Zayn and Sophia have been revealed as the most 'beautiful' baby names for 2022. Parenting gift site My1stYears research has shown which popular baby names are the most beautiful according to the theory of linguistics.
Jesse and Charlie are next up for boys, while Zoe and Rosie complete the top three most for girls. By working with Dr Bodo Winter, Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham, My1stYears determined which of the 100 most popular names this year conveyed the most positive emotions.
A name with Arabic origin, Zayn means ‘beauty’ and ‘grace’ and was popularised within the UK alongside Zayn Malik of One Direction's meteoric rise to fame. Sophia, conversely, originated in Greece in the 4th century, meaning ‘wisdom’, with celebrities such as filmmaker Sofia Copolla and actress Sofia Vergara the catalysts in its rise in popularity in the late 90s.
The name Jesse, which is runner up in the boy category, has its origins in both English and Dutch history and means ‘God’s gift’ or ‘King’, while girl second place name Zoe is rooted in Greek language, meaning ‘life’.
Charlie and Rosie complete the podium places; Charlie is historically a boy’s name but is now a popular unisex name, while Rosie, which is of English background, derives from Rose, which has its origins in Latin.
Gareth Chadwick, Head of Marketing at My1stYears, said: "Naming our newborns can sometimes feel incredibly overwhelming, particularly if you haven’t already got a shortlist by the time they’re born. Whether it’s choosing the right spelling, imagining what nicknames they’ll end up with or considering how it’ll sound when they’re older - there’s a lot to think about before signing that birth certificate.
"We’re passionate about names and personalisation and so we were really keen to find out if there’s any science behind which names truly are the most beautiful to the ear, and we were so grateful to work with Dr Bodo Winter in order to rank this year’s most popular baby names according to the hugely interesting linguistic theory of iconicity. Of course, it goes without saying that any of the names in our study can be applied to either gender, and all names are truly beautiful."
Top 25 most beautiful names for girls
- Sophia
- Zoe
- Rosie
- Sophie
- Ivy
- Phoebe
- Violet
- Willow
- Hannah
- Ellie
- Emily
- Evelyn
- Rose
- Eliza
- Eva
- Chloe
- Penelope
- Lucy
- Ruby
- Lily
- Olivia
- Emma
- Eleanor
- Bella
- Luna
Top 25 most beautiful names for boys
- Zayn
- Jesse
- Charlie
- Louie
- William
- Freddie
- George
- Ali
- Daniel
- Riley
- Omar
- Arthur
- Rowan
- Leo
- Joseph
- Theo
- Harry
- Noah
- Toby
- Jude
- Isaac
- Teddy
- Samuel
- James
- Elijah
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