olive
Wolf
Storm
Topaz
Lake
Pearl
Misty
Raine
Meadow
Phoenix
Fox
Gender-neutral names
More and more names are appearing in lists for both boys and girls. Beau, normally a boy’s name, is the pick of Tayah Victoria and Adam Aveling from TV show Married at First Sight for their baby daughter.
Beau
Quinn
Reese
Teddy
Blair
Aubrey
Bailey
Peyton
Addison
Blake
Cameron
Daryl
Eden
Jules
Marlow
Remy
Sunny
Tate
Wynn
Casey
Names inspired by places
Take inspiration from around the country – and the globe! From urban cool to far-flung exotic, choose a location-based name for worldly appeal.
Adelaide
Aspen
Devon
China
Elba
Indiana
Mali
Milan
Harlow
Orlando
York
Catalina
Dakota
Juno
Montana
Capri
London
Austin
Asia
Dallas
Names inspired by Greek mythology
Singer Iggy Azalea (real name Amethyst) named her new son Onyx, while sprinter Usain chose Olympia Lightning for his daughter. Searching for a name fit for a Greek god or goddess? Look here.
Atlas
Adonis
Selene
Harmony
Thalia
Aphrodite
Apollo
Griffin
Troy
Clio
Argus
Hercules
Hermes
Penelope
Gaia
Athena
Daphne
Cassandra
Aura
Rhea
Flower names for girls
Floral names are back in bloom with Ivy, Lily, Willow and Rosie near the top of the charts. Get some flower power with these beautiful girls’ names.
