Are you having a baby next year and are unsure about names? We are here to help with our list of most popular baby names 2020.
These are going to be the most popular baby names in 2020, according to our predictions! And whether you are having a little boy or girl, our list has you covered!
Most popular baby girl names 2020
- Ada – Short form of ADELAIDE, this name was borne by Augusta Ada King (1815-1852), the Countess of Lovelace (known as Ada Lovelace), a daughter of Lord Byron
- Amara – Means “grace” in Igbo
- Amelia – Latinised form of the Germanic name Amala, meaning “work”
- Arabella – Medieval Scottish name, long been associated with the Latin word “orabilis”, meaning beautiful/ graceful/ lovable
- Arya – From an old Indo-Iranian root meaning “Aryan, noble”
- Aurora – Means “dawn” in Latin. Aurora was the Roman goddess of the morning
- Ava – From the name Eve, which means in Hebrew, “to breathe” or “to live”
- Charlotte – French feminine diminutive of CHARLES, meaning “”petite”
- Ellie – Diminutive of ELEANOR, ELLEN; meaning light/torch/bright
- Emma – Means “whole” or “universal”
- Harper – Derived from a surname of a person who plays the harp or who made harps
- Hazel – From the English word hazel for the tree or the light brown colour
- Isabella – Derived from the name Elizabeth, meaning “my God is an oath”
- Isla – From the name of the island of Islay, which lies off of the west coast of Scotland
- Kennedy – From an irish surname, an Anglicized form of Ó Cinnéidigh meaning “descendant of CENNÉTIG”
- Lucy – English form of LUCIA and feminine form of LUCIUS, derived from the Latin word for “light”
- Luna – Means “the moon” in Latin
- Maeve – Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Medb meaning “intoxicating”
- Mila – Originally a diminutive of Slavic names containing the element ‘milu’; meaning: “gracious, dear”
- Natalie – From the Late Latin name Natalia, which means “Christmas Day”
- Nora – Short form of HONORA or ELEANOR; meaning “honour”
- Olivia – Latin word oliva meaning “olive”
- Penelope – Possibly derived from Greek πηνελοψ (penelops), “a type of duck”
- Rylie – An English surname it is derived from a place name meaning “rye clearing” in Old English
- Sadie – Diminutive of SARAH, meaning “princess”
- Savannah – From the English word for the large grassy plain
- Scarlett – From a surname which denoted a person who sold or made clothes made of scarlet
- Stella – Means “star” in Latin
- Thea – Short form of DOROTHEA or THEODORA; meaning “”gift of god”
- Violet – From the English word violet for the purple flower
- Zoe – Means “life” in Greek
Most popular baby boy names 2020
- Asher – Meaning “happy, blessed” in Hebrew
- Atticus – From a Roman name meaning “from Attica” in Latin
- Brandon – From a surname which was derived from a place name meaning “hill covered with broom” in Old English
- Caleb – Most likely related to Hebrew כֶּלֶב (kelev) meaning “dog”
- Corin – Derived from French name QUIRINUS, the Sabine word quiris meaning “spear”
- Declan – Anglicized form of Irish Deaglán, which is of unknown meaning
- Dylan – From the Welsh elements dy meaning “great” and llanw meaning “tide, flow”
- Elijah – From the Hebrew name אֱלִיָּהוּ (‘Eliyyahu) meaning “my God is YAHWEH”
- Everett – From a name derived from the Old English name Eoforheard; meaning “brave as a wild boar”
- Ezra – Meaning “help” in Hebrew
- Felix – From a Roman cognomen meaning “lucky, successful” in Latin
- Finn – From Irish fionn (older Irish finn) meaning “fair” or “white”
- Grayson – From an English surname meaning “son of the steward”
- Hunter – From an occupational English surname for a hunter
- Isaac – From the Hebrew name יִצְחָק (Yitzchaq) meaning “he will laugh, he will rejoice”
- Jack – A slang word for “man”
- Jasper – Meaning “treasurer” in Persian
- Joseph – From the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning “he will add”
- Kai – Meaning “sea” in Hawaiian
- Leo – Meaning “lion” in Latin
- Levi – Possibly meaning “joined, attached” in Hebrew
- Liam – Short form of William, which was composed of the elements wil “will, desire” and helm “helmet, protection”
- Logan – From a surname which was originally derived from a Scottish place name meaning “little hollow” in Scottish Gaelic
- Lucas – Derived from Luke, which meant “from Lucania”, a southern part of Italy
- Noah – Derived from the Hebrew name נֹחַ (Noach) meaning “rest, comfort”
- Oliver – Meaning “olive tree”
- Reuben – Meaning “behold, a son” in Hebrew
- Sebastian – From the Latin name Sebastianus which meant “from Sebaste”
- Silas – Derived from Silvanus, a Roman name derived from Latin silva “wood, forest”
- Theodore – Meaning “gift of god” in Greek
- Xavier – Derived from the Basque place name Etxeberria meaning “the new house”
Clearly the popular names of the last few years (like Emma and Liam) have become mainstays in the list. A few oldies but goodies have made it back in the list (like Victoria and Charlotte – must be the royal English influence!).
Tips on choosing a baby name
Choosing baby names can be hard. You may have no idea what to name your child, or you may have a long list of names that you love. Here are some tips to help you pick the perfect name for your little one.
- Avoid trends. Trends come and go, but your children will have their names for life (unless they choose to change it). Ask yourself if the name you are choosing for your baby will sound ridiculous in 10 years time. Or if it will tempt other children to make fun of it in school.
- Check the initials. You might want to ensure that your baby’s initials doesn’t spell something odd, or worse, rude. For example, Charlotte Olivia White.
- Contemplate possible nicknames. Think about the potential nicknames that other people may give your child.
- Consider sibling names. It may be strange to have one child with a very common name and another with a very unique name. You may want to consider giving your kids names that go well together. After all, it’s likely that you’ll be saying the same breath very often.
- Check the meanings. This is an important step so it safeguards you from choosing a name with a meaning that is horrifying to you.
- Contemplate its uniqueness. Unique names can be fun. However, names that are too unique can make it hard for your child to grow up with. Ask yourself if it is too hard to spell or pronounce. After all, you surely don’t want your little one to have to continuously teach others how to say their name.
- Decide on the spelling. Some parents decide to go with unconventional spelling for a common name to make it unique. However, gossly misspelled names can make it incredibly difficult for your child to spell, pronounce and explain.
- Have a look at your family tree. If you don’t seem to be able to find the ‘perfect’ name, why not look at you or your partner’s family tree for inspiration? Choosing a name that has a strong significance can be really special for your families.
- Say it aloud. Saying the chosen name for your baby out loud can help you decide if you want to go with it. Does it flow well together? Or is it a mouthful to say?
- Enjoy the process. Don’t stress out too much if you can’t seem to decide on a baby name. Some parents only find the ‘perfect’ name when their baby is born. If you make a mistake and regret the name you picked for your baby, don’t worry! You can use a nickname or if you want, legally change it, although this does require a large amount of paperwork and some fees.
So? What do you think? Do you think these will be the most popular baby names for 2020? Let us know in the comments.
If you love unique names, check out this list of 103 beautiful Korean baby girl names that you will fall in love with.
